EJP's Comics Primer Pt. 1: Intro, The Sandman

Many moons ago, Evelyn Is Not Real mentioned that he doesn't know where to start when he enters a comic shop. I'm trying to remedy that. My primer will take three or four posts since one would be too long, so let's just start...

First, some simple explanations. "Comics" is a pretty general term for illustrated stories. I think when a lot of people think comic book, they think of the 30-page books you could get on the wire rack at your local corner store when you were a kid. Then there are the "graphic novels", which is basically a novel length story told in pictures. I won't talk too much about those, though I've posted on a few good ones in the past. "Trade paperbacks," or TPBs, fall kind of in between. These are collections of serial comic books, usually gathering anywhere from 5-10 regular comics into one book for easier consumption (in my opinion). Though there are a couple series I still buy in comic book form--notably the Joss Whedon scribed comics I've posted about on this blog before--I buy most of my comics in TPB form. Some of the series I like finished a while ago, some are ongoing.

All of those I'm mentioning here are for adults, or at least young adults. I went through my Archie and Richie Rich phase when I was a kid. It's fair to say that the vast majority of comics these days are written for an older audience. I should also say that I am by no means an authority on comics in general, especially not super hero comics. I know the back stories of most of the famous supes from Marvel and DC, but even I don't know how to delve into some of these stories that have been going on for 40+ years. The comics I'm talking about here are relatively contemporary. They wouldn't be considered underground by anyone who knows anything about the comic world, but the general populace who only knows about comics through movies probably isn't aware of them. So let's start with one of the most important ones:

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman

Any geek worthy of the name has read, is reading, or will read The Sandman. In brief (very brief), this is the story of Dream, one of The Endless. Along with his immortal siblings, Destruction, Destiny, Despair, Desire, Delirium, and Death, Dream goes on many adventures.
That's the easy description. The reality is more complex. Though the central characters are all Gaiman's original creations, he also weaves in characters from super hero lore, mythology, folklore, classic literature, etc. The first TPB, "Preludes & Nocturnes," serves as an introduction. It's a bit rough at first as Gaiman finds his groove, but the series improves immediately with the next installment, "The Doll's House." The best advice I can give you if you want to start this series? Pay attention, and don't try to re-sell the early TPBs before you get to the later ones. I read The Sandman over the course of about three years, and seemingly minor characters or scenes from very early on tend to become more important later on in the series. It's as least as complex as a mid-level novel. I won't hesitate to say that the series as a whole is one of the greatest fantasy stories ever put to paper.

Of course, it doesn't matter how good the story is if you can't stand looking at the art. The Sandman used several artists over the course of its 75-issue run. I can't claim I liked all of them, but for the most part the art is very easy on the eyes, and sometimes it borders on incredible.

A post this short really can't do this comic justice. Just read it. It's awesome. If you only try one of the comics I recommend in my half-ass little primer here, try this one.