The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (1991, Paperback)

I love the entire Sandman story! This volume sets the stage for what is to come. Here, Gaiman introduces his readers to Sandman, the tall, pale avatar of dreams and stories. Here, Sandman has been rudely kidnapped by human magicians who trap him in a magic bubble and keep him from his realm, "the Dreaming." Ultimately, the stories in this volume revolve around Sandman's escape from his imprisonment and his quest to rebuild the dream-realm and find several magical items.

I don't know much about DC comics, but a few DC and vertigo characters have cameos. The most memorable is John Constantine, the dry-witted Brit wizard of "Hellblazer" and "Swamp Thing" fame. Gaiman effortlessly works Constantine into his epic world containing Gods, super-heroes, and average Joes and Janes living their out their lives oblivious to the supernatural dramas going on around them. Until, that is, those dramas come crashing in.

Somehow, Gaiman has taken these wild ideas and created a narrative that is touching on a very human level. Ultimately, these stories are about love, hate, forgiveness, repentance, death, life, fear, mystery, and understanding. This volume isn't the best of Sandman--some of the latter stories are unbelievably wonderful--however, if you are looking to be introduced to Sandman, Death, Cain, Abel, and many other characters that featured all throughout the Sandman saga, this is the place to start. Plus, the art is amazing!