The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country Vol. 1
James Tynion IV, writer; Lisandro Estherren & Maria Llovet, artists; Patricio Delpeche, colorist
DC Black Label, 2023
I am delighted to see that the Sandman Universe is not over after all, and James Tynion IV is absolutely the right writer for this particular series (he is such a fan that it probably bothers him to not have this published under the venerable Vertigo imprint). It stars the Corinthian–he of the mouths for eyes–certainly the most memorable of the Dream King's nightmare creations. But something strange is happening: humans are sharing visions of the Smiling Man who were not visited by the Corinthian in their dreams. In addition, they are being hunted by a pair of nightmares named Mr. Ecstasy and Mr. Agony who do not seem to have come from the Dreaming.
That is the central mystery of the series. But longtime Sandman fans are also rewarded by many references to the classic stories, which is especially pronounced in the nightmare sequence included in each issue. Illustrated by a star-studded cast of guest artists (including Yanick Paquette, Andrea Sorrentino, Francisco Francavilla, and others), these pages draw directly from the visual language and characters of The Sandman. Even without the flashbacks it is a rich cast: Lucien the librarian and Matthew the raven are prominent minor characters, not to mention the angel Moroni (who is making some kind of power play), the current Dream, Death (although she does not actually appear in person), Desire, and finally the ancient witch Thessaly. Thessaly gets involved right at the end of the collection, and immediately regrets it. She is about to face an unknown predator in the final panel: quite a cliffhanger.
Artist Lisandro Estherren and colorist Patricio Delpeche are responsible for most of the art in the main story. They work in a loose impressionistic style that reminds me a bit of both artists Marc Hempel and Teddy Kristiansen from the original series. Of course, the series is notable for frequent artist changes, with each chosen for their compatibility with the particular story arc they worked on. The guest artists also contribute to the visual diversity. All in all, this miniseries is a treat for Sandman fans, and I can't wait to see what happens next. A sequel is already in progress.
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I think DC Black Label is taking up where Vertigo left off.
I have this first volume but haven't read it yet. As for Thessaly, she is featured in a one-shot comic in this week's ordering cycle which I just added to my pull list.
Yes, they are publishing the current reprints of The Sandman under DC Black Label as well. I was just thinking about the magic of the Vertigo imprint at its height; I expect that Tynion had fantasies about his work appearing there when he started writing.