The Sandman Overture

I am not a regular reader of graphic novels, though I have read a few: Watchmen, William Gibson's Archangel, and those written by my friend, Derek McCulloch: Stagger Lee, Gone to Amerikay, and Displaced Persons, all of which are worth your time. 

That isn't due to lack of interest, but being very nearsighted, graphic novels with their small word balloons and hand-drawn text, are difficult for me to read. I discovered a while back that the format used in online distribution allows for a panel-by-panel view, which makes it possible for me to read them on my 10" Samsung tablet. 

A few months ago, I decided that it was time to read Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. I borrowed the first two books form the library and gave up in frustration after a few pages. Then I noticed that Hoopla, offered by Toronto Public Library and many other libraries, has the Sandman books as digital downloads. 

So I downloaded The Sandman: Overture, the prequel to the series, and started reading. I was blown away. In my case, it's the art by J. H. Williams III that made the most impact. I found myself staring at pages for minutes in awe at the drawing and color. It's a beautiful book, far beyond anything I've seen in a graphic novel. Gaiman's story moves along nicely and kept me interested enough that I read the book in less than a week. It was an interesting experience, at times more akin to watching a movie than reading a book. 

The Sandman: Overture is a prequel to the original series, published 17 years after the first book came out. I have downloaded the first Sandman book, Preludes and Nocturnes, and will start it this weekend. I'm looking forward to it.