Neil Gaiman's The Sandman was primarily published during the '90s and remains one of the seminal graphic novel series ever written. The volumes focus on the tragic journey of Dream, one of the Endless, and his recovery from being imprisoned for over 70 years. After he escapes and rebuilds his kingdom anew, he sets out to right old wrongs. Sometimes joined by a host of colorful characters, the most notable is his spunky punk sister, Death.

RELATED: The 10 Most Thought-Provoking Quotes In The Sandman Comics

Within that framework, Gaiman weaves in other poignant, heartbreaking, and deeply relevant stories, all of which include elements of dark fantasy, history, mythology, and slice-of-life narratives carefully blended in. The property has been adapted into a 2022 television show by Netflix and Warner Bros; however, the comic series has been collected into ten trade paperback volumes, all of which differ in quality.

Updated by Jodi Nicholls on 10th September 2022: As Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman' comics hit the small screen with a Netflix adaptation, this list has been updated to reflect current information.

10 Preludes & Nocturnes

The Sandman #1-8

The Sandman volume: Preludes and Nocturnes comic image

Just because Preludes & Nocturnes is the first on the list doesn't mean it's unreadable. It's not terrible by any standards, but compared to the later volumes in the series, it doesn't hold a candle to them. Just like Dream, Neil Gaiman was just starting out with this run, slowly laying the framework for the epic saga to come.

Narratively, Preludes & Nocturnes is fairly straightforward. Dream/Morpheus embarks on a quest to retrieve the stolen artifacts holding his power; however, the elements of horror are extreme and overdone. In fact, it's only in the last episode, "The Sound of Her Wings," that the series begins to take on a voice of its own. This is seen when Dream talks to his elder sister, Death, while they feed pigeons together.

9 The Wake

The Sandman #70-75

The Sandman volume: The Wake comic art

The last volume concludes The Sandman saga, and it reads just like an epilogue. Once again, it's not particularly bad, but after the devastating climax in The Kindly Ones, The Wake had a hard time reaching the same heights.

RELATED: 10 Neil Gaiman Comics With Surprisingly Happy Endings

Nevertheless, the stories are beautiful and mostly tie up loose ends, setting the stage for a new aspect of Dream (previously a child called Daniel) to take control of his realm and offer some sense of closure for readers.

8 The Doll's House

The Sandman #9-16

A comic art shot of The Sandman volume: The Doll's House

This volume is the first that gives readers a picture of the wider world of The Sandman universe, and although it's well-written, it's clear Gaiman is still trying to find a balance between overt horror/gore and dark fantasy.

The volume details the tragic love story between Dream and Queen Nada, plus the journey of Rose Walker to find her missing younger brother. It even features a convention of serial killers along with a grisly Red Riding Hood retelling.

7 Dream Country

The Sandman #17-20

Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comics. Volume: Dream Country

Dream Country is the first volume that introduces one of Gaiman's favorite methods of story-telling: semi-interconnected short stories that are entertaining and complete in themselves, even as they lay out plot details that only become relevant later on.

This volume also contains "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which introduces William Shakespeare as a character. After Morpheus discerns Shakespeare's creativity, he makes a deal with the playwright to further inspire people's dreams. The volume was so well received, Dream Country was the only comic book to have ever won a World Fantasy Award at the time.

6 Fables and Reflections

The Sandman #29-31, #38-40, #50

The Sandman volume: Fables and Reflections comic stories by Neil Gaiman

Fables and Reflections are scattered volumes and one-off stories that only comprise brief tales, many of which revolve around emperors while exploring issues of power. For example, one of the stories named "Soft Places" features a lost Marco Polo. It has a lot in common with the story "Exiles" featured in The Wake.

RELATED: 10 Best Subplots In The Sandman

The final tale, "Ramadan," tells the story of the legendary city of Baghdad. It features some of the most breathtaking artwork in the entire series, and because it's so gorgeously drawn and colored, every page looks like a work of art.

5 A Game Of You

The Sandman #32-37

The Sandman volume: A Game of You

Morpheus isn't featured as prominently in this volume of The Sandman. Instead, the story follows the adventures of Barbie and her friends, who venture deeper and deeper into a fantastical realm from Barbie's childhood – one in grave danger due to a mysterious Cuckoo. This tightly-knit story explores issues relating to identity, childhood, and the nature of evil.

Barbie, who always fancied herself as a princess of a magical realm, realizes life isn't always perfect, particularly after her divorce from Ken. Therefore, her journey into the Land to confront the Cuckoo is also a journey of awakening and self-awareness.

4 Brief Lives

The Sandman #41-49

An image of comic art from Sandman Brief Lives

Readers are told how one of The Endless has long since abandoned his realm and gone off on his own. Delirium, who misses her brother, convinces Dream to go on a quest with her to find their long-lost sibling, Destruction. Naturally, their quest is beset with death and numerous setbacks. However, after great difficulty and personal cost, they are finally reunited with Destruction, who entertains them for a while before vanishing into space with his dog, Barnabas. During these events, Dream finally visits his long-abandoned son and grants him his last wish by letting him die.

3 World's End

The Sandman #51-56

Comic art from The Sandman volume: World's End

World's End is the penultimate Sandman volume before the climax. It features standalone tales of different travelers who are trapped at an inn at World's End, all while caught up in a reality storm.

RELATED: The Sandman's 10 Biggest Changes From The Comics

One of the stories is a Lovecraftian tale about a city that dreams, while the "Golden Boy" offers an alternate vision of U.S history as it explores the American Dream. "Cerements" is a masterfully crafted tale-within-a-tale that follows a Russian Doll-like structure, while "Cluracan's Tale" is a delightful fantasy adventure.

2 The Kindly Ones

The Sandman #57-69

The kindly ones from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comics

The Kindly Ones is one of the best comic volumes ever written. In it, all the minor details and plot threads from other stories come into play, resulting in a heartbreaking but thoroughly satisfying climax to The Sandman.

Dream's past, prior misdeeds, and choices all finally catch up with him, and he finally sacrifices himself lest his kingdom perishes. As his character arc comes to a close, he remarks, "Rules and responsibilities: These are the ties that bind us. We do what we do, because of who we are. If we did otherwise, we would not be ourselves. I will do what I have to do. And I will do what I must."

1 Season Of Mists

The Sandman #21-28

Season Of Mists - The Sandman comic art

In this narrative, Dream visits Hell to free his former lover, Nada. However, it isn't a valiant effort; he condemned Nada to eternal torment for daring to refuse his love. While on his redemption mission, it's revealed Lucifer abandoned his kingdom and entrusted the keys of hell to Dream. As a result, different gods and deities from various mythological pantheons arrive at the Dreaming, declaring their right to own the realm of Hell and demanding that Dream choose whose it should be from among them.

Season Of Mists is a perfect volume of The Sandman. It balances fun with dark fantasy and gives readers a wonderful sense of immersion due to its world-building. Furthermore, it illustrates how every action, no matter how minor, always has far-reaching consequences.

NEXT: The Sandman's 10 Most Heroic Tales