The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - The Glass House #1
Kevin Rossi
Recap
The Corinthian has been turned loose on our realm once more, and this time he sets his sights on the very root of rapacious American capitalism—Silicon Valley. His relentless pursuit of the Smiling Man will carve a bloody path from the C-suite of Prophet Capital to the bowels of a demonic nightclub, and no one will be safe from his reach. Not Ken, living large in the Bay Area since parting ways with Barbie all those years ago. Not Max, a nervous hedge fund manager on the rise who’s never quite fit anywhere. Not anyone. Multiple Eisner Award-winning writer James Tynion IV reunites with superstar horror artist Lisandro Estherren to bring you the nightmare-fueled follow-up you’ve been craving, a tale that will plumb the bottomless depths of our yearning for more at the heart of the American dream.
Review
The Sandman Universe returns with The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House #1. James Tynion IV treated readers with the horrifying return of The Corinthian in Nightmare Country, and now both Tynion and the living nightmare return for the next chapter. Readers will find connections to both the first arc of Nightmare Country as well as the original series. This is something that Tynion does extremely well. He doesn’t make a big deal and shine a spotlight on things from previous issues with a wink and a nod to fans. His writing feels more lived in and fully immersed in this world. In fact, this issue is a great jumping-on point for readers curious about this new era of The Sandman Universe. Ideally, you’d want someone to read Neil Gaiman’s original series, but Tynion seems to really understand and respect the universe he is contributing to.
The issue’s art is really where this issue shines. Lisandro Estherren’s style is absolutely perfect for the tone Tynion’s writing calls for and Patricio Delpeche’s colors are the cherry on top. The art really isn’t something you see a lot in comics from The Big Two, though this is a DC Black Label book. Estherren’s pencils make use of interesting proportions of anatomies and do an excellent job capturing emotion, or lack thereof, in people’s faces. Delpeche’s colors look like they are some type of watercolor and really are a perfect companion to Estherren’s art. The visuals are like recalling a strange dream to a friend: some things are foggy, and some things are crystal clear. The Sandman Universe is a world full of unknowable things, and the art does a great job of reflecting that. In addition to the art, the lettering does an effective job joining Tynion’s script and the art together. Simon Bowland is a really solid letterer that has worked on all types of books, and his work on this issue is right up there with his work. The lettering compliments Delpeche’s colors as well as Estherren’s style and does some really interesting things with speech balloons and dialogue. The balloons at times look hand drawn and really lean into the qualities that Estherren’s art creates. In one instance, the Corinthian and his cat companion are speaking, and the cat’s speech balloon is slightly wavy with a border of lavender and a long tail of the same color. Its little touches in the lettering that unifies it with the art and create a really gorgeous and unique book.
Final Thoughts
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - The Glass House #1 boasts incredible art and an interesting premise. Though it is only issue #1, it appears that Tynion IV is well on his way to being the definitive writer for this era of The Sandman Universe.
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House #1: Back At It
- Writing - 8/108/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
