It's a tale from the Realm of Dreams, which took place in ancient Japan, a monk who lived in a small temple must face the tests of seduction, deadly spells, and the threat of death. A green-eyed fox wanted to help him through the crisis, but things are complicated when spells and the Realm of Dreams are involved. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because I needed and wanted more and even if it feels like the perfect length (theoretically) it's also incredibly short at the same time. I also feel like I didn't know enough about this world and the characters to fully appreciate it. I'd probably have to read Sandman first. The King of All Night's Dreaming tells him what the fox had done, and that if he rescues her, her efforts will have been in vain. The monk insists and is allowed to meet the fox, who is now trapped inside a mirror. He frees her against her wishes, and the King of All Night's Dreaming allows them time for farewells. The monk then takes the fox's place, giving her the advice, "Seek not revenge, but the Buddha." The fox informs Morpheus of this advice, then tells him she will seek the Buddha after seeking revenge. She awakens and stays with the monk until he dies the next day. In the realm of dreams, the King of All Night's Dreaming is satisfied by the story, and that everyone involved learned an important lesson. The narration then suggests that the monk and the fox were re-united in the afterlife; but this is purposely ambiguous.

But what is told is a story that would fit right in with any of the Sandman one-shot tales, although it’s considerably longer, and contains chapter breaks. But like the shorts in Dream Country or Fables and Reflections or World’s End, this is the story about people who want something, and their desires end up intersecting with the world of Dream. Did Dream learn a lesson from this story that would so closely mirror his own? Did this tale of the monk and the fox who loved him inform Dreams own decisions when it came time to pursue his own loved ones and possibly sacrifice his own life in exchange?

Tropes:

Bold Inflation: In the original novella, Morpheus's speech is rendered in bold text to emphasize his power. Dopo averli letti entrambi uno dopo l'altro devo dire però che messo a fianco dell'opera del decennale, questa impallidisce abbastanza. Morpheus, Lord of the Dreams, will have to intervene in this tragedy since their actions put them right in Morpheus’ realm. With cool cameos of Cain and Abel, and one of Morpheus’ ravens, but the real identity of this particular raven isn’t clear, definitely isn’t Matthew or Lucien, but due a clue in the narrative and the time period of the story, I supposed that it must be Aristeas. While the artwork is lovely and complements the story, I’m detracting a star because I didn’t really get anything new from this version. The original novella is already beautifully illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, and while Sandman was always at home in the graphic novel world, I find that the original format chosen for this particular story works better. Russell has a unique line, and I love his jagged edged look for angry and scary creatures. He does a fantastic job of showing emotion in the panels. My complaint with the art is the coloring. The color uses this faux-painted look that at worst ends up looking like a wall painted with Windows Paint gradient colors. It doesn't distract too much, and sometimes does look nice - I believe the attempt was to make the book look like it was created with old Japanese silk paintings. The colors are done by Russell's longtime collaborator Lovern Kindzierski who besides for that effect I dislike does a wonderful job as usual.

As a lover of Japan and everything mythology, I was pleasantly surprised when I learned the plot was about both. I went into this graphic novel blind, having not previously read the famously acclaimed Sandman books and knowing virtually nothing about the story. So I can only speak for this one installment. Yet by the time of The Sandman: Endless Nights—an anthology project completed as the original series neared its fifteenth anniversary, and one that I’ll dig into next time—Gaiman had already flat-out said that The Dream Hunters was “a retelling of an old Japanese folktale [he] completely made up.” I must have read those words in 1993 or 1994, whenever I first sat down to read that anthology. But I ignored them, clearly, because until now I have always thought of The Dream Hunters as not-real-Gaiman- Sandman. A fox spirit and a badger (which might refer to the more folkloric tanuki) make a bet that whichever of them drives a Buddhist monk from his temple can claim it as their own. Both of them fail, and the badger flees in disgrace. The fox, however, has fallen in love with the monk. She apologizes to him in the form of a beautiful woman, and he allows her to stay in the temple provided she does not cause him any more trouble.

Appearance Is in the Eye of the Beholder: The kitsune sees Dream as a giant fox the color of the night sky. The monk sees a gaunt Japanese man wearing a robe made of tormented souls. Prematurely Grey-Haired: The onmyōji once took a journey to China to learn mysticism. He gained that knowledge but also went gray early.

So, just to make it clear, once again, this book isn’t a comic book as the other volumes in The Sandman series but a prose novella featuring illustrations. You may be aware of who is Neil Gaiman, the renowed British writer that got fame precisely with The Sandman comic book series, but also he has written several prose novels like American Gods, Stardust, Coraline, The Graveyard Book and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, just to mention some of the most popular ones.The artwork is fantastic and perfectly fits the story. It’s very reminiscent of old Japanese woodcut artwork. Come si apprende nella postfazione, Gaiman si era documentato sulla mitologia giapponese mentre si occupava dei dialoghi della versione inglese della Principessa Mononoke. E durante questa fase di documentazione si era imbattuto nella storia "La volpe, il monaco e il mikado dei sogni di tutta la notte", rimanendo colpito dalle similitudini con la storia che aveva scritto in precedenza, Sandman.

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters is just my second approach to the Sandman universe and, even without knowing the main story of the comics, this has been a book that has captivated me from the beginning, largely thanks to the wonderful illustration work by Yoshitaka Amano, and that I liked it very much. Multiboobage: The Mother (of the Sandman's Three-In-One) has several pairs of breasts extending down her torso. The narration compares her to a female pig or rat. The Sandman: The Dream Hunters is a standalone story in the universe of The Sandman (1989), written by the comic's author Neil Gaiman. It was originally published as a novella in 1999, featuring painted illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano. In 2008 a four-issue comic book version with art by P. Craig Russell was released. If you’re a Sandman fan, this is worth reading as a chance to get to see Dream again. And even if you’re not, it’s a great little fairytale and one I’d definitely recommend! Although technically a Sandman story, this can certainly be read without involving that lengthy series. It could be considered a story in that universe, and not an essential piece of it.This TPB is the original prose novella written by Neil Gaiman with illustrations of Yoshitaka Amano. Don’t get it confused with the comic book format version featuring artwork of P. Craig Russell. Probing deeper after that unsatisfactory reply, and additional exchanges between Dream and his winged charge, the Raven asks, pointedly, “And you also learn a lesson?” Sandman: The Dream Hunters is a superb addition to the Sandman canon and once again, shows us the literary storytelling genius of Neil Gaiman. P. Craig Russell also deserves whole-hearted praise for his depiction of a Gaiman classic tale focusing on the love between a fox (who adopts the form of a beautiful woman) and a monk. The story is heart-breaking at times and focuses on the real meanings behind love, devotion, faith and life. Finchè, arrivati vicini al ventennale di Sandman, mentre lavoravano sull'adattamento a fumetto di Coraline, Russell torna alla carica. E questa volta ci riesce, ottenendo di disegnare il fumetto del racconto in prosa del decennale.