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The Sandman
Sandman Ouvertüre: Bd. 1
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Graphic Novels & Comics (2015)25 Jahre, nachdem SANDMAN die Landschaft des modernen Comics veränderte, ist die legendäre Serie wieder da!
Morpheus und die Ewigen existieren bereits seit Anbeginn des Universums. Der Herr der Träume ist eine der mächtigsten Entitäten der Galaxis – dennoch gelang es dem Magier Roderick Burgess einst, ihn zu fangen und einzukerkern. SANDMAN: OUVERTÜRE geht zurück zu den Anfängen und erklärt, was damals und davor geschah. Eine fantastische "Origin"-Geschichte um Morpheus, den legendären Korinther, Merv Pumpkinhead und die sagenumwobenen Geschwister des Traumkönigs: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction und Destiny.
Geschrieben von Bestsellerautor Neil Gaiman, der den Sandman-Mythos prägte wie kein Zweiter und durch seine Geschichten zu Weltruhm gelangte. An seiner Seite: J. H. Williams III, der mit seinen üppigen, großformatigen Zeichnungen ein grandioses Artwork abliefert, das dieser Ursprungsgeschichte des Sandman einen mehr als angemessenen Rahmen gibt. In diesem Band sind die ersten drei Teile der sechsteiligen Miniserie enthalten, angereichert mit vielen Extras wie Interviews, Playlists und vielem mehr!
Morpheus und die Ewigen existieren bereits seit Anbeginn des Universums. Der Herr der Träume ist eine der mächtigsten Entitäten der Galaxis – dennoch gelang es dem Magier Roderick Burgess einst, ihn zu fangen und einzukerkern. SANDMAN: OUVERTÜRE geht zurück zu den Anfängen und erklärt, was damals und davor geschah. Eine fantastische "Origin"-Geschichte um Morpheus, den legendären Korinther, Merv Pumpkinhead und die sagenumwobenen Geschwister des Traumkönigs: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction und Destiny.
Geschrieben von Bestsellerautor Neil Gaiman, der den Sandman-Mythos prägte wie kein Zweiter und durch seine Geschichten zu Weltruhm gelangte. An seiner Seite: J. H. Williams III, der mit seinen üppigen, großformatigen Zeichnungen ein grandioses Artwork abliefert, das dieser Ursprungsgeschichte des Sandman einen mehr als angemessenen Rahmen gibt. In diesem Band sind die ersten drei Teile der sechsteiligen Miniserie enthalten, angereichert mit vielen Extras wie Interviews, Playlists und vielem mehr!
124 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,128 reviews
April 29, 2023
“I am NOT alone. I am accompanied by a large cat and a small girl.”
I've read several of Gaiman's novels, but Sandman: The Overture (luckily it's a prequel) is my first exposure to the Sandman Series. What stands out right away is the art. So many of the illustrations have a fantastical and hallucinatory quality; you can't help but feel drawn into Gaiman's dream world. The narrative was interesting (as were the characters even when several of them were merely aspects of the same character); however, it somehow took me quite a while (maybe the pace was a bit slow?) to feel engaged with the actual story. Still, this is a series I'd like to continue.
I've read several of Gaiman's novels, but Sandman: The Overture (luckily it's a prequel) is my first exposure to the Sandman Series. What stands out right away is the art. So many of the illustrations have a fantastical and hallucinatory quality; you can't help but feel drawn into Gaiman's dream world. The narrative was interesting (as were the characters even when several of them were merely aspects of the same character); however, it somehow took me quite a while (maybe the pace was a bit slow?) to feel engaged with the actual story. Still, this is a series I'd like to continue.
October 24, 2022
5 stars.
Can I say this was better than the original?
Does that make me a bad person? I don't know. I had my ups and downs with Sandman, and even so, it's hard to argue that it's anything but a classic.
But I thought Overture was such a tight, well-crafted story and I just loved it.
The artwork in the original Sandman is...classic. That's my nice way of saying that while I respect it, it sometimes made my eyes bleed.
But J.H. Williams III has created such amazing visuals for this that I was blown away from the opening pages.
Gorgeous pages. Wow. I just...WOW. Zero complaints from me.
The spoiler free gist is that this is the story that happened immediately before the original Sandman starts. Did you want to know how Morpheus ended up getting sucked into the trap set for Death? Well, here you go.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. READ THIS!
Can I say this was better than the original?
Does that make me a bad person? I don't know. I had my ups and downs with Sandman, and even so, it's hard to argue that it's anything but a classic.
But I thought Overture was such a tight, well-crafted story and I just loved it.
The artwork in the original Sandman is...classic. That's my nice way of saying that while I respect it, it sometimes made my eyes bleed.
But J.H. Williams III has created such amazing visuals for this that I was blown away from the opening pages.
Gorgeous pages. Wow. I just...WOW. Zero complaints from me.
The spoiler free gist is that this is the story that happened immediately before the original Sandman starts. Did you want to know how Morpheus ended up getting sucked into the trap set for Death? Well, here you go.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. READ THIS!
February 10, 2017
Do you know that feeling you get when you listen to your favourite album or piece of music and you’re just wiped out? You sit there. You think. You imagine. You dream. It’s cathartic. It’s purifying and cleansing; it’s almost liberating. Do you know what I mean? This piece of profoundness; this thing of beautiful art was that and more.
I’m literally lost for words. I’m not going to give you a plot summary that would be to do this a great injustice. This was transcendental. I cannot define it or explain its effect on me. It’s just stunning. It surpasses most things I’ve read. The scope is unprecedented and brilliant. Dreams are endless and limitless; they have the potential to be anything or do anything. Nothing can end them. Who knew a comic book could be so visionary and spiritual at the same time as presenting an exciting story?
Gaiman has done something really special in these pages, and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t read anything in the Sandman series (yet). I fully intend to read it through, which will no doubt cause me to revisit this review. So I’m considering this a primary review, an initial statement before I’ve read the work that goes with this prologue. So I will be updating this in the future even if it’s many, many, years from now. It’s not like I’m going to stop using goodreads anytime soon. This website is slowly becoming a part of me.
I have to mention the artwork. Literary quality aside, writing aside, plot allegories and symbolism aside, this was simply stunning. By its own it is just extraordinary. The covers are so damn cool. I’m amazed at it. I became lost in it. I probably still am.
I wonder how I will feel about this once I’ve read the rest of the series. Will I like it more? Will I appreciate it less? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure, my faith has been restored in Neil Gaiman. After American Gods and Stardust I’ve been very wary of him. This makes me want to try some of his other books, but I do have my priorities right: Sandman series first and novels later.
Now if you’d excuse me, I’m going to read this again.
I’m literally lost for words. I’m not going to give you a plot summary that would be to do this a great injustice. This was transcendental. I cannot define it or explain its effect on me. It’s just stunning. It surpasses most things I’ve read. The scope is unprecedented and brilliant. Dreams are endless and limitless; they have the potential to be anything or do anything. Nothing can end them. Who knew a comic book could be so visionary and spiritual at the same time as presenting an exciting story?
Gaiman has done something really special in these pages, and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t read anything in the Sandman series (yet). I fully intend to read it through, which will no doubt cause me to revisit this review. So I’m considering this a primary review, an initial statement before I’ve read the work that goes with this prologue. So I will be updating this in the future even if it’s many, many, years from now. It’s not like I’m going to stop using goodreads anytime soon. This website is slowly becoming a part of me.
I have to mention the artwork. Literary quality aside, writing aside, plot allegories and symbolism aside, this was simply stunning. By its own it is just extraordinary. The covers are so damn cool. I’m amazed at it. I became lost in it. I probably still am.
I wonder how I will feel about this once I’ve read the rest of the series. Will I like it more? Will I appreciate it less? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure, my faith has been restored in Neil Gaiman. After American Gods and Stardust I’ve been very wary of him. This makes me want to try some of his other books, but I do have my priorities right: Sandman series first and novels later.
Now if you’d excuse me, I’m going to read this again.
June 20, 2016
The Sandman returns!
This TPB is the Deluxe Edition, in hardcover format, including an extensive “behind-the-scenes” section and a gallery of sketches.
Creative Team:
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: J.H. Williams III
Covers: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Todd Klein
(NOT) UNUSUAL QUESTIONS
It is hard to create things. We have such high hopes for our creations.
When you may thought that The Sandman had ended, the series returns in this prequel storyline titled Overture.
I enjoyed a lot the reading of this, since it was an impressive work in all departments: Writing, Drawing, Coloring and Lettering.
However, I didn’t expect what I got in the sense of storyline. Don’t get me wrong. It was a great story, just not the one that I expected taking in account that it was a prequel to the main series.
The main series left many questions unanswered and having an “untold” story set before the events of the main series, I think that was the perfect place to answer them.
Delirium was “Delight” before, but you have already Delirium here. Destruction left his position as an Endless, but he already left here. Despair, the second one, is already serving as such.
So, you won’t know why Delirium passed through such transformation. You won’t know the precise reasons why Destruction left his realm. You won’t know what “endless” was the Second Despair after replacing the First Despair…
Bummer…
REAL BUMMER!
Oh, well…
At least you will know who the parents of the Endless are. That it’s kinda funny since I never thought that The Endless would have parents. Yes, they are call brothers and sisters between them, an implication of being a family, so, I guess that it was “normal”, as normal can be a family where the children are The Endless, that they have a father and a mother, hey even an aunt! I’m not kiddin’!
And certainly one of the most memorable pieces developed here is “the father” of Dream. Priceless. Standing ovation. Really. It touched my heart. (And I am not referring about the character in the story but his real identity).
Still, I can’t deny that I am disappointed in the sense that my big questions remained unanswered.
(NOT) FAMILIAR FACES
With each step I question the wisdom of my choices.
I understood, thanks that Neil Gaiman gave a dictionary meaning of “Overture” that this it’s not only a “beginning” but a show containing the main themes of what is to come. So, I wasn’t surprised to find Daniel here, I won’t detail his role in the main series to avoid critical spoilers.
I wasn’t surprised to find him, but I think that while I can understand why is here due being an “overture”, I don’t think that it was necessary.
What I think, while not necessary, it could be cool, it was to dedicate at least one issue of the six, forming the overture, to have the humans (at least the most relevan tones) here showing how their lives lead to the points where we find them in the main series.
But again, my expectations weren’t met about it here.
(NOT) A BEGINNING
I have known madness before.
More than a “beginning” to the main series of The Sandman, it’s like a stand-alone story, that it gives you some insight about The Endless family (that I have no doubt it will make me to perceive in a different way the next time that I’d read the main series) but hardly to be seen as a “beginning” per se.
So far, you only have read my complains of that my expectations weren’t to be found in this overture, so you may wonder why such good rating of 4 stars…
…well, because the work deserves it.
Rules. There must always be rules.
Neil Gaiman done a game of words such delicious to read that you can’t do anything else than to be amazed by those sentences.
J.H. Williams III displayed such stunning work of art that you can’t do anything else than to be amazed by those images.
And of course, the colors of Dave Stewart and the lettering of Todd Klein (easily the best letterer in the comic books’ business), that you know that you have a masterpiece of talent in your hand while reading the book.
