Sweet. Mine is on the way. Here's why I like compendiums: you get the most pages for your dollar. At this point I have hundreds and hundreds of omnibus books and dozens of deluxe hardcovers, I don't need any more big books in my life (although I won't turn them down if they come along). My goal is to read. So if I can get the most pages for the least amount of money in a decent edition, that's what I want. The other funny thing is that I used to crave oversized pages, but these days I realize that when I read a standard size book I sink more deeply into the experience for some reason, like my face gets closer to the page and I just get more engrossed.
For real! I've been thinking the exact same thing with thick trades. Plus I'm getting way too many omnibus so I'm kind of glad to get compendiums to save space
Breaks my heart that like Starman they didn’t have enough confidence in this series to instead do two omnis, but hopefully the sales will prove strong enough for them to reconsider down the road.
@@dddaaa6965 Or that you’ll have to spend at minimum an extra $70+ to have custom rebound as an omni with comparable Big Two board art and a dust jacket in still a standard size format.
The bindings on compendiums make it easier to read, in my opinion; little to no gutter loss. I finished both Starman compendis and it has no signs of creases. I’ll definitely get this now; great review Omar!
Yeah I’ve been surprised how well the compendiums have held up. I think I’ve read 5 so far and only one invincible compendiums had a little wear on the spine
I find it a little funny that Patton’s name on the cover is more prominent than Matt’s & Co. Lovely spine design though! Thanks Omar, hope your review leads to a few more buyers. The pricepoint makes it a great book to take a chance on.
So glad you covered this. I had a single issue as a kid but couldn’t find much about it. Saw this at my local shop and I’m waiting for my next check to pick it up!
Agreed, not everything needs to be hardcover. Not everything need to be oversized. These things were made when there wasn't even the thought of a complete collection book or oversized deluxes.
Got this the other day. This will be my third time collecting this hoping that they complete it. They can’t abandon it a third time can they? Can they???
I was a Marvel kid when I first got into comics in the 80s; when I finally started to buy DC stuff in the 90s, this was one of the first titles I really got into (along with Aquaman and Starman). Such a great series. I doubt I'll buy the compendium because I still have all the original issues, but I hope it sells well enough to get the second volume released.
@@ryanb3665 Vol 4 was fantastic too! Quite a lengthy prose piece in it written by Greg Rucka with the occasional art piece by Wagner. Loved it. Made for a surprisingly novella inclusion in an already brilliant book.
@@geminisundone If you've only read the omnibuses, you might want to try to find a copy of the _Batman/Grendel_ collection too. It features a cool Hunter Rose/Batman story, and then a Grendel Prime/Batman story that ties directly into the main saga, showing where Prime went when he disappeared during the "Devil Quest" stories. There's also _Grendel vs The Shadow,_ another Hunter Rose crossover story, and _Devil's Odyssey,_ a recent series that picks up after the fourth omnibus finishes. And that will be followed by _Devil's Crucible_ which Wagner is currently working on (edit: or he *was* working on them anyway; apparently, they've been temporarily sidelined while he put together a brand new and much expanded version of _Devil by the Deed,_ which is due later this year -- it's a 120-page retelling of Hunter's story, in the style of the original, but incorporating details from the various "Black, White & Red" stories into a single narrative).
I’ve really been looking forward to this one. I understand not doing omnis for more obscure series like this (obscure compared to the big dogs like Justice League) but I’m glad we are getting the series collected finally anyway. As long as a series I want to read is easily available, I’m not a huge stickler on the format. Although I do wish we would’ve gotten the Starman Cosmic omnis.
Thanks Omar for bringing to us this great comprehensive look into the Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium. I hope that we also get a Scalped Compendium in the near future. It would be so great. I know a lot of people out there in the outer rim of the comic universe who wants to have it.
I can't believe this is the only Sandman series not getting a hardcover omnibus! Such a bummer! They are even giving Dead Boy Detectives an omni. I still ordered this though, and am very happy to finally own a full collection of this series. I still own my original issues!
Didn't even realize that they were putting out a compendium of this I am so ordering this like immediately. I picked up a couple issues when I started getting into Neil Gaiman Sandman not realizing that it was a different series but ended up loving it all the same
SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE is better at being Batman than Batman. Great stuff. Don't really need this first one. But I'll buy it to finally get the stuff collected that hasn't been as of yet. Hopefully.
I am a BIG fan of the Sandman mini series on Netflix, so I will DEFINITELY get this one! Thanks Omar! I REALLY hope your health is improving quickly! We ALL support you and this channel!!!
