S a n d m a n

When the first living thing existed, I was there, waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job is finished. I'll put the chairs on tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave. - Death -

Quando il primo essere vivente è esistito, io ero lì ad aspettare. Quando l'ultima cosa vivente morirà, il mio lavoro sarà finito. 
Metterò le sedie sul tavolo, spegnerò le luci e chiuderò l'universo dietro di me quando me ne andrò -Death  -




Ho fatto fare l'introduzione di Sandman a Death (sorella del protagonista)  perché è il mio personaggio preferito, e perché questa frase mi è sempre piaciuta.

Why is Death introducing Sandman? Because she is Sandman's sister, beacuse I love her, and because I like very much that sentence.

Parlare di Sandman non è facile vista la dimensione dell'opera (sono settantacinque storie, e non le ho nemmeno lette tutte) e cercare di recensire sarebbe quasi un'impresa assurda,  mi limiterò quindi a presentarvi la "famigghia" e a darvi qualche link che possa aiutare alla comprensione del tutto.

It would be a huge work talking about the Sandman series (are 75 stories! And I still have to read some of them...) so I will introduce you the main character and his family (you'll see, it is not a conventional one)

[Thanks to Wikipedia :P]

Innanzitutto Sandman è l'opera di quella grande mente che, non solo ha creato tutto questo, ma che presto metterà le mani anche su un prossimo episodio di Doctor Who, ed io non posso esserne che felice!

First of all (just so you know)  Neil Gaiman is the great mind behind Sandman, yes exactly, the one that is going tro write one of the next episode of Doctor Who.
I mean, do I have to add anything else? :-P

Ma bando alle ciance.
Ok let's stop talking bullshits


May I introduce you the Lord of the Dreams and his family?... (la famigghia!)
(thanks Wikipedia, again)


The Sandman's main character is Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, who is essentially the anthropomorphic personification of dreams. At the start of the series, Morpheus is captured by an occult ritual and held prisoner for 70 years. Morpheus escapes in the modern day and, after revenging himself upon his captors, sets about rebuilding his kingdom, which has fallen into disrepair in his absence. Gaiman himself has summarized the plot of the series (in the foreword to Endless Nights) as "The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision."

The character's initially haughty and often cruel manner begins to soften after his years of imprisonment at the start of the series, but the challenge of undoing past sins and changing old ways is an enormous one for a being who has been set in his ways for billions of years. In its beginnings, the series is a very dark horror comic. Later, the series evolves into an elaborate fantasy series, incorporating elements of classical and contemporary mythology, ultimately placing its protagonist in the role of a tragic hero.
The story-lines primarily take place in the Dreaming, Morpheus's realm, and the waking world, with occasional visits to other domains, such as Hell, Faerie, Asgard, and the domains of the other Endless. Many use the contemporary United States of America and the United Kingdom as a backdrop. The DC Universe was the official setting of the series, but well-known DC characters and places were rarely featured after 1990. A notable exception is Lyta Hall, formerly Fury of the 1980s super-team Infinity Inc., who figures prominently in the "Kindly Ones" story arc.
Most of the storylines take place in modern times, but many short stories are set in the past, taking advantage of the immortal nature of many of the characters, and deal with historical individuals and events.
  
And here's his family: the Endless

The Endless (Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium) are a group of beings who embody powerful forces or aspects of the universe in the DC comic book series The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman. They have existed since the dawn of time and are thought to be among the most powerful beings in the universe.^[1] Dream is the main protagonist of the series, but all of The Endless play major roles.
The Endless are a somewhat dysfunctional family of seven siblings. They may appear in different forms, but usually have light skin and black hair, with the exception of redheads Destruction and Delirium. Their appearance can change to fit the expectations of others. When asked by Marco Polo if Dream is always so pale, the Dream King replies, "That depends on who is watching."


Here you can find everythng you wanna know about Sandman and about his family, the Endless

Qui in italiano

Consiglio vivamente la lettura di almeno una delle raccolte (tanto per iniziare) a chi non conosce questa serie. Oh, e detto da una che non va d'accordo col fantasy and so on, vale il doppio! :-D