Book · 1989
The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
by Neil Gaiman
An occultist accidentally imprisons the personification of Dreams for seventy years, and the fallout runs seventy-five issues.
What does Reddit think of The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes?
r/graphicnovels treats starting Sandman as a solved problem: one ↑118 comment lays out the exact route, issue #1 straight through #75, save Overture and Dream Hunters for after, skip the detours on a first pass. Nobody in the top excerpts argues with that order. The book's canonical status shows up almost as an in-joke — a ↑74 comment responds to someone asking if Sandman is good by pointing out they've been in the sub over a year and still don't know the answer. It's routinely grouped with Watchmen and Swamp Thing (↑80, ↑54) as the Moore-and-Gaiman core of what serious comics readers are supposed to have read. That reputation isn't uncomplicated, though: one ↑56 comment links out to reporting on the allegations against Gaiman, unresolved and sitting alongside the praise rather than replacing it. The sub's sentiment reads positive on the work itself, at +0.33, but that's the work, not the author.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · A fixed, agreed-upon reading order from issue #1 through #75
- · Grouped with Watchmen and Swamp Thing as required foundational reading
- · Treated as too obviously canonical to need a pitch
- · Praise for the work coexisting with unresolved reporting on the author
Common praise
- + One commenter (↑79) calls it the most epic story in the comic medium, full stop.
- + It anchors the standard foundational-comics lists (↑54, ↑56) alongside Watchmen, Maus, and From Hell without needing separate justification.
- + A ↑74 comment treats liking Sandman as such a given in the sub that not knowing feels like the surprising part.
Common criticism
- − A ↑56 comment links directly to reporting on the allegations against Gaiman, which sits uncomfortably next to the praise.
- − The recommended reading order itself (↑118) is complicated enough that newcomers need a guide just to know what to skip.
- − Every displayed excerpt comes from a single subreddit, so the reputation here is r/graphicnovels' specifically, not comics readers broadly.
Who it's for
Start with issue #1 and stop worrying about Overture, Dream Hunters, or any of the side material until you've finished the main 75. That's not a suggestion, it's what r/graphicnovels tells every new reader who asks. If your entry point to comics was Watchmen or Swamp Thing, this slots into the same shelf without much friction. Go in aware that the author's name now comes attached to reporting the sub itself has linked and hasn't resolved; the work's reputation and his are being treated as separate questions here, not the same one.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Try *The Sandman* by Neil Gaiman.
“His actions are s*****, but The Sandman was still a work produced by many creators and its stories and impact arent diminished by his actions today. Its a shame the other artists and writers have to deal with the backlash of having his name on the cover.
“It’s crazy how much can change in such a small span of time. I remember when Gaiman’s work was hard to find in used book stores. Especially something as coveted and treasured as The Sandman. Dude destroyed the legacy of his work because he couldn’t respect the autonomy of others. Skeevy scumbag & fa…
“Start at The Sandman issue #1 and read through to #75. That's the beginning, middle and end of "the Sandman" story. After that you can read the supplementary material like 'Overture', 'Dream Hunters' etc. etc. For the most part if you just read the stuff written by Gaiman himself as the story re…
“1. Alan Moore‘s run on Swamp Thing 2. Sandman series by Neil Gaiman 3. Watchmen by Alan Moore 4. Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison 5. Sin City by Frank Miller
“Sandman, the most epic story in the comic medium.
“1. Gaimans Sandman 2. Alan Moores swamp thing 3. Warren Ellis’s Planetary 4. Mike Carey’s Lucifer 5. Hickmans East of West 6. Marjorie Liu’s Monstress 7. Mignola’s “Hellboy” (and BPRD) 8. Moebius/Jodorowsky’s “The Incal” 9. Brian K Vaughans “Saga” 10. Grant Morrisons “the invisibles”
“You've been on r/graphicnovels for over a year and don't know if people think Neil Gaiman's Sandman is good?
“These are some of the most acclaimed ones: * The Sandman by Neil Gaiman * Maus by Art Spiegelman * From Hell by Alan Moore * Saga by Fiona Staples * Monster by Barry Windsor-Smith * A couple of Batman comics: some notable ones are The Long Halloween, Black Mirror and Year One (not really into super…
“Watchmen by Moore and the entire Sandman series by Gaiman are must reads, imo. Beyond that, everything’s fairly murky in regards to any sort of canon. The Complete Maus by Spiegelman is a really close third though. Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics would absolutely be the textbook for the class …
“There's never been a finer run than Neil Gaiman's Sandman in my opinion. Some people will say it takes a couple of issues to get into, but I was hooked by #1.
“Honestly given those shows you like, I’d say start with Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. Enjoy! It’s a classic!
“This is some solipsistic nonsense. While I absolutely agree books like Watchmen, DKR, Sandman and many others suck a lot of the air, time, and discussion in the room of comics, they are important classics in the medium for a reason. And to equate f****** B**** Planet to Watchmen is silly s***. The …
“Anything by Neil Gaiman! Sandman (and it’s offshoots) gets my vote for best graphic novel of all time. Without a doubt.
“It's the best comic book *series* ever written (stress on *series*). My comic book collection spans over 60k books from all over the world(\*) and for me the answer to "what is the best comic book series (with comic book intended as from all over the world, so including fumetti, manga and all the re…
Convinced? Pick up The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
What else does r/graphicnovels read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Guides featuring The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes — frequently asked
What order should I read The Sandman in?+
Start at issue #1 and read straight through to #75, per a ↑118 r/graphicnovels comment — that's described as the beginning, middle, and end of the core story. Save supplementary material like Overture and Dream Hunters for after you've finished the main run, not interspersed with it.
Is The Sandman actually as good as people say?+
The excerpts treat this as barely a question. A ↑79 comment calls it the most epic story in the comic medium, and a ↑74 comment jokes that not already knowing the answer, after a year in the sub, is the surprising part. r/graphicnovels' sentiment on the work scores positive at +0.33.
Does the controversy around Neil Gaiman affect how Reddit talks about The Sandman?+
It's present but not dominant in the displayed excerpts. One ↑56 comment shares an archived link to reporting on the allegations against Gaiman, unprompted, inside a thread otherwise full of reading recommendations. The praise for the book itself doesn't disappear alongside it, but the two are being discussed as separate issues, not resolved into one verdict.