The Sandman #1 Overture Special edition

The Sandman #1 introduces Dream, also known as Morpheus, the anthropomorphic personification of dreams. An occult ritual intended to capture Death mistakenly imprisons Dream for seventy years, during which the world is plagued by widespread sleep disorders. Upon his eventual escape, a weakened Dream embarks on a quest to reclaim his stolen artifacts of power: his helm, ruby, and pouch of dream-sand. This issue marks the pivotal first appearance of the iconic character and begins Neil Gaiman's seminal dark fantasy saga.