Midnight Days

A collection of some of Neil Gaiman's early stories for DC.

I've been a fan of Gaiman's for quite a while now, and I almost always find his work interesting and engaging. These stories proved no exception, though I do think I'd have enjoyed the Swamp Thing tales a whole lot more if I knew even a little bit about that particular series. As it stands, I could appreciate the storytelling but found myself a little lost in the stories themselves.

The other offerings, however, were both very enjoyable. I wouldn't say that you need to have read much, (or any), Hellblazer to appreciate the John Constantine story, and the semi-Sandman story is far enough distanced from both the modern series and the original that I don't think it would present show more many problems for first-timers.

If you do find yourself a bit lost, just do what I did: focus on the pacing, the use of the panels and the grasp of just what the comics medium can do. These are Gaiman's strengths, and the book shows them off to good effect. show less

This is basically a book of short stories. It's a collection of random stories, most of which have been published elsewhere, in comic form. The main story is called Sandman Midnight Theater. This puts both Sandman characters (Sandmen?) together in one story. It's during the time when Gaiman's Sandman is being held captive by that creepy old dude, and much of the action takes place at a party at this old man's house. The original Sandman is among the guests. In this manner, it takes the form of those mystery stories where all the players are gathered together in one place for the reveal of the murderer. I loved it.

There's lots of cameos of other DC characters, like Batman and Swamp Thing and Constantine. I don't know the chronology of show more these characters very well, and with a few I know next to nothing. This mattered not while reading the stories in this book. Gaiman's writing is such that one can glide right in without feeling lost or confused.

I'm really glad I picked this one up at the library! show less

Disappointed
Not disappointed in the work but disappointed at how much I didn't care for it.

Let me clarify that I am a fanatic for Neil Gaiman as an novelist, as a short story writer, as a narrator, as a YA author, as a speaker BUT I don't care too much for his comic book writing (I know, I know, start throwing rocks now).

I understand just how great he is and what he did for the industry - it's just not my thing. I'm more of a Spiderman or Calvin & Hobbes comic guy.

So I enjoyed it but not a great deal.
If you like his comic book writing then this is a 5 star book and you must get it but if you prefer his other work (Graveyard Book, Wolves in the Walls, American Gods) then you should wait a while because he has a new novel coming out in a show more few months. show less

This collection of rare Gaiman work is kind of a mixed bag, the Swamp Thing stories are good but not his greatest work, even though one of the tales is a collaboration between Gaiman and the amazing Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame. The Hellblazer story with Dave Mckean on the other hand is classic and desveres to be read by anyone who is a fan of Neil and the series. But for me the jewel of the collection is Sandman Midnight Theatre, co writen with Matt Wagner and featuring art by Teddy Kristiansen. This is the only meeting between the Modern age and Golden Age Sandmen and manages to mix the American plup ideals of Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theatre, the magic of Gaiman's Sandman and British plup stories into one of the best stories to show more feature ethier characters! show less

The stories in this collection show the early evolution of this great fantasy writer, and those expecting Gaiman at the top of his game will be disappointed. This compilation is like Gaiman 101 because you get to see the foundations. I found it a tad fascinating to see little gems of what was to come twinkling through the growth.

At least Gaiman has written an introduction to each of these stories as well, which is a definite bonus.

"Jack in the Green" >> Apparently the second comics story Gaiman had ever written, and it remained a pictureless script until it was drawn especially for this collection. It's unique because it sees a reunion of the original Swamp Thing artistic team, who worked with Moore on the now classic first issues - show more Stephen Bissette, John Totleben and Tatjana Wood. Neil's writing is clearly in very early stages of its development, and the story is good, if nothing else, as a curiosity for loyal Gaiman fans. As a non-fan of The Swamp Thing, this has only small appeal for me.

"Brothers" >> From "Swamp Thing Annnual," it features a second strange being, seemingly animated by forces similar to the ones behind Swamp Thing, but more of a hippie-stereotype mannikin as well as a vegetal elemental - again, something that would probably appeal more to Swamp Thing regulars than to me.

