Customer Reviews

Dustcovers: The Collected Sandman Covers 1989-1997 (Sandman)

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When I had collected the original Sandman issues, I was always intrigued by the cover art as well as the story and illustrations inside. Sometimes, I would find myself staring at the covers for minutes before reading the actual story. This was the only time I had ever really done that. And now you can own this book full of those intricate, detailed, and amazing art pieces, along with commentary by McKean and Gaiman.

And there's a Sandman story that I have never read before! If you're a Sandman fan, buy this book.

If you look up

Dustcovers : The Collected Sandman Covers 1989-1996

you will find this book and the reviews on it. For some reason Amazon have just listed it both ways but the other way gives you the Watson-Guptill edition which is still in print and available. (The DC edition is still available, but not through book stores.)

If you are reading this, I will assume that you are already a fan of either Dave McKean in particular or Sandman in general.

Included are all the covers from the Sandman series minus the logo, publisher and price indicia, UPC codes, etc., thus showcasing these wonderful works of art in the format they deserve. Also included are some extra pages of art used to fill out the Sandman trade paperback collections. Even if you own the whole series, it is a worthwhile buy. But what makes the collection particularly unique is the inclusion of a brand new true story by Neil Gaiman and McKean about how the ficitonal world of the Sandman intruded upon their lives during the planning stage of the series.

As other reviewers have noted, the artwork is worth viewing on its own merits and deals with universal themes from the unconscious, so even if you don't know what the heck Sandman is it is worth a look. This is surrealism at its height by a master of many artistic media including painting, collage and computer graphics.

This book might be one of the better art books I've ever laid my hands on. It has it all! The first pages contains a, as usual, weird Sandman story, never released before. Dave and Neil also sets the standard for the rest of the books comments, ironic and sarcastic. Then from there on and out, the amazing covers, but that's not all, its also got comments on each cover by Dave and Neil, and the covers are printed without any logos or titles on them! Interior art is also included. The layout by Dave McKean is also beautiful, and at the end of the book, you can see some nice art from his studio in England. This book is a must for anyone who likes art in general, maybe especialy the mystic and dark genre. Dave McKean has reallly shown us that he is maybe one of this decades most talented and creative artists!

"The Last Sandman Story" is the hook that got me interested in purchasing Dust Covers. I have the original issues of Gaiman's entire run on the Sandman, (so, very little of the art was completely new to me) but I was skeptical about dropping 20 bucks just to get that last little story. Believe me, it was well worth it. Not for the story, mind you, (which is good also), but for the overall design of the book. McKean has created something here that is an incredible sight to behold. As a professional graphic designer, I'm personally floored by his layout technique. I've always been impressed with McKean's covers and graphic novels, but this collection leaves me speechless with admiration. It's not just good art, it's good book design... and that's pretty rare. If Dust Covers could be considered a comic, it would be my favorite comic ever. Please believe me when I say that this book is well worth it.

Dave McKean's artwork is simply brilliant in this amazing and complete anthology of all his Sandman covers. Dave uses a variety of media, including photography, pen & pencil, and computer graphics. He uses strange, unconventional color schemes and interesting juxtaposition to weave complicated collages and tapestries of some of the best contemporary gothic imagery I have ever laid eyes on...a dazzling collection of dark, creative & surreal art.

Sandman is one of the most unique and original comic series in history, and it has covers to match. Most other comic covers are nice, detailed and stylistic, but often plain, uninspired and all-together too similar. The Sandman covers are twisted, gritty and often haunting works which evoke intense feelings in the viewer's mind. Some make you want to look away, others draw you in. Regardless, all the artwork here will leave you eager to explore its nuances and most exquisite facets.

In addition to the astounding artwork, a few extra bits and pieces were included to make this more of a complementary package. A short, previously unreleased Sandman story, insightful commentary for every cover, plus some interesting anecdotes and quotes make this a true collector's item. All of the covers are in their original form, free of logos, titles, code-numbers or any other markings which might obscure the aesthetic wonder of these ingenious creations.

You're paying ... for 208 pages of extraordinary artwork, writing and design by Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman. This comes down to 8.3 cents a page--a true bargain. If you're not willing to pay 8.3 cents for a wonderful work of art, then you may want to re-evaluate your definition of thriftiness.

Even though I am not an avid fan of the comic-book genre, this book blew me away. From an artistic standpoint the visual work is top notch and incredible, and the commentary was fascinating. It really inspired me creatively, and made me want to investigate this medium in more depth!

I don't know why I haven't gotten around to reviewing this collection of work before, but it is amazing! As the title suggests, it is the collected covers of the Sandman comic book series that ran from 1989-1996. There are no Sandman stories in here, just the collected covers of all the issues and some commentary on the covers and The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman himself.

"Just." I love this book. It's "Art" with a capital "A." So many different styles, forms, and moods. It's beauty and magic captured on paper. It calls to mind art as diverse Edward Gorey, Salvadore Dali, the movies of Tim Burtn, and on one startling cover even H.R. Geiger (in a non-Aliens way).

The introduction is very nice too.

I recommend this for any fan of the Sandman series.

I bought this book as a gift for a Friend, I was familiar with McKeans art from the comics and she had recently gotten into his work... So i thought it'd make a good gift.

It was a great gift! I looked through the book thoroughly myself and was amazed at not just the artwork but the presentation of it throughout. McKean and Neil Gaiman's Commentry and Notes throughout are both Fascinating and sometimes hilarious. (Ah the Fish...)

I'm gonna pick up a copy for myself, as this really is an Amazing book... ArtFans or ComicFans alike will appreciate just how Beautiful Mckeans Art is.

If you've ever read any of the Vertigo's SANDMAN stories, you've probably have seen some of Dave McKean incredible cover illustrator work. He has illustraded, also, some classics, like Arkham Assylum, Black Orquid, etc...

In this book, we're shown the magnitute of his talent throughout Sandman series, have comments on each cover, plus a previously unreleased Sandman story!