Product Description
In many ways, Season of Mists is the pinnacle of the Sandmanexperience. After a brief intermission of four short stories (collected as Dream Country) Gaiman continued the story of the Dream King that he began in the first two volumes. Here in volume 4, we find out about the rest of Dream's Endless family (Desire, Despair, Destiny, Delirium, Death, and a seventh missing sibling). We find out the story behind Nada, Dream's first love, whom we met only in passing during Dream's visit to hell in the first book. When Dream goes back to hell to resolve unfinished business with Nada, he finds her missing along with all of the other dead souls. The answer to this mystery lies in Lucifer's most uncharacteristic decision--a delicious surprise.There is something grandiose about this story, in which each chapter ends withsuch suspense and drive to read the next. This book is best summed up by a toasttaken from the second chapter: "To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and theseason of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil hisdue." --Jim PascoeAmazon.com Review
In many ways, Season of Mists is the pinnacle of the Sandman experience. After a brief intermission of four short stories (collected asDream Country) Gaiman continued the story of the Dream King that hebegan in the first two volumes. Here in volume 4, we find out about therest of Dream's Endless family (Desire, Despair, Destiny, Delirium, Death,and a seventh missing sibling). We find out the story behind Nada, Dream'sfirst love, whom we met only in passing during Dream's visit to hell in thefirst book. When Dream goes back to hell to resolve unfinished businesswith Nada, he finds her missing along with all of the other dead souls. Theanswer to this mystery lies in Lucifer's most uncharacteristic decision--adelicious surprise.

There is something grandiose about this story, in which each chapter ends with such suspense and drive to read the next. This book is best summed up by a toast taken from the second chapter: "To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil his due." --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

A new beginning
This volume of Sandman almost seems like a second attempt at a beginning for the series. We meet the Endless and learn a lot about them, and Dream in particular. We get to see another battle of sorts with Lucifer. We're introduced to a whole bunch of characters and ideas, the stories of which aren't completely played out yet. And of course the ending sets the stage for more stories to come.

Since I wasn't a huge fan of the actual beginning, I think this is a great new jumping off point. Plus, I loved seeing all the various pantheons and the interesting ways they were depicted.

Fascinating look at religion
Instead of many short tales, like in Vol 3, This Volume (4) is one long story of how Lucifer abandons hell and all other gods of the earth fight for it. Pretty interesting! Great art, as usual. Interesting story. Dream is Regal, as always. I'm still wishing Dream looked more young like in Issue 1 and 2, but oh well.

Not really very good
I'll go ahead and ask you not to give me a negative review simply because you disagree with my thoughts on the book.

Here is why I didn't like this -

I do not harbor an innate fascination with gods, God, Lucifer, or the afterlife.I can definitely enjoy a well-written and drawn piece of fiction inhabited by such creatures, but just the fact that a book contains them isn't enough to make me like it or be intrigued by it.I prefer a well-written and engrossing story involving them, and that's not the case here.Aside from a nice opening piece with Dream and his family members, most of the remainder of the book demands that I be fascinated by the subject matter without the writing being interesting enough to carry the story on its own.

At the end of the book I couldn't recall a single memorable conversation that had occurred.If Gaiman's themes of gods and goddesses are enough to intrigue you, then seeing them combined in such ways may warrant a positive view of the book.But if you are looking for an engrossing story in its own right I just don't think Gaiman does enough to provide it here.

The best of a great series
Other people have already covered this story in depth, I just wanted to put a rating up as it is my fav. of the series.

Review of Sandman, Vol. 4
This work represents a return to coherent narrative, which I really appreciate. Volume Three was great, but it was a collection of stories, of dreams, rather than what I was expecting. Volume Four presents Gaiman back at the loom, weaving a host of Gods and Endless into several stunning chapters. I really enjoyed this thoughtful, engrossing work. ... Read more

Product Description
You can't kill the dead! Like any good monster, the zombie has proven to be ever-evolving, monumentally mutable, and open to seemingly endless imaginative interpretations: the thralls of voodoo sorcerers, George Romero's living dead, societal symbols, dancing thrillers, viral victims, reanimated ramblers, video gaming targets, post-apocalyptic permutations, shuffling sidekicks, literary mash-ups, the comedic, and, yes, even the romantic. Evidently, we have an enduring hunger for this infinite onslaught of the ever-hungry dead. Hoards of readers are now devouring zombie fiction faster than armies of the undead could chow down their brains.It's a sick job, but somebody had to do it: explore the innumerable necrotic nightmares of the latest, greatest, most fervent devotion in the history of humankind and ferret out the best of new millenial zombie stories: Zombies: The Recent Dead. ... Read more

Product Description

"In my hair

Customer Reviews (13)

A Hairy Yet Strange Great Read
Nail Gaiman does it again with his odd, yet intriguing writing about a man with hair so crazy things actually live in it. The artwork is fanciful and works very well enhancing the great rhyming prose.

Fantastic, unique, the whole family loves it
I noticed this book sitting on display on top of one of our library's bookshelves and grabbed it just based on the cover.I was intrigued so we read it right away when we got home.At first I thought it might be a little scary or at very least unsettling for my son but he LOVED it.Silliness plays well with an almost 3 year old little boy who loves books.The illustrations are out of this world and the story is so creative.My husband and I loved reading it, our son loved hearing it and talking about it!Even after it went back to the library, all he could talk about was how now other kids could read his Crazy Hair book.Needless to say it was an easy choice for his birthday next week.Buy this book, it's fantastic!!

Cracked up Mom, Dad and Baby Boy
I picked this up at the library for my husband to read to our 9-mo old for bedtime.I didn't read it before hand - the title and art made it seem worth the rental.That evening my husband and I were laughing out loud, loving the language and illustrations.Even our baby got into the act, pointing at the pictures and grinning.It was the first book my husband picked up the next night too.We'll be putting in on our book-wish list for the future.

I will say that it is just a tad creepy that this guy's hair abducts the little girl.But its also just a storybook, right?

Brilliant Minds
This is everything I expected from Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. They are a brilliant duo and they never let me down. This is a surreal story about a girl who is curious about a man's very "crazy hair." She is taken on all sorts of adventures inside his crazy hair. The concept is original and refreshing, imaginative and deep.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who really appreciates the art of typography, design in general and to anyone who just wants to be taken on a wacky adventure.
I don't however, believe that it is suitable for all children as the facial designs tend to be a little bit on the creepy side. I LOVE CREEPY, but I'm not so sure my 2-yr old niece would. I could be completely wrong, but I urge you to look at the pictures of the people and character designs prior to purchasing it for a child who is a little bit on the sensitive, shy side.

just my opinion. thanks for reading. :)

It's a fun, different and zany picturebook choice!
Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's CRAZY HAIR offers a zany, artistic set of illustrations telling of a man's crazy hairdo and a girl's comments. It's a fun, different and zany picturebook choice! ... Read more

Product Description
“It’s all devastatingly true — except the bits that are lies” — Douglas Adams

Upon publication, Don’t Panic quickly established itself as the definitive companion to Adams and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This edition comes up to date, covering the movie, And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer and the build up to the 30th anniversary of the first novel.

Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman celebrates the life and work of Douglas Adams who, in a field in Innsbruck in 1971, had an idea that became The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The radio series that started it all, the five — soon to be six — book ‘trilogy’, the TV series, almost-film and actual film, and everything in between. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Interesting, learned a lot
This is a creditable survey of Adams writing and production of his most famous (and some not so famous) works. It has a brief section on Adams' school writings - he got the only perfect score on one writing assignment a teacher had ever handed out - and from there to college, radio, television, and computer games.

I thought the treatment of the text adventure games was particularly interesting, taking one back to a world where authors were critical to the design of a computer game.

The discussion of the politics around making the BBC television show was also interesting and rang true.

There is not a lot of depth in much of the analysis of the texts, nor is there much psychological analysis of Adams himself. It mostly focuses just on how the various texts were finally produced. But it yields valuable insights into Adams nonetheless.

A powerful guide perfect for any Adams fan or library catering to them
DON'T PANIC: DOUGLAS ADAMS & THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY appears in a new, updated edition to celebrate the life and work of Douglas Adams. Here Gaiman covers all of Adams' work, from Doctor Who scripts to his famous Hitchhiker originals through their book, TV and radio show renditions, offering a powerful guide perfect for any Adams fan or library catering to them.

Mostly harmless
Interesting and funn at times, this book is pretty bland considering it is a biography of one of (in my mind) the greatest authors I've ever read.(I've only read about 5 different authors, however).

In Douglas Adams' own review of this book, I totally agree:

"The best biography of Douglas Adams & the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy written since this morning" - D.A.

I'd give it a miss, in retrospect.(Maybe you can buy mine).

It's the bonus disc to the H2G2
This is a neat little book. I found the 1st edition years ago by chance in my university bookstore and bought it. When this revised edition (with some new material) was released, I snapped that up as well and re-read it.
Basically, think of this as the book equivalent to a "Bonus Features" DVD. It's jam packed with odd little stories and insights into the making of the Hitchhiker's universe (all media: radio, records, books, & TV). Die-Hard Adams fans will enjoy this.
And the fact that this happens to be compiled by Neil Gaiman, one of my other favorite writers, is just an added bonus.

