Rating: Summary: Dust Covers is a wonderfully contemporary treat Review: "The Last Sandman Story" is the hook that got me interested in purchasing Dust Covers. I have the original issues of Gaiman's entire run on the Sandman, (so, very little of the art was completely new to me) but I was skeptical about dropping 20 bucks just to get that last little story. Believe me, it was well worth it. Not for the story, mind you, (which is good also), but for the overall design of the book. McKean has created something here that is an incredible sight to behold. As a professional graphic designer, I'm personally floored by his layout technique. I've always been impressed with McKean's covers and graphic novels, but this collection leaves me speechless with admiration. It's not just good art, it's good book design... and that's pretty rare. If Dust Covers could be considered a comic, it would be my favorite comic ever. Please believe me when I say that this book is well worth it.
Rating: Summary: Dust Covers is a wonderfully contemporary treat Review: "The Last Sandman Story" is the hook that got me interested in purchasing Dust Covers. I have the original issues of Gaiman's entire run on the Sandman, (so, very little of the art was completely new to me) but I was skeptical about dropping 20 bucks just to get that last little story. Believe me, it was well worth it. Not for the story, mind you, (which is good also), but for the overall design of the book. McKean has created something here that is an incredible sight to behold. As a professional graphic designer, I'm personally floored by his layout technique. I've always been impressed with McKean's covers and graphic novels, but this collection leaves me speechless with admiration. It's not just good art, it's good book design... and that's pretty rare. If Dust Covers could be considered a comic, it would be my favorite comic ever. Please believe me when I say that this book is well worth it.
Rating: Summary: So beautiful... Review: Anyone who's ever picked up an issue of Sandman noticed that the cover was beautiful. But until now it's never been possible to see them without logos and titles and the like. Dave McKean has unfathomable talent, incredible creativity, and a curious fixation on fish, all of which are beautifully presented. Between Dave and Neil Gaiman (who provides us with the delightful Last Sandman Story), this book, like so much of their other work together, is stunning.
Rating: Summary: A creative avalanche of multimedia artwork Review: Dave McKean has vision. His art trancends mediocrity, transporting you to a place where true creativity reigns supreme. The art is interspersed with colorful, sometimes humorous, anecdotes by McKean and Sandman writer Neil Gaiman. Every page of this book is a treat. Even if you have every Sandman issue ever published, you'll want to compare the original covers to the art in this book. Unencumbered by logos, etc. and printed with higher quality inks on better paper -Â Dust Covers is an unparalelled showcase for one of the most visionary artists of the 20th (and soon - the 21st) century.
Rating: Summary: Graphic art at its best Review: Dave McKean is the most gifted graphic artist I know. I conside him a true heir of Francis Bacon, Savinio and Magritte; yet he is completely original. His work is recognizable at first sight (I easily spotted a cover of a Front Line Assembly CD as McKean's work), and impossible to imitate. The reason is that he is in love with experimentation. You can copy ideas and poetics, but not craft and virtuosity (in this sense, he is more like Bacon than Magritte, whose technique was mediocre). You can disagree with the violence of some images, but still you'll be surprised and fascinated; the images will stay with you a long time.
Rating: Summary: "...a dazzling collection of dark, creative & surreal art." Review: Dave McKean's artwork is simply brilliant in this amazing and complete anthology of all his Sandman covers. Dave uses a variety of media, including photography, pen & pencil, and computer graphics. He uses strange, unconventional color schemes and interesting juxtaposition to weave complicated collages and tapestries of some of the best contemporary gothic imagery I have ever laid eyes on...a dazzling collection of dark, creative & surreal art. Sandman is one of the most unique and original comic series in history, and it has covers to match. Most other comic covers are nice, detailed and stylistic, but often plain, uninspired and all-together too similar. The Sandman covers are twisted, gritty and often haunting works which evoke intense feelings in the viewer's mind. Some make you want to look away, others draw you in. Regardless, all the artwork here will leave you eager to explore its nuances and most exquisite facets. In addition to the astounding artwork, a few extra bits and pieces were included to make this more of a complementary package. A short, previously unreleased Sandman story, insightful commentary for every cover, plus some interesting anecdotes and quotes make this a true collector's item. All of the covers are in their original form, free of logos, titles, code-numbers or any other markings which might obscure the aesthetic wonder of these ingenious creations. You're paying ... for 208 pages of extraordinary artwork, writing and design by Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman. This comes down to 8.3 cents a page--a true bargain. If you're not willing to pay 8.3 cents for a wonderful work of art, then you may want to re-evaluate your definition of thriftiness.
Rating: Summary: One of the best of Dave Mckean! Review: I have been a fan of Dave Mckean for a long time but I always felt that his art excelled the most in the covers that he made for Sandman, other Vertigo comics and some CD covers. So I was waiting for this kind of book for a long time. This book contains many of the best works of Dave Mckean, who I believe to be one of the best artists that appeared in our century. Dave Mckean reaches deep into your unconscious, he speaks in a wordless world of dreams that your soul must travel to find the forgotten truth inside you. His paintings seem like a web of photographs taken from a dream. 30th of August of 1999
Rating: Summary: Beautiful Review: If you are reading this, I will assume that you are already a fan of either Dave McKean in particular or Sandman in general. Included are all the covers from the Sandman series minus the logo, publisher and price indicia, UPC codes, etc., thus showcasing these wonderful works of art in the format they deserve. Also included are some extra pages of art used to fill out the Sandman trade paperback collections. Even if you own the whole series, it is a worthwhile buy. But what makes the collection particularly unique is the inclusion of a brand new true story by Neil Gaiman and McKean about how the ficitonal world of the Sandman intruded upon their lives during the planning stage of the series. As other reviewers have noted, the artwork is worth viewing on its own merits and deals with universal themes from the unconscious, so even if you don't know what the heck Sandman is it is worth a look. This is surrealism at its height by a master of many artistic media including painting, collage and computer graphics.
Rating: Summary: If you like the Sandman covers, this book is a must have! Review: If you've ever read any of the Vertigo's SANDMAN stories, you've probably have seen some of Dave McKean incredible cover illustrator work. He has illustraded, also, some classics, like Arkham Assylum, Black Orquid, etc... In this book, we're shown the magnitute of his talent throughout Sandman series, have comments on each cover, plus a previously unreleased Sandman story!
Rating: Summary: Gotta have it! Review: If you've ever read any of the Vertigo's SANDMAN stories, you've probably have seen some of Dave McKean incredible cover illustrator work. He has illustraded, also, some classics, like Arkham Assylum, Black Orquid, etc... In this book, we're shown the magnitute of his talent throughout Sandman series, have comments on each cover, plus a previously unreleased Sandman story!
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