Both the art and the story here I just wasn't jiving with and wasn't enjoying or following so I gave up. Not for me.

I've been a fan of The Sandman for years and it was great to revisit the series in this book. The writing is on point, as you would expect from Neil Gaiman, and the artwork is gorgeous. Brutal at times, but always beautiful. I had a blast rediscovering The Sandman through Ouverture. I highly, highly recommend this.

The essence of “Sandman” exists within the idea of mythology but more specifically emotion. Before he came to address the dreams of those he targets, the character and his surroundings took an almost existential journey to discover what truly drives him. The ideas of these different worlds and different modes of consciousness swirl here in “Sandman: Overture” [Neil Gaiman/Vertigo/224pgs] which is an interesting mix that is only expanded by the artist’s presentation of certain ideas which have no form. The mixing of media and the way panels works is only part of the exceptional work done here. The underlying propelling notion of The Sandman lies in the unconscious that sometimes we cannot give form to. Those metaphors deal with the many ways we can perceive emotions like love, anger, jealousy and the like. The storyline also has echoes of “Clash Of The Titans” with the metaphors of the mother and sister trying to soften the anger of the brother and, by removed extension, the father. The essence of the unreachable in a black hole dictates this in more than a literal sense where the aspect of what our lead is hurtling towards is nothingness. The questions the story asks is how do you return from that precipice and how does it change your personality irrevocably. The whole idea of his journey as he walks beside himself through the desert and other representations of his psyche truly speak to the idea of existentialism and how the “nature of being” can lead to psychosis. The ending idea really takes that to heart. The separating of both the lettering and the almost 3D representation of thoughts really brings the story to bear specifically in how fragmented the mind it is creating is. All this is done in an effective way. One of the great accents to this volume is the plethora of interviews after the main story because the artist, the letterer and Gaiman himself discuss the creation which for young artists and older alike give an interesting view into the creative process precisely because it does not speak down to the reader. This gives the reader a complete experience not unlike a masterclass.

B+

By Tim Wassberg