Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Lisandro Estherren
Color Artist: Patricio Delpeche
Letterer: Simon Bowland

Reviewed by Steve J. Ray

Summary

In this month’s The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country: The Glass House #5, we see several puzzle pieces finally falling into place.

Thessaly’s protecting Madison, in her Dream-given cat form, and Max. Both are on the run from the evil angel and corrupt millionaire behind the nightclub that doubles as a gateway to hell. Meanwhile, The Corinthian has infiltrated the club, in an effort to liberate Kells, Max’s undead girlfriend.

Positives

I’m wondering whether you’re reading this review without having enjoyed any issues of this remarkable series. Why? Because the last paragraph should have your head swimming and asking yourself, “OK… what?!?” I’m also asking myself, regularly, why more people aren’t reading this title, because it’s consistently fantastic.

All the breadcrumbs James Tynion’s been dropping since Nightmare Country #1 are starting to bear fruit, including the huge bombshell that closed issue #5. Dream has become embroiled in the events occurring in this series, so I can’t wait to witness the fireworks when he discovers that, once again, one of his younger siblings is neck-deep in the whole mess. In fact, it looks like they’re the one who’s behind the whole scenario.

I’ve been following Dream and his siblings since day one, and seeing them honored and homaged in great new comics makes me very happy indeed. Lisandro Estherren and Patricio Delpeche keep taking us into a world that feels like it’s come out of our darkest dreams. The art’s creepy, yet beautiful, and the colors are spooky and ethereal. All put together, these comics stand out from the crowd. This is intelligent, psychological horror at its finest.

Never in my wildest imaginings could I ever have believed that love between an undead girl and a mortal man could feel beautiful and real, but Max and Kells are so brilliantly written and drawn that I can’t help but root for them. Thessaly has always been infuriating, and now that she knows who’s been pulling the strings, even hers (from waaay back in the original Sandman series) I know that sparks are going to fly. Will she and Daniel cross paths?

Seeing Azazel, The King Of Pain, Dream, and his siblings in this book always makes me happy, so this issue ticked a lot of boxes.

Simon Bowland keeps up the class, too. His lettering is as elegant, essential, and perfect as the script and the art. I can feel the heat coming from those candles as I hear them light up.

Negatives

I WANT TO SEE DREAM AND THESSALY CONFRONT THE ENEMY! AAAARRRGGGHHH!

Of course, this is just me being selfish and impatient.

Verdict

I’m sure that it will come as no surprise that I loved Nightmare Country: The Glass House #5. Everything about this title just works for me, and I leave every issue wanting more. The only trouble is, I  don’t want to wait.

Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment

The post Review: Nightmare Country: The Glass House #5 appeared first on DC Comics News.

Here’s the full press release, direct from DC Comics:

DC Black Label’s
‘The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country’
Comic Book Series
Returns in 2023 with
‘Nightmare Country: The Glass House’

‘The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country’ Vol. 1
To Simultaneously Publish as a
Collectible Hardcover and a New-Reader-Friendly Softcover,
Built to Welcome Fans to ‘The Sandman Universe’

New DC Comic Book Series
‘The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives’
Launches December 27

Acclaimed horror writer James Tynion IV (Something Is Killing The Children, The Nice House On The Lake) has waited his whole career to pay tribute to the mythos of The Sandman, the work that made him the writer he is today, and now that time has come! With lush, gorgeous art from Redneck’s Lisandro Estherren and a who’s-who of superstar guest artists, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country is designed to welcome new readers into one of the greatest worlds in DC’s library, The Sandman Universe.

To make welcoming new readers easier, the collected edition of The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country arrives in two different formats. The collectible hardcover release with cover art by Alex Eckman-Lawn will be available wherever books are sold and is packaged with a mini-print of the iconic Death, as illustrated by artist Jenny Frison.