A great tribute to a great man
This is part a biography of Douglas Adams, and part a description of how the different versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy came to be. Douglas Adams was a very interesting and intelligent man whose life was cut tragically short. The story of how his most famous work was created is almost as funny and capticating as the Hitchiker's Guide itself. We get some examples of his early work, which can be incredibly funny ("How many kamikaze missions have you flown?" "Fourteen Sir!" "Shouldn't it be just one?"). He was involved with the Monty Python group, and wrote some material for them.
I think the book should be essential not only for Hitchhiker's buffs but also for wannabes in any creative profession. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of short stories, essays, poems, song lyrics, and a weblog from the time that his novel American Gods was going to press. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Fascinating inside look at an author's life
The first third of this book is mainly introductions to other writers' books (which means I now have an even longer to-read list, because when Gaiman loves a book, he makes you want to love it too). But the largest and best section is the blog he kept just after writing American Gods, and it's very cool to read about the processes a writer goes through after he types 'the end' on his manuscript. From revising, to author photographs, to signing thousands of books, and touring - it answers all the questions you maybe never knew you had about the life of a writer.

All-in-one
This book is very handy for the Neil Gaiman fan who doesn't want to collect every scrap that has his name on it; it does that for you! Various introductions, miscellaneous poems, and the American Gods web log are all compiled here so that we don't have to try to find it! It's interesting to see Neil's conversational tones and to get a glimpse of what he really finds worthwhile.

Gaiman Strikes Again

A fascinating look at writing from a writer's perspective. While there are a few poems and stories, the book centers around essays, introductions, and a vast excerpt from his blog during his proofing/touring for American Gods. I found him witty, erudite, and always in a good humor about life. Most of all, on nearly every page I learned something new and interesting, about writing, publishing, traveling, or best of all, the many authors Gaiman knows. Far too many things I would like to mention than I ever can, but you can see for yourself: NeilGaiman.com, click on journal. All of the archives are there still, if you care to peruse.

what I found most interesting is that Gaiman, who admitted that he couldn't keep a journal and kept saying that it would only be going until the tour was over and the rest of the site was up, was thoroughly hooked by the end. ^_- He's still going very strong, and in fact, the entries are longer and more frequent than in the first few months.

I think Gaiman fascinates me so much because he keeps his wry outlook on everything around him, even when rushed and tired. I love storytellers, and he always finds a story to tell, always something (and when signing things for hundreds of fans, interesting is the word of the day) to relate for us, often strange and wonderous. He isn't the great explainer, like Asimov, but everything he touches seems steeped in history and mystery, and he can remind you of the magic and wonder in the world. Like his garden. ^_^ (Look in the blog for August 5 and September 2)

Yes, Neil's a genius, but not for going on a book tour.
I'd love to read a weblog about Neil writing American Gods.How did he forge all those sources into a new story that feels true?But this is a weblog about an author going on tour.Honestly, who cares?Neil's a genius, but this is not what he's a genius for.Stick with the stories.Skip the blog.

Yes, Neil's a genius, but not for going on a book tour.
I'd love to read a weblog about Neil writing American Gods.How did he forge all those sources into a new story that feels true?But this is a weblog about an author going on tour.Honestly, who cares?Neil's a genius, but this is not what he's a genius for.Stick with the stories.Skip the blog. ... Read more

Product Description
The third book of the Sandman collection is a series of four short comic book stories. In each of these otherwise unrelated stories, Morpheus serves only as a minor character. Here we meet the mother of Morpheus's son, find out what cats dream about, and discover the true origin behind Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. The latter won a World Fantasy Award for best short story, the first time a comic book was given that honor.

This volume includes issues 17-20 of the original series and features completely new coloring, approved by the author, of issues 17 and 18.

Customer Reviews (43)

Great art! Stories don't connect.
Pretty awesome art. The stories were good each in their own way. But since i read book 1 and 2, i expected 3 to follow, and it didn't. The stories didn't connect to book 1 and 2 so i was thrown off. I like the look of DREAM in book 1 and 2 more. But i like the variety of stories in this book.
I thought the script at the end of the book was a nice touch.
Overall, good, short read with great art.

In which Gaiman plays with shorter tales to great effect
Taking a break after the sweeping grandeur of The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House, Gaiman creates what is essentially a short story collection, allowing him to play with different ideas and themes within the boundaries of his intricate mythology. As with any short story collection, some of the four stand out more than others, but it's rare to find a collection where none of the pieces truly misfire. From the dreams of cats to a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream with a very unusual audience, from a superhero ruminating on the unforeseen horrors of immortality to an author in desperate need of a muse, Gaiman lets Morpheus lurk in the background of these stories (or, in one case, remain entirely absent), creating wholly new worlds and plots to dwell in. The results are fascinating, with Gaiman's usual mix of dark humor and true pathos, and even result in profound discussions about the nature of dreams, reality, and death itself. There's no doubt that they get dismissed as minor pieces in the overall story, but in some ways, they're most revealing of Gaiman's strengths as a writer.

Review of Gaiman's 'Sandman III'
This is another effective volume from Gaiman, but it isn't my favorite. 'Dream Country' presents four unrelated stories in which the Sandman is a unique character. This demonstrates the versatility of Gaiman's character, but the stories themselves vary in interest. In short, I liked this work, but not as much as volumes one and two.

Gaiman fleshes out the universe in this volume
The third Sandman volume, Dream Country is a collection of short stories following the Doll's House arc. While there is no overarching story arc in the collection, there is of course a sense of relevance as each part develops the Sandman's universe and other characters - especially his sister, Death, in the final part.

Included with the set is an interest bonus - a copy of the script for one of the parts (Calliope). Neil introduces is as merely an example of one script, for one issue, in one comic series by one author. It is a fun little bonus, and he likens it to the curiosity of a magicians show - while it may ruin the illusion for some, most people have an insatiable, unquenchable thirst to see how it is done.

As always, the artists change from story to story, or at least every few stories, offering different artistic styles that enhance each story and make them even more unique. This works particularly well in a collection such as this, where each story is really its own separate story.

REDICULOUS
I've gotta admit I didnt think I would like this series, but WOW! I was pleasantly surprised by the first volume and absolutely blown away by the second. Although this is my least favorite volume so far that isnt to say it's not amazing. The main reason it is not as good is because it isnt a part of the over all story arc. It is just a collection of four short stories. But what stories they are. Leave it to Gaimen to actually make me feel for a cat! You should know that this book is not half as epic as the first two but it takes a more laid back, sedate approach. And also this volume is very short and is a quick read. If you arnt totally interested in collecting every Sandman volume this is probably a good one to miss. (You can read it online @ comicoo.com) I recommend getting the first two Sandman's and depending on how much you enjoyed them decide weather or not to purchase this. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the conclusion to the much talked about Sandman series. It may be best to start your Sandman acquaintance with earlier episodes, but The Wake stands as one of Neil Gaiman's strongest and most consistent Sandman volumes to date.Amazon.com Review
This is the conclusion to the much talked about Sandman series. It may bebest to start your Sandman acquaintance with earlier episodes, butThe Wake stands as one of Neil Gaiman's strongest and mostconsistent Sandman volumes to date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Beatiful story and art, confusing additional stories
This book follows the death of Dream. I like how this book answered several questions from the previous book. I LOVED The art. Every artist had his own style and it was all diverse and beautiful! However, I don't understand what the story about the Chinese emperor had ANYTHING to do with the plot. Or the story after it? Did Gaiman throw that in as leftovers from the previous issues? Interesting stories on their own, but they don't fit in with the Dream series.

Review of Gaiman's 'Sandman X'
I don't want to spoil anything. I'll simply say that this was a great ending to the Sandman series, and I recommend a reading of the 'Tempest' by Shakespeare beforehand.

A powerful, emotional farewell to a brilliant saga
The story of The Sandman essentially ended in The Sandman Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones, so why is there another volume? Because without it, we would miss out on a quietly devastating and powerful epilogue to the tale, in which Gaiman, his characters, and his readers all say farewell to the series. The Wake is exactly what its title suggests: a funeral service and a farewell, combined with a few final stories tied deeply into the theme of ending and the past. Little happens of note; characters reminisce, drink, give speeches, and go their separate ways. The remarkably long-lived Hob comments on the verisimilitude (or lack thereof) of Renaissance Festivals; a former Chinese emperor meets Morpheus while adrift in time; and, in the series's final tale, one William Shakespeare writes a final poem to fulfill a bargain made with Dream. All combined, they add up to one of the shortest collections, and yet somehow it becomes one of the most powerful. After so many pages and stories involving the characters, seeing them change, grieve, cope, and react is surprisingly powerful and moving, none more so than Matthew, Dream's raven. Is it a good entry point to the series? Definitely not. But for those who have read the entire saga - and I cannot think of anyone who should not - The Wake is a somber, emotional conclusion to the tale, one worthy of the saga that preceded it. Take this as my endorsement: it was with more than a little bit of sadness that I turned the last page and realized I was at the official end of it all.

