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The Sandman: Overture
The Sandman: Overture #4
In an asylum in the City of the Stars, Morpheus comes face to face with the creature at the center of the war that will destroy the universe. Time is running out...
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 19, 2014
Morpheus, Morpheus Cat and a girl called Hope travel to a “star asylum” where a mad star (as in those massive cosmic balls of gas) threatens to end all of life everywhere. Can Morpheus save the day? Well, Sandman Overture is a prequel, so, duh!
I mentioned in previous reviews how slow and plodding this series has felt but Sandman Overture #4 takes this to a new level: literally two microseconds fills five entire pages!! Neil Gaiman’s narrative so far has had varying degrees of success but I feel that this fourth issue (with two more to go) is more disconnected than usual.
The biggest flaws for me were two things: 1) Morpheus and his siblings have a FATHER, and 2) a star – like our sun – can be INSANE. Why are they flaws? Because neither of these things should have human qualities. They aren’t human. In fact we, as humans, could barely comprehend them on any kind of level, so different are they, and yet Gaiman ascribes them almost cutesy aspects that make them relatable to us when they really shouldn’t be.
So who is Morpheus’ father? We’re never told explicitly but there is a lot of Christian imagery to suggest he is God, whatever that may mean. But, again, he and Morpheus discuss Morpheus’ mother/the Father’s wife and how they don’t talk. Whaaat?! The Father is something so ethereal he doesn’t have a name but the dialogue between him and Morpheus descends into trite human melodrama? And what does Morpheus’ Father add to the narrative anyway? Nowt, bar confusion.
It isn’t just pacing that’s the problem – though I did keep picking up and putting down this comic as it really didn’t engage me – but it’s the total lack of narrative tension. This “mad star” that threatens all living things in the universe – we know Morpheus, or someone, stops it because this is a prequel and many books follow Overture. Factor in Gaiman’s near lethargic storytelling style and you’ve got an energy-free comic!
THE saving grace for Sandman: Overture #4 is JH Williams III’s art. I can’t possibly do it justice in words but it is gorgeous. While I put the comic down more than once, I immediately went through the whole thing first, eyes agog at the sheer beauty on every page. It’s like an issue full of splash pages that break down into single panels that shimmer and slide on the page as if you’re witnessing magic firsthand - Dave Stewart’s extraordinary colours aid to the effect. Williams is an enormously skilled artist but his work on this series has been the finest he’s produced. Gaiman’s script may not be stellar but Williams’ art certainly is.
I’m still not sold on the girl Hope or Morpheus Cat as characters – they seem too derivative of Saga – but they don’t bring the series down either, being quite minor characters. I also appreciated that editorial made an effort to keep all of the comic pages together and all of the ads at the back, separate. If you remember the first issue of Sandman: Overture #1, there were ads and comics pages spliced haphazardly together; in #4, everything is kept apart so you can enjoy the comic and then look at the ads (which I dutifully did, though I can’t say any of Vertigo’s current books really appeal).
Sandman Overture #4 is certainly not a bad comic but it made me wonder if we needed a miniseries to explain how Morpheus was so weakened that he was captured by amateur human magicians in the first Sandman book. Overture #4 is very rambling and includes further, possibly unnecessary, additions to Morpheus’ world, though, if nothing else, we get some career-best artwork from JH Williams III - so I suppose it’s worth it.
I mentioned in previous reviews how slow and plodding this series has felt but Sandman Overture #4 takes this to a new level: literally two microseconds fills five entire pages!! Neil Gaiman’s narrative so far has had varying degrees of success but I feel that this fourth issue (with two more to go) is more disconnected than usual.
The biggest flaws for me were two things: 1) Morpheus and his siblings have a FATHER, and 2) a star – like our sun – can be INSANE. Why are they flaws? Because neither of these things should have human qualities. They aren’t human. In fact we, as humans, could barely comprehend them on any kind of level, so different are they, and yet Gaiman ascribes them almost cutesy aspects that make them relatable to us when they really shouldn’t be.
