TW/CW: Death, violence, fantasy violence, language, nudity, sex, child abuse, mentions of sexual assault

RATING: 4/5

REVIEW: The Doll’s House is the second volume of The Sandman graphic novel series, and quite distinct from Preludes and Nocturnes, is more or less a single story line. There are, of course, parts where it diverges, or goes a little bit off on a tangent, but it always comes back to the main story.

The Doll’s House is the story of Rose Walker, a young woman who has somehow become a dream vortex – an entity that can eventually destroy the Dreaming.

The story follows her, her brother, her family and her grandmother, as well as Dream of the Endless as he works to solve this issue with his Kingdom.

I found this volume more enjoyable than Preludes and Nocturnes, probably because it had more of an actual story that tied everything together. I enjoyed the artwork and the story, and it didn’t take long at all for me to finish it.

This is very much an adult work – there are scenes that are very violent and graphically disturbing, as well as nudity and sexuality.

I recommend this for fans of Neil Gaiman, and people who enjoy graphic novels. ( )

I liked this better than the first volume. I can really see the author's imagination and storytelling ability starting to spark. His use of the comic medium to tell the story is very strong, using parallel stories and small intercuts and asides that are effective and mostly not distracting. I would have probably felt a little frustrated reading this as it came out a month at a time, though. Some of those asides come out of nowhere and barely go anywhere before they leave you completely hanging until the next chapter/month. ( )

A good continuation, although I feel like it's still trying to find its feet as a series. Still throwing out ideas and seeing what sticks. ( )

The King of Dreams, the very embodiment of Dream, Morpheus, is back in business. As of right now, he has all his equipment back and all his resources at his disposal. It’s good that he does, since the palace staff, a terrible nightmare, and Fiddler’s Green have disappeared. Obviously, the Dream Lord cannot let the foursome roam free in the human world, so he makes plans to retrieve them.

Although The Sandman has less screen time this time, I have most enjoyed the intrigue of the main story and the thrilling insights into Morpheus’ past.

This 2nd volume follows Rose Walker’s quest to reunite with her estranged little brother, as well as a relationship with a surprise family member. Remember Felicity Kinkaid, the girl who got pregnant and gave birth while Morpheus was imprisoned for 70 years? It turns out the kid was Rose’s mother!

Neil Gaiman writes short stories about cursed love affairs and millennial dates between unlikely friends.

Beware, because Dream is angry, and this is not for the faint of heart.

Now if only I could adjust to the inconsistent illustration style. ( )

YUP. this is the neil gaiman i know and love. cuz holy s*** some of the issues in this volume are INTENSE (Tale in the Sand?!?!) and others just feel so Classic Gaiman (Men of Good Fortune). I still believe that the show has done a EXCEPTIONAL job on expanding on the source material; and that is saying a lot as someone who is typically in the, "the book was better than the movie/show" camp. brb starting vol 3 right away to start reading past what was covered in season 1. ( )