Review: Sandman The Dream Hunters
By Charles Tan (Nov 20, 2000)

The Sandman series, along with its renowned author Neil Gaiman, has established itself among many comic fans. After a decade of success, DC has released a new Sandman with famous Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D anyone?) doing the artwork. However, unlike its predecessors, this is a different take on the Sandman in more ways than one. First off, The Dream Hunters is not a comic. How can that be? Instead of being presented in panels and word balloons, the book (hardbound and will soon be available on paperback!) has a unique way of telling its story. It has a more children's book feel to it with pages alternating between text and illustrations. Second, it has a more oriental (to be more specific, Japanese) look and personality. The artwork is reminiscent of paintings rather than the American pencil-and-color stuff. The character designs are distinctively Asian and the illustrations could easily be mistaken for relic paintings of China or Japan. Personality-wise, this is a different Sandman and not the same Morpheus many have come to know and love. Gone is the tie between Morpheus and Death and the plot is not linked in any way to the stories previous told. This is instead a retelling of an old Japanese myth. Be that as it may, the deity known as The King of All Night's Dreaming retains elements of Gaiman's Sandman. Think of it as Morpheus' Eastern counterpart. We all know of Gaiman's talent with words and stories. The Dream Hunters is no exception as a fascinating legend is retold in a very unique way. This is a Japanese myth, a kind of fairy tale and Gaiman does not change this aspect. From the start of the story, the words are simple and uncomplicated making it easy for readers to understand. Make no mistake though. Just because they are simple does not mean they are not descriptive enough or do not have depth. This is actually one of the most enjoyable stories I have read and love to reread. There is even a play on the font so that you know when HE is talking by setting the text in bold which gives it more impact. Mr. Gaiman's skill in storytelling can only be matched by Yoshitaka Amano's artistic style. The text is only half of the book and what makes The Dream Hunters good is the beautiful and expressive art Amano contributes. It wouldn't be half as good if it weren't for all the visual effects which gives the readers a better feel for the story. The illustrations add depth to the existing tale and they are wonderful to behold. Readers would also be entreated with the fold spread of The King of All Night's Dreaming. The mix and match of pictures and words presents the entire story in a vivid and compelling way, the absence of either one making it less than a shadow of its entirety. It is a very unique way to tell a story and because of the way it is told, it opens up a broad range of readers from children to literary critics.

Despite all these merits, The Dream Hunters IS a Japanese story so there are cultural barriers that will hinder a better appreciation for the story. Neil Gaiman did extensive research on Japanese culture, religion, and mythology. The readers, however, are not so fortunate. They will see a fox (kitsune) and a badger* (tanuki) change their forms but not know why they are able to. Unless you have been raised up in Japanese legends, it will be surprising for casual readers as to why animals could change shape. Another is the allusions to Eastern folklore such as Onis and Tengus but these are just quibbles. The casual reader can read it without any prerequisites and gain more insight on Japanese culture as well as enjoy a great story.

(Webmasters note: Westernization is a terrible thing. Let 'em stupid fascists LEARN about Japanese culture for once.)

Overall, reviewing this "book" has been a real treat and I do not consider it a waste of time. It's a wonderful read and the good thing about it is that it's easy to get into since it uses a lot of illustrations and simple sentences as well as being stand-alone. Given that, the hardbound is quite expensive (P1050 at Powerbooks but expect the price to increase as much as 50% when purchasing from comic shops) so if you don't have the budget, I recommend you wait for the paperback release as it's a story you just can't afford to miss whether you're a Sandman fan or not.

(Webmaster's note: A badger in Japanese is anaguma. A tanuki is a raccoon. A typical raccoon looks like a badger but with the striped tail. Only raccoons have made it to Japanese mythology; else Mario in Super Mario Brothers 3 would've been able to transform into a badger, and badgers would be household animals.)

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