A softcover edition with cover art by Reiko Murakami, priced as an easy jump-on point, will be available exclusively at direct market comic book stores. Both are out April 4, the same day as the launch issue of Nightmare Country’s spectacular follow-up miniseries, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House!

James Tynion IV:

I’m thrilled to announce that Nightmare Country’s follow-up miniseries, The Glass House, is coming early in 2023.

 

The Corinthian is going to be making his way to Silicon Valley, where he will go head-to-head with Angels, Demons, and a breed of creature far more terrifying that anything he’s faced before, Venture Capitalists.

 

Lisandro and I are excited to continue this nightmare tour through modern America and can’t wait for you all to see what we’ve got in store for you.

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House, launching on April 4, 2023, brings Tynion and Estherren back into DC’s The Sandman Universe with a new story and new setting for the second act of their DC Black Label epic. The series will continue featuring covers by Reiko Murakami, as seen above.

Launching between the first two Nightmare Country narratives is The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives by Pornsak Pichetshote (The Good Asian) and Jeff Stokely, featuring Thessaly the witch along with series regular ghost detectives Edwin and Charles.

Their investigation into a Thai American girl’s disappearance from her Los Angeles home puts them on a collision course with new and terrifying ghosts straight from Thai folklore that could give even a dead boy nightmares!

How exciting is that? As a fan of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman Universe for over 30 years, this news is a dream come true.

As an added bonus, check out the main cover for Dead Boy Detectives #1 and the updated Sandman Universe reading guide, which now includes book six of the beautiful new collected editions!

Images and Press Release Courtesy of DC Entertainment

The post DC Black Label Announces ‘The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country: The Glass House’ and more appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Nick Robles

Colours: Matheus Lopes

Letters: Simon Bowland

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #12: The future of the realm of Faerie lands in Heather After’s hands-and Heather’s not exactly known for her sound judgment. But if she doesn’t use her power wisely, she could call down the wrath of the Dream Lord himself-and send her closest confidant, the escaped nightmare Ruin, back into eternal imprisonment…or far, far worse! Will Ruin be unmade before ever knowing the true love he condemned himself to mortality for? Perhaps he just gets what everybody gets-a lifetime. But it’s looking awfully short…

Positives

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #12 is the concluding chapter of G. Willow Wilson’s and the series final issue. I don’t know if there are plans for Wilson or any other writer to revisit the Dreaming in the near future, but this is a clear ending point for this particular story. Wilson ties up all the loose threads, and concludes each character’s arc.

In this series, Wilson introduced us to sorceress Heather After. Her name is clearly a reference to how fairy tales end with “and they all lived happily ever after”. And Waking Hours is a literal fairy tale, with much of the series taking place in the realm of Faerie. And Wilson’s choice for Heather proves to be appropriate, as she brings about a happy ending for most of the main characters. The threat to Faerie is defeated, Jophiel is allowed to return to Heaven, and Ruin finds his true love.

Some of the events that produce these happy endings seem a little too coincidental to be easily believable. But Wilson has a clever explanation for this. Heather reveals that she used a spell called Synchronicity to nudge events in their favour. Heather has proven herself quite a powerful magician indeed, if she’s able to manipulate cause and effect like this. But even more impressive is that she faces down Dream himself with a spell that gives even one of the Endless pause.

Positives Cont.

However, this draws the ire of the Sandman on Heather. Dream warns her, “You are making a mistake for which there is no forgiveness And your family and mine will again be at war. It did no end well for you last time”. This hints at further confrontation between Heather and the Dream Lord or perhaps other Endless in future stories. Heather after could prove to be a major player in the Sandman Universe, and this gives an angle for future writers to bring her back.

There is also an important issue resolved for Ruin. Throughout this story, he has been struggling with the idea that he is inherently evil. After all, he is the personification of ruination. But Dream resolves this problem by revealing Ruin’s true nature. He explains, “You are a dream. You are terrifying, but in your terror lies a lesson–one from which the dream learns when they awake. They wake from you glad to be alive. You are not evil. You are necessary”. The fear that Ruin inspires serves a needed, appearance, which makes Ruin’s existence a good thing.