The ultimate volume for one of the most thought-provoking and touching series in the medium
Gaiman concludes the series with an amazing blend of writing and artwork. After the events of The Kindly Ones, the reader is brought on a sorrow-filled journey of picking up the pieces. Almost every reader will identify immediately with Mathew, and his thoughts and feelings about Dream and the current situation. What a wonderful conclusion to a masterful series.

excellent...
What an excellent volume as far as closure goes. You cant help but feel sorry for those who were a part of Morpheus for eons.Especially his siblings,you have got to love to resurgence of the prodigal "Destruction" returning yet again to coax Dream into leaving his post. ... Read more

Product Description
From the mists of the past to the nightmares of the present, Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN touches the lives of kings and knaves, explorers, storytellers, monsters and children. This collection of short tales explores historical figures from Augustus Caesar to Marco Polo, from The Arabian Nights to Revolutionary France. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Review of Gaiman's 'Sandman: Volume 6'
Although he doesn't really need to, Gaimain keeps innovating his Sandman novels in new an interesting ways. This work, moreso than any piece proceeding it, feels like a larger collaborations of writers and themes, a series of different dreams, if you will. As a Grecophile, it's also really exciting to see a new relationship develop, between the Sandman and... his son.

A couple of gems, a lot of setup
Another collection of short stories in The Sandman universe, and while the results aren't as consistently strong as those in The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country, the high points are incredibly high. The two best stories bookend the novel. After a short introductory piece, "Three Septembers and a January" opens the novel, detailing the life of the only Emperor of America, with Gaiman crafting what could be a silly tale into something far more poignant and affecting - rather than dismissing Norton as a lunatic, Gaiman examines him as a tragic hero, and the result is a powerful piece. And the book finishes up with the astonishingly well-drawn "Ramadan," whose visual style is a complete homage to classic "Arabian Nights"-style artwork. "Ramadan" focuses on an Arabian prince looking out at his kingdom of wonders and a decision he must make, but it's in the final pages that the story takes on new and more profound ramifications. The rest of the tales - ranging in period from Ancient Rome to the French Revolution - are decent enough, but feel a little bit more like groundwork for later tales to come, most notably in telling the tale of Orpheus, Dream's estranged son. They're not bad, but they pale in comparison to the two aforementioned tales, which are absolute gems.

Short stories enrich the universe
Being the sixth volume in the Sandman series, Reflections and Fables takes a different twist than readers are accustomed to - a volume entirely of the past. There are nine stories in the volume, each relating to the Sandman universe in its own way, yet each remarkably different.

The opening chapter, Fear of Falling, really a prologue, is in itself wonderfully written and in only a few pages it packs a powerful message. Other notable chapters include Ramadan, Parliament of Rooks, Three Septembers and a January, and The Hunt - which makes up over half of the volume itself, showing that it is indeed a wonderful volume in the Sandman universe.

Gaiman remains top-notch in his writing, and the deviation from a direct story line may appeal to some readers, but perhaps not to all. Gaiman enriches the universe and the power of Dream, without using Dream as a main character. Some readers will enjoy this aspect - and perhaps enjoy the historical aspect of the stories - whereas others may wish to stay on track with the Dream as the main character.

Regardless, Fables and Reflections is a volume that should not be missed, and is one of the better Sandman volumes so far. Excellent work by Gaiman.

Quite possibly the hieght of the series
First off, if you aren't familiar with the Sandman series yet, I'd have to recommend the first(The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes) or second(The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House) volume for an introduction to the universe and Gaiman's writing. Still, this eclectic collection of stories only occasionally involves the Endless, so this book is certainly readable on its own. Between ancient Greece and Iraq, modern day America, revolutionary France and more, this volume covers more ground than anything else in the Sandman series. Each story in this book is told in a different style, from a different point of view, so you get Dream, and stories about dreams, from every possible angle.

As a short story collection, it does have its ups and downs. Different people will like or dislike different stories, but there's something here for any dreamer. Personally The Hunt and Ramadan are favorites, as well as the short-and-simple introduction, Fear Of Falling. The art is great all around, though some styles, like the one in Fear Of Falling, could be found annoying at times. All around however, this is a great buy, and really shows the heart of the Sandman books. Also, as one of the thicker volumes, you're getting more story for your buck with this than any of the earlier books.

Wow!
A Game of You was a interesting volume, though I was disappointed that Alianora wasn't touched on more, and she was ignored in the rest of the series, I wanted to know more about her. But this volume is chock-full of awesome stories, and will not disappoint readers. My absolute favorite story was 'Three Septembers and...' about Emperor Norton. I had thought he was fictional, but then found out that he was real. Kudos to Mr. Gaiman for spinning off a fantastic little tale, and Norton's end was bittersweet. Overall a fantastic volume. ... Read more

Product Description

This is a prayer for a blueberry girl . . .

Customer Reviews (39)

A Doppelganger Gift
I do not expect that this will be a "helpful review," being, as it is, more a tribute to a person than to the book. So be it.

This book was given to me and my daughter, collectively, by my best friend--the man who, being a long-time Gaiman fan in all media, introduced me to the pleasures of reading Gaiman's novels. I had taken him, as a surprise, to Neil Gaiman's reading and signing in Decatur, GA, expecting the gift to be from me to him.

Little did I know that the situation would be reversed with his gift to me of Blueberry Girl--a sacrificial gift, as I know that it cost him more than he could afford. I wept when I read it, and then wept again.

He was the first person I called, after my parents, when my husband and I found out that we were going to be parents. He was the first friend to visit in the hospital when she was born. He has been her babysitter, her art teacher, and her "uncle," not to mention my closest friend in the world next to my husband, who also counts him a great friend and advocate.

When I realized, at the end of the book (which had already reduced me to tears), that Neil Gaiman had written it for his friend Tori Amos and her daughter...the poem is lovely, the illustrations whimsically wonderful, but the completeness of meaning is perfect.

Hope someone gets to buy one for me some day...
I'm a Gaiman fan, so I ordered a couple of these - thinking I might give one and keep one. I ended up giving one to my sister-in-law as she had her second daughter and one to a close friend just after she had her second daughter. I know I want (need!) to buy one for my goddaughter, my mom, and various other people I love. All I can say is that the heartfelt wishes, the lovely lyrical language, and the beautiful illustrations make for a beautiful gift I hope to be given someday if I get to have a daughter. Maybe someone close to Neil will have a son, and he'll write one for the men/boys in our lives, too. I'd buy it in an instant.

Gift for Godson's daughter
I can not be as eloquent as someof the other reviewers/poets, at least not tonight. However, I must say this book came out at the perfect time. When I purchased it from my comic book story, I had already seen the trailer for the book. Even then I knew the book would be for Jackie, my godson Chris' daughter. When I bought the book, Chris and our friend Shane were with me. On the ride home, I read the book aloud, as it should be read. I knew that the book's sentiments were what I felt and hoped for Jackie, who was soon to be born. Chris has the book and I hope he's reading it to her like I read How I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish to him. If not, someday I WILL read itto her. It's funny, because I hated to read aloud in school.

A song for a baby
Ladies of Anapest, Ladies of Iamb
Lightly your feet skip along
Here is a lilt for a Blueberry Girl,
A wish written into a song.

Oh, we all wish our babes to be
Both good and kind, to have
Courage and honor and joy.
We wish all these things for
Our Blueberry Girls,
And we wish just as much for each Boy.

I've purchased this book
For my Blueberry Girls,
Now grown into Ladies of note.
Glorious women,
Well set on their paths,
They fill both my dreams and my hopes.

Oh Ladies of Doggerel, Ladies of Rhyme,
Of Metaphor, Image and Trope,
Here is a song for a Blueberry Girl,
But I'm Nearing the End Of My Rope.

Ladies, you whisper, you sing, and you chant,
You haunt me awake or a-dream.
Ladies, dear ladies you're driving me mad:
Get out of my head or I'll SCREAM!

Well spoken and beautifully illustrated
This is a wonderful gem. Neil Gaiman's poetry flows beautifully and Charles Vess's illustrations are fantastic. "This is a prayer for a blueberry girl..." is the beginning, and it is one of the best new baby blessings I have ever found. Do not let a potential giftee's age deter you, though--this book has been well received by new baby's parents, by little girls, by girlfriends, and mothers themselves. I wish EVERY little girl could have a copy of this on her shelf, and believe it when it's read to her. ... Read more

Product Description
Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean present their masterpiece in a completely remastered and redesigned edition overflowing with bonus material!Somewhere in London, a film director is dying of cancer. His life's crowning achievement, his greatest film, would have told the story of a European village as the last hour of 999 A.D. approached - the midnight that the villagers were convinced would bring with it Armageddon. Now that story will never be told. But he's still working it out in his head, making a film that no one will ever see. No one but us.Serialized in The Face in 1989, expanded and revised into a graphic novel in 1992, and adapted for radio in 2000, Signal to Noise has never stopped evolving. The bonus material in this first-time hardcover edition captures every leg of the journey, including three related short stories unseen in nearly two decades, an additional chapter created for the CD release of the radio drama, and a new introduction by Dave McKean along with the original by Jonathan Carrol and the radio drama introduction by Neil Gaiman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Interesting format, good story
Now days its hard to find something subtle.Something that doesn't beat you over the head with the point, but gently guides you there.

Gaiman has always had a knack for subtlety.Dave McKean pairs well with Gaiman and they work their magic in this piece.

