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Season of Mists (Sandman, Book 4)

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Neil Gaiman's artistic exploration of sin and redemption in Sandman: Season of Mists is a wonderful example of the literary excellence that can be achieved with a graphic novel format. Gaiman blends traditional literary techniques, surreal art, and evocative storytelling in order to create a unique work of literature.

Sandman is a seventy-five issue comic book series which follows Morpheus, a divine being known also as Sandman, as he explores the dreams of humanity and deals with other divine creatures in order to better understand mankind. Season of Mists, the third story arc in the series, begins with the Sandman, Lord of Dreams, journeying into Hell in order to forgive a woman he condemned nearly ten thousand years ago. Things quickly become complicated, however, when Lucifer decides to resign as king of Hell, and leaves the Sandman with the key to his kingdom. As the story progresses, the Sandman finds himself debating what to do with an empty Hell, as well as contemplating what it would mean to forgive the woman he condemned.

Gaiman writes the above story in a poetic narrative that incorporates a variety of literary techniques. The divine beings the Sandman encounters speak in an almost musical pattern that uses a lot of alliteration, and one scene, in which the Sandman speaks to a group of historical writers, is even written completely in iambic pentameter. The style works extremely well, since it also serves as an allusion to the poetic works of Shakespeare (who even makes a brief appearance in the tale), Dante's Divine Comedy, and John Milton's poem Paradise Lost, all of which are classic literary works that explore similar themes of sin and redemption.

The majority of Gaiman's literary techniques, however, are incorporated into the story through the art. Most of the figurative language, such as metaphors, allusions, and imagery are made literal by the visible depictions of characters and locations. In one scene, all the divine beings the Sandman encounters are each drawn according to the art styles of the cultures from which they originate. In another scene, we see the horrors occurring at a boarding school for troubled boys. Flip back a few pages to the depiction of Hell, and the similarities between the two locations become clear. Most effective, however, is the scene in which Lucifer congratulates God on the beauty of a sunset. The painting which accompanies the statement conveys that beauty far more effectively than words ever could.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Season of Mists is a fantastical and intelligent tale that belongs in any literary collection.

The fourth book in The Sandman Chronicles, Season of Mists picks up where the second volume, The Doll's House left off, continuing the story of Dream and his siblings. Unlike the previous books, Season of Mists focuses mostly on immortals (or those close to it) rather than mortals. Only one of the chapters of the book even took place on earth, and that was dealing with the dead, not the living.

Because of this slightly different format, Season of Mists introduced a lot of rather colorful characters. Some were the relatively familiar faces of Norse, Egyptian, and Eastern gods, angels, and demons, while others were new characters, delightful and colorful in their own way. I particularly liked the contrast of Order and Chaos and, of course, the faeries, but that was a given to anyone who knows me at all.

I promise, though, I won't dwell on them here. I love Nuala, but in Season of Mists she really plays a very small roll.

The central plot of Season of Mists is the abandonment of Hell. Lucifer closes it, turning out all the souls, and then gives the key to Dream to do with as he will. This, naturally proves far more complicated than it originally seems.

Most of the story is concerned with the direct repercussions of this, particularly among the (relatively) immortal creatures of mythology. The result was one of the most fun chapters I've read in a long time-the chapter where they all come and present their cases to Dream, trying to win Hell for themselves. The interactions were entertaining, and the different ways that they tried to persuade Dream to give them the key to Hell, along with their reasons for wanting it and plans for it, were as varied and entertaining as they are.

I have to admit, that I was a little disappointed with the ultimate decision, and I wish that I could have known who Dream would have chosen if no one had interceded, but I do admit that the decision that was reached was the only one that could be reached. It did, however, raise an interesting point when Hell was given to its new owners and re-populated. I'm not sure that I agree that it's worse to be tortured to be redeemed and made a better person than it is to be tortured for no reason, but I can see how, with eternal torment, this might be the case. It is, after all, easier to bear unpleasant things if you can be righteously angry about them.

Woven in with the main story of the "battle" for Hell, was a secondary plot line. It was, for a while, seemingly forgotten once the key to Hell was handed over to Dream, but Gaiman did not forget about it, and the conclusion to that was even more satisfying, in my opinion, than the conclusion to the main story. I was glad that Nada was not forgotten in all the distractions.

