Neil Gaiman’s Recommend Work

A Brief Bio of Neil Gaiman 

Neil Gaiman is a English Author  who is famous for such fantasy stories such as Sandman, Star Dust, American God, and the Graveyard Book and among many other short fictional novels. Over his lifetime of his career Gaiman has won numerous Eisner Awards for his stories including Newbery and Carnegie medals. I most recognize Neil Gaiman’s work from DC Comics Vertigo’s Sandman and ever since then I have been hooked on his interest of fantasy novels. His art style is very mesmerizing, every time I pick up a Neil Gaiman book, I enter a world that is very dream like. Neil Gaiman’s stories never feel predictable, when I pick up a Neil Gaiman story I never know what’s going happen next every time I flip the page. His art style is the really fascinating, Neil Gaiman’s inspiration of hiring surrealism artist to bring his work to life is what really brings out the central focus of his graphic novels. The use of surrealism art can sometimes be the reflection of what life is like being inside of a living night terror but also showing the joyfulness of being inside of a dream sequence depending on the mood of the story Gaiman wants to convey.

Recommended Work from Gaiman

The Sandman series  

Why I recommend it: I know its a obvious but I have to recommend one of Neil Gaiman’s most famous graphic novel series Sandman. If you love everything about fantasy and psychological surrealism than you must go to your nearest bookstore or comic bookstore immediately find any Sandman volume you can find its that good!

Synopsis: The story begins that Morpheus a.k.a Dream is imprison for 70 years by a occult. After Morpheus escape from his life longing imprisonment he has to restore his broken kingdom and rebuild it piece by piece. After his release Morpheus develops into a character trying to make up his wrongdoings from his past prior to his imprisonment. Throughout the rest of the series Sandman travels to  various dream and mythological realms such as places like Hell and Asgard.

Media: A Sandman movie adaptation have been in development Hell for many years but now it seems that an adaption of Sandman movie might see the light of day. A year ago David S. Goyer alongside actor Joseph Gordon Levitt and co-creator Neil Gaiman are working hard to make a Sandman movie to be shown to a audience of the 21st century. Screenwriter Jack Throne has finished the writing the script but the Sandman movie still hasn’t  green lite a release date yet. However, Sandman will be released with the slate of other DC Comic films but under the DC Comics Vertigo brand.

Number of Collections: Ten Volumes and 5 Absolute Editions

Books of Magic

Why I recommend it: If you love Harry Potter novels than you should at least pick up a wand and read Books of Magic which also centers around a young boy wanting to become powerful magician.Book of Magic shows the best of fantasy tropes of a young boy surrounded by many fantasy elements that would bring out your inner childhood.

Synopsis: The story center around Timothy Hunter who is conflicted between the sides of good & evil as he trains himself to become the most powerful magician. Timothy Hunter encounters other powerful magical characters including Phantom Stranger, Doctor Occult, Mister E and John Constantine. Together they are known as the Trenchcoat Brigade who also each share a interest to Timothy Hunter’s potential magical power.

Media: Books of Magic is one of the Neil Gaiman’s stories that have been in development Hell for many years. Due to the success of the Harry Potter movie series there might be worry that the Harry Potter movies and a possible Books of Magic adaption would be often comparable. There have been many re-writes to make the adaption to seem more original but as of yet nothing has came out of a Books of Magic movie adaption.

Number of Collections: Seven Volumes

Black Orchid 

Why I recommend it: Black Orchid is for readers that I have a desire to know the subconsciousness of the beauty of nature. Black Orchid is for readers that love stories that relate to mystery and deep spiritual driven moments of understanding who you really are. If you are one of those readers I’m talking about than don’t stand around like a steam and get this book.

Synopsis: Black Orchid debuted her first issue in Adventure Comics #428 having appearance of your standard female custom superhero. In Neil Gaiman’s re-imagining of the character Black Orchid is Susan who was gruesomely murdered but soon revived as half human and half plant hybrid. Susan now known as the Black Orchid must regain her memories of what possible happen to her during her murder and trying to figure out how did she became such a freak of mother nature.

Media: A film adaptation of the Neil Gaiman’s version of the character is unknown but the classic look of the character has appeared in Batman Brave & the Bold animated series and was cameo in Fallout: New Vegas.

Number of Collections: One

Death a High Cost of Living 

Why I recommend it: Love the Gaiman’s Sandman series? Than most likely you’ll love a standalone Death mini-series.  This story centers around Dream’s oldest sister Death, which she appears to be a oxymoron of a character because of her upbeat personality but having a name represent gloom and often sadness. Death or Death of the “Endless” is a interesting character who takes human form every once a century so she can understand the premise of humanity.

Synopsis: Death a High Cost of Living centers around a teenage girl name Didi who is a happy goth girl but claims that she is Death. Death aids a young man name Sexton who is on a diverge of being suicidal. Death takes Sexton a life long journey to understand that life is worth living for.

 Media: Same with Death’s brother Sandman there has been many plans of making a Death a High Cost of Loving movie adaption titling it “Death and Me.” Studio New Line was going produce the movie along with Nail Gaiman writing the screenplay and having Guillermo Tel Del Toro has the director for the project. Actor Shia LaBeouf was also going to be the character Sexton because of his involvement with the movie project. But sadly the Death movie project became one of the other Neil Gaiman movie adaptions that went straight to development Hell. The only recent news on Death movie adaption was on October 14, 2010 when a reporter interview Neil Gaiman when he responded in doubt that a Death movie adaption is closed as of now and unclear if Warner Bros. will show any progression of moving forward with the project.

Number of Collections: Three issues

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