The Sandman: Overture

Starred review from November 30, 2015
Gaiman (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and Williams (Batwoman) revisit the dark world of the Endless in this splendid prequel. Morpheus, the manifestation and master of dreams, has found himself embroiled in a galaxy-spanning crisis: a sentient star has lost its mind, and its madness threatens to unravel the universe. With the help of an earnest young alien girl and an alternate, feline form of himself, he sets out on a journey to set things right. Williams’s dizzyingly surreal work is perfectly paired with Gaiman’s famed wild flights of fancy. Infinitely adaptable, Williams’s dazzling art recalls everyone from Alphonse Mucha to Jack Kirby. Gaiman is in fine form as well—it is a true pleasure to watch him plumb the depths of weirdness that made Sandman a classic. This is a shining addition to a beloved series.

Starred review from January 1, 2016

In this irresistibly lavish volume, Gaiman, perhaps the premier mythmaker of our time, returns to the series that built his reputation, penning a Sandman prequel that will bring new shades of color to any future rereading of the beloved original. Morpheus (aka Dream, the personification of dreams) is summoned across the universe, where he finds that to redress a mistake he made in his youth, he must undertake a quest, with allies few and unlikely, to somehow prevent the death of everything. Master tale-spinner Gaiman takes readers on an extraordinary adventure, peopled by fan favorites from the original series (including Dream's lovely sister Death) and remarkable new characters (including hitherto unrevealed members of Dream's family), plus alien races of marvelous variety, sentient stars, and many alternate versions of Dream himself. All of this is depicted with astonishing and sumptuous splendor by Williams (Batwoman) and colorist Stewart. They employ a wide spectrum of art styles with masterly sophistication--often juxtaposing an array of styles in a single panel--giving the visuals an unparalleled textural richness. VERDICT An unmissable addition to one of comics' greatest series.--SR

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2015
Gaiman's Sandman ended nearly 20 years ago, but it remains one of the most beloved series in recent comics history. It's no surprise, then, that this prelude, set before the start of Gaiman's original story, is so highly anticipated. As Dream goes about his usual business in 1915 London, he finds himself yanked to a rocky world along with a crowd of Dreams from other places, all vaguely visually similar but clearly from other realms. Something in the universe is terribly wrong, potentially fatally so, and Dream must prevent it from destroying everything. While that's a classic plot, in Gaiman's hands, it becomes expansive and atmospheric, jammed with brainy, contemplative moments and dry humor. Luckily, Gaiman's vivid, wild imagination is grounded in Williams' and Stewart's beautiful, captivating artwork, which features everything from classic comic-book illustration to milky, swirling paintings in velvety hues. Williams' panel layouts are unmatched in contemporary comicshe seamlessly shifts styles, and though the disparate elements jostle uneasily, the organic lines of the borders, arcing like swirling smoke, hold them solidly together in a coherent narrative. This will be largely meaningless, though inarguably beautiful, for readers unfamiliar with the original series, but Sandman fans will surely be elated not only by the return to the story but also by the stunning, gorgeous artwork, which outshines the original. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A Gaiman comic alone would make this noteworthy, but the return to the Sandman universe makes this monumental.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)