So who is Morpheus’ father? We’re never told explicitly but there is a lot of Christian imagery to suggest he is God, whatever that may mean. But, again, he and Morpheus discuss Morpheus’ mother/the Father’s wife and how they don’t talk. Whaaat?! The Father is something so ethereal he doesn’t have a name but the dialogue between him and Morpheus descends into trite human melodrama? And what does Morpheus’ Father add to the narrative anyway? Nowt, bar confusion.
It isn’t just pacing that’s the problem – though I did keep picking up and putting down this comic as it really didn’t engage me – but it’s the total lack of narrative tension. This “mad star” that threatens all living things in the universe – we know Morpheus, or someone, stops it because this is a prequel and many books follow Overture. Factor in Gaiman’s near lethargic storytelling style and you’ve got an energy-free comic!
THE saving grace for Sandman: Overture #4 is JH Williams III’s art. I can’t possibly do it justice in words but it is gorgeous. While I put the comic down more than once, I immediately went through the whole thing first, eyes agog at the sheer beauty on every page. It’s like an issue full of splash pages that break down into single panels that shimmer and slide on the page as if you’re witnessing magic firsthand - Dave Stewart’s extraordinary colours aid to the effect. Williams is an enormously skilled artist but his work on this series has been the finest he’s produced. Gaiman’s script may not be stellar but Williams’ art certainly is.
I’m still not sold on the girl Hope or Morpheus Cat as characters – they seem too derivative of Saga – but they don’t bring the series down either, being quite minor characters. I also appreciated that editorial made an effort to keep all of the comic pages together and all of the ads at the back, separate. If you remember the first issue of Sandman: Overture #1, there were ads and comics pages spliced haphazardly together; in #4, everything is kept apart so you can enjoy the comic and then look at the ads (which I dutifully did, though I can’t say any of Vertigo’s current books really appeal).
Sandman Overture #4 is certainly not a bad comic but it made me wonder if we needed a miniseries to explain how Morpheus was so weakened that he was captured by amateur human magicians in the first Sandman book. Overture #4 is very rambling and includes further, possibly unnecessary, additions to Morpheus’ world, though, if nothing else, we get some career-best artwork from JH Williams III - so I suppose it’s worth it.
January 2, 2015
All four issues have been fantastic. They are beautiful. Gaiman's storytelling is, as always, deep and meaningful; at least equal in beauty to the artwork.
The anticipation is building as we wait to find out how exactly Morpheus--Dream--was imprisoned. We're close enough to start guessing, but not close enough to know for sure, and the only downside to this six issue prelude...
There's no release date for the fifth issue.
*long, exasperated sigh*
December 20, 2014
You have to give this issue lots of praise for the art alone, which is astounding, some of the best art in the history of comics. Dave Stewart, who does the amazing colors, also has to get lots of credit. You will not always notice the colors, but in this one the coloring, done separately, is just wow work. J. H. Williams will get awards for this particular volume, which is my favorite art of the eleven volumes. Now, it's fantasy, romantic, dreamy, so it is a particular approach to the world that allows for creativity, granted. But it is great
The story? Almost nothing happens. The human touch (which in The Sandman for my money is when it gets good) hardly occurs, except in a surprise encounter with Dream's Father. In the encounter between father and son, there's a little humor here… but why do we need the father at all? And he looks like the Judeo-Christian typical depictions of God the Father… hmm… The Cat and the little girl do nothing in this one. The Insane Star doesn't do much… we are building to the inevitable conclusion…. There's just a lot of talk and kind of ethereal philosophizing about the origins of the universe and the Dream World… and this one, at least, is not a great story. So why 4 stars? 2 stars for the story and 6 stars for the art= 4 stars.
The story? Almost nothing happens. The human touch (which in The Sandman for my money is when it gets good) hardly occurs, except in a surprise encounter with Dream's Father. In the encounter between father and son, there's a little humor here… but why do we need the father at all? And he looks like the Judeo-Christian typical depictions of God the Father… hmm… The Cat and the little girl do nothing in this one. The Insane Star doesn't do much… we are building to the inevitable conclusion…. There's just a lot of talk and kind of ethereal philosophizing about the origins of the universe and the Dream World… and this one, at least, is not a great story. So why 4 stars? 2 stars for the story and 6 stars for the art= 4 stars.