So maybe it wasn’t the story that I was expecting, but it was a story that I am nevertheless thankful of having the priviledge of enjoying it.
Since while it didn’t answer me my questions, it certainly surprised more than once (far, far more than once).
This TPB is the Deluxe Edition, in hardcover format, including an extensive “behind-the-scenes” section and a gallery of sketches.
Creative Team:
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: J.H. Williams III
Covers: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Todd Klein
(NOT) UNUSUAL QUESTIONS
It is hard to create things. We have such high hopes for our creations.
When you may thought that The Sandman had ended, the series returns in this prequel storyline titled Overture.
I enjoyed a lot the reading of this, since it was an impressive work in all departments: Writing, Drawing, Coloring and Lettering.
However, I didn’t expect what I got in the sense of storyline. Don’t get me wrong. It was a great story, just not the one that I expected taking in account that it was a prequel to the main series.
The main series left many questions unanswered and having an “untold” story set before the events of the main series, I think that was the perfect place to answer them.
Delirium was “Delight” before, but you have already Delirium here. Destruction left his position as an Endless, but he already left here. Despair, the second one, is already serving as such.
So, you won’t know why Delirium passed through such transformation. You won’t know the precise reasons why Destruction left his realm. You won’t know what “endless” was the Second Despair after replacing the First Despair…
Bummer…
REAL BUMMER!
Oh, well…
At least you will know who the parents of the Endless are. That it’s kinda funny since I never thought that The Endless would have parents. Yes, they are call brothers and sisters between them, an implication of being a family, so, I guess that it was “normal”, as normal can be a family where the children are The Endless, that they have a father and a mother, hey even an aunt! I’m not kiddin’!
And certainly one of the most memorable pieces developed here is “the father” of Dream. Priceless. Standing ovation. Really. It touched my heart. (And I am not referring about the character in the story but his real identity).
Still, I can’t deny that I am disappointed in the sense that my big questions remained unanswered.
(NOT) FAMILIAR FACES
With each step I question the wisdom of my choices.
I understood, thanks that Neil Gaiman gave a dictionary meaning of “Overture” that this it’s not only a “beginning” but a show containing the main themes of what is to come. So, I wasn’t surprised to find Daniel here, I won’t detail his role in the main series to avoid critical spoilers.
I wasn’t surprised to find him, but I think that while I can understand why is here due being an “overture”, I don’t think that it was necessary.
What I think, while not necessary, it could be cool, it was to dedicate at least one issue of the six, forming the overture, to have the humans (at least the most relevan tones) here showing how their lives lead to the points where we find them in the main series.
But again, my expectations weren’t met about it here.
(NOT) A BEGINNING
I have known madness before.
More than a “beginning” to the main series of The Sandman, it’s like a stand-alone story, that it gives you some insight about The Endless family (that I have no doubt it will make me to perceive in a different way the next time that I’d read the main series) but hardly to be seen as a “beginning” per se.
So far, you only have read my complains of that my expectations weren’t to be found in this overture, so you may wonder why such good rating of 4 stars…
…well, because the work deserves it.
Rules. There must always be rules.
Neil Gaiman done a game of words such delicious to read that you can’t do anything else than to be amazed by those sentences.
J.H. Williams III displayed such stunning work of art that you can’t do anything else than to be amazed by those images.
And of course, the colors of Dave Stewart and the lettering of Todd Klein (easily the best letterer in the comic books’ business), that you know that you have a masterpiece of talent in your hand while reading the book.
So maybe it wasn’t the story that I was expecting, but it was a story that I am nevertheless thankful of having the priviledge of enjoying it.
Since while it didn’t answer me my questions, it certainly surprised more than once (far, far more than once).
January 15, 2019
I mean, that was pretty freaking awesome and weird and cool!!!
Although, this is the first book I have read in this world BUT, they have most if not all on kindle unlimited US so yay!! Right?! RIGHT!!?? Sorry, was having a moment. I’m funnier when I make my Animoji’s and drive my friends nuts! 🤣😂. See, I’m a cracked nut!! Not sorry!
Happy Reading!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Although, this is the first book I have read in this world BUT, they have most if not all on kindle unlimited US so yay!! Right?! RIGHT!!?? Sorry, was having a moment. I’m funnier when I make my Animoji’s and drive my friends nuts! 🤣😂. See, I’m a cracked nut!! Not sorry!
Happy Reading!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 23, 2015
It’s taken two years for Neil Gaiman and his art team to complete the six issue limited series prequel, The Sandman: Overture, but they finally did it! It’s easy to see why it took them so long when the results are so utterly impressive - high quality work takes time but it’s always worth the wait.
There are about four hundred billion cells in the human brain - all it takes is for one to misfire and start a reaction where a cancer forms and kills the human. There are about four hundred billion galaxies in the universe - one star has gone mad and the madness is spreading like cancer. The whole of creation is at stake. It’s up to Morpheus the Dream King to save the universe.
I wouldn’t have said a prequel was entirely necessary to The Sandman, but having read Overture, it now seems not just necessary but vital. The way Morpheus is written, it doesn’t seem possible that a being so powerful could be captured so easily, like he is in Preludes and Nocturnes, by a dilettante magician. Overture answers the question: how did Morpheus become so weak to be in that position? It’s also a great story too!
I love how epic Overture is and yet weirdly small - sprawling with multiple connections to the series yet self-contained. Morpheus, along with a couple of new characters, traverse time and space doing impossible things in such a blase fashion, you’d think it would be nothing to Morpheus to stop a mad star and save existence itself, like your average "superhero punches supervillain" template!
And while it sounds complex, and it is trippy at times, Gaiman’s written it in an accessible way that you can follow and make sense of. The ending especially is kinda brilliant as Gaiman almost defines Dream as the most powerful being of the Endless. After all, what can you achieve in dreams - everything? And Morpheus controls all the dreams everywhere…
We also see how The Corinthian (Dream’s murderous nightmare) goes rogue and must be hunted down, which we see in The Doll’s House, and The Three make an appearance hinting at events that occur way down the line in, I think, The Wake (the final volume in the series). We also see how the structure of The Dreaming is created and the origin of Morpheus’ war helm. They’re little things but they underline why a prequel like Overture was such a good idea.
What’s also brilliant is that this book also unexpectedly doubles as an ending to a story we haven’t seen, as well as being an introduction to the story we do. It’s an overture and a coda at the same time - bonkers! Those Endless are a tricksy bunch, eh?
Sandman fans will love seeing old favourites returning like Lucien and Merv Pumpkinhead in The Dreaming, Mad Hettie, and, of course, The Endless themselves with everyone’s favourite goth chick, Death, appearing throughout the book. I also enjoyed see The Endless’ father and mother (both crazy) and one new character I know will especially grab people’s attention.
As strong as Gaiman’s script is, my word, artist JH Williams III - I mean, really. I can’t imagine anyone reading this comic will have anything remotely bad to say about the art except to say the bar has been raised so high, they can’t enjoy regular comics anymore! It’s so good - I can’t emphasise that enough. If Gaiman brought his A game to Overture, Williams brought his A*** game - his alpha and omega game! This book is gorgeous!
I’ll just mention some of my favourite images even though every page is stunning. The design of Dream as an alien flower-type creature was awesome - really all the various designs of Dream were outstanding, all displayed on a four page fold-out panoramic. The way certain pages are framed like Destiny opening his book, then the pages unfolding until they become the page you’re holding and Death is stepping out a painting... wow.
There’s a splash page where a house is sort of a body, there’s a cosmic desert/rocky outcrop splash page where, as you follow the captions, you realise it’s being held up by a giant troll underneath! The imaginative layouts whenever Dream was speaking with his parents or the Endless, emphasising how differently they view reality, was masterful especially as they didn’t interrupt the flow of the comic or was hard to follow while also giving you the impression of being in the presence of something unfathomable.
Like a musical overture, Williams’ art dances across the pages like a beautiful visual melody making the story sing.
Dave Stewart’s colours are amazing as always, as is Todd Klein’s lettering - these two have who knows how many awards between them, but give them two more for Overture! Dave McKean makes a welcome return, once more doing the covers for each issue like he did for every issue of the original run.
The one thing I will say is that I re-read the first three volumes of Sandman earlier this year and… unfortunately found them lacking. So much so that I abandoned the re-read after Dream Country, unwilling to discolour my fond memories of the later books. Those comics were written by a writer 25 years younger - and 25 years less experienced - than the man who wrote this. New readers starting with Overture might be disappointed at the drop in quality if they read these books in order, starting with this one. Which isn’t a critique on Overture, it’s more of a backhanded compliment - this book is so good, it puts other books in this series to shame!
The Sandman: Overture is a home run. It’s everything you want from a comic and more you wouldn’t think of. It accomplishes everything it set out to do and is a powerful addition to the Sandman library. It’s one of the best pieces of Gaiman’s I’ve read and a career high (so far anyway) for JH Williams III. Sandman fans will adore it and it’ll turn non-readers into believers. A wonderful dream of a book.
There are about four hundred billion cells in the human brain - all it takes is for one to misfire and start a reaction where a cancer forms and kills the human. There are about four hundred billion galaxies in the universe - one star has gone mad and the madness is spreading like cancer. The whole of creation is at stake. It’s up to Morpheus the Dream King to save the universe.
I wouldn’t have said a prequel was entirely necessary to The Sandman, but having read Overture, it now seems not just necessary but vital. The way Morpheus is written, it doesn’t seem possible that a being so powerful could be captured so easily, like he is in Preludes and Nocturnes, by a dilettante magician. Overture answers the question: how did Morpheus become so weak to be in that position? It’s also a great story too!
I love how epic Overture is and yet weirdly small - sprawling with multiple connections to the series yet self-contained. Morpheus, along with a couple of new characters, traverse time and space doing impossible things in such a blase fashion, you’d think it would be nothing to Morpheus to stop a mad star and save existence itself, like your average "superhero punches supervillain" template!
And while it sounds complex, and it is trippy at times, Gaiman’s written it in an accessible way that you can follow and make sense of. The ending especially is kinda brilliant as Gaiman almost defines Dream as the most powerful being of the Endless. After all, what can you achieve in dreams - everything? And Morpheus controls all the dreams everywhere…
We also see how The Corinthian (Dream’s murderous nightmare) goes rogue and must be hunted down, which we see in The Doll’s House, and The Three make an appearance hinting at events that occur way down the line in, I think, The Wake (the final volume in the series). We also see how the structure of The Dreaming is created and the origin of Morpheus’ war helm. They’re little things but they underline why a prequel like Overture was such a good idea.
What’s also brilliant is that this book also unexpectedly doubles as an ending to a story we haven’t seen, as well as being an introduction to the story we do. It’s an overture and a coda at the same time - bonkers! Those Endless are a tricksy bunch, eh?
Sandman fans will love seeing old favourites returning like Lucien and Merv Pumpkinhead in The Dreaming, Mad Hettie, and, of course, The Endless themselves with everyone’s favourite goth chick, Death, appearing throughout the book. I also enjoyed see The Endless’ father and mother (both crazy) and one new character I know will especially grab people’s attention.
