Vertigo did a bang up job recoloring the pages from Sandman when they released their Absolute editions. But what if you don't have all those clams to throw out for the big boy versions, but you want to partake of the new coloring? Good news dreamland fans. You can experience Merv Pumpkinhead's emboldened orange hues in affordable softcover version.
And the bonus? How about new Dave McKean covers? No. No, it isn't a dream.
Wow. Damn it. I already own all the trades. Maybe I’ll give those to my girlfriend and buy myself these…
It should be noted that I finally got all the trades less than a year before the Absolutes came out. This happens to be a lot.
I was going to get the absolutes, but I waited too long. These look find and dandy though. Yes. Yes I believe I will be getting them.
Hmmm, one of the things that’s pushed me away from Sandman is the neon explosion attacking my eyes whenever I’d open the book… Maybe now’s the time to give it a shot.
I’ve never read Sandman, and while I’ve always wanted to check it out, I was never ready to invest in the Absolutes. This looks like my ticket.
But… but I already own these. My version of THE KINDLY ONES really has some bad pages, so maybe I’ll just get that one. But, then it won’t match! Conflicted!
I think volume 1, doesn’t have that great of a cover. I like the old trade dress, because it’s kind of represents the sad sack story inside, that first volume cover could be a kid’s book. Just sayin’
This is smart. Recolored Absolutes for the hardcore fans. Recolored trades to keep selling the books to the newer fans and those with tighter budgets. It’ll probably sell lots all over again.
Ugh. I am two trades away from finishing my collection. :/
lol
Anyone know if they’re still going to be $20 a piece? I always thought that was kind of steep for how thick they are.
Hrmm… I actually don’t really like either new cover. I had the "old" version with the color-coded numbers, but I ended up getting the Absolutes and gifting my trades to my friend over the time they came out. I was really sad that Dream Hunters and Endless Nights were criminally uncollected in the absolutes, though so I’d love to see a new Harcover of both of them come out. I still need to nab the Death absolute though.
Still, Sandman is a series that should always be in print, and it should be in the best print it can be. Yay re-colored books!
OH! I just noticed this as I was about to close the page. I’m 99% sure the font used for the "story" title is the font from the 1960s Prisoner show. I instantly recognized it, so I think I’m right. No way to know for certain without asking someone. And DC does have the font as they produced a 4-issue prestige mini "sequel" to the show in the 80s. 😉 Just curious.
I gave up on Sandman halfway through (thought Season of Mists was excellent though). With these, I’ll give it another shot.
Heh… I have the original issues, plus maybe the first five of the original trades, even before they started numbering them. Then I bought the Absolutes as a testament to my adoration of this series. That’s definitely still the feather in the cap. I won’t be buying these, but it is always cool to see some new stuff by Dave McKean. Such a talent.
@dacampo
Well you can sell the original trades for a pretty penny.
oohh… I still dont think Id buy these, but they do look very, very pretty…
These may be new covers, but I’m not sure that they’re new ARTWORK. I know for a fact that I’ve seen that cover for Preludes and Nocturns before…maybe in the Sandman Dustcovers collection, which I think featured unreleased McKean artwork.
I love Sandman. It’s my most favorite series comic of more than 25 issues. But I have zero interest in these. My old trades from the ’90s suit me fine, and they have sentimental value for me.
Also, I’d rather not have a Sandman trade that said on the front that it was from the author of Coraline. That’s like having a Godfather boxset with "Featuring an actor who did a voice in Shark Tale!" printed on it.
Can someone tell how good the recolouring is? I have only just started reading the Sandman so I might wait for these but only if its worth it
@Prax – Certainly looks like the Prisoner font.
@miyamotofreak – really, are the original trades worth something? Didn’t know that. I actually have the first trade of The Doll’s House, and then after that Vertigo released a three-book slipcase with Dream Country and Preludes & Nocturnes included in it — the idea being that you add doll’s house to that and make a nice set. I still have those. 🙂
Or you may have meant the original issues. Man, I’d have to dig for those….
It’s kinda weird. The new cover for Preludes and Nocturnes looks kinda like a sad, very abstract Iron Man.
I may have just incurred the wrath of several Sandman fans…
Odd Tweet from Dave McKean today: "Just to be clear, I didn’t want to do the revised Sandman covers for personal reasons between me and DC, nothing to do with money."
So, obviously, he did them. But he had a problem with DC. Never knew about that. Interesting. (note also: not everyone’s as public with their complaints as Alan Moore. 😉 )
I’m used to the covers we had before; mainly because that’s what I’ve seen at work for 2 1/2 years.
These…..eh I don’t like them all that much. Not the strongest work by McKean. (Then again as daccampo pointed out, he was not really keen on doing them over again)
Too bad I didn’t know about this before placing my latest InStock Trades order, which contained Vol. 6 (I’m proceeding REALLY slow through the trades). At least I’ll be able to enjoy the remaining volumes recolored, I guess.
That Preludes cover I think may be from one of the later issues even, not even an unused cover. I got all the absolutes, but if I could get a pretty penny for those and I’d consider selling them off and buying these instead, as those just look pretty on my shelf but really aren’t for reading (I do have the original trades that I’ve had for about 10-15 years, so I wouldn’t mind having the re-coloured ones, but only if I could sell the absolutes).
@dacampo
I saw the original trades going for a premium at Wondercon.
I may buy these. I used to read Sandman in it’s earlier issues, I remember the Cereal Killer convention and that’s about it.
How many different versions of Sandman do we really need out there? I feel like it’s the comic version of those DVDs that get released 8 times in five years. (I’m looking at YOU, Evil dead!)
I have never bought a sandman trade and have only read a handful of stories from the series. I might pick up these. MIGHT!