January 23, 2016
I expected some grand things happening in issue 4 with the buildup Gaiman and Williams have constructed in the first half of Sandman Overture. The fourth issue turned out to be... subdued.
That someone Morpheus supposedly has to meet, well, he met him in issue 4, but I was not pleased with it. I thought it was some grand confrontation. Maybe it is just my personal taste, but you cannot blame me. If not with William's amazing art, reading The Overture would have been a tedious task by now.
But despite this I give this issue four stars. That is how good Sandman Overture is.
That someone Morpheus supposedly has to meet, well, he met him in issue 4, but I was not pleased with it. I thought it was some grand confrontation. Maybe it is just my personal taste, but you cannot blame me. If not with William's amazing art, reading The Overture would have been a tedious task by now.
But despite this I give this issue four stars. That is how good Sandman Overture is.
January 20, 2015
As I stated...now I am dropping this title. Just not getting into The Sandman, even though the art and scenes are wonderfully rendered.
April 15, 2015
Me ha robado la respiración hasta la última página...
March 26, 2016
Una genialidad, tanto en el guión como en el aspecto grafico.
August 10, 2016
Por fin pude hacerme con esta grapa y difruté muchísimo. Locura de colores, formatos e historias. Estoy deseando ver como termina esto.
September 1, 2020
In that coming together, the UNIVERSE was possible, ALL versions of it. IN it, people oculd dream and die. In it, stars BURNED and FLARED and WENT OUT.
The story and art have gone all psychadelic acid trippy and I'm not sure what in the world is going on now. It's completely bonkers! All I can surmise is
The story and art have gone all psychadelic acid trippy and I'm not sure what in the world is going on now. It's completely bonkers! All I can surmise is
February 25, 2024
The work just set a high level of how well comics can be executed that is so difficult, if not impossible, to surpass. Such a precise and unique lore along with the well portrayed characters and their arcs is depicted on a paper with such a vast variety of styles yet everything seems right in the place. Truly a work of art and a blessing for eyes
August 11, 2022
Se cuece lento, pero termina siendo una suma de eventos maravillosos
August 5, 2023
Beautiful.
September 6, 2024
I love Sandman, and Overture is the best complete storyline, in my opinion.
January 25, 2015
Hope: Are you very lonely? I think you are very lonely.
Dream: I am Dream of the Endless. I am perfectly self-sufficient. Loneliness is a mortal condition, and I am not mortal.
Hope: You are such a liar
Everytime a new Sandman Overture issue comes out, I re-read the previous ones, not because I've already forgotten what happened, but because I need to go back and see if I've missed anything or maybe something has changed in my understanding.
This fourth issue feels even dreamier and more disjointed at times, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. It is after all about dreams. We meet a character who we never knew existed before (I always thought the Endless sprung from nothing). We get to meet the insane star. And the mystery deepens.
I can't believe there are only two more issues to go. I will probably curl up in a ball when Sandman Overture ends. Or probably just re-read the whole Sandman series.
#5outof60for2015
Dream: I am Dream of the Endless. I am perfectly self-sufficient. Loneliness is a mortal condition, and I am not mortal.
Hope: You are such a liar
Everytime a new Sandman Overture issue comes out, I re-read the previous ones, not because I've already forgotten what happened, but because I need to go back and see if I've missed anything or maybe something has changed in my understanding.
This fourth issue feels even dreamier and more disjointed at times, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. It is after all about dreams. We meet a character who we never knew existed before (I always thought the Endless sprung from nothing). We get to meet the insane star. And the mystery deepens.
I can't believe there are only two more issues to go. I will probably curl up in a ball when Sandman Overture ends. Or probably just re-read the whole Sandman series.
#5outof60for2015
December 19, 2014
High state of confusion.
Also there might be spoilers following.
I have more questions than things to review ( and I guess that counts as a good thing). I have watched the story unfold and set the scene, with some things going as I envisioned and others not, but... is Dream's father Time? Please tell me the apple, the tree and the three forms ( very maiden/mother/crone in a way but....aaahhh confusion) are not what they suggest, and that what matters was the part related to whole existing/here there and everywhere only time wise shenanigans... I am confused, oh so confused. Then again it's not necessarily a bad thing with 2 issues to go.
