The Sandman: The Dream Hunters (graphic novel), Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters (graphic novel)
Neil Gaiman, illustrated by P. Craig Russell, colors by Lovern Kindzierski
Based on the illustrated novella by Neil Gaiman and Yoshitaka Amano
ISBN: 9781401224240
Read January 15, 2014

Snap judgement: it was nifty, but I still like the original better.

That said, there were a few individual places where I thought the story benefitted from the style of comic panels, or from specific artistic choices.

Firstly, the fox actually has green eyes!  I wouldn't trade Amano's stylized faces for the world, but it was nice to see expressions and actual eyeballs on the monk and fox.

I loved the use of the red and white robe for the fox's human form.  There were a few panels in particular that were just nicely done; when she jumps over the fire and changes, when she is teasing the onmyoji, and when the dreamland pair shifts from man and fox to a couple.

I loved that the use of Dream's white-on-black text made the Fox King's identity more obvious.

I liked that the onmyoji was fat and somewhat attractive, and the sequence showing his fears was very well done.

I LOVED the trio of weavers.  Super-nasty and disturbing.

The sequence where the monk walked into Dreaming was very powerful in this version, because more of the landscape and events were pictured.  The destruction of the geta, and the interactions with Cain and Abel in particular were haunting.

I also am glad that I read the original first, because I could see in my mind the text behind many of the image sequences (like the fox eating the frog), but it did make me aware of at least one minor alteration; the grandfather originally choked on a mochi and here that phrase was altered to an 'unripe peach.'  Made me wonder why alter that, and not just change it to "rice cake" and for that matter, why that, and leave onmyoji or oni or tengu as they are?

As an aside, I find myself uncomfortably aware of my prudish American upbringing, where reading text about 'private' body parts is a-ok, but actually seeing them is somehow worse.  I'm trying to get past that myself, but if a child wanted to read this story, I have to admit I'd rather they read the illustrated novella than looked at the graphic novel.  Graphic indeed, I suppose.

Final verdict: if you are somehow prevented from owning both versions, then the original is still the best choice.  I just can't express how perfect the artistic partnership is between those two masters of their media.

However, in the real world, where people have bookshelves full of The Sandman, this is a beautiful and haunting addition in it's own right, and does a lovely job of adapting the original to another medium without feeling like a copy, but without losing the soul of the story.

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters, Neil Gaiman & Yoshitaka Amano

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters
Neil Gaiman, illustrated (lavishly) by Yoshitaka Amano
October 1999, Vertigo/DC
ISBN: 1563895730 (hardcover)
Re-read January 14, 2014

I devoured this when it first came out, the lush story, the breathtaking art, the unearthly beauty of the Dream King, the faux-historical background, the joy of having a familiar character inhabiting another world that I was passionate about.

Since then, I've browsed through it many times, sighing over the artistry, reading bits and snippets, but rarely the whole thing.  Until today, when I finally got my hands on P. Craig Russell's graphic adaptation, and just had to compare the two.  I've just finished the original again, and it's still breathtaking.

I wish I had better wordcraft to explain how the haunting fall and wash of the paintings makes my chest ache with that tug that is part awe in the face of beauty, and part sadness that life must move on and won't allow you to stay entranced forever.   I wish I could craft a silver and jet net of words to provide a setting of suitable filigree to set this faceted, jeweled, exotic gothic fable into, but I can't.

Just read it, and look at it, and know that craftsmen do exist, and the craft is glorious and good.