This is the first in a short series, the rest of which I haven't read yet, which probably explains why this graphic novel felt very much like a background introduction more than an engaging story in its own right. I love much of Gaiman's writing but this wasn't anything to compare tithe Sandman graphic novels. The main character spends the entire time just being led around by the other characters and never really expresses a personality, and most of the book seems like a tribute tour through other comic universes that the reader is presumed to recognize but which lack explanation if they do not. No doubt the sequels will improve the story but this first volume felt a little empty.