Back again to comment after i read this incredible book...and it truly is a superb read! My book of the year so far by a longshot! Brutal, serious, adult written period piece based in New York in the 40's. Has a Moore From Hell vibe running through it. Must buy guys.
I would love to see this in deluxe hardcovers as that is my preferred format, but a compendium is better than nothing. Really enjoyed this series back in the day.
It's weird that it's labeled as "Sandman Universe Classic", as in Neil Gaiman's Sandman Universe. Patton Oswalt also voiced Matthew in Neil Gaiman's Sandman from Netflix, he doesn't have much of a relation with this Sandman. They're cashing on the shared name lol.
I would have had no interest in this except for (a) I really liked Wesley and Diane in Geoff Johns’ JSA, and (b) Matt Wagner, which I didn’t realize. I’m all in on this. I also don’t mind the compendium format at all.
Is it just me or have the colours been updated for this? Am sure it was full colour and no black and white panels. Have to wait to get a copy in hand to see fo myself...
So the only thing in addition to the first paperback run is the annual and it still doesn't reprint the stuff that they didn't cover. I'll wait for compendium two because I have already been burned once.
If anything Dian Belmont was a more interesting and strong character in the golden age. Being an ex criminal safe cracker. And she joined her partner on more adventures.
I've really been looking forward to this. But now I don't know. It looks like the coloring is off. There are flesh tones that seem to have been dropped. The first page of the first issue looks to be black and white here but originally was colored with red and purple washes. It almost looks as if a color overlay was lost somewhere. I'm really torn. It's such a great series and it's been so poorly treated in the collected editions. But I don't know if I can justify buying it again if the reproduction is off.
From my minuscule research. I’ve heard that this Wesley Sandman appears in the Starman series. Would I spoil anything from this run by reading those two Starman compendiums first?
Patton Oswalt turns my stomach, but my copy is on the way. I read most the original story lines in high school. Very good structure to these stories- a few issues per storyline. Hope they continue these commpendiums! Need to finish my Star Man Compendium Vol. 2.
I feel your pain! I have all the earlier collected editions of this book but they never got to the end, so a good chunk of the series was never collected. I’m going to pick this up and sell my earlier editions.
@@martinalvarez1264 I agree, I think there are big differences & I’m comparing what’s on DC Universe Infinite. On the very first page, everything in the dream is black & white, while the DCU version (which I thought was closer to the original comic) has color. But on the other pages, sometimes the colors like purple, green or yellow are too saturated. And for the people’s faces in that first story, they look too white. The coloring was very subtle in the Baxter comic.
Sweet. Mine is on the way. Here's why I like compendiums: you get the most pages for your dollar. At this point I have hundreds and hundreds of omnibus books and dozens of deluxe hardcovers, I don't need any more big books in my life (although I won't turn them down if they come along). My goal is to read. So if I can get the most pages for the least amount of money in a decent edition, that's what I want.
The other funny thing is that I used to crave oversized pages, but these days I realize that when I read a standard size book I sink more deeply into the experience for some reason, like my face gets closer to the page and I just get more engrossed.
For real! I've been thinking the exact same thing with thick trades. Plus I'm getting way too many omnibus so I'm kind of glad to get compendiums to save space
Breaks my heart that like Starman they didn’t have enough confidence in this series to instead do two omnis, but hopefully the sales will prove strong enough for them to reconsider down the road.
Or even just a hardcover, I always get sad spending like 20$ less than a omni on something that I know is gonna get destroyed with repeated reading
@@dddaaa6965 Or that you’ll have to spend at minimum an extra $70+ to have custom rebound as an omni with comparable Big Two board art and a dust jacket in still a standard size format.
STARMAN had 6 Omnibus Editions about 10 years ago, though.
@@oliverl.5834 They were standard size hardcovers, just labeled omnis, maybe one day some true omnis.
They better keep these compendium in print, I want to read these series and what better than at a good price.
The bindings on compendiums make it easier to read, in my opinion; little to no gutter loss. I finished both Starman compendis and it has no signs of creases. I’ll definitely get this now; great review Omar!
I don't mind compendiums.
Obviously love my Omni's but I've quite a few compendiums and they have held up after multiple readings.
Yeah I’ve been surprised how well the compendiums have held up. I think I’ve read 5 so far and only one invincible compendiums had a little wear on the spine
@@fishin4bass2002 Yup Invincible is the only one I've gotten with a spine crease.
Hope they finally complete the series in a second compendium. Next we need a couple of Shade, The Changing Man compendiums
I'm so glad we're getting all these compendiums from DC, I love a good thick trade. Gives me a lot of hope for future collected editions!