I have quite enjoyed Nick Robles’ art in this series. I was especially impressed by his depiction of the final confrontation with Dream in this issue. Robles beautifully captures the full grandeur of the enraged Sandman, where the Sandman’s extreme power level is evident. I also love how he inserted callbacks to previous issues into the background of the final splash page.

Negatives

With The Dreaming: Waking Hours #12 having concluded, there are now currently no Sandman Universe titles currently being published. All other titles in the line have concluded or been cancelled, and no others have been announced. It would be a shame if this is the end of this revival. If DC truly has no plans to continue Sandman Universe, it would be nice at least to get a special or mini-series to give the line a proper send-off.

Vertigo

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #12 provides a satisfying conclusion to G. Willow Wilson’s story of the Dreaming. Both this series and the preceding title are worthy nice continuations of the Gaiman’s Sandman mythos. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long for the another chapter of The Dreaming.

The post Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #12 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artists: Nick Robles, M.K. Perker

Colours: Matheus Lopes, Chris Sotomayor

Letters: Simon Bowland

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #11: The time has come for a revolution in the realm of Faerie-but do Heather After and Jophiel have the power to make it happen by themselves if Ruin, lost in his own regrets, has fled back into the safety of the Dreaming? The Unseelie Court and their deadly allies certainly don’t think so…

Positives

With The Dreaming: Waking Hours #11, we are nearing the end of this story arc, and the threads are starting to come together. The issue begins with Ruin lamenting over his encounter with the Unseelie counsellor in the Dreaming. Although Ruin feels justified in using his power as a nightmare to protect his friends, it’s not a power he likes having or exercising.

Dream then enters the situation and an agreement between the three is reached. The counsellor is allowed to return to Faerie in return for the release of Heather and Jophiel. And Dream promises that “Ruin shall never set foot in Faerie again… though, I cannot promise that you will never encounter him here“.

I had somewhat underestimated Nuala. It is revealed that she did indeed overthrow Auberon and Titania on her own. She had done so because she felt they were unjust rulers and truly desired to bring peace to Faerie. Unfortunately, when she failed to bring peace to Faerie, she accepted the help of the Unseelie. They brought peace to Faerie, but at the price of freedom, joy, and beauty.

Positives Cont.

Nuala now enlists the aid of Heather in getting rid of the Unseelie. Heather proposes an alliance with the former rulers Auberon and Titania. Speaking of which, the whole matter seems to have done their marriage a world of good, as Auberon begs forgiveness from Titania and proposes they start again. It looks like they may be on the way to reconciliation, but Titania drops a surprise revelation, “I should never have bedded the king of dreams”. This certainly could spell trouble between Faerie and the The Dreaming in a future story.

I had been wondering what Puck was up to, and he finally resurfaces with Heather’s medical file that he stole several issues ago. The Unseelie learn Heather’s birth name from those records, and the counsellor attempts to use Heather’s true name to control her. However, this proves futile, as Heather explains that “there is no such thing as a true name”.

I love this part, as we see Heather come into her own as a magic-user. With magic power crackling around her, she scoffs at the counsellor’s attempt. She retaliates, saying, “I give you a name– and the name is Lost”. What exactly this means, we’ll have to wait until next issue to learn, but it looks bad.

Negatives

I am thoroughly enjoying both G. Willow Wilson’s story and the art from Nick Robles and M.K. Perker. I have no complaints that I would level against them. I am a bit annoyed that DC is being very vague about what this series’ future is, however. It was originally solicited as a 12 issue limited series. However, DC’s solicitations quickly dropped any mention of that, which seems to imply that it’s been upgraded to an ongoing series. But DC has not solicited any issues beyond next issue. So is the title ending after next issue, going on hiatus, or will it be rebooted again in a few months? I hope some continuation is in the cards for The Dreaming.

