Neil Gaiman To Write Sandman Prequel for Vertigo Comics

Among all the great stuff being announced at San Diego Comic Con 2012, my favorite so far is the fact that author, Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Star Dust, Coraline, Anansi Boys) is returning to the character that made him popular (at least in the comic book world). At the Vertigo panel he announced that after 25 years, a new mini series about the Lord of Dreams would be available November of 2013. The prequel will tell the story of what Morpheus was doing before being captured in the first issue of Sandman.

Here’s the video where Gaiman announced the project:

When I watched that video, I was on the edge of my seat. I am a huge fan of the Sandman series, and I’m starting to get caught up on Gaiman’s novels as well. He brings the same kind of detail and poetry to his prose work that he does in the dialog of his comic books. He also mentioned that his artist would be J.H. Williams III, who is now co-authoring and drawing Batwoman (the Vol. 1 collection: Hydrology was on the New York Times best seller graphic novels list). Williams’ art is THE reason I originally started buying the Batwoman books, so I see this partnership as an All-Star lineup.

If you’re not familiar with the Sandman series (from Wikipedia):

“The Sandman’s main character is Dream, the Lord of Dreams (also known, to various characters throughout the series as Morpheus, Oneiros,…) who is essentially the anthropomorphic personification of dreams. At the start of the series, Morpheus is captured by an occult ritual and held prisoner for 70 years. Morpheus escapes in the modern day and, after avenging himself upon his captors, sets about rebuilding his kingdom, which has fallen into disrepair in his absence. Gaiman himself has summarized the plot of the series (in the foreword to Endless Nights) as ‘The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision.’ “

I know some people will say that DC/Vertigo is just returning to an old property to make money like they did with Before Watchmen. Well, they might be right. The Before Watchmen books are top-selling, and the issues I have collected have been well made. On the other hand, Neil Gaiman has made plenty of money, and seems like the kind of artist who doesn’t have to return to a character unless he has a new story to tell.

If you would like to get familiar the Sandman series you can pick up the paperback collection: Sandman Slipcase Set. It comes out in November and gives you almost a whole year to read up before the new books come out. You should check out J.H. Williams Batwoman as well. You can go with the previously mentioned first New 52 Volume:Batwoman Vol. 1: Hydrology (The New 52), or go with the first collection of Batwoman in Detective Comics: Batwoman: Elegy, when she was written by Greg Rucka (J.H. Williams III is still the artist). This is the one I recommend, it’s what got me hooked.

Can you wait a whole year? More than a year, actually. I guess I’ll have to reread all my Sandman and Endless books while I wait for Gaiman’s next classic.