This is more in vein with The Tragical Comedy, Comical Tragedy of Mr Punch and other more adult works the Gaiman has worked on than his Sandman and the slightly more traditional comic fair he has also done.

Maybe the most touching Gaiman story I've read.
I can't say enough good things about this book. I'm so happy it's finally been reprinted, and in such a grand format.The tag team of Gaiman & McKean has brought us much over the years, from Violent Cases to their various children's books to the multitude of covers they've worked together on.

This book holds a special place in my heart because it was one of a few books lent to me in the late nineties that got me back into comics.It's incredibly moving.(I could also add that the adapted play by the both of them is also FANTASTIC)

The story delves into the fragile nature of life, the sad happening of coming across the bitter knowledge of your own last days, due to your own body turning against you. The man is a creator, a story teller, and he deals with the information by writing his last great story, even just in his own mind. Maybe as a way to keep the story from being robbed of it's own life.

I won't go into the deeper elements of the story as some of the other reviews have explained them well but it changed the way I viewed how a story could be told in this format.

It's really something else, a work of art.It stands to all the invigorating stories that have been told since and then some.

thoughtful and strange
I love Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, so naturally I had to read this book, and I was not disappointed.In many ways it is unique among their work.There's nothing supernatural in this book, only people struggling to make meaning out of hardship.The themes of suffering and the expected end to the world are universal, and definitely ring true in everyone's life.Check it out.

What is the Signal to Noise?
This is a new released version of Signal to Noise graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean -- complete with new jacket art, the original introduction, and some new introductions and notes by both Gaiman and McKean.

Also included in this edition are three separate short stories that led to Signal to Noise's publishing and creation, while a few were made during its process. All three stories deal with the themes of language and communication in terms of barriers, and breaking those barriers down; exploring where the word begins and the individual ends, and, ultimately and especially 'ends.'

The placement of these stories -- from "Hackers" to "Deconstruction" andthen "Vier Mauern" lead up to what will transpire, and what is contained within the main piece. This much is clear -- a film director finds out he is dying of cancer. He finds out not long before he is given permission to create his film -- a story about a European village that believes the Apocalypse is coming with the end of 999 AD.

These two events, the one that the director focuses on, and the one that he is experiencing are both "the end of a particular world." The text plays with the concepts of semantics, communication, and memory. The director spends his remaining days alone creating his film in his head, sifting through dreams and memories, and faces. Admittedly, you can get lost in the semantical pastiches that unfold and the experiments in language, yet the garbed trues and mixed up words symbolize the realm of the barely submerged subconscious and the barely awakened mind of the underworld.

Each chapter starts off with these interludes, these alchemical processes -- and somewhere, there is an answer to what the Signal to Noise is. Noise is seen as something superfluous, but something starts it -- something summons it. Semiotics and imagery also play a key role when looking at the mindset of the director -- in which the telephone, the ultimate symbol of the outside world in his flat becomes a monster -- an intrusive thing reminding him of the things that could distract him (a symbol that is very relatable to me), something that is only noise.

As the scenes progress, some of them dreamlike and filled with abstraction, an actual exegesis -- an examination of what an apocalypse is supposed to be, of its history in human culture is explored. The artwork for the four horsemen of the apocalypse is superb and vivid, while the Biblical sections identifying them are written down. Myths and legends are explored and possibilities and, ultimately the "revelation" (this word being the actual definition of "apocalypse") -- that the end of the world is not necessarily a communal event, but certainly an individual one. There are little ends of the world everyday.

And yet, like the Nordic Ragnarok, life continues on. The ending to this story is very quintessentially Neil Gaiman -- there are places where it could end, but it doesn't, which in this case works well. I am still not entirely sure what the Signal to Noise is -- words perhaps or art. Perhaps the signal is thought, and through words on a page, through the medium of the graphic novel ... there is no noise.

It is an interesting book for semioticians, semanticists, but also film students and critics, not to mention comics lovers and anyone who wants to explore a mind dealing with an end, and a voiceless continuance. ... Read more

Product Description
Four of beloved author Neil Gaiman's delightfully scary, strange, and hilarious children's tales read by the author, now available unabridged. This collection includes:

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish: An unforgettable story that will take readers on a journey into the murky mind of a young boy and the perils of striking a bargain.

The Wolves in the Walls: Lucy is sure there are wolves living in the walls of their house -- and, as everybody says, if the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over. Her family doesn't believe her. Then one day, the wolves come out.

Cinnamon: This charming fable of an exotic princess who refuses to speak currently exists only on Neil's official website and has never been published in print or any other format.

Crazy Hair: Bonnie tries to comb the narrator's crazy hair -- where gorillas leap and tigers stalk -- and is in for a surprise in this delightful rhyming tale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Crazy Hair
Neil Gaiman is amazing.Crazy Hair is by far one of my favorite children's stories.I recommend everything by him as he's always entertaining.

Wonderful children's stories from one of my favorite authors
I currently love just about anything Neil Gaiman writes, and I was not disappointed by this CD at all.The stories are all a lot of fun, and Gaiman's performance of them makes them very entertaining.The interview that his daughter does at the end was also a lot of fun to listen to.I highly recommend this CD to Neil Gaiman fans and to people who enjoy children's literature.

One of my favorite cds
I adore this collection of stories! Cinnamon is my personal favorite but they are all wonderful. I am a college student and I listen to it often. Really enjoyable for all ages. The interview with his daughter is interesting as well.
P.S. I was able to put this on my ipod with no problems

What a Treat !!!
I bought this for my just-turned 6 year old daughter for Xmas 2005. We took it into the car to listen. I'd never heard of Gaiman but was intrigued when I found the collection on Amazon. Gaiman is English and has a wonderful voice. This collection includes a q & a led by his 10 yr old daughter. This was as enjoyable as the stories as it is very informally done.

The stories are wonderfully imaginative with what I would call a touch of darkness but not in a scarey way. My daughter loves them and has asked to hear them in the car again and again. I love listening to Gaiman's voice so I don't mind hearing them again and again.

I need to find more of these!!

Funny, poetic, layered.If only all kid's litwere. . .
Gaiman is a gifted storyteller, and I believe he is at his best in short genres:short stories, children's fiction, poetry.This is a well chosen collection of 4 short pieces and a charming interview (by the author's daughter daughter).Gaiman's interpretations of his work are excellent, and the whole collection left me wanting more.It's children's literature at its best, in the hands of an author who does not equate childhood with idiocy. ... Read more

Product Description
In his grandfather's seaside arcade, a young boy encounters a mysterious Punch & Judy man with a dark past and a woman who makes her living playing a mermaid. As their stories unfold, the boy must confront family secrets, strange puppets and a nightmarish world of violence and betrayal. Second printing. Graphic novel format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Games of memory
I will openly admit that I have never seen the Punch and Judy story, and I haven't got the faintest idea how it goes.

So I was a little nervous going into "The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch," but it turns out that there was nothing to worry about. It's a vaguely nightmarish, jewel-toned story told like a series of serial photographs -- and rather than a retelling of the story of Punch, it's a boy's reflections on the world.

A boy and his grandfather go to the beach to fish. Eventually, the kid wanders away and finds a strange little tent neaby... only to have Punch and Judy puppets emerge and do their grisly little performance. This sets the child to thinking about the past, his ancestors and the way that young children are both intimidated by adults and filled with magical ideas.

Then his grandfather meets the puppeteer who was on the beach, an old friend who still sees the magic in the old "Punch and Judy" performances. The old man reintroduces the boy to a world of magic and wonder, and reconnects him to the past of his family.

"The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch" is a very striking story -- Gaiman weaves together stories within stories, interlocking and spiraling inward like a seashell's chambers. And though the story centers on a young, rather disillusioned boy who is watching the older generations fade, even as he looks on his own life.

And Gaiman's writing is quietly beautiful here -- he fills the story with wooden puppets, faux mermaids, pebbled beaches, and thoughts of childhood's scary magical qualities. There are little shreds of weirdness speckling the main story, like when the boy reflects that his aunt claimed she had a tail. Of course, he had to check.

And Dave McKean's art is... weird. A little weirder than the story merits, actually -- half the time the panels are normal, and the rest of the time they look like strange surreal photographs. We have wire boys, comedy masks, rich jewel tones, puppets that look like they were snapped with a camera, and written letters running under the rough-hewn sketches. It's like having your head shoved into a beautiful, surreal junk drawer.

"The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch" has a rather deceptive title, but Neil Gaiman's dark spiderweb of a tale is well worth the reading.

Fabulous
Bought this comic book for my boyfriend... all I knew was that he loved Neil Gaiman like a fanatic. He loved it :) Get it.

Macabre, Disturbing Look at a Child's Eye View of the Evils of Adulthood
Mr. Punch is a homicidal puppet who creates a dark picture of life for children.For the child in the story, his life parallels the Mr. Punch story.Children are beaten and fall from windows.Women are beaten by men and fall down and the world seems to be a dark scary place.I intended to use this book with my students but found some nudity and others unsuitable items in the book so I will enjoy it myself and share the story with adult friends.Very interesting and very dark.Neil Gaiman doesn't seem to have experienced people as being kind or nice but violent and dark.Maybe Americans are a bit more optimistic about childhood or we tend to look on the bright side more often.