"Shaggy God Stories" >> I'm not, other than Neil Gaiman's stuff, a comics-literate person: I'm a total stranger to Swamp Thing, although I may remedy this situation someday; but as it is, I was unable to appreciate these stories. They were okay, but I was mostly lost. This one deals with the Swamp Thing's great nemesis, Jason Woodrue aka the Floronic Man.

"Hold Me" >> The somber, elegant mood of the piece will be instantly familiar to Sandman fans. A collage of loneliness's different faces: improbable coincidences help at least some of the solitary ones provide solace for each other. It was originally published in 1995, several months before Garth Ennis took over the series and turned it upside down, and is now a rare and precious collectors' item for fans of Gaiman and/or Hellblazer. A one-shot story about John Constantine, brilliantly illustrated by the always artful Dave McKean.

"Sandman Midnight Theatre" >> This one's the best of the lot, a collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, which allows for the inevitable crossover between Gaiman's Sandman (Morpheus of the Endless) and Wagner's Golden Age Sandman (Man of Mystery Wesley Dodds--a reincarnation of the DC hero from the 40s). The story focuses more on Dodds please remember that Morpheus is well locked in a glass prison during the time of Dodds's stories, as you'd remember if you've read the first Sandman volume, "Preludes & Nocturnes").

Gaiman proves his ability to seamlessly incorporate other DC characters within his milieu while retaining there inherent characteristics. It defintely adds a new chapter to the Sandman saga, complete with painterly artwork and a generally subdued palette set a mood that matches the story well.

Book Details:

Title Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days
Author Neil Gaiman & Matt Wagner
Reviewed By Purplycookie show less

This book collects much (all?) of Gaiman's non-Sandman Vertigo work, presumably so the dedicated Gaiman-ite doesn't have to sully themselves by buying comics by other people. (Actually, most of the work here had never been collected in trade paperback before, so I'm just being mean.)

Swamp Thing: "Jack in the Green"
This story is about a Swamp Thing from the Middle Ages. It's the second comic Gaiman ever wrote. It's okay, I guess. Nothing really happens.

Swamp Thing: "Brothers"
In this story, Brother Power the Geek comes back to the Earth. He's a character who hadn't appeared for years before this and no one cared about him. I'm not sure why anyone should after reading this. I guess that's kinda the point-- he's the hippie who can't let go. show more I did enjoy the two side characters, though, one of which who actually was a hippie who couldn't let go. The evil government agent (who was also an ex-hippie) was a pretty cool character. The Claw or whatever his name was, not so much. Oh, and Batman is in it.

Swamp Thing: "Shaggy God Stories"
what is this I don't even

John Constantine, Hellblazer: "Hold Me"
I've never read a John Constantine story before. This was pretty good. The resolution makes little sense on a plot level, but is nice emotionally. Poor Constantine, keeps the world at bay, and even when he lets it in... it doesn't actually like him. The art is amazing. McKean and Gaiman showed they made a good team in Black Orchid, but this is even better from an artistic standpoint.

Sandman Midnight Theatre
I've read this story before, on its own, and it takes up half the book! Why not throw in the Poison Ivy story that Gaiman mentions instead; I want to read that, since he did such an intriguing Ivy in Black Orchid. Sandman Midnight Theatre belongs in a collection, sure... but in a Sandman Mystery Theatre one instead, where it's an important part of an ongoing narrative. It was nice to read it again, though, and Gaiman's introduction to the story provides some nice insight into the way it was written. (Gaiman and Wagner worked out a plot in a hotel room, Wagner wrote detailed breakdowns, Kristiansen drew the art following these, Gaiman wrote the dialogue to match the pictures.) Other than that, I have nothing to say that I didn't say last time.

The collection as a whole is a bit of a jumble, really. Nice to have it all collected, but none of it really stands out or impresses on its own, except for maybe "Hold Me."

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Spin-Offs: « Previous in sequence | Next in sequence » show less

not my favorite from Gaiman, but an interesting foray into the early works of a literary genius.