The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House #1: Back At It

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.