As strong as Gaiman’s script is, my word, artist JH Williams III - I mean, really. I can’t imagine anyone reading this comic will have anything remotely bad to say about the art except to say the bar has been raised so high, they can’t enjoy regular comics anymore! It’s so good - I can’t emphasise that enough. If Gaiman brought his A game to Overture, Williams brought his A*** game - his alpha and omega game! This book is gorgeous!
I’ll just mention some of my favourite images even though every page is stunning. The design of Dream as an alien flower-type creature was awesome - really all the various designs of Dream were outstanding, all displayed on a four page fold-out panoramic. The way certain pages are framed like Destiny opening his book, then the pages unfolding until they become the page you’re holding and Death is stepping out a painting... wow.
There’s a splash page where a house is sort of a body, there’s a cosmic desert/rocky outcrop splash page where, as you follow the captions, you realise it’s being held up by a giant troll underneath! The imaginative layouts whenever Dream was speaking with his parents or the Endless, emphasising how differently they view reality, was masterful especially as they didn’t interrupt the flow of the comic or was hard to follow while also giving you the impression of being in the presence of something unfathomable.
Like a musical overture, Williams’ art dances across the pages like a beautiful visual melody making the story sing.
Dave Stewart’s colours are amazing as always, as is Todd Klein’s lettering - these two have who knows how many awards between them, but give them two more for Overture! Dave McKean makes a welcome return, once more doing the covers for each issue like he did for every issue of the original run.
The one thing I will say is that I re-read the first three volumes of Sandman earlier this year and… unfortunately found them lacking. So much so that I abandoned the re-read after Dream Country, unwilling to discolour my fond memories of the later books. Those comics were written by a writer 25 years younger - and 25 years less experienced - than the man who wrote this. New readers starting with Overture might be disappointed at the drop in quality if they read these books in order, starting with this one. Which isn’t a critique on Overture, it’s more of a backhanded compliment - this book is so good, it puts other books in this series to shame!
The Sandman: Overture is a home run. It’s everything you want from a comic and more you wouldn’t think of. It accomplishes everything it set out to do and is a powerful addition to the Sandman library. It’s one of the best pieces of Gaiman’s I’ve read and a career high (so far anyway) for JH Williams III. Sandman fans will adore it and it’ll turn non-readers into believers. A wonderful dream of a book.
September 30, 2020
Re-Read 9/30/20:
Despite this one being one of the most gorgeous artworks in the Sandman library, and despite the fact that it wraps up the complete story of Sandman in a way that is really quite fascinating, it's also ... unutterably sad.
I do love it, but still... so very sad.
Original review:
And a glorious and great nomination for the 2016 Hugo nominations for Graphic Novel goes to: Sandman!
To say that this is either a coda or a prequel, or both, is to entirely miss the point.
The fact is, there's a ton of new material, a haunting story, and some truly exemplary artwork suffusing these pages.
I think this is easily the work of love that the series always wanted to be, not that it wasn't already a gorgeous work of art. It's this one that slams it's fist into our guts and blows our minds. Did you ever want to see Dream save the universe or talk with his momma and poppa? lol this was a totally awesome comic, from start to finish, and what a great payoff! To think I might feel a bit of pity for Desire! To think I might actually feel horror and sorrow for the monster that Death, poor, beautiful Death, was becoming.
I've now read three of the five nominees for Graphic Novel Hugos for this year, and barring some grand upset through Full Frontal Nerdity or The Devine, Sandman is easily on its own merits and not even touching upon any of the rest of the grand series, the best choice, and well worth any other accolades and word of mouth thrillers out there. :)
What a grand circle this was! :)
Despite this one being one of the most gorgeous artworks in the Sandman library, and despite the fact that it wraps up the complete story of Sandman in a way that is really quite fascinating, it's also ... unutterably sad.
I do love it, but still... so very sad.
Original review:
And a glorious and great nomination for the 2016 Hugo nominations for Graphic Novel goes to: Sandman!
To say that this is either a coda or a prequel, or both, is to entirely miss the point.
The fact is, there's a ton of new material, a haunting story, and some truly exemplary artwork suffusing these pages.
I think this is easily the work of love that the series always wanted to be, not that it wasn't already a gorgeous work of art. It's this one that slams it's fist into our guts and blows our minds. Did you ever want to see Dream save the universe or talk with his momma and poppa? lol this was a totally awesome comic, from start to finish, and what a great payoff! To think I might feel a bit of pity for Desire! To think I might actually feel horror and sorrow for the monster that Death, poor, beautiful Death, was becoming.
I've now read three of the five nominees for Graphic Novel Hugos for this year, and barring some grand upset through Full Frontal Nerdity or The Devine, Sandman is easily on its own merits and not even touching upon any of the rest of the grand series, the best choice, and well worth any other accolades and word of mouth thrillers out there. :)
What a grand circle this was! :)
April 8, 2016
A star has gone mad and has infected others with its madness, threatening all of creation. Dream of the Endless must put right something he left undone years ago. With him are a girl named Hope and another version of himself in the form of a cat...
Confession time (I've been confessing a lot this week): In my late teens/early twenties, most of the comics I read were Vertigo or Vertigo-esque. The Sandman was at or near the front of the pack. I started in trade paperbacks and read the last ten or so issues as they appeared. For me, they hearken back to my days of wasting time majoring in art and drinking with my friends and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Who was it that said you can't go home again? Thomas Wolfe, maybe? Well, that fucker was wrong, whoever he was. While I didn't know I was getting the first big honkin' Sandman omnibus for Christmas when I bought this, it feels like the perfect way to kickoff the reread.
The Sandman: Overture is the prelude to the entire Sandman saga. Ever wonder why some two-bit magician snared Dream in the 20's? This book takes the long way around but explains things pretty well.
Like most Sandman stories, lots of concepts and ideas are thrown around, and the power of dreams proves to be pretty powerful. A star goes mad and Dream comes a-callin'. Along the way, he encounters a lot of old characters, along with some previously unseen ones. Curious about who spawned The Endless? Wonder no more!
Gaiman successfully captured the feel of his earlier work and this fit pretty seamlessly into the Sandman mythology. His partner in crime for this endeavor, J.H. Williams, more than pulls his share of the weight. I can see why it took two years for this series to be completed. Williams packs unbelievable amounts of detail into every page. I especially loved the artwork when the various aspects of Dream convene to figure out what happened. It ranked right up there with multiple versions of The Doctor or the Eternal Champion meeting himself/herself/itself.
That's pretty much all I want to say for fear of spoiling things. Most prequels suck but, for my time and money, this one succeeds beyond measure. Five out of five stars.
Confession time (I've been confessing a lot this week): In my late teens/early twenties, most of the comics I read were Vertigo or Vertigo-esque. The Sandman was at or near the front of the pack. I started in trade paperbacks and read the last ten or so issues as they appeared. For me, they hearken back to my days of wasting time majoring in art and drinking with my friends and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Who was it that said you can't go home again? Thomas Wolfe, maybe? Well, that fucker was wrong, whoever he was. While I didn't know I was getting the first big honkin' Sandman omnibus for Christmas when I bought this, it feels like the perfect way to kickoff the reread.
The Sandman: Overture is the prelude to the entire Sandman saga. Ever wonder why some two-bit magician snared Dream in the 20's? This book takes the long way around but explains things pretty well.
Like most Sandman stories, lots of concepts and ideas are thrown around, and the power of dreams proves to be pretty powerful. A star goes mad and Dream comes a-callin'. Along the way, he encounters a lot of old characters, along with some previously unseen ones. Curious about who spawned The Endless? Wonder no more!
Gaiman successfully captured the feel of his earlier work and this fit pretty seamlessly into the Sandman mythology. His partner in crime for this endeavor, J.H. Williams, more than pulls his share of the weight. I can see why it took two years for this series to be completed. Williams packs unbelievable amounts of detail into every page. I especially loved the artwork when the various aspects of Dream convene to figure out what happened. It ranked right up there with multiple versions of The Doctor or the Eternal Champion meeting himself/herself/itself.
That's pretty much all I want to say for fear of spoiling things. Most prequels suck but, for my time and money, this one succeeds beyond measure. Five out of five stars.
July 1, 2020
6/30/20 I decided to reread the whole epic Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, written by him and mostly illustrated, issue by issue, by different comics artists. THIS volume was written as a prequel to the whole original series that had been completed in the mid-nineties. I just reread my review and feel laregly the same about it, that is terrific artwork, just gorgeous, and pretty well done as an overture, which is to say it introduces us to a series of themes we will see woven through the next ten volumes: The centrality to stories in the shaping of meaning, and indeed, the universe; that the universe is itself at the end of an important juncture, and possibly dying, with the possibility of its being reborn as something better.
Beginning in 1915, early on at the advent of WWI, the "war to end all wars," which was really just the first of several "great" (which is to say horrific) wars to follow. Dream, aka Dream the Endless, aka Prince of Stories, aka the Lord of the Sleeping Marches, "shadowy, dark, and broody," is the central character of the epic, and he faces this End-of-the -Universe moment also facing his own possible annihilation. He travels through the dreamscape with a cat who yet is another of his selves, and a girl they meet named Hope.
In this volume not much actually happens, but Dream meets several characters who drift in and out of the whole series, including his father and mother, and sisters and brothers Death, Desire, Delirium (formerly, Delight), Destiny, Despair, Destruction. There're Mortals, Dreams/Nightmares, The Endless and other creatures. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a work of fantasy, with a deep streak of horror running through it, though in this first volume it mostly just looks like fantasy.
My initial review of this volume, 2015:
Read Sam Quixote's fine and appropriately exuberant review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
of this volume (and about a Neil Gaiman book, Sam!? Sam doesn't always like Gaiman's work). It took me decades to get down to reading the whole ten volume series, after what I initially thought was a slow start, I couldn't get into it, it was fits and starts for years, and then one month I just sat down and read the whole thing and was largely thrilled with it. And then, once I got through it, I was able to appreciate what the slow and confusing beginning was about, of course. A bit more, at least. I was also as happy as anyone else that the dude agreed after 25 years to do a prequel to help us answer questions about what the Endless were really all about.
This volume I actually read like a Real Comics Fan, collecting issue by issue, then got the deluxe hardcover with all the essays on the process by illustrator star J. H. Williams, the penciller (including a two-page essay on his pencilling!), Dave Stewart on the colors, and Neil on the story. I have to say with a few thousand others (so far!) that this is one of the best examples of comics illustration in the History of Comics! It seems less comics and more illustration, really, but who cares, this is Art at its finest. So the prize for best aspect of Overture goes to Williams, hands down. The story is still sorta vague and ethereal, though still quite engaging. The art carries the day, but every aspect of it is interesting. And it does provide some ideological/fantasy overview, which is to say it does help fans with some questions about What It Is All About.
Will THIS volume get you into the whole series? Well, I kinda feel like I did after reading volume 1 years ago, that it felt a tad esoteric for kicking off a series (in other words, I felt the same way about Overture AND Volume 1, a bit, I mean), but right now, having read it and seeing it as prequel, it is pretty much awesome. What a team to kick off a series! Or end a series, if you want to read it that way.
