I thought this was a great book. It essentially looks at each collection in turn, with Hy Bender describing the story arc and 'Some Things Worth Noticing' and then he lets Neil Gaiman talk about the creative process and points of interest for that section. Neil Gaiman is a really articulate interviewee and gives great value, and its what he talks about that is the main interest in the book. Fortunately there's lots of space for him and its fascinating to read. The only slight disappointment is that the 'Some Things Worth Noticing' section for each collection is normally only a couple of pages long and, while it does give some interesting interpretations, this bit is just too short. It would have been interesting if this bit was expanded for the author to attempt more exploration and critical analysis of subtext, mythology etc. Neil Gaiman does touch on this at times but this feels like a missed opportunity.

For me, the book could have been twice as long as it is so readable and The Sandman is a massive work which fully justifies the attention. This isn't a criticism but rather an expression of how much I enjoyed reading this book. Highly recommended. ( )

Hy Bender’s The Sandman Companion: A Dreamer’s Guide to the Award-winning Comics Series examines the original run of Gaiman’s Sandman in detail, beginning with the series’ creation through what was then its ending with the storyline “The Wake” and issue 75. Bender structures his book into three parts. The first discusses the formation of the series and DC’s Vertigo line, the second examining each of the major storylines in detail, and the third looking at characters’ origins, Gaiman’s use of language, and the series’ influence as of 1999, three years after the final regular issue.

In the second part, Bender first summarizes the major points of each storyline, then discusses “some things worth noticing,” before featuring an in-depth interview with Gaiman about that specific storyline – what inspired certain parts, things he’s proud of or would do differently, challenges from DC editorial. Being written in 1999, the only spin-off that Bender discusses (and that briefly) is the Sandman Midnight Theatre one-shot. Due to the book coming out in 1999, Bender can only make a brief reference to The Sandman: The Dream Hunters in his second appendix along with a quick discussion of the Sandman Presents mini-series about various characters, the Death spin-offs, and DC’s monthly series, The Dreaming. Were Vertigo Books to update this volume, they could discuss these in greater detail and include mentions of Jill Thompson’s Little Endless Storybook books (the Li’l Endless do get a mention on page 153 as they appeared in “Fables and Reflections”), the Lucifer series, Overture, and more. That said, Bender’s work is a must-read for all fans of Gaiman’s Sandman who want to know more about it and learn what literary works Gaiman referenced so they may find them at their local library. It deepens one’s understanding and appreciation of this ground-breaking comics work.

As Bender concludes of the character of Dream, “Like a dream, the Sandman’s identity and meaning depend on your own personal reading of him” (pg. 208). The same may be said of the Sandman comic book and Bender’s work will help readers to find new readings. ( )

More an interesting behind the scenes account, with interviews and amusing stories than a thorough exploration of the themes and symbology of the series. But as a behind the scenes text, it is amazingly thorough! ( )

Almost page by page examination of the Sandman as Bender interviews Gaiman about the artists, the art, the characters, the story line and just about anything else you could want to know about the series. Includes credits for each issue and information about related projects. For fans and probably academics. ( )

This companion volume greatly enhanced my enjoyment and understanding of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. There is a chapter dedicated to each one of the 10 Sandman volumes, as well as additional material. Each chapter associated with a volume includes a brief plot summary, comments from Bender on aspects worth noticing, and interviews with Gaiman himself.

I particularly liked the "things worth noticing" sections because some of the items were very subtle, things that I had completely missed on first reading. I got into the habit of reading the volume first so as to avoid seeing spoilers, then I would read the relevant section in the companion, and after that, I would return to the volume for a second look. Of course, some of the fun would be in discovering these things on your own, but I would probably have needed a second, third or even fourth reading to catch them all. ( )