I find it a little funny that Patton’s name on the cover is more prominent than Matt’s & Co. Lovely spine design though! Thanks Omar, hope your review leads to a few more buyers. The pricepoint makes it a great book to take a chance on.
So glad you covered this. I had a single issue as a kid but couldn’t find much about it. Saw this at my local shop and I’m waiting for my next check to pick it up!
Can't wait for mine to arrive, and now the long wait begins for Compendium 2. Get on it, DC - we've already had to wait too long for this!
This is my most anticipated release in about 5 yeRs
Great series, I'll definitely pick this up. I find these chunky softcover books are much nicer to hold and read than cumbersome omnibus style books.
Agreed, not everything needs to be hardcover. Not everything need to be oversized. These things were made when there wasn't even the thought of a complete collection book or oversized deluxes.
Got this the other day. This will be my third time collecting this hoping that they complete it. They can’t abandon it a third time can they? Can they???
I was a Marvel kid when I first got into comics in the 80s; when I finally started to buy DC stuff in the 90s, this was one of the first titles I really got into (along with Aquaman and Starman). Such a great series. I doubt I'll buy the compendium because I still have all the original issues, but I hope it sells well enough to get the second volume released.
One of my all time favorite Vertigo books and extremely underrated! I can’t wait to pick this up. 👍🏼
I was really wondering about this one! Thanks for the overview as always.
Didn't realise Matt Wagner wrote this.
Reading through his Grendel omnibuses currently ( nearly finished vol 3 ) and I'm blown away by his writing.
Grendel is an amazing book!! Dark Horse needs to put out a library edition of Grendel already!
Same! I’m very excited for both this and volume 4 of the Grendel omnis.
@@ryanb3665 Vol 4 was fantastic too!
Quite a lengthy prose piece in it written by Greg Rucka with the occasional art piece by Wagner. Loved it. Made for a surprisingly novella inclusion in an already brilliant book.
@@geminisundone If you've only read the omnibuses, you might want to try to find a copy of the _Batman/Grendel_ collection too. It features a cool Hunter Rose/Batman story, and then a Grendel Prime/Batman story that ties directly into the main saga, showing where Prime went when he disappeared during the "Devil Quest" stories.
There's also _Grendel vs The Shadow,_ another Hunter Rose crossover story, and _Devil's Odyssey,_ a recent series that picks up after the fourth omnibus finishes. And that will be followed by _Devil's Crucible_ which Wagner is currently working on (edit: or he *was* working on them anyway; apparently, they've been temporarily sidelined while he put together a brand new and much expanded version of _Devil by the Deed,_ which is due later this year -- it's a 120-page retelling of Hunter's story, in the style of the original, but incorporating details from the various "Black, White & Red" stories into a single narrative).
@@geminisundone orion's reign was pretty much a novella too hahaha with all that text.
I am definitely picking this one up. Thanks for the great review, I always first check your videos before buying it haha🙌
I’m reading this now and loving it!
Oh man! I didn't even know that this was coming!!! One of my all.time fave series!!!! So glad that DC is releasing these compendiums!!!
I’ve really been looking forward to this one. I understand not doing omnis for more obscure series like this (obscure compared to the big dogs like Justice League) but I’m glad we are getting the series collected finally anyway. As long as a series I want to read is easily available, I’m not a huge stickler on the format. Although I do wish we would’ve gotten the Starman Cosmic omnis.
I really want Sandman to be in compendium format it be so cool
Thanks Omar for bringing to us this great comprehensive look into the Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium. I hope that we also get a Scalped Compendium in the near future. It would be so great. I know a lot of people out there in the outer rim of the comic universe who wants to have it.
I can't believe this is the only Sandman series not getting a hardcover omnibus! Such a bummer! They are even giving Dead Boy Detectives an omni. I still ordered this though, and am very happy to finally own a full collection of this series. I still own my original issues!
Didn't even realize that they were putting out a compendium of this I am so ordering this like immediately. I picked up a couple issues when I started getting into Neil Gaiman Sandman not realizing that it was a different series but ended up loving it all the same
I've just change my work place so I'll have to wait a little till I get this gem
A series that Guy Davis both wrote and Illustrated was The Marquis! Highly recommend that series!
So excited to finally buy and read this.
WB should do this as a TV series on MAX
That would be sick man
SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE is better at being Batman than Batman. Great stuff. Don't really need this first one. But I'll buy it to finally get the stuff collected that hasn't been as of yet. Hopefully.
When’s Volume 2 coming, Omar? Thank you for your great video! (One of my all time fav series)
Thanks for the recommendation picked it up and quite enjoy it
I am a BIG fan of the Sandman mini series on Netflix, so I will DEFINITELY get this one! Thanks Omar! I REALLY hope your health is improving quickly! We ALL support you and this channel!!!