I highly recommend you read the whole series and keep reading even if you are a sci/fi or horror person and less so fantasy, or the other way around. This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of comics. Gotta read it. But just to read this alone will be somewhat confusing, I am sure of that. But intriguing!
Beginning in 1915, early on at the advent of WWI, the "war to end all wars," which was really just the first of several "great" (which is to say horrific) wars to follow. Dream, aka Dream the Endless, aka Prince of Stories, aka the Lord of the Sleeping Marches, "shadowy, dark, and broody," is the central character of the epic, and he faces this End-of-the -Universe moment also facing his own possible annihilation. He travels through the dreamscape with a cat who yet is another of his selves, and a girl they meet named Hope.
In this volume not much actually happens, but Dream meets several characters who drift in and out of the whole series, including his father and mother, and sisters and brothers Death, Desire, Delirium (formerly, Delight), Destiny, Despair, Destruction. There're Mortals, Dreams/Nightmares, The Endless and other creatures. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a work of fantasy, with a deep streak of horror running through it, though in this first volume it mostly just looks like fantasy.
My initial review of this volume, 2015:
Read Sam Quixote's fine and appropriately exuberant review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
of this volume (and about a Neil Gaiman book, Sam!? Sam doesn't always like Gaiman's work). It took me decades to get down to reading the whole ten volume series, after what I initially thought was a slow start, I couldn't get into it, it was fits and starts for years, and then one month I just sat down and read the whole thing and was largely thrilled with it. And then, once I got through it, I was able to appreciate what the slow and confusing beginning was about, of course. A bit more, at least. I was also as happy as anyone else that the dude agreed after 25 years to do a prequel to help us answer questions about what the Endless were really all about.
This volume I actually read like a Real Comics Fan, collecting issue by issue, then got the deluxe hardcover with all the essays on the process by illustrator star J. H. Williams, the penciller (including a two-page essay on his pencilling!), Dave Stewart on the colors, and Neil on the story. I have to say with a few thousand others (so far!) that this is one of the best examples of comics illustration in the History of Comics! It seems less comics and more illustration, really, but who cares, this is Art at its finest. So the prize for best aspect of Overture goes to Williams, hands down. The story is still sorta vague and ethereal, though still quite engaging. The art carries the day, but every aspect of it is interesting. And it does provide some ideological/fantasy overview, which is to say it does help fans with some questions about What It Is All About.
Will THIS volume get you into the whole series? Well, I kinda feel like I did after reading volume 1 years ago, that it felt a tad esoteric for kicking off a series (in other words, I felt the same way about Overture AND Volume 1, a bit, I mean), but right now, having read it and seeing it as prequel, it is pretty much awesome. What a team to kick off a series! Or end a series, if you want to read it that way.
I highly recommend you read the whole series and keep reading even if you are a sci/fi or horror person and less so fantasy, or the other way around. This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of comics. Gotta read it. But just to read this alone will be somewhat confusing, I am sure of that. But intriguing!
March 3, 2020
Overture is at least technically a prequel to the Sandman series, and it ends with an explanation of how Dream came to be imprisoned by an evil magician in the first place. Well, some sort of an explanation.
Actually, though, Overture is a rather involved, allusive series of meditations and philosophical disquisitions showing how Dream—and a score of other “Dreams” from parallel planes—attempts to cope with a crisis involving an angry star and how our own particular Morpheus ends up on the short end of the stick. It also involves a bit of a quest, starring the Dream we know, Dream’s feline alter ego (presumably the designated Dream in some cat universe) and a lovely little girl named Hope.
I enjoyed reading it, but I founded it too brooding, too detailed and too allusive to be a satisfying narrative. It reminded me of the later work of Henry James, James Joyce, and Algernon Blackwood: a quintessence of the author’s characteristics and concerns but too dense and too cryptic, too concerned with artistic materials and too little concerned with audience.
Overture (2014) was issued eighteen years after the final volume, The Wake, was published—more than twice the time it took to produce the entire original series. Perhaps Neil Gaiman waited a little too long.
I would hesitate to give Overture more than a mediocre rating if it weren’t for its illustrator J.H. Williams III. His art is cosmic, capable of protean transformations, bold changes in tone, jarring juxtapositions, and a radical shift in the use of panel and page. I particularly enjoyed 1) the many incarnations of Dream (each with its own distinctive dialogue box and lettering) and 2) the eerie pastel world of the merciless stars. Gaiman has a gift for choosing great artists, but in this case it is Williams—not the original Gaiman story—that brings this volume close to greatness.
September 19, 2020
I am blown away. This book is a genuine thing of beauty. The last time comicbook artwork had such a deep and profound effect on me was Dave McKean's work in his magnum opus 'Cages'.
J.H. Williams III has raised the bar for comicbook artwork in this incredible book. I defy any artist to read this book and not have to keep picking their jaw up off the floor. JHWIII has created a kalaedoscope of perfectly observed and rendered styles here that he has proven himself to be a master of the art form.
Having just read this, I am left with a feeling that must be similar to that Dave Bowman must have been feeling at the climax of Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. 'My god... It's full of stars' indeed.
This book has left me wanting to throw away my pencils, pens, brushes, inks and paints because I know I'll never create something so good and simultaneously wanting to just draw and paint, paint and draw for the rest of my life in a vain attempt to even get close.
Absolutely, amazingly breath-taking.
P.S. There was a story too,
P.P.S. Which was actually very good. Well done Neil.
P.P.P.S. Don't think I didn't spot Michael Morbius and Ben Grimm in that final chapter, you cheeky DC monkeys!
J.H. Williams III has raised the bar for comicbook artwork in this incredible book. I defy any artist to read this book and not have to keep picking their jaw up off the floor. JHWIII has created a kalaedoscope of perfectly observed and rendered styles here that he has proven himself to be a master of the art form.
Having just read this, I am left with a feeling that must be similar to that Dave Bowman must have been feeling at the climax of Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey'. 'My god... It's full of stars' indeed.
This book has left me wanting to throw away my pencils, pens, brushes, inks and paints because I know I'll never create something so good and simultaneously wanting to just draw and paint, paint and draw for the rest of my life in a vain attempt to even get close.
Absolutely, amazingly breath-taking.
P.S. There was a story too,
P.P.S. Which was actually very good. Well done Neil.
P.P.P.S. Don't think I didn't spot Michael Morbius and Ben Grimm in that final chapter, you cheeky DC monkeys!
March 17, 2016
They say you can never recapture the past...
But this book warped me right back into a certain time and place that sure felt like it. There was a magic about discovering The Sandman back in 1989, and Gaiman & crew have still got it.
It's also *about* time... and place... and going back to deal with what you've done in the past, with other versions of who you could have been - what is 'you' and what is 'other' - about responsibilities, and consequences, and being stubbornly independent to a fault. Awfully apropos, in many ways.
Just about perfect.
A note: I had this as an eBook, and after taking a peek, opted to wait to enjoy it until I could get my hands on a print version. I'm glad that I did. The page layouts aren't really suited to panel viewing (too complex and non-linear), and there are too many details to really appreciate it on a small tablet. The hardcover 'deluxe' edition is recommended!
_____
March 2016: Nominated for Hugo.
But this book warped me right back into a certain time and place that sure felt like it. There was a magic about discovering The Sandman back in 1989, and Gaiman & crew have still got it.
It's also *about* time... and place... and going back to deal with what you've done in the past, with other versions of who you could have been - what is 'you' and what is 'other' - about responsibilities, and consequences, and being stubbornly independent to a fault. Awfully apropos, in many ways.
Just about perfect.
A note: I had this as an eBook, and after taking a peek, opted to wait to enjoy it until I could get my hands on a print version. I'm glad that I did. The page layouts aren't really suited to panel viewing (too complex and non-linear), and there are too many details to really appreciate it on a small tablet. The hardcover 'deluxe' edition is recommended!
_____
March 2016: Nominated for Hugo.
December 23, 2015
Well I'm lost for words, The Sandman Overture is quite simply an extraordinary piece of work, one of Neil Gaimans finest, I've absolutely no doubt.
So my version is the HC Deluxe edition, containing a good few pages of extras, exquisite, gorgeous and some serious drooling done over every page. The thing I have to mention first is the artwork, sublime, mesmerising, magnificently bewitching (artwork covered *tick* although I may mention it again) and I could've spent twenty minutes on dictionary reference copying all the plaudits.
The artwork is done by JH Williams III, and he quite simply puts a world (or three) right in your lap and draws it like he's been there, astonishing, the perfect man to collaborate the creative genius that is The Sandman.
With Overture, Gaiman sets his thoughts to a prelude and explores the events that lead into the original Sandman series. We see Dream or Morpheus take on a quest of such import that the stakes are simply everything in existence.
On his journey Dream encounters multiple aspects of himself forcing a bout of severe reflection and mediation, here forms the core group of an innocent girl rescued and Dreams feline countenance for an intensely personnel adventure. We meet the majority of the Endless, The Corinthian with his toothed eyes, Merv Pumpkinhead, Lucien and even the temperamental forces of the old dears, bless them.
The artwork really is a thing of beauty, so many different styles for the various places we visit and different entities we meet, there's double pull-outs, one showing his many aspects and each a uniquely diverse vision of the man himself. There's panels of darkness, panels of haunting delirium mixed succinctly with an almost cartoonish backdrop. Fire, intense vivid colours, black and white ghostly panels, wording that spins so you have to turn the book upside down. There's a hell of a lot of work gone into this and its much appreciated, top job, easily one of the best I've seen.
Can't forget the story, starts slow but grabs you early doors and you can't get out, you don't want it to end. Seriously Overture is that good.
The extras are substantial, interviews with the artist, the guy who does the words, covers, colours and some more quite fantastic art.
The journey itself, well that's something you'll have to find out about all on your own but safe to say, with chocolate sprinkles on, that if you've read the Sandman series then Overture adds a treasure chest of delights and awesomeness. And did I mention the artwork, genius stuff.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
So my version is the HC Deluxe edition, containing a good few pages of extras, exquisite, gorgeous and some serious drooling done over every page. The thing I have to mention first is the artwork, sublime, mesmerising, magnificently bewitching (artwork covered *tick* although I may mention it again) and I could've spent twenty minutes on dictionary reference copying all the plaudits.
The artwork is done by JH Williams III, and he quite simply puts a world (or three) right in your lap and draws it like he's been there, astonishing, the perfect man to collaborate the creative genius that is The Sandman.
With Overture, Gaiman sets his thoughts to a prelude and explores the events that lead into the original Sandman series. We see Dream or Morpheus take on a quest of such import that the stakes are simply everything in existence.
On his journey Dream encounters multiple aspects of himself forcing a bout of severe reflection and mediation, here forms the core group of an innocent girl rescued and Dreams feline countenance for an intensely personnel adventure. We meet the majority of the Endless, The Corinthian with his toothed eyes, Merv Pumpkinhead, Lucien and even the temperamental forces of the old dears, bless them.
