The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes

I originally read the Sandman comics when they first came out in the late eighties and I've never stopped loving them. Over the years I've owned and lost the entire series several times over, so when I managed to get my hands on the collected graphic novels for the umpteenth time I decided to start rereading them from the beginning.

This first collection introduces the Sandman and gives us a glimpse into the myriad worlds he travels through. It's an interesting tale, all the more so when you consider that when this first came out most comic books were about costumed heroes and villains. Sandman and his Endless relatives were a breath of fresh air and I'm sure fuelled a number of goth fantasies at the time.

If you've never read the Sandman books then this is definitely the place to start, especially if you have a gothic soul or just like your comics a little off the beaten track.