Verdict

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #12 is the penultimate chapter in what I hope is G. Willow Wilson’s story arc. The threads have come together, leaving us primed for next month’s conclusion. I look forward to seeing how this story concludes. And I hope it won’t be the end of her time in The Dreaming.

The post Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #11 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artists: Nick Robles, M.K. Perker

Colours: Matheus Lopes, Chris Sotomayor

Letters: Simon Bowland

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #10: The new ruler of the Kingdom of Faerie stands revealed-and it’s…Nuala? She may be one of the most beloved characters in the Sandman mythos, but she sure does seem, uh…how shall we say this…different? And amid this chaos, what secret from Heather After’s past will re-emerge when she needs it most?

Positives

In The Dreaming: Waking Hours #10, Ruin and Heather After are brought before the usurper queen, Nuala. I have been wondering how the unassuming Faerie Nuala had managed to depose Auberon and steal his throne. However, it seems clear from the interchange between Nuala and the being acting as her advisor, that she is merely a figurehead. This being suggests the orders he wants her to give. And when she hesitates to give the order, he commands, “Do it now“. Clearly, Nuala is not really the one in charged.

There is an interesting juxtaposition that shows the extent and the limits of Ruin’s power. When Heather is struck by one of the guards, Ruin reveals his true form. But even though he looks fearsome, Nuala’s advisor understands that a nightmare has little power in Faerie.

However, he makes a big mistake by imprisoning Ruin in his own quarters. When he goes to sleep, Ruin is able to enter his dreams, allowing Ruin to face the advisor in the Dreaming, where Ruin is at his full power. This brings to mind how in Sandman #1, Roderick Burgess was careful not to let the imprisoned Morpheus’ guards sleep in the presence of the Lord of Dreams.

Positives Cont.

Speaking of which, Dream is immediately aware of Ruin’s return to the Dreaming. This seems to disturb him, as he tells Matthew that Ruin is causing “unforeseen ripples in the fabric of the worlds. I fear he may only now begin to comprehend his own nature”.  Perhaps there is more to Ruin than has been revealed. Given his name, his nature is not likely to be beneficial to those around him.

Now, this may be a wild guess, but I wonder if Ruin bears some relation to Dream’s missing sibling, Destruction. The names are synonymous, suggesting some connection. Maybe Morpheus created Ruin to be some sort of reflection for the missing member of the Endless. If so, Ruin might be a lot more powerful that he seems.

We also see a touching exchange between a disguised Auberon and his queen, Titania. Titania has been brought low, forced to be a lowly servant to Nuala. Seeing Titania in this sorry state reminds him that he loves her and causes him to regret his treatment of his wife. Perhaps the usurpation of his rule will ultimately beneficial for their marriage.

And what has Puck been up to? We haven’t seen him in a while, but the earlier chapters hinted that he was central to the story. Could he be Nuala’s masked advisor?

Negatives

I have no complaints. G. Willow Wilson’s story is developing into a  worthy addition to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman mythos. And Roble and Perker’s artwork is nothing short of gorgeous.

Verdict

In The Dreaming: Waking Hours #10, the thread are starting to come together as the story arc nears its conclusion. As exciting as the series has been so far, I expect the next couple issues will be amazing, and I can’t wait to read those final chapters.

The post Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #10 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artists: Nick Robles, M.K. Perker

Colours: Matheus Lopes

Letters: Simon Bowland

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #9: Seduced by the sensual wiles of the realm of Faerie, Ruin and Heather After have not only been separated from the angel Jophiel, they’ve completely forgotten why they even set foot in this delightful place. But Faerie’s charms (literally) are lost on Jophiel, and he remains firmly on a mission…unfortunately for him, the king of Faerie has his own ideas on just what Jophiel’s power can do for him!

