The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1

Why it's worth it

This slipcased hardcover presents the first twenty issues of Neil Gaiman's Sandman at 25% larger trim size with remastered coloring. It's the most impressive physical object here, and it's the wrong place for a newcomer to start.

The oversized format genuinely changes how the artwork reads. At more than fifteen inches tall and over seven pounds, this isn't a book you read on a train. But that scale gives Gaiman's collaborators room their original comic pages never had. Details you'd skim past in a trade paperback stop you. If you already love Sandman, this is the version worth owning.

The recoloring fixes a real problem with the early issues. The first Sandman comics were printed under limitations that flattened the palette. This edition restores the colors the creative team intended, and the difference is visible rather than theoretical. For anyone who read these issues in their original printing, that alone is the case for upgrading.

From our review of 6 graphic novels for adults, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +The oversized format genuinely changes how the artwork reads
• +The recoloring fixes a real problem with the early issues
• +It's the best gift on this list for a comics-literate adult
• +The material earns the treatment

What to know

• –It's the wrong entry point, and buying it first is the most common mistake with this series
• –Volume 1 is the beginning of a set, not a complete story
• –The size is impractical for actual reading