A disappointment
I've read and praised Gaiman's works before.I've read his novels, graphic novels, and anthologies, and always enjoyed them.Mr. Punch, however, was a big disappointment.

The artwork varies widely.While many of the characters are drawn in normal cartoon fashion, the narrator (a little boy) is drawn to resemble a fox around the nose, and the puppets are shown as bad photographs.The narrator and the puppets, which are the main characters, are extremely unattractive, and are depicted so badly that I was constantly distracted from the story.I don't mind unattractively depicted characters, if they help tell the story, but these characters constantly jolted me out of the story and back to real life.The font used for the main character's remembrances, which again made up most of the text, was nearly unreadable, and on top of the basic unattractiveness/illegibility of the font, it was white on a black background.I guess that the letterer didn't feel that that font was hard enough to read, it needed that extra bit of eyestrain to make the reader's head ache a little more.Artwork and lettering should enhance a graphic novel (or any novel), they should not detract from it.And in the case of Mr. Punch, the artwork and lettering detract so much that I had to put the book down several times.

While the story was acceptable, it was no more than that.It's certainly not worth re-reading...and in fact, I rather wish I hadn't read it even once.

1st Gaimen book read
This is the first book I read of Neil Gaimen. I'm not to sure what I expected as no reviews really,really broke it down to what it is about. I agree with another reviewer that said the lettering made it difficult at times. The art and pictures I thought were not what I am used to but it did add to the story's brooding creepiness.
I guess I was waiting for the story of punch and judy to actually be the uncle's story:
In Like the Grandfather threw the uncle out of the window when he was a baby and killed his mother and the cop and killed the judge in escaping judgement. It's now has become the family's dark secret that they all live with and the uncle expresses it through the punch & judy puppet show which would be and is errie, to me at least.(this is why I believed the uncle was aloud to move the show to the grandpas' store in the begging, because the grandpa owes him# And the boy witnessing his grandpa hitting the girl only confirmed that he is still at it being evil. I was waiting for all this to be confirmed at the end and the nightmare would be that life would go on as normal for the boy even though it would never be the same because of what he now knows. I thought I was on the right track especially with the adult to kids thinking comparisons#which I did enjoy#. But I was wrong. I also figured the devil in the play to represent the uncle who is a constant reminder to the grandpa of what he has done, a living conscience so to speak. I was never sure what the aligators meant, something bad though.
The ending sent me in a different direction. I took it to mean that if we killed the devil, then everything is okay to do. Meaning that if you killed the belief in the devil then you've killed belief in God and the struggle of what is right and what is wrong. And God #which I do believe in as being represented by Christ# is the foremost leader in what is that standard and what is not that standard of right and wrong. I think I probably got that part of the punch book wrong as well,maybe. It doesn't bother me if I was right to, as it is interesting whatever side you are on of a debate about morals.
Well....if anyone who is more familuar with Gaiman's work could explain this more to me I would greatly appreciate your input. As it is I will re it again to try and figure it out more and I will still Gaiman another try. Everybody loves his work and I would like to get a chance to see whether I truly agree or disagree with everybody.
Also if you have reccomendations, I would also appreciate that.
p.s. another alternative that I came to as to this book's meaning is that there is a real Mr. punch and Judy story that was performed in this manner which I have no clue to the history of that probably ... Read more

Product Description
Delirium, youngest brother of the Endless, prevails upon her brother, Dream, to help her find their missing sibling. Their travels take them through the world of the waking until a final confrontation with the missing member of the Endless and the resolution of Dream's relationship with his son change the endless forever. .Amazon.com Review
One might think that the climax of the 10-volume Sandman serieswould come in the last book, or even the second to last. But indeed theheart and soul of Neil Gaiman's magnum opus lies here in BriefLives. It could be because one of the most central mysteries--that ofthe Sandman's missing brother--is revealed here (in fact, the plot of thisvolume is the search for this member of the Endless). It could be becauseeverything that comes after this volume, however surprising or unexpected,is inevitable. But it's more because this is a story about mortality andloss, the difficulty of change, the purpose of remembering, the purpose offorgetting, and the importance of humanity. If you have wanted to find outwhat all the good buzz on this great comic book series is about and haven'tread any Gaiman before, don't be turned off by this volume's pivotalposition in the larger story of the Sandman series. This book mightactually operate better as a stand-alone story, in that its depth andcompassion are more condensed, pure, and brief. --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Best omnibus thus far!
With The Sandman: Fables & Reflections ending up being such a letdown, I was hoping that this seventh omnibus, The Sandman: Brief Lives, would be a return to form. The last couple of installments had been great, and I had heard a lot of positive things about this story arc.

Well, I'm glad to report that The Sandman: Brief Lives is my favorite omnibus thus far! In the past, I have complained that the plotlines are often all over the place, without any sort of continuity, that many of the stories appear to be vignettes that have little or nothing to do with one another. Yet the great thing about this story arc is that it does tie a lot of what seemed to be loose ends together. The Sandman: Brief Lives unveils connections between various plotlines which, at face value, did not appear to be linked.

Here's the blurb:

From Neil Gaiman's award-winning Sandman series comes the longest story arc in Gaiman's extraordinary saga of the Endless. This is the story of the search for the Sandman's long missing brother, Destruction, and of the consequences of that endeavour. The great quest begins when Delirium, the youngest of the Endless family, prevails upon her brother Dream (the Sandman), to help her find her missing sibling. Their travels take them through the world of the waking until a final confrontation with the missing member of the Endless and the resolution of The Sandman's painful relationship with his son, Orpheus, change the Endless forever.

The presence of Delirium helped with the overall characterization. Like Death, she brings out another side of Dream that shows a more human side to the character. It was a delight to follow their adventure as they wander in search of Destruction. This story arc also reveals more information about the Endless and how they interact with one another.

This omnibus was illustrated by Jill Thompson and Vince Locke, and it features some of the best artwork in the series. And since, for once, the various chapters have not been produced by a panoply of disparate artists, there is a much appreciated visual continuity as well.

The Sandman: Brief Lives is comprised of nine chapters. It also contains an afterword by bestselling author Peter Straub.

Onward to the 8th omnibus, The Sandman: World's End!

An awesome installment in the Sandman series; Delirium searches for her brother Destruction
This is the seventh graphic novel in Gaiman's Sandman series.The Sandman series is 10 graphic novels in length.This was a wonderful book. Absolutely loved the story and enjoyed the illustrations.

In the seventh graphic novel in the Sandman series Morpheus's sister Delirium wants to go searching for her brother Destruction.After Desire and Despair refuse to help her she turns to Morpheus for help.Morpheus has just been abandoned by his girlfriend and is depressed and as such agrees to travel with Delirium in search of their brother Destruction.There travels take them to visit a number of long-lived humans and a few forgotten gods.

If you are a Sandman fan then you will read this and love it.If you aren't well then you should start reading these graphic novels because they are awesome.The plotlines are creative and interesting as well as engaging.Sometimes the story gets a little bit ambiguous, but that just makes it more interesting.There is always a little black humor in these; especially in this book where Delirium likes to chat about whatever strikes her fancy.Of course the storyline always touches on deeper topics like the meaning of life, the origin of life, and the definition of gods.

I really enjoyed this installment of the Sandman series and look forward to reading the next novel.

Simple story, profound impact
I commented when I read The Sandman Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections that a good deal of it felt like setup for something later to come. Turns out, I was right...but did the payoff ever merit the time it took. Brief Lives is in many ways the simplest Sandman story to date, revolving around Dream and Delirium's quest to find their brother Destruction, who abandoned his duties many centuries ago. And yet, despite the simplicity of the storyline, Brief Lives has the highest emotional impact of any volume debate. It's clearly the most "personal" story, revolving around the family life of the Endless, but it takes on so much more - our fear of change, our desire to find purpose in our lives, our belief in the supernatural and gods, our sense of duty to those we love. And it does so elegantly, expanding the characters in directions we did not foresee and making us all the more aware of the slow changes that the series has wrought so far. It's clear that the final chapter of Brief Lives will have ramifications far beyond the end of the book, but given the emotional devastation it has already wrought, it's clear that the series has hit a point of no return. In a series so filled with magnificence, Brief Lives may be the best volume of them all - and that's saying quite a bit.

The best volume in the Sandman series yet, explains Destruction
The best volume of the Sandman series yet brings Dream and his sister Delirium in search of their long lost brother Destruction. Destruction left the world of the Endless several hundred years ago to pursue his own life - ironically creating many things such as paintings, poems, sculptures and food.

Along the way, Delirium and Dream run into many old acquaintances of Destruction, and naturally certain things happen to them...unfortunately in the search for Destruction, one of the repercussions is destruction of his old friends.

Brief Lives is the most exciting and entertaining volume of the Sandman series thus far, shedding new light on his family and his development and growth. We see throughout the entire volume what strange musings Delirium has to offer, and perchance one of the most entertaining and likable characters thus far in the series in Destruction. His desire to create, combined with his sense of humor and his remarkably realistic laugh makes for an extremely likable character that won't be forgotten.

Aside from the advancements of the characters of Delirium and Dream (and Despair), one thing not only evident from the volume itself but through remarks of various other characters is Dream's development. Each makes a comment that Dream has changed - including his own son, Orpheus - and it is clear by the end of the volume that Dream feels the same way.