Positives

At the beginning of The Dreaming: Waking Hours #9, a trio of Faerie have ensnared Ruin and Heather After in their seductive control. Meanwhile, the abandoned Jophiel finds himself rescued by the deposed Faerie king, Auberon.

We get to see a flashback which fills in some of Heather’s backstory. We see her as a young girl (or maybe boy, as it’s unclear whether she had started identifying as female yet).  We see her tell her great-grandmother, “I don’t wanna be like great-grandpa Roderick. Or like you. All you want to do is hurt people. I wanna be a good wizard. Like Gandalf. Or, if I can’t be good, I at least wanna be cool”. She certainly does have a lot in common with her cousin, John Constantine.

Speaking of John, I wonder if John is also related to the Burgesses and Cripps families, or if John is related to Heather on her mother’s side. If not, the Constantines make three magical bloodlines Heather is related to. With this ancestry, Heather might have the potential to be an extremely powerful magician.

Positives Cont.

We also learn that Jophiel and Auberon have met before, just after the Harrowing of Hell. According to Christian tradition, this refers to the time Jesus spent in Hell between His crucifixion and resurrection. I wonder the story is behind this unlikely interaction between Faerie and Heaven. That is sure to be an interesting story in itself.

The trio of malevolent Faerie take Ruin and Heather to their queen Nuala. We only see her briefly, but she appears to be pretty much as we last saw her. She appears pretty much as she did last time we saw her. Rather plain without her Faerie illusionary beauty. She wears a simple worn dress. And her hesitant, stuttering voice betrays her strong words, “All sh-shall t-tremble before me.

I was wondering how Nuala could have gone from the shy, unassuming Faerie we saw in the original Sandman series to being able to lead a revolution that usurped Auberon’s rule. But, at first glance, it doesn’t look like she’s changed much at all. I suspect that someone else is the real power behind the throne, using Nuala as a figurehead. But who could it be? My first suspicion would be Puck, but we will have to see how the story develops.

The artwork is particularly effective in this issue. Nick Robles does a masterful job of depicting the blasted remains of the realm of Faerie. And the use of guest artist M.K. Perker to illustrate the flashback sequence was a clever idea. Perker’s style was different enough to effectively mark that interlude as a different time, but still similar enough to the rest of the book as not to be too jarring to the reader.

Negatives

Neil Gaiman set a high bar with his original work, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for G. Willow Wilson. Her story thus far has proven a worthy extension of Gaiman’s original Sandman series.

Verdict

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #9 is another fantastic chapter in G. Willow Wilson and Nick Robles’ followup to Neil Gaiman’s classic. Wilson’s story has hit every note perfectly so far, and I fully expect that she will continue to do so.

The post Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #9 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Nick Robles

Colours: Matheus Lopes

Letters: Simon Bowland

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #8: “The Faerie King,” the next major arc of The Dreaming: Waking Hours, begins here! Heather After has a theory about just where Ruin’s lost love might be found…but the realm of Faerie is a dangerous place under the best of circumstances, and as Ruin, Heather, and Jophiel will quickly find when they cross between worlds, the circumstances there have changed quite a bit!

Positives

In The Dreaming: Waking Hours #8, Heather After, Ruin, and Jophiel travel to the Faerie, to keep Heather’s bargin with Auberon. Their first glimpse of Faerie is exactly as you would expect: a beautiful green forest, with sprites and pixies flitting about. However, they don’t get too far before seeing that most of the realm is a war-torn wasteland. This is due to the rebellion Nuala led to usurp Auberon’s throne.

We also see Dream deciding to take an active role in the story by deciding to investigate what Ruin has been up to. Strictly speaking, Dream isn’t the central character of the tile, but he is the central figure of the Sandman Universe line, which has been whittled down to a single title now. And this is the title that has the most direct connection to the Lord of Dreams. So, I am quite pleased to see him take a prominent role in the story.

Positives Cont.