The artwork really is a thing of beauty, so many different styles for the various places we visit and different entities we meet, there's double pull-outs, one showing his many aspects and each a uniquely diverse vision of the man himself. There's panels of darkness, panels of haunting delirium mixed succinctly with an almost cartoonish backdrop. Fire, intense vivid colours, black and white ghostly panels, wording that spins so you have to turn the book upside down. There's a hell of a lot of work gone into this and its much appreciated, top job, easily one of the best I've seen.
Can't forget the story, starts slow but grabs you early doors and you can't get out, you don't want it to end. Seriously Overture is that good.
The extras are substantial, interviews with the artist, the guy who does the words, covers, colours and some more quite fantastic art.
The journey itself, well that's something you'll have to find out about all on your own but safe to say, with chocolate sprinkles on, that if you've read the Sandman series then Overture adds a treasure chest of delights and awesomeness. And did I mention the artwork, genius stuff.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
October 1, 2016
They are called the Endless : Destiny, Death, Destruction, Delirium (who was once Delight), Despair, Desire, Dream.
Where do they come from? where they present at the birth of the Universe? Will they be present at the final battle? How did Dream manage to lose his powers and become imprisoned before the start of the original run of the series? and, if the Endless are a family, who are their progenitors and why were they send out to play havoc with reality? Who wrote the rules of the game?
"Sandman Overture" is a story of a beginning and of an end. Time plays a circular game, like the worm Ourobouros: We come from Nothing and head toward Nothing. We fill the emptiness with dreams and desires, and they in turn shape the world we live in. Sometimes, oftentimes, the dreams become nightmares. "Overture" is the tale of the events that took place before the first album in the original series : "Preludes and Nocturnes". And for one story to start, another story has to end first ... Time must flow ... Darkness must be banished ...
Dream of the Endless is our guide, and in the Dreaming there is no limit to where or when he can go. Galaxies dance around in their multitudes like stars around Earth's night skies. Glittering impossible cities play host to the stars themselves, and stars are more than balls of fire, they have souls and mental issues. When one of these stars goes crazy the whole universe is on the brink of extinction. Lord Morpheus sets out to heal the rift in Reality or die trying, because somehow, somewhere he was the one that started it all.
>><<>><<>><<>><<
I had high expectations from Neil Gaiman, following the excellent run of the original 75 issues of "Sandman", and I was not disappointed. There's nothing quite like it on the graphic novel firmament. It defies classification ( I might go for space opera with antropomorphic metaphysical concepts as actors) and it never fails to surprise, to challenge and to tug at the heartstrings.
What I was not expecting to discover is how stunning the artwork in this prequel can be! There was nothing wrong with the original run (maybe a few issues with less than stellar draugthsmanship), but the Deluxe edition I have now in my hands is an incredible riot of colour and shape, a twisted maze through a cave filled with wonders, with alien shapes and with flowing streams of light and darkness. I am not familiar with the style of J H Williams III, but I am willing to learn more, based on the goodies in this album.
I also hope Gaiman will continue to return to the Endless universe and tell us more about its denizens. I was thrilled to get back to the Dreaming and meet some of my old friends there, but there are still questions to ponder. Who is GLORY? Who wrote the rulebook for the use of supernatural powers? Why can cats go anywhere they like?
December 16, 2015
I got this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley.
2.5 stars. I'm rounding up because of the artwork, the cool McKean covers, and the great epilogue. Oh, and the special appearances of Merv Pumpkinhead and The Corinthian.
Yes, it was fun to revisit some of our old friends from The Sandman. As per usual, Neil Gaiman's imagery is wonderful and goes perfectly with the excellent artwork provided. The story though, left me mostly confused and eager to get through it. I get that it's part of it, the Dreaming and all of that. If Dream himself is confused and lost, I imagine that all of us dreamers would be too.
It just didn't pack the punch of the main series. It's decent enough as a revisit, but I would not recommend a new reader to start here. If I had started with this volume, I highly doubt I would have continued with the main series.
2.5 stars. I'm rounding up because of the artwork, the cool McKean covers, and the great epilogue. Oh, and the special appearances of Merv Pumpkinhead and The Corinthian.
Yes, it was fun to revisit some of our old friends from The Sandman. As per usual, Neil Gaiman's imagery is wonderful and goes perfectly with the excellent artwork provided. The story though, left me mostly confused and eager to get through it. I get that it's part of it, the Dreaming and all of that. If Dream himself is confused and lost, I imagine that all of us dreamers would be too.
It just didn't pack the punch of the main series. It's decent enough as a revisit, but I would not recommend a new reader to start here. If I had started with this volume, I highly doubt I would have continued with the main series.
February 7, 2016
An engaging tale with depth and scope bordering on brilliance. The artwork by J.H. Williams is out of boundaries and impressive.
Gaiman is at his highest when working on Sandman IMO.
OVERALL GRADE: A minus to A.
Gaiman is at his highest when working on Sandman IMO.
OVERALL GRADE: A minus to A.
January 15, 2019
Reading this was like sitting down with an old friend you haven't seen in years. Gaiman hasn't missed a beat. Felt exactly like when I was buying the single issues back in the late 80's. When I finished I instantly wanted to break out the old issues and read them again. Add in one of the best artists working today in J.H. Williams III and you have one of the best comics of the year.
November 8, 2016
I have two confessions to make: 1) I don't like Neil Gaiman's fiction. I . . . just . . . can't. So kill me. 2) My single experience with Neil Gaiman in person left me feeling a little snubbed. Long story, but I met him at the World Fantasy Convention, where I approached him and tried talking to him, but I found him rather cold and uninterested, constantly looking for important people to talk to. I don't want to go on and on (I could) about the whole experience, but that is the summation of my feelings. I frankly didn't like him much. In fact, I think he was kind of a jerk.
So why did I want to talk to him at all, you ask? Well, in the comics desert wasteland that was the 1990s, his comic The Sandman was a bright spot in a rather dull universe. It was one of my favorite comics of that decade.
The opening story of the '90s Sandman series begins with the main character, Dream, being captured via an occult ritual. The iconic image of a black-cloaked figure wearing a gas mask lying in a fetal position, surrounded by magic sigils immediately caught my attention when I first saw it, as it caught the attention of tens of thousands of other readers. Like Morpheus, I was smitten.
The Sandman: Overture is an accounting of events in the world of the Sandman mythos that led up to this imprisonment. I hate to use the term "prequel," as that term is tainted by a couple of really bad examples of retroactive storytelling wherein the original (which occurs later, chronologically) is demeaned by the "prequel". Two movies should clearly demonstrate this: Phantom Menace, and The Hobbit. But I digress.
As I said earlier, I don't care much for Gaiman's long-form fiction. I tried Anansi Boys and just couldn't. I've dipped my toe in a couple of others, as well, but have found myself growing bored quickly and have had to move on to something else. I hear American Gods is good, and maybe I should read that someday, since part of it takes place in a setting that is a forty-five minute drive from my house.
That said, here Gaiman hits his stride. As you would expect, it's a strange story, full of subtleties and deception. Political intrigue abounds, and there is some moving pathos there, especially when the character Hope enters the picture, then exits, then reenters . . . changed, yet much the same.
But let's not kid ourselves. While you may forget all the intricacies of the story, one thing you will not forget is the art. At this point, this is the most beautiful graphic novel I have ever laid eyes on.
EVER!!!
J.H. Williams' art is absolutely stunning. At times, the illustrations will make your head spin - quite literally, if you're not willing to turn the book around a few times to follow some of the more serpentine configurations. A few fold outs invite the reader into the book - as immersive an experience as you are likely to have reading a graphic work. And Dave Stewart's colors are a roiling phantasmagorical dream in vivid color. The difference between this work and so many other graphic novels is that the illustrations and color here were designed. Not just drawn and inked, but designed, carefully. There is a craft happening here that is a ritualistic invocation of the imagination. It is a solemn, nearly worshipful thing to read this work, and utterly immersive.
It is obvious, from reading the book, that Gaiman is a much deeper person than I give him credit for. Maybe he was having an off day and needed some more familiar faces or he was sick of fans or whatever, I don't know. At the least, I can't hate him, after reading this. I might pity him, as I do Morpheus, but I can't hate him. I love this work too much.
So why did I want to talk to him at all, you ask? Well, in the comics desert wasteland that was the 1990s, his comic The Sandman was a bright spot in a rather dull universe. It was one of my favorite comics of that decade.
The opening story of the '90s Sandman series begins with the main character, Dream, being captured via an occult ritual. The iconic image of a black-cloaked figure wearing a gas mask lying in a fetal position, surrounded by magic sigils immediately caught my attention when I first saw it, as it caught the attention of tens of thousands of other readers. Like Morpheus, I was smitten.
The Sandman: Overture is an accounting of events in the world of the Sandman mythos that led up to this imprisonment. I hate to use the term "prequel," as that term is tainted by a couple of really bad examples of retroactive storytelling wherein the original (which occurs later, chronologically) is demeaned by the "prequel". Two movies should clearly demonstrate this: Phantom Menace, and The Hobbit. But I digress.
As I said earlier, I don't care much for Gaiman's long-form fiction. I tried Anansi Boys and just couldn't. I've dipped my toe in a couple of others, as well, but have found myself growing bored quickly and have had to move on to something else. I hear American Gods is good, and maybe I should read that someday, since part of it takes place in a setting that is a forty-five minute drive from my house.
That said, here Gaiman hits his stride. As you would expect, it's a strange story, full of subtleties and deception. Political intrigue abounds, and there is some moving pathos there, especially when the character Hope enters the picture, then exits, then reenters . . . changed, yet much the same.
But let's not kid ourselves. While you may forget all the intricacies of the story, one thing you will not forget is the art. At this point, this is the most beautiful graphic novel I have ever laid eyes on.
EVER!!!
J.H. Williams' art is absolutely stunning. At times, the illustrations will make your head spin - quite literally, if you're not willing to turn the book around a few times to follow some of the more serpentine configurations. A few fold outs invite the reader into the book - as immersive an experience as you are likely to have reading a graphic work. And Dave Stewart's colors are a roiling phantasmagorical dream in vivid color. The difference between this work and so many other graphic novels is that the illustrations and color here were designed. Not just drawn and inked, but designed, carefully. There is a craft happening here that is a ritualistic invocation of the imagination. It is a solemn, nearly worshipful thing to read this work, and utterly immersive.
It is obvious, from reading the book, that Gaiman is a much deeper person than I give him credit for. Maybe he was having an off day and needed some more familiar faces or he was sick of fans or whatever, I don't know. At the least, I can't hate him, after reading this. I might pity him, as I do Morpheus, but I can't hate him. I love this work too much.
September 30, 2020
So this is the end. Or the beginning. Depends on your point of view.
This is considered volume 0 as it comes before the very first Sandman comic Gaiman ever published. But it was written, designed and published AFTER the series was over.
The art was beautiful:
But I have to be honest with you: visually, I preferred volume 11. They are both gorgeous but that one had more chapters I not only loved but actually adored. This, in turn, had more story (the other was just 7 short ones giving us a closer look at the Endless after all).
