The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #2: Worst Nightmare

Can you trust a walking nightmare? The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #2 asks this question of Flynn, though she doesn’t really get a chance to answer. However, James Tynion IV doesn’t make this question easy to answer. The Corinthian playing detective to track down who, or what, the Smiling Man is an interesting concept and so far it works. Tynion is doing an excellent job reminding readers that the Corinthian might be a nightmare, but he isn’t necessarily an antagonist. Flynn knows he’s a nightmare but still trusts him, or at least lets her guard down enough to interact with him. That being said, I am interested to see what his motives are, and how he will interact with the Smiling Man as well as Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy. The next issue should be interesting and give readers a full sense of what this series is.

Lisandro Estherren and Patricio Delpeche are incredible together and I’m so glad they are working on this book together. Lisandro Estherren’s style feels fresh and unique, especially in The Sandman Universe. Patricio Delpeche’s colors are gorgeous and compliment Estherren’s pencils perfectly. The two artists do a great job balancing the horror aspects of this issue with the calmer and lighter moments. There are so many incredible visuals in this issue, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy. It is the strange combination of being unsettling but too gorgeous to look away. Simon Bowland’s lettering is excellent as always and is a perfect bridge when the issue’s art switches briefly. I am enjoying the inclusion of guest artists when depicting the Dreaming. Andrea Sorrentino is the guest artist on this issue with Jordie Bellaire doing color. Jordie Bellaire has colored previous The Sandman Universe books, mainly the excellent John Constantine: Hellblazer series that ended in 2020. Their contributions to the issue last a few pages, but they successfully take the reader from the waking world to the Dreaming. Something I loved about the original Sandman run was the use of different artists and styles. For Nightmare Country #2, the Dreaming segment depicts one of the unwritten books of one of the Corinthian’s victims.