Gaiman does a wonderful job developing the Endless in Brief Lives, and has many remarkable comments about gods and dreams/destiny, including:

"I know how gods begin, Roger. We start as dreams. Then we walk out of dreams into the land. We are worshipped [sic] and loved, and take power to ourselves. And then one day there's no one left to worship us. And in the end, each little god and goddess takes its last journey back into dreams...and what comes after, not even we know." (ch. 5, page 20)

and

"...while you [Dream] are prince of those symbols and shapes that mean other than they seem, of metaphor and of allusion, my [Destiny] dominion is that which is, of actions and consequences and paths." (ch. 6, page 9)

All in all, Brief Lives provides the most in-depth, remarkable and fully entertaining volume of the Sandman series so far, with unique looks at various characters of the Endless and with excellent insights into the world of the Sandman - and our own world - by Neil Gaimain. Definitely not a volume to be missed.

Amazing.The search for a brother, the compassion for a sister, the farewell to a son.
Thanks again to Mr. Gaiman.It took me awhile to write this review because you've written so many great stories in the Sandman library that I wasn't sure what to say about the collection of stories in Brief Lives.However, after some long hard thinking, this collection is in my mind a masterpiece because it shows the growth of many characters.It is a different story because it seems to be told in linear progression compared to many of the other Sandman tales, which makes it accessible to almost any reader (some knowledge of The Endless would be recommended).It is the tale of a quest.After being turned down by her sister Despair and brother/sister Desire, Delirium turns to Dream (Morphius), to aid her on her quest to find their brother Destruction who had abandoned his family many, many, years ago, who she misses very much.Throughout their quest, the reluctant Dream develops what seems to be compassion along the way.First of all, he sees how much something can matter to someone, simply by spending time traveling with his sister, who had always though he hated her.He sees how much of a burden something can be to someone by spending time listening to his brother explain why he abandoned the Endless and sought out his own fortune.And he develops the compassion of a father as he has a final encounter with his son Orpheus, which I will not get into as to spoil it for new readers.In all, this is an amazing adventure, and the various artists, predominately the outstanding Jill Thompson, provide stunning imagery for this tale.A masterpiece through and through.
Peace and Love,
Jake. ... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Here's the latest in Vertigo's award-winning series. The Lord of Dreams has killed his own son and now must face the consequences as his fate becomes entwined with the Kindly Ones, primal powers who revenge blood debts. Full-color illustrations. Graphic ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Review of Gaiman's Sandman, Volume IX
This is an excellent rebound, after what I considered a dip in quality from Book VIII. There is something 'classic' about this work. It returns to all the foundational themes are stories present in the earlier Sandman novels, and uses them to great effect. This is the longest, and one of the best, volumes of Sandman.

Everything ends
The thickest and in some ways most challenging Sandman collection, The Kindly Ones represents nothing less than Gaiman's efforts to wrap up every single storyline from the entire Sandman saga. Here's the incredible thing: he succeeds, all while creating one of the most poignant and quietly devastating arcs of the series. Anyone who's read the series to this point has to suspect what's coming, but even those who don't have to be aware of the elegiac, mournful tone to the whole collection. As Morpheus makes the rounds, greeting characters so familiar by now that we almost view them as friends, we can't help but know that we are coming to the end of things. Even so, as that end starts to come, and it turns out far more destructively than we might have imagined, we can't help but feel each death and assault stack up, all leading up to one final decision that leaves the reader a little stunned. I've been taking my time through this volume, parsing it more than normal; given how intricately Gaiman has structured it, how many allusions and references there are to Greek tragedy here, I'm almost wanting to go through it again. It would definitely merit it, but then again, so would every volume of this incredible series.

If it wasn't for Gaiman's amazing writing, the poor artwork would destroy this volume
Once again Gaiman is on his mark, as the writing and overall story is amazing. The artwork? Not so much. This is easily the poorest illustrated volume in the Sandman series. But the story is strong enough to not only make the reader feel depressed, but also feel hopeful with the next volume.

Three minor, supporting characters really shine in this volume - Matthew, The (new) Corinthian and Lucifer. These three characters alone have enough emotion to interest many people, and combined with the overarching story they really shine.

Again, the writing is top-notch Gaiman, and the storyline is fantastic. The artwork is at the very bottom of the series - but the writing alone makes up for the poor artwork. This is a volume that will change things for many people and should not be read unless many of the earlier volumes have been read.

Change Must Have Ramifications
The Kindly Ones encompasses the direct consequences of the earlier volume, Brief Lives.In Brief Lives, Lord Morpheus (Dream) changes, for better or for worse.The actions that lead to such change must have ramifications, and The Kindly Ones details such repercussions.

In The Kindly Ones, Lyta Hall, a character who has made sporadic appearances throughout The Sandman series, is convinced that Dream has stolen her baby, Daniel.She goes to the women known as the Kindly Ones for vengeance, and even she couldn't predict the outcome.

Making use of virtually every character in The Sandman mythos, The Kindly Ones is a truly epic tale that brings us to a point in Dream's existence that would seem, based upon Brief Lives, inevitable.At times The Kindly Ones gets a bit muddled and verbose, but in the end, it was all worth it.

I've had the privilege of reading The Sandman series in completion and for the first time in the last few months, and The Kindly Ones is testament to the genius of Neil Gaiman.I don't know if it was on purpose or a happy accident, but The Kindly Ones makes use of virtually every storyline preceding it and concludes such a mammoth story ... it's nearly unimaginable someone could dream up such a story.

My only suggestion: Skip the introduction and read it after you finish The Kindly Ones.It does reveal a fairly major plot point, which, upon retrospect seems obvious, but even so, I would have liked to have avoided the introduction's cataclysmic revelation.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

Graphic SF Reader
Lyta Hall's son Daniel is taken from her.She shows that, when a superhero, she wasn't called Fury for nothing.

Finding her mythological namesakes, she decides to put an end to Morpheus, the Lord of Dream.Morpheus is not without his own plans and defenses, however, but a promise made to a former servant costs him dearly.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
This book is an anthology of twenty short stories, each something of a retelling of a classic fairytale. The stories are all very well written, with the leadoff story being written by the sensational Tanith Lee. As a matter of fact, my absolute favorite story is Tanith Lee's reworking of the story of Repunzel.

These stories run the gamut between humorous and upsetting. Some of the storylines are too much for young children, but none are unnecessarily violent or sexual. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of these stories, and I recommend it without reservations. ... Read more

Product Description
/Neil Gaiman /Dave McKean, Chris Bachalo and /Mark Buckingham, illustrators From the pages of THE SANDMAN LIBRARY Neil Gaiman tells the story of the one day every hundred years when Death, older sister of The Sandman, walks among humans to gain a better understanding of. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

Review of Gaiman's Death:Cost
I'm sorry to say I was disappointed with this comic. The incredibly short narrative provides an interesting encounter with the character death, but there is little development or dynamism. Beyond my fascination with Gaiman, I can think of no reason to read this book. Further, the comic closes with an odd exploitation of death, as a public safety spokesman against STDs. Personally, I found an uninspiring work.

Great illustration, boring book
If you enjoy top rate illustration, then buy this book.If however you're looking for a well thought out concept for a story, pass on it.Dumb and boring.

Wonderful
This makes for a great addition to the Sandman universe. The bonus features in here are also nice. For any Sandman completist, this is a definite must-add. It's great to see Death with a couple of stories of her own. Too bad they didn't make additional novels for the other members of the Endless.

Great Read
This graphic novel is great. The ending is funny...the VERY end, but this is about life and living, not worrying about the rigors of life, but living and realizing the living may cost a high price, but it may ultimately be worth it. Live in the moment and live to live and love, live for yourself and no one else. It's great.

A Living Death
This Graphic Novel is decent, but doesn't compare to The Sandman Series. It is still worth a read. ... Read more

Product Description
Steven is afraid. Afraid of ghost stories, afraid of growing up... just afraid. That is, until he meets the mysterious Showman and his Theatre of the Real. Steven takes a ticket and watches the show on a dare, but getting out of the performance will be harder than he ever imagined. And then Steven learns what it is to be truly afraid. Neil Gaiman, internationally acclaimed and bestselling writer of both prose fiction (Neverwhere, Stardust) and graphic novels (The Sandman, Signal to Noise) teams with veteran artist Michael Zulli (The Sandman, Creatures of the Night) to create this dark and brooding morality tale. The Last Temptation is the latest addition to Dark Horse's proud and growing library of Neil Gaiman hardcovers. Originally published as part of the short-lived Marvel Music line of the early '90s, Zulli's lush and beautiful duoshade artwork is now showcased in a new format for this stunning second edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Only for absolute die-hard Cooper or Gaiman fans.
To truly understand why I'm giving this 2 stars? I'm going to spoil the ending. This review will spoil the ending to the book. If you don't want that? Press back now.

Still here? Okay then.

The story centers around a boy named Steven. The book description says that he's afraid of everything. Personally, I find this confusing, because he doesn't actually seem to be afraid of anything in the story, so much as he is ultimately nonplussed by it.