I know that there is more to Season of Mists than I've gotten out of it, but I've only read it once and, like the other books in The Sandman, it is one that must be read multiple times in order to be fully appreciated. It is also a book I hope to return to sometime in the future.

Upon my first reading of this story of The Sandman series, i was struck by how simply and profoundly Gaiman interwove so many mythologies, all the while writing the most original modern myth of our time -- dare i say _all_ time -- something that a dust cover blurb would say "if William Blake and Mark Twain colaborated on the story of what Lucifer is doing these days..." Everything from the Angels, Duma and Remiel (quite wonderful choices -- check out G. Davidson's "Dictionary of Angels" for how accurate!), to the enraged expelled demons, Azazel and company, and the self-admitted profound absence of the Greek dieties. With each successive reading, i found these threads are strung together into an amazing story of what might happen should the Ruler of Hell abdicate. Told through the perspective (and responsibility) of the Prince of Stories, the Lord Shaper Morpheus himself. i found this to be a as great a starting point as any for the series, if for no other reason, because of the wondrous introduction of Dream and his family, The Endless. The resolution of plot and every subplot, is quite tasty, and having Lucifer acknowledge the beauty of sunsets that The Creator (and his nemesis) provides daily, gives me chills just to think of it. And the bookended cliche phrases of "Once Upon A Time" and "Happily Ever After. In Hell." Give this esoteric mythos tale the finishing air of mundanity (?) that place it within the realm of each and every one of us. Aside from being my own personal favorite longer story within the series, it is in my opinion, the best. ["The Kindly Ones" would be a close second.]

It is appropriate that Season of Mists opens with the first round-table meeting of the Endless, the title character's family who all rule over some "realm" of conscious experience. This story arch marks the point where Sandman went from being a super-smart horror series to a Middle Earth for the alternarock generation. No more would scary monsters and gruesome imagery be the defining features of Neil Gaiman's adult-orientated fantasy comic book. Instead ambiguously defined gods and semi-gods, such as the Endless, and their (mis)adventures in the modern world would be the driving force behind Sandman. This type of literature would become Gaiman's specialty and was probably always his primary interest. Likewise Season of Mists sees Gaiman write with greater ease and elegance than ever before, making this the best piece of the Sandman saga thus far.

In Season of Mists, Sandman AKA Dream AKA Morpheus, the series' main character and the member of the Endless who controls the realm of dreams, ventures into Hell to free a former lover he condemned there thousands of years ago. When he arrives, he finds Lucifer preparing to abandon his post, evicting all of the damned and demons and locking the gates. He gives the key to Hell to Morpheus. Afterwards, a horde of deities, from Anubis to Odin, storm Morpheus' realm, called "the Dreaming," wanting to bargain for the key.

Gaiman's examination of the mythologies and religions of mankind is somehow admiring, thought-provoking and humorous at the same time. His use of characterization is marvelous and his sense of suspense is always second to none. Meanwhile, Mike Dringenberg, the artist of most the saga, creates marvels for the eyes with his portrayals of surreal settings such as Hell and the Dreaming. Although latter story archs would surpass it, Seasons of the Mist was a bold new step for Sandman and showed many of the traits that made it such a great series.

_Season of Mists_ (volume 4 of 10) isn't my favorite installment in the Sandman series, but it's a very good one. The story is exciting, cool, and intelligent, as expected, and the ending made me cry. I like the way this story introduces some important themes (like the beginning of the change in Dream's character, Lucifer abandoning Hell...) which you probably won't see the significance of until much later. There's always more to discover...

The only thing I don't like about this story is the art. While the prologue and epilogue are very well drawn, and the interlude is okay, Kelly Jones, who drew the rest of the story, is my least favorite Sandman artist. In one panel Dream grins like a chimpanzee. Death is just weird, and bears almost no physical resemblance to her usual self. And what happened to the Lucifer from issue 4? He was cool, but I don't like the way he looks now. BUT...none of this should impact your enjoyment of the story. Can't judge by appearances, and all that, yes? Season of Mists remains one of the best Sandman story arcs (aren't they all). And *you* may like the art; some people consider it the best in the series. I just don't, that's all. Definitely, whether you're new to Gaiman or already a fan, pick up Season of Mists; you're in for a really great read.