Also there might be spoilers following.
I have more questions than things to review ( and I guess that counts as a good thing). I have watched the story unfold and set the scene, with some things going as I envisioned and others not, but... is Dream's father Time? Please tell me the apple, the tree and the three forms ( very maiden/mother/crone in a way but....aaahhh confusion) are not what they suggest, and that what matters was the part related to whole existing/here there and everywhere only time wise shenanigans... I am confused, oh so confused. Then again it's not necessarily a bad thing with 2 issues to go.
February 22, 2015
***Spoiler alerts
I am a huge fan of the Sandman series and I am really enjoying this prequel. First, the artwork...there just aren't adequate words to describe how stunning it is. Second, the story is incredible. Morpheus is not infallible and must deal with the consequences of past mistakes. I love that we get introduced to the Father of the Endless. I'm pretty sure he is Time. I suspect we get a glimpse of the Mother of the Endless in the second issue - the blue woman whose skin contains stars and galaxies. I think she might be the Universe. Plus, I love Morpheus Cat. I can't wait for the next issue.
I am a huge fan of the Sandman series and I am really enjoying this prequel. First, the artwork...there just aren't adequate words to describe how stunning it is. Second, the story is incredible. Morpheus is not infallible and must deal with the consequences of past mistakes. I love that we get introduced to the Father of the Endless. I'm pretty sure he is Time. I suspect we get a glimpse of the Mother of the Endless in the second issue - the blue woman whose skin contains stars and galaxies. I think she might be the Universe. Plus, I love Morpheus Cat. I can't wait for the next issue.
April 13, 2016
This entire issue, from beginning to end, was a work of art. I loved it. It was gorgeous. There was no fighting the star people. They didn't kill Dream, but they trapped him so he couldn't get out. We know he does get out, and that's going to be interesting ... getting to that point.
It's sad what happened to hope. All of a sudden, she was no more. Poof. Gone. Is there no hope left in this story? I suppose not. Not until "Preludes and Nocturnes." I'm sad there is so little left to this limited series. It's so fricken beautiful.
It's sad what happened to hope. All of a sudden, she was no more. Poof. Gone. Is there no hope left in this story? I suppose not. Not until "Preludes and Nocturnes." I'm sad there is so little left to this limited series. It's so fricken beautiful.
December 21, 2014
Morpheus Cat is the best character ever created hah. The artwork is absolutely, beautiful though I'm still a bit confused as to what's actually going on. Cliffhanger ending but based on the fact it's a prequel, we know that everything turns out, well, it turns out so that the original trilogy can begin. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.
January 8, 2015
BEAUTIFUL! The artwork Is just magnificent! and Like always, Gaiman's writing is spectacular! I'm super annoyed that I'll have to wait another lump of forever to read the next one! I need more, MINDFUCK, that's all i'll say.
January 21, 2015
Fascinating.
January 31, 2015
I'm obviously a Sandman fan, but the art in these comics are absolutely blowing me away. It is unlike anything I have ever seen.
January 31, 2016
Still enjoying this, both the art and the story. Interesting cliffhanger - looking forward to whatever happens next!
March 8, 2015
This prequel is just as amazing and fantastical as Sandman but so so different.
May 10, 2015
The best part was the dialogue between Dream and Hope. The art is super trippy.
September 14, 2016
First read: 2015
May 27, 2015
My only complaint is this: why did they put an interview--with spoilers--in the front? Luckily I read the issue before the interview but still, weird way to present the special edition.
June 21, 2015
Grandiose and cosmic meeting of all the Dreams at the end of the universe.
August 12, 2015
The art of this issues is extremly stunning, I love it.
A full review of Overture will come when I finished the last issues of this series.
A full review of Overture will come when I finished the last issues of this series.
December 29, 2015
What a fantastic issue - the magnets of stars indeed. The art is absolutely fantastic, as is Dream's slowly evolving consciousness and self.
February 28, 2016
Commento sull'ultimo numero
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