This is really quite a lovely book. It has the bittersweetness of an ending that is a beginning, sadness but no grief. I quite enjoyed the whole series, but this is the best of the lot. ( )

Summary: This volume contains the final two arcs of the "main" Sandman storyline. In "The Kindly Ones", Lyta Hall's child Daniel has been kidnapped, and she seeks the Furies to help her avenge her loss... although the three play by their own rules, and by turning them loose, a chain of devastating consequences has been set into motion. The second arc, "The Wake", is much what it sounds like... a coalescence of the stories that have come before it, a closing, an end... and a beginning.

Review: Okay, I said in my review of Volume 3 that I was beginning to get hints of how each individual arc from the previous three volumes was beginning to be part of one overarching storyline. In Volume 4, all of that storyline comes rushing in, and it packs a wallop. Characters that we haven't seen since the beginning make their reappearances, events that happened way back in Volume 1 become important again, and themes that have been hinted at throughout are suddenly front and center. The art in most of "The Kindly Ones" is somewhat less representational than what's been typical for the series thus far, which occasionally made it difficult to recognize some of the more minor recurring characters. Of course, that could be because it's been several months since I first saw some of them in Vol. 1, too.

I don't know how much of the overarching Sandman story Gaiman had in his head when he started; either he planned a way to weave so many disparate stories into one big, beautiful thing, or else he managed to come up with a way that makes it looked like he planned it, but either way it's impressive. Recurrent throughout Sandman (and much of Gaiman's work, really) is the idea that stories have power, and this story is just oozing power - narrative power, metaphorical power, emotional power, you name it. By utilizing elements from throughout culture and history, the finished product feels whole, and organic, and more meaningful that a comic book should be.

Regardless, this is a series I could (and should) (and will) re-read. I finished it, and immediately wanted to turn around and start over at Volume 1 - and not just because I know which characters and events are going to wind up being important now. I actually went and priced it out, and I could get the ten-volume set of the original compilations for $135... but I don't want the originals, I want the huge, gorgeous, thirty-plus-pounds of restored and re-colored Absolute editions. I don't have a spare $250 laying around to drop on books (heck, I don't have a spare $135 laying around to drop on books), but MAN, do I covet these books. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: It took me a while to get my bearings in the series, but holy cow, did Gaiman finish it up with a bang. Don't start at the end, of course, but after finishing, it is absolutely clear to me why the Sandman series is a classic not only in the graphic novel genre, but also a must-read for fantasy fans in general. ( )

I think this is the most challenging volume of Sandman. It gets pretty deep if you let it and does not have a light story over the top of the intellectualism. Still though, very much worth reading. ( )

I love the idea that it took Morpheus centuries to subconsciously figure out an escape. ( )

Brilliant conclusion to a brilliant series. The Absolute editions were well worth the money. ( )