This story is one of the most compelling and engaging stories to find a new population of readers in quite awhile. Simply put, the story reminds us that no one sends you to Hell, that all Hells are self imposed and that the key to freedom lies within the mind of those trapped there. No one else can forgive you till you forgive yourself. Mixed with mythology and ideas fom many cultures, this book creates a blending of ideas that shows how similar we all are rather than how different. Most people will find the story entertaining and thought provoking on many levels. The entire series of Sandman Books is one big story that simply says, "We are, what we dream we are."

All of the Endless (Except one) sit down for a nice family dinner given by Destiny. As is prone to happen at family dinners, arguments happen and old wounds are reopened. Desire makes Dream feel remorse for banishing a woman to Hell because she chose not to love him. Dream decided he was wrong in his actions that took place some 2,000 years ago (The entire story is contained in the prologue to Doll's House).

Dream sets out to Hell to free Nada. However, once he arrives there, he finds Lucifer closing up and moving on. He has decided not to rule Hell anymore and gives the Key to Hell to Dream. This is where the story really begins...

The research that Neil, put into this series is fantastic! He takes pieces from virtually every religion and mythology in the world and stirs them up in his own special Sandman stew. Once word gets around that Dream is now ruler of Hell, many assorted deities (such as Odin and Thor of the Norse Gods, faeries, assorted demons, etc.) plead their case that Dream should give them the key to Hell. Seeing the various characters interact with each other is the most interesting part of this complex story. The ending (which I won't give away) is very surprising, yet it makes sense. The art for these issues is terrific and the characters are equally great. This series contains the first appearences of Despair, Delirium, Lucifer, and Nuala all of whom would become major players in the series.

"The Sandman: Season of Mists" is the fourth volume of ten. In this epic, Dream travels to Hell in a quest to free a woman named Nada that he condeemed to Hell over ten thousand years ago. He goes on this quest, because he took the advice and encouragement of his eldest sister, Death. When Dream arrives to Hell he finds that there is no one there and that Lucifer no longer wants the burden of ruling Hell weighing down upon him, so he gives the key to his domain to Dream. Initially, Dream is honored, but he soon realizes that the power of this key is corrupting him. In his kingdom of the Dreaming, Dream sits and ponders what he should do with this key. At this time, Dream is visited by a horde of characters from mythological realms to the Silver City to the very depths of Hell itself. Dream's decision in this story is incredibly important not only to the people who have traveled for the key, but to the universe that surrounds them.

Anyway, this book is probably right up there with "The Doll's House," which still, in my opinion, is a masterpiece. "Season of Mists" should be in every comic book readers collection along with all the other "Sandman" books.

With this fourth instalment to the Sandman series, Gaiman finally takes the time to introduce us to Dream's elusive siblings, the Endless. Although we briefly encountered several of them in The Doll's House, Gaiman allows us to spy in on the family dynamics as all six (or is it seven; note the one empty chair) sit around the table together and bicker and argue as most families are wont to do. The brief little write up for Desire, Despair, Destiny, Delirium, and Dream in the introductory chapter is most welcome, but why not one for Death?

Although the art was generally good, I found it a little off, at times. In particular, I didn't like the depiction of Dream or Death. I much better preferred how they appeared in Preludes and Nocturnes. To compound this problem, the text oftentimes had inconsistent images of both Dream and Death. I'm not sure why Dream sometimes appeared strikingly different in different cells on the same page, and I must say I found such occurrences distracting.

I have no complaints on the story, however. Gaiman raises the bar here, and deeply immerses the text with the various myths held by civilizations past and present. Gaiman is obviously very familiar with these themes; his firm control of the narrative and adept insertion of these various complicated mythologies provides the reader access to people and places no other graphic novel does. Further, only someone with as puckish a sense of humour as Gaiman could contrive a situation where the Norse God Thor would put the moves on the Egyptian cat Goddess, Bast. Thor appears to be quite the party animal, too: drinker, swearer and maker of rowdy jokes.

Like the other texts in the Sandman canon, I highly recommend Season of Mists. It is with this tome that Gaiman flaunts his `literariness' and proves that comics are capable of high art, too.

Highly disappointed with "Dream Country", I found myself a bit hesitant about opening the pages to this next chapter in possibly the most imaginative fictional character ever created. "Preludes & Nocturnes" made me salivate for more of Gaiman's creation, while "The Doll's House" set the foundation for future stories and possible interludes, but when it came to "Dream Country" I found myself taking several huge steps back. It followed a different beat, the characters were nowhere to be seen, and it felt like a colorful collection of short, un-compelling stories. I was hurt, and it took me quite a bit of time to open Gaiman's next chapter, but not to worry, my fears ended as I started to read the first few frames ... Gaiman was back, and no door was going to be closed for this next collection entitled, "Season of Mists"!

