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The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, was the most acclaimed comic of the '90s. A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman is also widely considered one of the most original and artistically ambitious series of the modern age. By the time it concluded in 1996, it had made significant contributions to the artistic maturity of comic books and become a pop culture phenomenon in its own right.

Now, DC Comics is proud to present this comic classic in an all-new Absolute Edition format. The first of four beautifully designed slipcased volumes, The Absolute Sandman Volume 1 collects issues #1 - 20 of The Sandman (taking us through the introduction Preludes & Nocturnes, the first big story arc The Doll’s House – which is superb – and several standalone tales spun between Doll’s House and Season of Mists)and features completely new colouring, approved by the author, on the first 18 issues, as well as a host of never-before-seen extra material, including the complete original Sandman proposal, a gallery of character designs from Gaiman and the artists who originated the look of the Sandman, and the original script to the World Fantasy Award Winning The Sandman #19, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (the first comic every to win the short story category) together with reproductions of the issue's original pencils by Charles Vess. Also included are a new introduction by DC's president Paul Levitz and a new afterword by Gaiman.

Oh, wow – we’ve been talking about this on the FPI blog, but here it actually is and my mouth is going dry. All of the Absolute editions are gorgeous works of collectable comic goodness, but this is The Sandman, my favourite comic series of all time. I could talk to you about the richly detailed stories, the way seemingly insignificant characters can crop up again as major players later in the run, the deep layering of world mythology and folklore and literature which Neil used not only as embroidery but also often as part of the root and foundations of many tales (no wonder the letters page to this comic was often filled with queries from people doing PhDs in literature). I could go on and fill an essay on Neil and Morpheus and the Dreaming but really all I need to say is I want this; my comics life will not be complete without owning this, despite having every single issue of the comic. And I know you’re thinking just the same. And just think, this is only the first of a projected four, luscious, slipcased Absolute Sandmans... Enter the gates of ivory and horn once more.

DC, hardback with slipcase, 612 pages, published October 2006