Here, we get to know the parents of Dream and his siblings! That alone was epic, but we also get the story behind why Morpheus was so tired/exhausted when he was summoned by Burgess and subsequently imprisoned. And it is fantastic (I don't think I need to say any more about Gaiman's ability to write memorable dialogue, bring to life impressive characters or create the most intricate worlds). So yes, this volume enables us to come full circle and I really recommend reading this one last.
Wonderful end to a fantastic, groundbreaking series!
This is considered volume 0 as it comes before the very first Sandman comic Gaiman ever published. But it was written, designed and published AFTER the series was over.
The art was beautiful:
But I have to be honest with you: visually, I preferred volume 11. They are both gorgeous but that one had more chapters I not only loved but actually adored. This, in turn, had more story (the other was just 7 short ones giving us a closer look at the Endless after all).
Here, we get to know the parents of Dream and his siblings! That alone was epic, but we also get the story behind why Morpheus was so tired/exhausted when he was summoned by Burgess and subsequently imprisoned. And it is fantastic (I don't think I need to say any more about Gaiman's ability to write memorable dialogue, bring to life impressive characters or create the most intricate worlds). So yes, this volume enables us to come full circle and I really recommend reading this one last.
Wonderful end to a fantastic, groundbreaking series!
August 27, 2016
Sandman: Overture: Stunning artwork enhances an excellent story
I re-entered the world of comics after a 30-year hiatus thanks to fellow FanLit reviewer Brad Hawley’s impassioned Why You Should Read Comics: A Manifesto! and his 10-part essay on Reading Comics. It was clear that Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN series was the gold standard for sophisticated, intelligent comics for adults. Having read Brad’s review of the entire series, Welcome to The Dreaming: An Introduction to THE SANDMAN, I embarked on the 76-volume epic.
At that time, my only dilemma was whether to read it in hardcopy or digital. There are plenty of purists who would insist that comics must be read in physical form as originally intended. But having discovered Comixology, I learned that comics could be enjoyed anytime and anyplace on an iPad or iPhone, whether on lunch break or even while clothing shopping with the family (it saved my sanity many times over), with the ability to focus on each panel separately using Guided View. In the end, convenience won out.
But last Christmas in Hawaii, my daughter and I were enjoying the rare privilege of shopping at Barnes & Noble, the only English bookstore still surviving in Hawaii, which we can visit once a year since we live in Tokyo. We spent much of our time in the comics section, and when my eyes lit on the Deluxe Hardcover Edition of Sandman: Overture and opened it to a few random pages, the artwork just stunned me with its incredible richness and detail. I wanted to read more, but at the same time I didn’t want to spoil the story. In the end I bought this beautiful volume but carefully saved it until I had finished the entire 76-volume series, because I knew that I would appreciate the story more if I knew all about Morpheus before reading this prequel. I’m glad I waited - this comic is an amazing achievement, one of the most impressive stories I’ve read in a long time.
The story centers on why Morpheus found himself so weakened at the beginning of Volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes that he could be captured by mere humans casting ancient spells. What takes shape is an epic adventure that goes well beyond anything that occurs in the 10 volumes that come afterward. The scope is huge, ranging throughout the universe, time, space, and numerous dimensions. There are very few mortal characters other than a little girl named Hope Beautiful Lost Nebula. The majority consist of immortals like Morpheus (quite a few of him, in fact), his siblings, various alien beings, and even stars themselves. Most interestingly, we meet the parents of the Endless - it didn’t even occur to me that was possible. But these parents are fairly distant from their children - the disfunctionality runs deep here.
The plot gets going properly as we learn that a star has gone mad and is disrupting the balance of the universe. Furthermore, the reasons for this have to do with Morpheus and the decisions that he did and did not make. Once again the theme of duties and responsibilities take center stage. It also sheds much light on Morpheus’ dogged insistence on doing his duty later in the series. Decisions, consequences, and sacrifices - these ideas drive the characters of this big-canvas morality play.
The artwork is so luxurious and hypnotic that it may overshadow the story somewhat, or make it seem better than it really is. I would prefer to think that Gaiman crafted his story to take full advantage of the amazing skills of J.H. Williams III and Dave Stewart. There are so many fantastic things that happen in the story, it’s clear that Gaiman wanted to push them to their artistic limits, and the results are truly awesome. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time simply poring over each page and panel of any comic before. It’s a visual feast with a color palette so rich it can be overwhelming.
This could not have been done without advanced digital software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. In fact, the Deluxe Edition includes a treasure-trove of extras at the back of the book in which the artistic process is discussed in detail by J.H. Williams III, Dave Stewart, Todd Klein, and Neil Gaiman. It’s like magicians revealing their secrets, and is really fascinating for anyone who may be considering a career in comic book illustration and design. It’s truly a collaborative effort, much more than novel writing.
In writing this review, I thought I would just page through the chapters to choose particular parts worth noting, but the pictures and story were so enthralling that I actually ended up reading the entire book again. In fact, this is one comic I can see myself reading again and again since the artwork and story complement each other so well. It might be my favorite Christmas book purchase ever.
I re-entered the world of comics after a 30-year hiatus thanks to fellow FanLit reviewer Brad Hawley’s impassioned Why You Should Read Comics: A Manifesto! and his 10-part essay on Reading Comics. It was clear that Neil Gaiman’s SANDMAN series was the gold standard for sophisticated, intelligent comics for adults. Having read Brad’s review of the entire series, Welcome to The Dreaming: An Introduction to THE SANDMAN, I embarked on the 76-volume epic.
At that time, my only dilemma was whether to read it in hardcopy or digital. There are plenty of purists who would insist that comics must be read in physical form as originally intended. But having discovered Comixology, I learned that comics could be enjoyed anytime and anyplace on an iPad or iPhone, whether on lunch break or even while clothing shopping with the family (it saved my sanity many times over), with the ability to focus on each panel separately using Guided View. In the end, convenience won out.
But last Christmas in Hawaii, my daughter and I were enjoying the rare privilege of shopping at Barnes & Noble, the only English bookstore still surviving in Hawaii, which we can visit once a year since we live in Tokyo. We spent much of our time in the comics section, and when my eyes lit on the Deluxe Hardcover Edition of Sandman: Overture and opened it to a few random pages, the artwork just stunned me with its incredible richness and detail. I wanted to read more, but at the same time I didn’t want to spoil the story. In the end I bought this beautiful volume but carefully saved it until I had finished the entire 76-volume series, because I knew that I would appreciate the story more if I knew all about Morpheus before reading this prequel. I’m glad I waited - this comic is an amazing achievement, one of the most impressive stories I’ve read in a long time.
The story centers on why Morpheus found himself so weakened at the beginning of Volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes that he could be captured by mere humans casting ancient spells. What takes shape is an epic adventure that goes well beyond anything that occurs in the 10 volumes that come afterward. The scope is huge, ranging throughout the universe, time, space, and numerous dimensions. There are very few mortal characters other than a little girl named Hope Beautiful Lost Nebula. The majority consist of immortals like Morpheus (quite a few of him, in fact), his siblings, various alien beings, and even stars themselves. Most interestingly, we meet the parents of the Endless - it didn’t even occur to me that was possible. But these parents are fairly distant from their children - the disfunctionality runs deep here.
The plot gets going properly as we learn that a star has gone mad and is disrupting the balance of the universe. Furthermore, the reasons for this have to do with Morpheus and the decisions that he did and did not make. Once again the theme of duties and responsibilities take center stage. It also sheds much light on Morpheus’ dogged insistence on doing his duty later in the series. Decisions, consequences, and sacrifices - these ideas drive the characters of this big-canvas morality play.
The artwork is so luxurious and hypnotic that it may overshadow the story somewhat, or make it seem better than it really is. I would prefer to think that Gaiman crafted his story to take full advantage of the amazing skills of J.H. Williams III and Dave Stewart. There are so many fantastic things that happen in the story, it’s clear that Gaiman wanted to push them to their artistic limits, and the results are truly awesome. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time simply poring over each page and panel of any comic before. It’s a visual feast with a color palette so rich it can be overwhelming.
This could not have been done without advanced digital software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. In fact, the Deluxe Edition includes a treasure-trove of extras at the back of the book in which the artistic process is discussed in detail by J.H. Williams III, Dave Stewart, Todd Klein, and Neil Gaiman. It’s like magicians revealing their secrets, and is really fascinating for anyone who may be considering a career in comic book illustration and design. It’s truly a collaborative effort, much more than novel writing.
In writing this review, I thought I would just page through the chapters to choose particular parts worth noting, but the pictures and story were so enthralling that I actually ended up reading the entire book again. In fact, this is one comic I can see myself reading again and again since the artwork and story complement each other so well. It might be my favorite Christmas book purchase ever.
November 9, 2015
(Received from Netgalley for review.)
My first reaction to hearing that Sandman would have a prequel was that it was unnecessary. I felt like the original run had been a complete story, and that there was no need to dip into that well again. I was wrong there. Giving it more thought, we had sort of been teased that something major had happened just before Dream was captured, and it was never explained in any sense. This is that explanation, and it fits in just as it should.
The story itself is quite successful at what it sets out to do. It sets the scene for the first volume of Sandman, and it sheds a bit more light on the Endless family. We meet their parents, who are about as sane as you might expect. And the story is appropriately big, with the fate of the universe at stake, and deceptively intimate, as its the sort of story that largely takes place with a very small group on stage at any given time. Naturally, I loved the way Gaiman wrote it, and I don't think Sandman fans will be at all disappointed.
And the art is a major wow. I loved Williams on Batwoman, but this is a step beyond. The art is incredibly beautiful on every page, especially in the more fantastical sequences. I really think this is one of the best looking comics I have ever read. And bonus, the art is perfectly suited for the story. As a package, this is one of the better volumes of Sandman out there, and it does what it was mean to do perfectly.
My first reaction to hearing that Sandman would have a prequel was that it was unnecessary. I felt like the original run had been a complete story, and that there was no need to dip into that well again. I was wrong there. Giving it more thought, we had sort of been teased that something major had happened just before Dream was captured, and it was never explained in any sense. This is that explanation, and it fits in just as it should.
The story itself is quite successful at what it sets out to do. It sets the scene for the first volume of Sandman, and it sheds a bit more light on the Endless family. We meet their parents, who are about as sane as you might expect. And the story is appropriately big, with the fate of the universe at stake, and deceptively intimate, as its the sort of story that largely takes place with a very small group on stage at any given time. Naturally, I loved the way Gaiman wrote it, and I don't think Sandman fans will be at all disappointed.
And the art is a major wow. I loved Williams on Batwoman, but this is a step beyond. The art is incredibly beautiful on every page, especially in the more fantastical sequences. I really think this is one of the best looking comics I have ever read. And bonus, the art is perfectly suited for the story. As a package, this is one of the better volumes of Sandman out there, and it does what it was mean to do perfectly.
December 17, 2018
This is the most beautiful book I've ever read in terms of story combined with artwork. It is absolutely gorgeous!
June 2, 2016
For me it is such a pleasure to be reminded that before the success of a few middling novels led to an even more disappointing trudge of half-hearted YA efforts, Gaiman was once capable of creating the truly wondrous, and he clearly still has the goods when he embraces his true medium: the sequential art form. This overture is a dense psychedelic fantasia of wild desire and unhinged dreaming. Reminded me of why ten years ago The Sandman made me fall head over heels for the potential of the comic book as a work of art.
