Well, it has finally arrived. The second issue of Neil Gaiman and J.H. Williams III’s “The Sandman: Overture” is finally here. Let’s find out if it was worth the wait, shall we?
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by J.H. Williams III
The Sandman’s epic origin story continues in the second issue of the new miniseries by the superstar team of writer Neil Gaiman and artist J.H. Williams III! In which Daniel enters Mad Hettie’s dream and Morpheus discovers why he has been summoned and what he has been summoned to do.
So, was it worth the wait? It’s been roughly five months since the release of the first issue and while this is no place to point fingers, that’s quite the gap. The short answer is that yes, the wait was worth it. The long answer requires me explaining that “The Sandman” was one of the first comics I read that showed me what comics could do when they’re not corporately dictated superhero punchfests. Needless to say both it and Gaiman himself are huge formative influences. With the first issue, that felt much like an ease into an old environment for both Gaiman and the audience with Williams there to make that transition back into the Dreaming that much easier for everyone with his exquisite artwork. Here, now that the cobwebs have been blown away, Gaiman and Williams really delve into the lore of the world Gaiman created all those years ago to create a story with perhaps the biggest scope of any “Sandman” story yet.
Seeing as it is mentioned in the solicits (and the fact that you really should have read the comic before reading this review), I think it’s safe to mention that the Daniel aspect of Dream does make an appearance here. This is a Big Deal for me personally as Daniel’s time as Dream was always something that I was infinitely curious about. While his part of the story feels mostly like set up for developments later down the line in the series, the fact that Gaiman is so comfortable jumping back and forth between Daniel and Morpheus shows a scope for this series well beyond what was expected.
It’s not just that aspect of the story that feels grander than expected either as here we get to see the meeting of the Dreams teased at the end of the last issue. While this is another aspect of the story designed to set up the overarching plot for Morpheus throughout the series, it is immensely enjoyable to see all aspects of Dream interacting with themselves. It feels like it’s as fun for Gaiman as it is for us too, as he just jumps right in and dredges up parts of lore from the series I would never have dreamed would be unearthed. Not only is this the story of what happened to Morpheus prior to “The Sandman” #1, it seems to be teasing the origins of the Endless themselves. That level of scope and lore being included makes this more than a must-read for “Sandman” fans; it makes it utterly essential reading.
Just as J.H. Williams III’s immaculate and intricate page designs blew expectations for the first issue out of the water, he tops himself even more here. Almost every page of this comic is part of an intricate two-page spread that shows not only amazing artistry and command of the page, but detailed story-telling that keeps the reader from getting lost in a maze. While there was one hiccup where a two-page spread was intended to be read one page at a time seemed like it should be read across the two pages, it’s nowhere near enough to bring the book down. Teaming Williams’ unparalleled command of uniquely designed page layouts with his use of mixed media story-telling, especially in the scenes of the meeting of the Dreams, makes this issue simply a joy to read. Even from two issues alone, there should be cries for both a deluxe hardcover of this series as well as an artist edition. There is no collection big enough to truly show off just how gorgeous these pages are.
Continued belowYet just as Gaiman has dived into “Sandman” lore in his storytelling to make this series stand out (and ably side-stepping the worry of piling too much fanservice that it overpowers the story), so too does Williams. This story just feels so much like a “Sandman” comic thanks to Williams’ capturing of the atmosphere created by the numerous artists that worked on the original series over the year. This could very well be one of the most definitive “Sandman” stories of the entire series and not only is it thanks to Neil Gaiman creating a story designed to play like the grand revealing of secrets that you never realised were there in the first place, but also because Williams’ care and attention to make it slip right in with series library.
Just as the first issue exceeded massive expectations and cynicism, showing that it was more than just a cash-grab revamp, this issue exceeded the weight created by the delay to deliver one hell of an issue. Sure, it’s been five months and the story’s still only getting started, but what this issue teases to come would make another five month wait worth it if the issue was as good as this one. Gaiman and Williams have delivered the series that “Sandman” fans have been waiting for for years and they have not disappointed.
Final Verdict: 9.8