Enter "The Showman". We soon learn that Gaiman's story heavily draws from the story of Faust and Something Wicked This Way Comes by Bradbury. Now, you'd think that a comic about Alice Cooper playing a vile showman who seems to exist to steal children's lives would be awesome. And you'd be right. If you've ever been to a Cooper concert? Then you'll notice that right up until the ending that it's like a comic version of a Cooper concert, mixed with Gaiman's sense of storytelling.

Here's where that falls apart though. Througout the story, it seems like Gaiman has no idea who his target audience is (Aside from being Alice Cooper fans). It makes references to suicide, prostitution, and strong sexual tones of growing fascination with girls.

But back to the plot. Steven goes to the show, where the Showman shows him the possibility of a horrible life in a small town, doomed to drag on pointlessly. Offering him to join his theater. The price for eternal life? His potential. Steven leaves the theater, since the finale doesn't come till later. What follows is the Showman harassing Steven at home and at school by manifesting himself through people like his mother and a girl at school.

At this point, a girl wearing Alice Cooper face paint tries to seduce Steven. Steven who strangely doesn't have a thing for possessed girls, turns her down. She returns to normal, being insulted that he wasn't attracted to her. As he realizes that she's normal, and that he probably just missed his chance to see breasts in real life for the first time? Says "Fudge." no seriously. Here's where I think Gaiman doesn't know his audience. If a young, sexually frustrated kid just missed his chance to see young, perky, boobs? He would have more to say than "fudge."

Anyway, Steven returns to the theater, that is now inhabited by hideous half-rotten freaks. And oh yes, apparently, the Showman's theater only appears once every 5 years to pull in some unsuspecting child. And again, we see Steven isn't really afraid. Just very bored by what sees. So he enters the theater, there's an exchange of dialogue, and we see that The Showman has made it physically impossible for him to leave. So how does Steven escape such a hopeless situation?

He imagines fire. You heard me. He deduces that this world isn't real, and the means to destroy it wouldn't be real either. So he imagines it on fire. One would think that a child being held for 100 years would have imagined what it would be like to set the theater on fire, but apparently they hadn't thought of that.

What shapes up to be an epic standoff between Steven and a hideous basilisk sized Snake-form of The Showman (Complete with Alice paint) comes down to Steven realize that he can't physically hurt him, and Steven finds himself back at home. But we're treated to a "The End?" sort of ending where The Showman isn't actually gone.

In conclusion? The art work is spot on, and compliments Alice Cooper perfectly. But God, the story is uninspired, and saddled with a sad little Deus Ex Machina ending. The story also forces several references to Alice Cooper songs, just to make sure, you know, the story's about Cooper.

Still, the price is fairly acceptable. Pick it up, if you just want, just don't expect fantastic storytelling.

Great collaboration
This was my introduction to Neil Gaiman. A wonderful collaborative effort by Alice Cooper and Neil. I actually got the first issue with the Alice Cooper album of the same title. I now have it signed by Neil, I now need to get Alice to sign it.

Alice Cooper stars as....
I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman since his early work of Don't Panic (a book about Douglas Adams' work). Also a fan of the Sandman stuff, etc. You know the drill. This one I half-cringed, thinking it just too good to be true that Neil Gaiman AND Alice Cooper had combined forces, but here ya have it. And it's crazy good. Buy it, read it, love it.

Alice Cooper, comic star and writer
Yes, that Alice Cooper.

It's about a disaffected teenaged boy, Steve, at that age too old for kids' stuff but nowhere near adult. He's a stranger to everyone - his friends (such as they are), his parents, and even himself. So, when The Showman makes an offer that will cost nothing and everything, he has nothing to lose. Or so he thinks/

It's audience participation all the way, even after Steve has left the theater, the existence of which is iffy at best. The Showman appears again and again, on all of the wrong people's faces. The Showman presses his Faustian deal - whatever it is, we never quite see - endlessly. In the end ...

... Well, see for yourself. It's a growing-up story, but with a final insight that whispers rather than shouting. Readers expecting a bigger finish may find it indecisive, largely because decisions is an internal and invisible process. If you expect macabre madman Alice Cooper, you'll get a bit of that, but probably not as much as you expected. Instead, you'll get something more satisfying.

-- wiredweird

Mediocre for Gaiman
At one point in Neil Gaiman's The Last Temptation, the macabre master of ceremonies (a perfect 2-D rendition of Alice Cooper, as drawn by Zulli) makes a most tempting final offer to the young protagonist, Steven.There's only one thing he wants in return, and it's so small that the boy will barely notice it's gone.He doesn't need it, won't even miss it.

Let me guess, Steven says, at his age already worldly to horror cliches.My soul?

"Oh, no!" replies the master of ceremonies."Your potential."

This little exchange is typical of Neil Gaiman - always refreshing, he never falls back on cliches.It is difficult to read much nowadays without guessing motives and endings, because so many authors get so lazy.But Gaiman manages to elevate the most frequent scene in literature - that of evil tempting innocence and offering fantasies come true, all in exchange for the poor sap's soul - into something quite unique.

Gaiman has therefore, understandably, been a favorite author of mine for years.From his graphic novels (Sandman, Books of Magic, 1602) to his welcome foray into mainstream literature(American Gods, Good Omens, Anansi Boys) and film (Mirrormask), he continually impresses with his talent.Like his Sandman protagonist, the king of dreams, Gaiman creates whole ficticious worlds and actually makes you believe that maybe it's all real.And he makes you care about what his characters go through.

Unfortunately, regarding The Last Temptation, that's the end of the pluses for me.I really didn't care what happens to Steven; I never got a sense of his personality, any feeling that he was real or realistic.As a lead character, he's a bit dull.The plot itself doesn't offer much.I found myself skimming bits of it just to get to the end.I always thought it impossible for Gaiman to write something mediocre, so I'm surprised.

The artwork is fun.As I said above, Zulli is spot-on with his depiction of Alice Cooper.And who else but Alice is perfect in a role as the ultimate showman (who really does turn out to be evil incarnate)?My only beef is the choice for black-and-white, which often makes the comic difficult to read.I hear there's a color version, which I've yet to find, but doing so may make it easier to follow the action.

In the end, it's a simple, straightforward little horror tale with not much to offer.Gaiman's admitted it's not his best work, just a cheap little thrill, not unlike a trip to the carnival or eating cotton candy when we can't find gelatto. ... Read more

Product Description
When Brant and Charlene wreck their car in a horrible snowstorm in the middle of nowhere, the only place they can find shelter is a mysterious little inn called World's End. Here they wait out the storm and listen to stories from the many travelers also stuck at this tavern. These tales exemplify Neil Gaiman's gift for storytelling--and his love for the very telling of them. This volume has almost nothing to do with the larger story of the Sandman, except for a brief foreshadowing nod. It's a nice companion to the best Sandman short story collection, Dream Country, (and it's much better than the hodgepodge Fables and Reflections). World's End works best as a collection--it's a story about a story about stories--all wrapped up in a structure that's clever without being cute, and which features an ending nothing short of spectacular. --Jim PascoeAmazon.com Review
When Brant and Charlene wreck their car in a horrible snowstorm in themiddle of nowhere, the only place they can find shelter is a mysteriouslittle inn called World's End. Here they wait out the storm andlisten to stories from the many travelers also stuck at this tavern. Thesetales exemplify Neil Gaiman's gift for storytelling--and his love for thevery telling of them. This volume has almost nothing to do with the largerstory of the Sandman, except for a brief foreshadowing nod. It's anice companion to the best Sandman short story collection, DreamCountry, (and it's much better than the hodgepodge Fables andReflections). World's End works best as acollection--it's a story about a story about stories--all wrapped up in astructure that's clever without being cute, and which features an endingnothing short of spectacular. --Jim Pascoe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

These vignettes show Gaiman's gift for storytelling
I've often complained that some Sandman tales are little more than vignettes that have little or nothing to do in the greater scheme of things. This 8th omnibus, The Sandman: World's End is comprised of a number of such tales. Interestingly enough, unlike the others, which I at times found quite offputting, this omnibus works perfectly.

Indeed, I feel that The Sandman: World's End demonstrates just how far-reaching Neil Gaiman's gift for storytelling goes. Essentially, this omnibus is a story about stories, each one more interesting than the other.

Here's the blurb:

This collection of tales tells of travellers caught in the vortex of a "reality storm". These wayfarers come from throughout time, myth and dreams to converge upon a mysterious inn, there to share stories of the places they have been and things they have seen, beside a flickering fire.

"A Tale of Two Cities" a man who believes he now finds himself in the dream of the city he lives in. Exploring that strange environment, he fears that one day the city would awaken. "Cluracan's Tale" is pure fantasy and recounts the story of a Faerie sent to the city of Aurelian to represent the interest of his people. When freed from imprisonment, he'll foment rebellion against the autocratic ruler. "Hob's Leviathan" is about a girl posing as a boy so she can go to sea. "The Golden Boy" follows the tribulation of a messiah figure representing the American Dream. "Cerements" is told by an apprentice from the necropolis Litharge, a city devoted solely to the Dead.

While every story has merit and is entertaining, my favorites were "Cluracan's Tale," "The Golden Boy," and "Cerements."