October 23, 2016
Sandman - Overture: J.H. Williams III Steals the Show
Despite all the unfair shit-talking that's been done about 'Sandman' over the years, criticism about the mediocre-tending-toward-awful artwork that plagues the early-going of the series are legitimate. As unfortunate as it is that between 'Vol. 1 - Preludes and Nocturnes' and 'Vol.4 - Season of Mists', the art is tolerated more than enjoyed, Gaiman's still evolving ideas were strong enough to keep readers interested. The early material has been re-colored, and one issue completely re-inked. The first couple volumes aren't some tedious chore to suffer through; the story just improves dramatically with every chapter. Gaiman settled in by volume 4, and artists Jill Thompson, P. Craig Russell, Jon J. Muth, Charles Vess, Marc Hempel, Teddy Kristiansen, Bryan Talbot, and Michael Zulli made the last 6 of the 10 collected editions into some of the best artistic performances DC produced in the 1990's. Moving from Sam Keith's crude, Wrightson-inspired style to Mike Zulli's meticulous work on 'The Wake' -- the first mainstream comic to use uninked, intricately rendered colored pencils -- is an evolutionary progression that mirrors the journey that Morpheus makes through the series, and in a way, the art balances out.
The Bad Ol' Days -- Sam Keith's terrible art*{See Footnote Below} from the first collected edition:
Impressive work by Michael Zulli and Teddy Kristiansen, respectively, from 'The Sandman's stellar second half. Kristiansen was filling in for the regular artist of the penultimate, climactic 13-issue story-arc, Marc Hempel, but he nailed this powerful meeting between Morpheus and 'The Kindly Ones':
After the monthly series concluded with issue 75, Vertigo was in deep denial that Morpheus was dead and gone... sort of dead and gone. So, they released 'The Dreaming', a monthly Sandman spinoff, and several 'Sandman Presents', none of them written by Gaiman. He DID write the two 'Death' mini-series, but they appeared while 'The Sandman' was still going. Then Vertigo launched two more Sandman-based monthly series: 'Lucifer', based on the events that took place in 'Season of Mists', when Lucifer quit Hell and moved 'topside' to open a fancy nightclub, recently adapted as a shitty TV show; and 'House of Mystery', based on Gaiman's version of the classic series, relocated to The Dreaming.
Artwork from 'Endless Nights', in order of brilliance: Frank Quitely, Milo Manara, and Miquelanxa Prado (original art, sans word balloons):
When Gaiman returned to his most popular character, it was as a conquering fucking hero, having made his name as a best-selling, critically acclaimed novelist. His first project was an illustrated novella, with beautiful fully-painted art by Yoshitaka Amano; it was later adapted as an equally beautiful comic, by returning monthly-Sandman vet P. Craig Russell. With 'Endless Nights', some of the greatest comic artists from around the world were invited to collaborate on yet another volume of 'The Sandman'; that officially made it the title with some of the worst AND absolute best art in mainstream comics. With each artist handling a Gaiman-scripted chapter devoted to one member of The Endless, it's clear everyone took their assignment very seriously, turning in some of their best work to date (see the above illustrations). Frank Quitely's fully-painted tale of Destiny is perhaps the most stunning 8-pages of comic art you'll ever see, and Milo Manara and Miguelanxo Prada remind the world why they're revered as artistic geniuses of the 9th Art.
From 'Promethea' to 'Batwoman: Elegy' to 'Sandman: Overture'; J.H. William III has become the most inventive and original artist in mainstream comics:
Which finally brings me to 'Overture', Gaiman's epic return to the character of Morpheus, the original 'Dream of the Endless'. Taking place just before the events depicted way back in 'The Sandman' issue 1, when a dying Aleister Crowley-type mage attempts to summon and trap Death, instead pulling in Death's weakened sibling, Dream, we now learn what kind of ordeal he went through before his several decades-long incarceration. It addresses issues like the Corinthian's reign of terror and some of the more confusing paradoxes of Dream's multi-faceted existence... something like a quantum super-position including every conceivable iteration of his 'Endless' avatars: cats and plants and superheroes and aliens and mermen and robots and sentient gas-clouds. The business Morpheus was attending to involved an emergency convocation of his infinite selves, triggered after one of his Endless facets, an intelligent plant-thing, is mysteriously destroyed... but fuck the story. It's great. If you like Gaiman's typical talk of ancient gods and rules and the eloquent narrative shrug he uses to slink past questions like 'why?' and 'what the fuck?', you do yourself no favors by avoiding 'The Sandman'. It's still his deepest and most affecting work. And yet... J.H. Williams III is unquestionably the star of this show.
More exceptional work from JHW3:
Moving between styles with an astounding ease, employing the techniques he developed on 'Promethea', when Moore's heroine took a metaphysical journey searching for -- coincidentally -- a previous incarnation of Promethea's dead husband, J.H. Williams III has created the most visually complex, exciting, and technically brilliant mainstream comic in recent memory. His page layouts are imaginative marvels, without a single panel resorting to standard comic practice. He has four distinct styles, each with dozens of permutations. Nothing else really needs to be said. Even if you fucking hate Sandman, if you love comic art, this is one you'll want to read. It's already destined to be a classic as part of the Sandman epic, but artistically... this is JHW3's masterpiece. It stands up against 'The Incal' or 'Final Incal', 'Marvels' or 'Kingdom Come', 'Hard Boiled' or 'Akira', 'Blacksad' or 'Mesmo Delivery' -- any of the bravura performances in modern mainstream comics. With this addition to the Sandman Library, the crappy art of the early going is now far outweighed by the excellence and eventual brilliance of the last three-quarters of the series. Jeebus Christ. Every turn of the fucking page is a revelation... look at this stuff...
*
{FOOTNOTE: After getting a chance to examine the original art of Sam Keith, Kelley Jones and Mike Dringenberg in the Sandman Gallery Edition, part of Graphitti Design's line of original art facsimile hardcovers -- reproduced at the highest digital resolution available, on thick archival paper stock that replicates the texture of the art-boards used at DC, and reproduced at a 1:1 scale thanks to the over-sized 13-inch-wide x 20-inch-tall hardcover format -- I have more respect for what Keith was going for, using a style very similar to Bernie Wrightson's 70's horror; unfortunately, it was NOT a good fit for the story. In a larger format, without the mediocre printing, paper and coloring that conspired to make it seem even worse, it's a bit more impressive. Dringenberg's work is inconsistent, his only real artistic fault with Sandman, but much of his original art looks remarkable.}
Original Art facsimiles from the Graphitti Design Sandman: Gallery Edition -- by Sam Keith (First image, Sandman #1); Kelley Jones (Second Image, left-hand page, Sandman Illustration); Mike Dringenberg (Second Image, right-hand page, an amazing 'Endless' Illustration); Mike Dringenberg (Third Image, left-hand page, Sandman #11); Chris Bachalo (Third Image, right-hand page, Sandman #12); Kelley Jones (Fouth Image, left-hand page, Sandman #27); Mike Dringenberg (Fouth Image, right-hand page, Sandman #28); all of these pages work well as large, black-and-white illustrations, but were severely compromised when they were reduced, colored and printed:
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Despite all the unfair shit-talking that's been done about 'Sandman' over the years, criticism about the mediocre-tending-toward-awful artwork that plagues the early-going of the series are legitimate. As unfortunate as it is that between 'Vol. 1 - Preludes and Nocturnes' and 'Vol.4 - Season of Mists', the art is tolerated more than enjoyed, Gaiman's still evolving ideas were strong enough to keep readers interested. The early material has been re-colored, and one issue completely re-inked. The first couple volumes aren't some tedious chore to suffer through; the story just improves dramatically with every chapter. Gaiman settled in by volume 4, and artists Jill Thompson, P. Craig Russell, Jon J. Muth, Charles Vess, Marc Hempel, Teddy Kristiansen, Bryan Talbot, and Michael Zulli made the last 6 of the 10 collected editions into some of the best artistic performances DC produced in the 1990's. Moving from Sam Keith's crude, Wrightson-inspired style to Mike Zulli's meticulous work on 'The Wake' -- the first mainstream comic to use uninked, intricately rendered colored pencils -- is an evolutionary progression that mirrors the journey that Morpheus makes through the series, and in a way, the art balances out.
The Bad Ol' Days -- Sam Keith's terrible art*{See Footnote Below} from the first collected edition:
Impressive work by Michael Zulli and Teddy Kristiansen, respectively, from 'The Sandman's stellar second half. Kristiansen was filling in for the regular artist of the penultimate, climactic 13-issue story-arc, Marc Hempel, but he nailed this powerful meeting between Morpheus and 'The Kindly Ones':
After the monthly series concluded with issue 75, Vertigo was in deep denial that Morpheus was dead and gone... sort of dead and gone. So, they released 'The Dreaming', a monthly Sandman spinoff, and several 'Sandman Presents', none of them written by Gaiman. He DID write the two 'Death' mini-series, but they appeared while 'The Sandman' was still going. Then Vertigo launched two more Sandman-based monthly series: 'Lucifer', based on the events that took place in 'Season of Mists', when Lucifer quit Hell and moved 'topside' to open a fancy nightclub, recently adapted as a shitty TV show; and 'House of Mystery', based on Gaiman's version of the classic series, relocated to The Dreaming.
Artwork from 'Endless Nights', in order of brilliance: Frank Quitely, Milo Manara, and Miquelanxa Prado (original art, sans word balloons):
When Gaiman returned to his most popular character, it was as a conquering fucking hero, having made his name as a best-selling, critically acclaimed novelist. His first project was an illustrated novella, with beautiful fully-painted art by Yoshitaka Amano; it was later adapted as an equally beautiful comic, by returning monthly-Sandman vet P. Craig Russell. With 'Endless Nights', some of the greatest comic artists from around the world were invited to collaborate on yet another volume of 'The Sandman'; that officially made it the title with some of the worst AND absolute best art in mainstream comics. With each artist handling a Gaiman-scripted chapter devoted to one member of The Endless, it's clear everyone took their assignment very seriously, turning in some of their best work to date (see the above illustrations). Frank Quitely's fully-painted tale of Destiny is perhaps the most stunning 8-pages of comic art you'll ever see, and Milo Manara and Miguelanxo Prada remind the world why they're revered as artistic geniuses of the 9th Art.
From 'Promethea' to 'Batwoman: Elegy' to 'Sandman: Overture'; J.H. William III has become the most inventive and original artist in mainstream comics:
Which finally brings me to 'Overture', Gaiman's epic return to the character of Morpheus, the original 'Dream of the Endless'. Taking place just before the events depicted way back in 'The Sandman' issue 1, when a dying Aleister Crowley-type mage attempts to summon and trap Death, instead pulling in Death's weakened sibling, Dream, we now learn what kind of ordeal he went through before his several decades-long incarceration. It addresses issues like the Corinthian's reign of terror and some of the more confusing paradoxes of Dream's multi-faceted existence... something like a quantum super-position including every conceivable iteration of his 'Endless' avatars: cats and plants and superheroes and aliens and mermen and robots and sentient gas-clouds. The business Morpheus was attending to involved an emergency convocation of his infinite selves, triggered after one of his Endless facets, an intelligent plant-thing, is mysteriously destroyed... but fuck the story. It's great. If you like Gaiman's typical talk of ancient gods and rules and the eloquent narrative shrug he uses to slink past questions like 'why?' and 'what the fuck?', you do yourself no favors by avoiding 'The Sandman'. It's still his deepest and most affecting work. And yet... J.H. Williams III is unquestionably the star of this show.