And it’s understandable that Dream is wary of nightmares walking the waking world. And Ruin is an especially dangerous nightmare to unleash on the world. His very name implies ruination, so it’s likely his presence would spell disaster for those around him.

In The Dreaming: Waking Hours #8, we also see that the nurse Azar  also knows Ben, the mysterious dreamer that is the target of Ruin’s infatuation. Heather opines that maybe he is a Faerie or some other supernatural being. However, Azar is able to recognize the true natures of Jophiel and Ruin, wouldn’t she also recognize if Ben was a supernatural entity?

I am quite enjoying Nick Robles’ artwork on this series. Even though the original Sandman series featured a wide variety of artists with different styles, Robles’ manages to evoke the feel of that series. His art and Matheus Lopes’ colours help to make this feel like a true continuation of Neil Gaiman’s original work.

Negatives

I still have a hard time believing that the unassuming Faerie Nuala from the original Sandman series would become an evil usurper of the Faerie. However, in the Faerie, not all is as it seems. And we don’t know the full story yet. I trust that G. Willow Wilson can justify this apparent change of personality in Nuala.

Verdict

G. Willow Wilson’s The Dreaming: Waking Hours is a worthy continuation of Neil Gaiman’s classic Sandman series. Wilson is doing a terrific weaving her new creations together with old friends to produce a fantastic new tale.

The post Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #8 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Javier Rodriguez

Colours: Javier Rodriguez

Letters: Simon Bowland

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #7: Bleeding out in a hospital bed from a magic wound that will not heal, sorceress Heather After must swing open the gates of reality to find herself a protector…but is she prepared for the deal she’ll have to strike once she finds a champion with the dangerous power she needs? And speaking of dangerous power…what happens when Matthew the Raven catches a glimpse of one of the artifacts Heather’s been hiding away?

Positives

G. Willow Wilson has been bringing back a number of familiar faces in this story. Now, in The Dreaming: Waking Hours #7, we are re-introduced to Auberon, king of the Faerie. Well, it appears his throne has been usurped by another returning character: Nuala. This is a bit of a surprise, considering that Nuala has been a rather shy and one of the nicest denizens of the Dreaming.

It seems that there is more to the story than what Auberon is telling us. Did something happen to Nuala to maker her turn traitor? Or is Auberon misrepresenting events? Generally, Faerie are not trustworthy folk, so his tale may hold little or no truth. And the deal Heather After strikes with him may end up being a deal with the devil.

Positives Cont.

I was intrigued by the scene where Heather’s nurse encounters Jophiel and Ruin. She has what Jophiel calls “true sight”, so she sees their true forms. Jophiel is revealed in all his glory as an angel: winged, wearing a crown, and with his features obscured by blinding light. Ruin, on the other hand, is revealed as a Lovecraftian horror – a single huge eyeball set within a mass of writhing snakes. She also refers to Ruin as “one of the Hidden People”. It would be interesting to find out what exactly is the meaning and origin of that appellation.

I also love that Matthew exhibits the typical cranky attitude that we’ve come to expect from him. Wilson clearly understands and knows how to portray the characters from Gaiman’s original epic series. She clearly is respecting the stories that have come before.

And there is the worrying incident of Puck stealing Heather’s medical file from the hospital. Do these records hold the true name that she was born with? Or is there some other knowledge there that Puck can use against her?

Negatives

While it’s great to see so many classic Sandman characters appear, there is a danger that the story might rely too heavily on this nostalgic element. But Wilson is avoiding that danger so far. She also has included a number of well-defined new characters that are central to her story. While Wilson is paying respect to the original classic stories, these characters serve to advance her story. Thus, their presence is warranted.

Verdict

G. Willow Wilson’s The Dreaming: Waking Hours is a delightful series that mixes classic Sandman Universe characters with Wilson’s own new characters. Wilson does a fine job of adding to the the mythos created by Neil Gaiman. While it’s great to see some old friends in the story, there’s plenty of new elements to keep the story fresh.

The post Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #7 appeared first on DC Comics News.