Wow finally! I've never had the chance to get into this oop series. Need to grab this asap! Thanks for the update.
Hope you enjoy it!
I agree, Dianne is the main character of Mystery Theatre.
Back again to comment after i read this incredible book...and it truly is a superb read!
My book of the year so far by a longshot!
Brutal, serious, adult written period piece based in New York in the 40's.
Has a Moore From Hell vibe running through it.
Must buy guys.
I heard about this story a while ago so I might get it.
I guess Sandman Midnight Teather will be included in the second Compendium?
I would love to see this in deluxe hardcovers as that is my preferred format, but a compendium is better than nothing. Really enjoyed this series back in the day.
It's weird that it's labeled as "Sandman Universe Classic", as in Neil Gaiman's Sandman Universe. Patton Oswalt also voiced Matthew in Neil Gaiman's Sandman from Netflix, he doesn't have much of a relation with this Sandman. They're cashing on the shared name lol.
There is a crossover over between the golden age Sandman and Morpheus later in the series.
I would have had no interest in this except for (a) I really liked Wesley and Diane in Geoff Johns’ JSA, and (b) Matt Wagner, which I didn’t realize. I’m all in on this. I also don’t mind the compendium format at all.
Would’ve preferred an omni, but it’s nice to save $40
Is it just me or have the colours been updated for this? Am sure it was full colour and no black and white panels. Have to wait to get a copy in hand to see fo myself...
Just curious if there is a continuation of the boxing match in The Brute (The Face and the Brute) story arc, seems to be left hanging. Thanks
I have the individual issues. I read it a few years ago and think it's one of the best reads.
Cool
So the only thing in addition to the first paperback run is the annual and it still doesn't reprint the stuff that they didn't cover.
I'll wait for compendium two because I have already been burned once.
If anything Dian Belmont was a more interesting and strong character in the golden age. Being an ex criminal safe cracker. And she joined her partner on more adventures.
I've really been looking forward to this. But now I don't know. It looks like the coloring is off. There are flesh tones that seem to have been dropped. The first page of the first issue looks to be black and white here but originally was colored with red and purple washes. It almost looks as if a color overlay was lost somewhere. I'm really torn. It's such a great series and it's been so poorly treated in the collected editions. But I don't know if I can justify buying it again if the reproduction is off.
How do you find time to read as much as you do?
I don’t sleep. I wish I was kidding.
So, are there any news on a second volume?
Not yet.
@@NearMintConditionDamn
Nice video.
Could you talk about recently Spiderman 2 free comicbook?
Hi! Should I read any of Neil Geiman’s Sandman and know Morpheus first before jumping on this one?
Not at all.
From my minuscule research. I’ve heard that this Wesley Sandman appears in the Starman series. Would I spoil anything from this run by reading those two Starman compendiums first?
Nothing at all.
@@NearMintCondition as always, you rock. Thanks! :)
Patton Oswalt turns my stomach, but my copy is on the way. I read most the original story lines in high school. Very good structure to these stories- a few issues per storyline. Hope they continue these commpendiums! Need to finish my Star Man Compendium Vol. 2.
If you have all the collected editions, is it ok to get this? Am I wasting money? Does it show his weird dreams that force him into action?
I feel your pain! I have all the earlier collected editions of this book but they never got to the end, so a good chunk of the series was never collected. I’m going to pick this up and sell my earlier editions.
Is this a stand alone story? Or do i need to read Sandman first?
It stands on its own.
I just finished reading this, I wasn't expecting anything but my god, I loved it...I want it in hardcover now
No comments about this being recolored!!!
It’s been almost 30 years since I last read the issues. So the changes must have been subtle.
@@NearMintCondition they are really not!
Do you have pics or a link to a comparison? I really don’t remember there being a huge enough difference.
@@martinalvarez1264 I agree, I think there are big differences & I’m comparing what’s on DC Universe Infinite. On the very first page, everything in the dream is black & white, while the DCU version (which I thought was closer to the original comic) has color. But on the other pages, sometimes the colors like purple, green or yellow are too saturated. And for the people’s faces in that first story, they look too white. The coloring was very subtle in the Baxter comic.
_"We're still waiting on the third Mage story"_
Uh... no, we're not. It was completed four years ago.
Oh lol what I meant is where is my hardcover collection!? I have the first two for so many years.
holding out hope for a larger format, i might pass
Looks gorgeous definitely picking this up and the top 10 compendium
Sandman Universe? Give me a break.
Looking forward to volume 2 never being released.