Some questions about Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman"?

Question

I've been considering starting up reading the series... me being a graphic novel junkie and member of a book club in which half of the possible reads are by Gaiman or Terry Pratchet, it seems like a natural progression. Just a few questions, first...

How "child friendly" is the series? I'm always hesitant to add series to my collection with (really) bad language or excessive violence, since my younger sister frequently raids the shelf. (I myself am not too keen on f-bombs and splattering blood either....)

How much is this gonna run me if (when) I get hooked? How many volumes are there, about how much per volume?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Sandman is part of DC's Vertigo imprint, a division that was made specifically with the intent of producing comics for mature readers, with mature themes and story elements. While Sandman, may not be heavy on the profanities it still does feature some characters swearing occasionally. It also features murder, death, self-harm, serial-killers, and other mature content. The deaths in Sandman are by no means as gratuitous as the stuff you'd find in action or horror films, all instances of violence are in service of the story and themes being presented. It's a title that is also dense with historical, literary and artistic allusions and reference, most of which would go over the average child's (and average adult's) head.

Sandman is a fantastic series, one that is revered by many and one of my faves. You really should read it. Just keep your sister out of your room, or keep your Sandman trades under the bed. There are 10 softcover trades. How much they cost will depend upon where and when you buy them. I suggest buying off of Amazon.com, since they're prices on trades and graphic novels can rarely be beaten (Unless you can get yourself to a comic convention where a vendor is selling his stuff for 30% off).