As Netflix brings Sandman to life, we get a glimpse at the cast. It has been announced that Tony-nominated actor Tom Sturridge is officially set to star as Dream. The show will also add Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry, and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

Gwendoline Christie will play Lucifer, the ruler of Hell whom Dream must visit shortly after his escape, while Vivienne Acheampong will play Lucienne, chief librarian of The Dreaming and Dream’s most trusted lieutenant. Now fans have some faces to match to names ahead of the long-awaited debut of a comic adaptation.

Originally created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg, The Sandman is about Dream, the anthropomorphic embodiment of storytelling, and what he decides to do with his immortal life after escaping a decades-long captivity at the hands of human sorcerers and returning to his realm in The Dreaming.

The Sandman is far from a solo story. A major reason that the comic is so beloved is because of its colorful cast of supporting characters.

There have been many attempts to adapt The Sandman as a film, with Gaiman and Goyer having penned the most recent attempt. This is astonishing, and I’m so grateful to the actors and to all of ‘The Sandman collaborators’ — Netflix, Warner Bros., DC, to Allan Heinberg and David Goyer, and the legions of crafters and geniuses on the show — for making the wildest of all my dreams into reality.”

The Sandman is far from a solo story. A major reason the comic is so beloved is because of its colorful cast of supporting characters. The comic was originally ordered to be a series at Netflix in 2019 with a 10-episode commitment.

The post Netflix Brings Sandman To Life appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Javier Rodriguez

Colours: Javier Rodriguez

Letters: Nick Robles

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #6: As life gets back to something almost like normal for Lindy, sorceress Heather After finds herself plunged into a waking nightmare of her own! The cruel creature known as Puck is stalking her, and no being she could possibly summon can protect her from his wrath! Unless… no, she couldn’t possibly try to summon…really?!

Positives

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #6 shows the aftermath of the series’ first act, catching us up on the title’s main characters. Also, G. Willow Wilson moves her story forward into the next arc. The issue serves gives a satisfying transition between the two acts.

While one might expect that Lindy Morris’ role in the story is finished, we see that she has completed her doctoral dissertation. One of the panel declares that her knowledge of Shakespeare is “almost like you were there”. Clearly, her recent experiences in the Dreaming has helped her in her studies. But given the disapproving looks of her advisor, it seems that we haven’t reached the end of Lindy’s story thread quite yet.

We also see Ruin beginning his life in the waking world. He shows up on Jophiel’s doorstep. It looks like the angel and nightmare will be roommates. It seems likely that this will mean trouble for Jophiel. After all, what worse omen could you have than Ruin setting up residence with you.

Positives Cont.

I was quite pleased to see a number of guest appearances of other Vertigo/Sandman Universe characters in this issue. We catch a glimpse of Dream’s older sister Death, signalling that Heather After is in mortal danger. That mortal danger comes from the Puck, who comes to the fore as the main antagonist for this story arc.

Looking for help, Heather reaches out to her cousin, John Constantine, who advises her to attempt to call on a higher power for protection from Puck. Heather attempts to something big and powerful with a risky spell. However, what she gets is Matthew the Raven and Goldie, Abel’s baby gargoyle.

This would seem a rather disappointing result for Heather. After all, neither Matthew nor Goldie are particularly powerful. However, I suspect that they will prove to be exactly what Heather needs before the story reaches its conclusion. In any case, they are certain to prove interesting additions to the story.

Negatives

I have no complaints with either Wilson’s storytelling, nor with Javier Rodriguez’s art. The story has been fascinating and hasn’t lost any steam as it transitions into the second act.

Verdict

I love that the story initiated by Neil Gaiman in The Sandman has been brought back and is being carried forwards by some of DC’s best talents. Like Simon Spurrier before her, G. Willow Wilson is proving herself worthy of continuing Gaiman’s classic story for a new generation.

The post Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #6 appeared first on DC Comics News.