The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #3: Heating Up

Things are heating up in The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #3, or at least Flynn’s room because Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy set her room on fire. There is something truly unsettling about the two of them, and I love Estherren’s depiction of the two characters. The terrifying immutable faces and big boxy David Bryne suits haunt every page they appear on. Corinthian might be an actual nightmare but Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy are the ones that would give me nightmares. Speaking of nightmares, we still don’t know much about the Smiling Man. I might have missed something but it is unclear if the Smiling Man is connected to Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy.

This issue was light on the Corinthian other than the Dreaming sequence. I appreciate that this issue focused on other things but had the time to flesh out the Corinthian’s motives and role. Plus, Francesco Francavilla’s segment is beautifully illustrated. Issue #3 gives readers a chance to invest themselves more into Flynn. For now, Flynn is on the run from Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy. This issue also introduces Bill Teague, a right-wing billionaire who seems to be the sugar daddy of Flynn’s friend Robbie. He also appears to be already swept up in some nightmarish stuff, so his inclusion just adds to the creepiness and mystery. He is certainly interested in Flynn’s situation. I’m impressed with James Tynion IV’s ability to have all of these moving pieces in just three issues. Where things are headed is unclear, which is exactly what you want out of a horror story.