Gaiman has this unique ability to bring worlds of near non-parallel existence together in a way that we could never imagine. His darkness is back from the opening page when we meet one of his brothers - Destiny. What is great about this opening is that fans of Gaiman's previous chapters will instantly have satisfaction in knowing that the cold spell known as "Dream Country" is over, and we are pulled back into Dream's world. Gaiman re-introduces us to our heroine through his family, by introducing us to his sisters and brothers. While we do not know the purpose of the meeting, we see how the family (perhaps not unlike your own family) interact and co-exist. Like a glass of aged wine, the story progresses with comfort and ease, with Gaiman never quite giving us answers only leading us further down his darkened road. We see humility with our Master of Sleep, Sandman, when he is reminded of a past love that he sentenced to Hell ten thousand years ago. He wants her back, and due to the meeting (thanks to Destiny), he decides to get her back. Nearly reminiscent of "Preludes & Nocturnes", we head back to Hell, but this time, Lucifer himself has a trick up his sleeve.

Lucifer presents Sandman with the ultimate gift, the Keys of Hell, and it will be his decision on what to do with the "gift". What creates the meaty center of this epic tale are what choices the Sandman is presented with by each one of the possible suitors looking to inherit the keys to the almighty Kingdom. Gaiman intricately weaves different Gods from different myths and stories to give us such a vast universe of truths and legend. Gaiman grows the small world we began with into something extraordinary, a world with more open doors than one could ever imagine. We, the readers, are given hints towards the future, as to the strange occurrence of Dream's missing brother, the troubled love between him and Nada, as well as the angels that are determined to change Hell. Loki is even traded for a favor that I am sure Gaiman will explore later.

"Season of Mists" rebirths the excitement that was originally developed in the first two collections that introduced us to Dream. These stories are dark, disturbing, challenging, and utterly fantastical. There is an amazing blend (of which only Gaiman could create) of imagination, creativity, fantasy, and honesty within these stories that immediately pulled this skeptical reader back from the "Dream Country" void. The images are crisp, vibrant, and completely within the realm of this series - for those that couldn't enjoy "Dream Country", "Season of Mists" will bring you back to the world that you loved. Gaiman and his collection of illustrators bring us back to the world that we loved and missed with the last collection. The disturbing truth of Hell, the infinite life of Dream's family, as well as the colliding worlds around that all pine for a track of land to call their own. This collection opened a whole new world to the series, demonstrating that there is a world outside of our own that may have magic, but the undertones are very similar to ours. Sibling rivalry coupled with competitive land developers are just a few of the channels that Gaiman bring to us in "Season of Mists".

I haven't mentioned this in my other reviews yet, but I have to with this collection because it became more obvious to me as I read and saw Dream in each of the stories. I am an enormous fan of what Gaiman has chosen to do with this character - he has given Dream a constantly changing face. What I mean is that Gaiman always has new artists creating his work, thus providing us this true feeling of being in a dream where nothing remains the same. I love to see other's thoughts on what Dream may look like, and while we revert back to the "original" form to demonstrate consistency, it is these subtle changes that make these stories more enjoyable each time you turn the page. The Sandman may be only one person, but he wears many eccentric faces.

Overall, for those that felt that Gaiman fell off his stride in "Dream Country", you will not be disappointed with this outing. We go further into the mind of Gaiman to see his demons, his Gods, and his darkly religious undertones. What I loved about this collection is that while there is this idea of religion, Gaiman seems to bring it to us in all different shapes and sizes. There are Gods, but he skittles around the idea of one larger entity. I loved the idea of "Chaos" and "Order", and the shapes that they chose to take. I deeply enjoyed the poetic ending that seemed to bring purpose to it all - it seemed that Destiny did make an impact, even with just one small event. "Season of Mists" easily ranks as my second favorite in this series. While I do believe that there isn't one that could quite match the veracity of "Preludes and Nocturnes", this one comes very close. For anyone that wants to explore the world of Dream, I would use this as a reference due to the humanity of his character in these stories. He has a conflict, and it is how he chooses to deal with the issues that make him purely Gaiman. I was impressed from page one!

Grade: ***** out of *****