To begin, not with the beginning of the story grand of Dream, but with the first issue which was re-released in graphic novel, Preludes & Nocturnes. In this issue we see a bit of horror and magic as an Englishman runs through some strange incantation in an attempt to summon and imprison Death. Instead he captures Death’s younger brother, Dream (the Sandman) and strips him of his symbols of office and confines him in a magic sphere. Dream spends seventy-odd years (from the early 1930’s to 1998) imprisoned in this sphere. During his stay, we see how the dreams and sleep of humanity are disturbed; many suffer from sleeping sickness and two world wars occur. Finally his captor accidentally breaks the circle and Dream escapes. Upon his escape he returns to the Dreaming, his realm, gaining sustenance and clothing from people’s dreams. As he regains his strength, he vows to regain his lost possessions (his bag of sand, his helm and his amulet), thus he begins a quest, an adventure.
First, he returns to the waking world and with the help of John Constantine, he tracks down his pouch, which has fallen into the hands of a woman who has been barely subsisting on the sand, and is on death’s door. Once he regains his pouch, he finds that a demon of hell has his helm, so he travels to hell and battles the demon, wins his helm, then stands down Lucifer and the hordes of hell with the promise of dreams of heaven (thus offending Lucifer). After this battle, the Sandman goes in search of his ruby, which has made its way to Dee, the former Doctor Destiny. Dream catches up with him and they battle over the ruby. Dee insures his defeat by destroying the Ruby (thinking that he is also destroying Dream) but instead releases all the power stored in the ruby back in Dream himself. Thus, ends Dream’s quest (and the first storyline). He is free and has regained his symbols and begins to set his kingdom back in order. In the very next scene we see Dream sulking in a park, feeding the pigeons. He is joined by his older sister, Death and their time together helps Dream feel a little better as he remembers the duties and responsibilities to which he has to attend.