# Is "The Sandman: Fables & Reflections" by Neil Gaiman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sandman: Fables & Reflections by Neil Gaiman (DC Comics / Vertigo, 1993) is identified by: Trade paperback collecting The Sandman #29-31, 38-40, 50, The Sandman Special #1, and material from Vertigo Preview #1; first printing 1993. Collected first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Trade paperback collecting The Sandman #29-31, 38-40, 50, The Sandman Special #1, and material from Vertigo Preview #1; first printing 1993
- A hardcover was also issued in 1993
- Correct publisher/imprint: DC Comics / Vertigo

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Gaiman |
| Publisher | DC Comics / Vertigo |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Trade paperback collecting The Sandman #29-31, 38-40, 50, The Sandman Special #1, and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Trade paperback collecting The Sandman #29-31, 38-40, 50, The Sandman Special #1, and material from Vertigo Preview #1; first printing 1993. A hardcover was also issued in 1993.

## Is this the true first?
Collected first-thus. The component monthly comics (1991-1993) are the true first appearances. Both a paperback and a hardcover appeared in 1993.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are marked as such in the indicia; no traditional number line is used, so identify a first printing by the original ISBN and price and the absence of a reprint statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sandman: Fables & Reflections* by Neil Gaiman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sandman-fables-reflections
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.