More exceptional work from JHW3:
Moving between styles with an astounding ease, employing the techniques he developed on 'Promethea', when Moore's heroine took a metaphysical journey searching for -- coincidentally -- a previous incarnation of Promethea's dead husband, J.H. Williams III has created the most visually complex, exciting, and technically brilliant mainstream comic in recent memory. His page layouts are imaginative marvels, without a single panel resorting to standard comic practice. He has four distinct styles, each with dozens of permutations. Nothing else really needs to be said. Even if you fucking hate Sandman, if you love comic art, this is one you'll want to read. It's already destined to be a classic as part of the Sandman epic, but artistically... this is JHW3's masterpiece. It stands up against 'The Incal' or 'Final Incal', 'Marvels' or 'Kingdom Come', 'Hard Boiled' or 'Akira', 'Blacksad' or 'Mesmo Delivery' -- any of the bravura performances in modern mainstream comics. With this addition to the Sandman Library, the crappy art of the early going is now far outweighed by the excellence and eventual brilliance of the last three-quarters of the series. Jeebus Christ. Every turn of the fucking page is a revelation... look at this stuff...
*
{FOOTNOTE: After getting a chance to examine the original art of Sam Keith, Kelley Jones and Mike Dringenberg in the Sandman Gallery Edition, part of Graphitti Design's line of original art facsimile hardcovers -- reproduced at the highest digital resolution available, on thick archival paper stock that replicates the texture of the art-boards used at DC, and reproduced at a 1:1 scale thanks to the over-sized 13-inch-wide x 20-inch-tall hardcover format -- I have more respect for what Keith was going for, using a style very similar to Bernie Wrightson's 70's horror; unfortunately, it was NOT a good fit for the story. In a larger format, without the mediocre printing, paper and coloring that conspired to make it seem even worse, it's a bit more impressive. Dringenberg's work is inconsistent, his only real artistic fault with Sandman, but much of his original art looks remarkable.}Original Art facsimiles from the Graphitti Design Sandman: Gallery Edition -- by Sam Keith (First image, Sandman #1); Kelley Jones (Second Image, left-hand page, Sandman Illustration); Mike Dringenberg (Second Image, right-hand page, an amazing 'Endless' Illustration); Mike Dringenberg (Third Image, left-hand page, Sandman #11); Chris Bachalo (Third Image, right-hand page, Sandman #12); Kelley Jones (Fouth Image, left-hand page, Sandman #27); Mike Dringenberg (Fouth Image, right-hand page, Sandman #28); all of these pages work well as large, black-and-white illustrations, but were severely compromised when they were reduced, colored and printed:
More Art-book Reviews
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October 27, 2015
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
I'm completely unfamiliar with Sandman other than knowing that it ran for 75 issues and was written by Neil Gaiman. I was hoping that this would be a good jumping off point into the series, but I had a hard time following what was happening.
The artwork was odd, and some of the fonts used were very difficult to read.
I'm completely unfamiliar with Sandman other than knowing that it ran for 75 issues and was written by Neil Gaiman. I was hoping that this would be a good jumping off point into the series, but I had a hard time following what was happening.
The artwork was odd, and some of the fonts used were very difficult to read.
January 6, 2016
A short story arc giving the readers the pre story of Dream. The story starts out a bit disjointed and even at the end is not as satisfying as I would have liked. The artwork is great and offsets some of my disappointment in the story.
December 3, 2017
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors. He, yet again, has produced a veritable piece of art. It works on many levels- superb artwork, wonderful plot and great dialogue are the cornerstones of this wonderful prelude to his epic classic Sandman series.
Morpheus must undertake a pressing journey to save reality and the ending of the tale is where the Sandman series starts. More than that I shall not say since this one is a must read for anyone who appreciates the brilliant talents displayed in this book.
I really appreciated all the aspects of this story. From the great cameo appearances by different members of the Endless (Dream has a truly fascinating family) to my very first introduction to Dream's mother and father-this was a welcome addition to my Sandman collection. The title gives it away as an "overture" in music is the opening part to an opera or it can mean an introduction for something more substantial (and the entire run of Sandman is quite substantial). The story and prose alone would have been enough to merit this a 3-4 star rating alone. But in conjunction with this truly beautiful artwork makes this a sublime comic. It's the kind of book I will grab off my shelf and show it to my friends.
I wish I could say more-but that would be spoilers. Always remember that no matter how much I opine about this work I can never match Gaiman's talent-so stop reading my review and go read this amazing book. Don't know anything about Sandman or Dream? (shame on you BTW) It doesn't matter. The story has a cosmic and fantastical feel all wrapped into one tale. The art does an incredible job of creating visions that caused me to go back and revisit certain panels-some were so visually arresting, mind bending and complex representations that not only did I take a moment to appreciate the artwork but was impelled to show my friends just the art itself.
This book hits on all cylinders. Its the kind of book you show that person who snidely states that comics are for kids and "not real books". This is a staggering work of the imagination, written superbly and drawn masterfully. Must read for anyone, regardless of their thoughts on comics, who appreciates a great story. All Sandman readers should read this. 'Nuff said.
Morpheus must undertake a pressing journey to save reality and the ending of the tale is where the Sandman series starts. More than that I shall not say since this one is a must read for anyone who appreciates the brilliant talents displayed in this book.
I really appreciated all the aspects of this story. From the great cameo appearances by different members of the Endless (Dream has a truly fascinating family) to my very first introduction to Dream's mother and father-this was a welcome addition to my Sandman collection. The title gives it away as an "overture" in music is the opening part to an opera or it can mean an introduction for something more substantial (and the entire run of Sandman is quite substantial). The story and prose alone would have been enough to merit this a 3-4 star rating alone. But in conjunction with this truly beautiful artwork makes this a sublime comic. It's the kind of book I will grab off my shelf and show it to my friends.
I wish I could say more-but that would be spoilers. Always remember that no matter how much I opine about this work I can never match Gaiman's talent-so stop reading my review and go read this amazing book. Don't know anything about Sandman or Dream? (shame on you BTW) It doesn't matter. The story has a cosmic and fantastical feel all wrapped into one tale. The art does an incredible job of creating visions that caused me to go back and revisit certain panels-some were so visually arresting, mind bending and complex representations that not only did I take a moment to appreciate the artwork but was impelled to show my friends just the art itself.
This book hits on all cylinders. Its the kind of book you show that person who snidely states that comics are for kids and "not real books". This is a staggering work of the imagination, written superbly and drawn masterfully. Must read for anyone, regardless of their thoughts on comics, who appreciates a great story. All Sandman readers should read this. 'Nuff said.
April 27, 2016
Utterly gorgeous, every page, every panel is a work of art. Just for that alone, this is a very worthy addition to the Sandman mythos.
The story takes place immediately prior to the first book in the series, "Preludes and Nocturnes," we now see just why Dream was able to be captured, and why he was so weary. However, as it does bookend some spoilers, it's best read after the main series. Not just for spoiler avoidance, but also with hindsight to deepen the understanding of why Dream chose the path he did through Sandman. And hello mummy and daddy, even immortal embodiments of primal forces can have parental baggage.
Some extras include the process between writing and art, coloring, font and more. I highly enjoyed the peeks into the creative forces behind the series in general, and this volume in particular.
I'd give this 10 stars if I could.
The story takes place immediately prior to the first book in the series, "Preludes and Nocturnes," we now see just why Dream was able to be captured, and why he was so weary. However, as it does bookend some spoilers, it's best read after the main series. Not just for spoiler avoidance, but also with hindsight to deepen the understanding of why Dream chose the path he did through Sandman. And hello mummy and daddy, even immortal embodiments of primal forces can have parental baggage.
Some extras include the process between writing and art, coloring, font and more. I highly enjoyed the peeks into the creative forces behind the series in general, and this volume in particular.
I'd give this 10 stars if I could.
December 5, 2019
This is by far THE most beautiful graphic novel I have ever had the privilege to feast my eyes on. No words I string together will accurately describe how gorgeous it is so just do yourself a favour and feast your eyes on it ASAP! That being said, the story itself is absolutely stunning as well. It’s a prequel to the Sandman series and was such an absolute treat to read. Getting to know how it all began was everything I could have hoped for and more. This series is quickly becoming my favourite graphic novel series!
August 10, 2023
On a re-read this was a lot more action packed than I recall. Maybe I was just more patient with it, but on my first read all I remember is a bunch of philosophical mumbo-jumbo. That does exist, especially when Dream talks to his Dad (Time) and later his Mother (Night). The whole premise is that Dream should have killed of a star (Stars are lifeforms in The Sandman) but didn't... now that star has caused the end of the universe... so Dream goes to save it.
He ends up in this weird area where all the forms of Sandman are. It's a bit like one of those Doctor Who specials where we get to see all the various Doctor Who incarnations at once. Actually, quite a bit of this felt like an ambitious Doctor Who episode. Lots of timey-wimey stuff and the decay of the universe is a common theme in Doctor Who - and Neil Gaiman has written for Doctor Who in the past.
The adventure he goes on is fun but the real star of the show is JH Williams. He brings his A-game to this. The edition I have also includes his original artwork. At first I thought a few pages seemed like the colorist Dave Stewart was doing the heavy-lifting, but actually Williams was skipping inks and going right to paint on a few pages.
I'm not super keen on the premise but I think Gaiman is successful with the execution. We get a pretty fun romp through the Sandman universe and meet a few interesting characters along the way. He certainly gives Williams enough really cool shit to draw (and paint). I especially liked Chapter 3 where Dream goes to a planet that Williams renders in a homage to comic's great Moebius.
He ends up in this weird area where all the forms of Sandman are. It's a bit like one of those Doctor Who specials where we get to see all the various Doctor Who incarnations at once. Actually, quite a bit of this felt like an ambitious Doctor Who episode. Lots of timey-wimey stuff and the decay of the universe is a common theme in Doctor Who - and Neil Gaiman has written for Doctor Who in the past.
The adventure he goes on is fun but the real star of the show is JH Williams. He brings his A-game to this. The edition I have also includes his original artwork. At first I thought a few pages seemed like the colorist Dave Stewart was doing the heavy-lifting, but actually Williams was skipping inks and going right to paint on a few pages.
I'm not super keen on the premise but I think Gaiman is successful with the execution. We get a pretty fun romp through the Sandman universe and meet a few interesting characters along the way. He certainly gives Williams enough really cool shit to draw (and paint). I especially liked Chapter 3 where Dream goes to a planet that Williams renders in a homage to comic's great Moebius.
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