This omnibus was illustrated by Michael Allred, Gary Amaro, Mark Buckingham, Dick Giordano, Tony Harris, Steve Leialoha, Vince Locke, Shea Anton Pensa, Alec Stevens, Bryan Talbot, John Watkiss, Michael Zulli. Considering the number of artists, it is no wonder that there is absolutely no visual continuity. And yet, each artist's style suits the story they are illustrating very nicely.

Onward to the ninth omnibus!

Loved the Inn at Worlds' End
I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan and have been slowly working my way through his Sandman graphic novels.Slowly because I want them to last as long as they can.This book was lots of fun.It was less pilosophical than the last book and more fun; but there are still deep underlying messages woven into the stories that are told.

In this book a guy and girl get into a car accident and find themselves taking shelter from a June snowstorm at a strange inn.In the inn a number of fantastical people from various times and realities are waiting out the reality storm.While they wait they tell a number of interesting stories.

This story is a bit of a break from the stories about the mythological gods.The gods are still in some of the stories and, in the end, it ends up that even this whole novel is really about them in a very direct way.

I enjoyed every bit of this book.It was fun to read about all these different stories.The idea of an Inn at the end of reality is fun and interesting.The artwork throughout the book went through a number of different styles but all of them were fantastic.

A wonderful addition to the Sandman series.I can't wait to read the next one!

Review of Sandman Vol. 8
This is good, but likely my least favorite Sandman so far. It has some of creativity present in the other volumes, but, really, it represents a significant step downward from the peak of inspiration the Sandman is famous for. The format of this volume is the 'story collection' used in earlier volumes, yet, here, to weaker effect. Overall, a decent disappointment.

Excellent little collection
First, it's Gaiman, which makes it almost a must buy. It's also Sandman, the title that put Gaiman on the map, for me, at least. It's the eighth book in a ten book collection of the entire Sandman series. This one has a lot of seemingly unconnected stories, which, in fact, kind of wrap up some loose ends from earlier. More importantly, it shows the funeral of a major character in the Sandman's world. This sets the stage for the next two volumes. Fan-blasted-tastic. Get it, read it. End of this story.

A breath before the end...
In which Gaiman takes a breath before entering the inevitable final act of The Sandman. At first glance, World's End is another series of short stories, a la The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country and The Sandman Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections, albeit one with a stronger framework to it that reminded this English major of Canterbury Tales. But there's more going on here than meets the eye, and the final chapter culminates in an astonishing visual image that clearly foreshadows what's to come. Still, the stories are the main attraction here, and this collection is every bit the equal of Dream Country, with a stronger focus this time on the way that our reality often hides something far stranger underneath. From the dreams of cities to an ocean encounter (depicted here in a two-page spread that literally made me gasp a little) to a journey through the Necropolis, Gaiman's wondrous imagination is as alive here as ever. If there's a downside to World's End, it's the realization that I'm almost finished with this incredible series. ... Read more

Product Description
You are thousands of years old. You have amazing powers. You have watched civilizations rise and fall. So why does no one remember any of this? Bestselling Author Neil Gaiman (Marvel: 1602, Anansi Boys, Sandman) is joined by superstar artist John Romita Jr. (Amazing Spider-Man, Wolverine) to present a tale that will change the Eternals and the Marvel Universe forever!Collects Eternals #1-7. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

good, but not Gaiman-esque enough for my taste
I had high hopes for this book because Marvel 1602 and Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? gave me the belief that Neil Gaiman could, in fact, write superhero comics and keep them in his style, and I was slightly disappointed.Don't get me wrong; it was definitely good for a superhero comic series and the artwork was great, but I tend to like Gaiman's work that deals with alternate realities and wierd mythological figures.People who are into superheros would probably enjoy this book, but for me it was a bit of a let-down.

Return of the Gods
Neil Gaiman's version of "Eternals" (illustrated by John Romita) is one of several attempts at not only reviving the short-lived series from comic book legend Jack Kirby, but incorporating it into the Marvel Universe.To get new readers up to speed, the story follows several ordinary people who are actually godlike beings created by aliens who are also responsible for creating life on Earth.But once the secret's out, it's not just all hell that breaks loose.

One of the notable traits of "Eternals," while nothing new, is its focus on multiple characters as opposed to a central character, though the end result leaves more questions than answers.The Gaiman uses the super-powered Civil War as mere backdrop, a run-in with some established heroes provides further insight into Kirby's unknowns (while earning my disdain for the superhero registry).But what I enjoy most about the comic is the physics applied to one particular scene, where a super-speedy character deflects a hail of speeding bullets.Included is a cover and sketch gallery, Marvel Spotlight interview with Gaiman, a proposal for the comic from Gaiman and brief history on "Eternals" by Robert Greenberger.

This comic is rated T+ (Teen): Graphic Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations.

Very Good Story - Enjoyable
I enjoyed this story.I have never read any of the prior Eternals work by Jack Kirby so this was my first introduction to them.I'm not a big fan of stories where most of the main characters can't be killed (which is probably why this is limited to 4 stars).I think Gaiman did an excellent job of creating just such a story.I like the flow of the story as well as the back history and the inclusion of a few Marvel characters.

I liked Romita's work as well.It added a lot to the story.I especially liked the way he drew average people as compared to the heroes.

Extras in this book include sketches by Romita of the main characters (with a small image showing Kirby's original version) and a couple of sketches of some pages.I always like these to be included.

Though I enjoyed the book, I think getting it in softcover (assuming the softcover has the sketches and is noticeably cheaper) might be a better use of money.

Am I eternal or an enternalist? -Rakim
Once again Neil Gaiman has displayed his mastery of the written word with this action filled ode to comic's golden age.

"explosive art work", inconsistant story line
I picked up this very slick volume having already read five Neil Gaiman books, but no graphic novels yet. I mostly like Mr. Gaiman's work, particularly "The Anansi Boys" and a couple of the kid's books. Gaiman has worked in an amazing variety of genres, but, even so, most of them have some underlying theme of pagan gods. While "Eternals" is no exception, the gods here are actually an alien race called the Celestials, who visited earth eons ago and created three types of beings: Eternals, Deviants, and mortals. This story, as most readers no doubt know, is a re-working of the 70's Marvel comic book series featuring the original Eternals by Jack Kirby.

I found this book to be quite visually pleasing. The pages are heavy and slick, and the drawings are dynamic and colorful. The Eternals when fully powered are kind of corny looking in their costumes, and also it seems strange that the Celestials would be represented as ginormous robot creatures. Of course that is just their material "shell". Anyway, artist John Romita, jr succeeds in making them appear incredibly massive and powerful. The Deviants are a variety of fang-mouthed monsters, not unlike Ghostbuster or other villain type creatures. I liked the part where the Celestials grabbed up handfuls of Deviants and...well, you'll have to see that for yourself.

The basic story is that the Eternals have been morphed into mortal-type beings and have lost the memory of their true nature, due to a scheme by Sprite, a youngster-looking Eternal, and they must re-awaken from that state and take up their special powers in order to save the earth from eminent doom, presumably from the Deviants. The story was somewhat entertaining, but bogged down at times trying to get the immortal thing going. Also, parts of it were contradictory or did not make sense. Such the character Druig, who was uniformly evil, although he belonged to the race of Eternals, whose express purpose was to protect humankind. And some of the events and characters seemed disconnected from the story, with no explanation, such as the Avengers and the Superheros.

I think I'll try Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" for a light read soon. Also I am excited to read the books in the Amazon order which I've justreceived! I ordered five well-known graphic novels, including: "Sandman", first in the series of Gaiman's acclaimed graphic novel series; "Watchman", by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbon; Art Spiegelman's "The Complete Maus"; and "Understanding Comics:the Invisible Art" by Scott McCloud, a sort of literary-critical book. Also "Epileptic" by French writer/artist David B. I'll be posting a reviews about these books soon. It was absolutely astonishing! Anyway, these are a few ideas that might be useful.

Happy Reading, Friends!
... Read more

Product Description
Neil Gaiman's vision of the Marvel Universe in the year 1602!The year is 1602, and strange things are stirring in England. In the service of Queen Elizabeth, court magician Dr. Stephen Strange senses that the bizarre weather plaguing the skies above is not of natural origin. Her majesty's premier spy, Sir Nicholas Fury, fends off an assassination attempt on the Queen by winged warriors rumored to be in service to a mad despot named Doom. News is spreading of "witchbreed" sightings - young men bearing fantastic superhuman powers and abilities. And in the center of the rising chaos is Virginia Dare, a young girl newly arrived from the New World, guarded by a towering Indian warrior. Can Fury and his allies find a connection to these unusual happenings before the whole world ends? Collects Marvel 1602 #1-8. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic
To my knowledge this is the only Marvel book Gaiman has written.It makes me wish he'd written more, I'll try to be spoiler free so here's the bare bones concept: For some reason the famous silver age characters of marvel are coming into being in the seventeenth century.

There's a lot of puns and nods and gags based on continuity.

Most of the characters get a great representation in the story.Two are a bit under used or used in a way that would disappoint die-hard fans of the characters: Spider-Man and Hulk.

It should be noted that Peter Parker though does get a lot of character time though, but Banner is in the background for much of the story.

If you're a fan of Marvel comics and have more than a bare passing knowledge of the continuity you should check this story out. ... Read more