The Sandman: Overture Deluxe Edition

The original Sandman comics is my favourite comic book of all time. This, on the other hand, has no real reason to exist except that a publishing executive somewhere decided it would be a money-spinner. Gaiman goes through the motions, but I suspect he's just not that interested. The pacing is flat and it feels like we've seen it all before.The story seems to be a repurposed Doctor Who idea -- a ship that's bigger on the inside; multiple incarnations of our hero talking to each other in a laboured attempt at Whedonian banter. There isn't a plot as such, just familiar faces drifting through as Morpheus walks from place to place having arch conversations. There's no sense of peril, despite the ostensible storyline being the end of the universe, because the tone is detached and vaguely humorous. And the art is just a confusing mess.I haven't yet got to the end, actually, because each time I pick the book up it only takes a few pages to lose interest, especially when you have to turn it upside-down or sideways to read the text, or read a whole spread to figure out which order the panels are in. Still, I don't begrudge Gaiman making a bit of money from reforming the band. He penned seventy-five of the greatest comics issues of all time -- a quarter century ago. I just wish he'd left it there and not felt the need to go back to the well.

It's a long time since I bought Sandman, and my tastes have changed. So I bought Overture, read the first few panels, and ... put it down. Today, I read it all in one go, and the best of all news is: it's brilliant.It's Sandman squared. The sheer depth of colour and complexity in the artwork is beyond anything I've ever seen in comics: it's like the high-art, near-photographic covers you see on collected editions... on every page. It's overwhelming, something to fall into and thrash around in rather than read. Unlike most comics, it can take minutes to absorb single pages. It's that deep, and that good.But enough of the art; let's just say it's staggering. The story? Thankfully, that works too. So many assumptions tied up, so many points made. The reasons for attitudes and relationships in the original works (this is a prequel) are explained. I no longer get the thrill I once had from rereading the main story arc, but once I started this, the old magic came back.Thrilling and worthwhile. It's better if you've read the series already. Buy it last, as a fitting epilogue to one of the great pieces of comics literature.

I am a massive Sandman fan and have been for years. I was incredibly happy to get my hands on this hardcover to add to my other hardbound Sandman collectibles. It really is a beautiful piece of work and diving into the material was like a walk down memory lane. I know that it would be entirely possible to Gaiman to churn out this stuff forever but I'm glad it is usually revisited with care. The artwork is simply stunning and it was brilliant submerging myself into the world of Sandman one more time.

I had to read this twice to really get what Gaiman had done. Perhaps I was distracted by the astonishing JHW3 artwork, in which the maestro takes it further than he's ever been before (and that's pretty far), but I just didn't appreciate the book in total 'til I'd read it again. Very, very,very good work. Something to pore over, thoroughly, again and again and again and again. (And again.)

This book is a thing of beauty. I've read it a few times now, and still find something new with each read. JH Williams lll art is breathtaking and fits well with Neil Gaiman's amazing writing. Neil Gaiman along with Alan Moore have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in graphic novels.... Gaiman has improved with time, whilst sadly, Alan Moore hasn't.

The story that simply had to be told. Best kept for the end of the series though, I wouldn't start with Overture even though that's now the chronological order. It will have so much more power when read at the end of the series. Great story telling from Neil and STUNNING layout and art - really take the time appreciate the way the pages have been constructed. Brilliant.

Would not recommend unless you have read other volumes of The Sandman - if you have this is a must buy. A prequel basically, detailing how Dream came to be captured in the first issues of The Sandman. The writing, as you would expect with Gaiman, is superb, but the art is something else. I don't want to go into too much details to avoid spoiling it, but how some of the concepts are achieved by the art is just sublime. A must buy for a Sandman fan.

Weird and wonderful and confusing and informative and always beautiful. I think the artwork is what captivated me the most.