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The Sandman: Overture

The Sandman: Overture #6

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The final issue of the Eisner Award-nominated series is a sweep of science fictional beauty and madness. Featuring cameos by some of Morpheus’s favorite siblings, the grand finale of OVERTURE dovetails into the start of The Sandman’s first journey, providing new insight into THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES AND NOCTURNES.

This issue includes an exclusive black and white preview edition of THE TWILIGHT CHILDREN #1 by Gilbert Hernandez and Darwyn Cooke!

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2015

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Neil Gaiman

2,127 books313k followers

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5 stars
305 (66%)
4 stars
115 (24%)
3 stars
35 (7%)
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5 (1%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Brent.
2,251 reviews196 followers
October 3, 2015
Here is the conclusion of Sandman: Overture, with beautifully realized art by J. H. Williams, III.
If you love Gaiman's Sandman, you must read this.
Highest recommendation.
Profile Image for Jedi JC Daquis.
927 reviews46 followers
January 24, 2016
Everybody admits that the whole Sandman Overture series is a beautiful piece of graphic literature, both in script and art. The most critical readers would indulge on how satisfying the series have concluded and how it seamlessly connected with the original classic.

The series could have been longer though especially because many elements were left unexplained, leaving the core of the Overture bland and uninspired. With time not on Gaiman's hand (with months-long hiatuses between issues), the Overture digressed to quick fixes and hanging storylines. Yes, it could have been the limited number of issues, but pick any arc (which runs for about the same number of issues) in the original series and there's a mighty chance that it is better than the prequel. Gaiman could have made a smaller but more endearing and robust plot instead of taking a grandiose, superhero-ey story palette.

Overall, the Sandman Overture is still a great piece of literature and one of the best series I have read in recent history. It is a huge triumph in artwork and dialogue, masking an otherwise easy and straightforward story.
Profile Image for Nick.
65 reviews18 followers
October 5, 2015
(Five for the whole Overture series )
Profile Image for Storm.
2,324 reviews6 followers
September 2, 2020
In the grand dance of creation and destruction, of entropy and irony, the worlds are ending and she is there for all of them.

There's a speech about majestic lies that on it's own is enough to make this a 5* comic. Then there is the mind bending, the deus ex machina climax which ends it all well . Wow. I can honestly say this will read better if it's read AFTER reading the Sandman books, some parts are just going to be too heavy for most new Gaiman readers. As usual the art is stunning.
Profile Image for Emily.
5 reviews
January 1, 2024
I only purchased this initially for the illustrations. I came across this randomly, and it was my introduction to Gaiman's work.
Being new to the comic book world- I had no clue where to start and if this was its own story or a continuation given the storyline pace. I tweeted Gaiman and actually received a response with his order of reading recommendation!
It's told from a character that exists apparently in dreams and is copiloted by a strange nameless cat. It's complex and I found myself having to reread some parts to fully grasp them. Interesting, cerebral story.
Profile Image for S.M.M. Lindström.
Author 1 book13 followers
September 18, 2017
Can't believe it took me so long to finish this! All in all, this is a delightful addition/prequel to Sandman - a great explanation as to why Dream was able to end up in the poor situation we find him in at the start of the original series and a great look into different characters. Desire's role in all this was very, very lovely! I'm happy I chose to read this!
Profile Image for Gerardo.
489 reviews36 followers
February 28, 2016
Commento sull'ultimo numero perché credo sia necessaria avere una visione complessiva su tutti i numeri.

Prima di tutto, è un'opera barocca. Il preziosismo decorativo è affiancato da un concettismo elevato, che complica tutte le linee sia quelle narrative che di pensiero.

L'elemento narrativo è molto povero: è solo un pretesto affinché venga espresso il pensiero dell'autore. La linea narrativa riprende quella dantesca: il viaggio di un uomo, accompagnato da una guida, verso un momento salvifico. Durante il viaggio si fanno molti incontri: tutto il fumetto si fonda sui dialoghi. Sandman avanza lungo i mondi, incontra persone, ogni persona permette l'inserimento di un dialogo in cui Gaiman dà sfoggio di tutto il suo concettismo.

Il viaggio è la ricerca della propria colpa e allo stesso tempo della propria salvazione: tutto ciò esprime la necessità di una comprensione dei propri errori per poter andare avanti. Il pensiero è molto semplice e anche un po' banale, il che delude. Gaiman cerca di camuffare il tutto complicando, ma il più delle volte confonde più che abbellire.

Gustose sono le curiosità: appaiono personaggi mai visti nella serie regolare che contribuiscono ad allargare il quadro della mitologia di Sandman. Ma sono curiosità per appassionati che non aggiungono molto valore all'opera.

Infine, attraverso una rivisitazione del mito dell'arca di Noè, appare una nave che racchiude in sé tutte le forme di vita sopravvissute nell'universo. Il sogno di queste permetterà all'universo, dilaniato dalla guerra, di rinascere. Il sogno che salva, altro elemento banale nascosto sotto chili di parole difficili.

Ma bisogna pur ammettere una cosa: Gaiman ha dato finalmente una veste grafica degna della sua fantasia all'universo di Sandman. Finalmente tutti i fan possono ammirare per davvero tutto il potenziale estetico del mondo degli Eterni. Non è un caso che abbia scelto William III, disegnatore di un'altra opera 'cosmologica' come Promethea di Alan Moore.

Il fumetto vale la pena perché Gaiman riesce a raccogliere ottimi spunti per permettere al disegnatore di realizzare tavole di una bellezza stupefacente. Quindi, in sostanza, consiglio quest'opera a chiunque voglia lasciarsi andare a un profondo momento estetico, più che a una narrazione gustosa.
Profile Image for Carlos.
56 reviews9 followers
October 6, 2017
Y llegamos al final. El final de todas las cosas. Solo decir que volver a acompañar a Morfeo ha sido de los mejores regalos que puede tener un lector de cómics, y que intentar evaluar esta obra solo puede hacerse mentando la maestría del Príncipe de las Historias, el maestro Gaiman. Destacar la obra de arte que se ha conseguido al utilizar, como ya era costumbre en el original, todos los elementos del formato (viñetas, texto, bocadillos, marcos, portadas, etc.) como herramienta visual comunicativa y enfatizando su intencionalidad plástica. Me ha parecido que se esa fórmula que hizo especial a la obra original de Sandman, ha conseguido incluso mejorarse en este preludio, precuela, apertura.

Os sabrá a poco, un pellizco de lo que os gustaría seguir devorando, pero es redondo y sublime. Si leísteis la obra de Sandman y no habéis leído esta Obertura, dejad lo que estéis haciendo y permitiros volver a disfrutar de la magia. Y si no leísteis Sandman, solo siento envidia por dentro pensando en la sensación de cuando lo hagáis.

Hasta siempre, Oneiro.
Profile Image for Arctialuna.
220 reviews9 followers
May 21, 2016
Ponerle 5 estrellas es quedarse corto. Pero uno siempre se queda corto con Sandman.

En ningún momento tuve miedo del retorno de "Sandman" con "Sandman Obertura" y ahora, una vez terminado el último issue, desearía que siguiera eternamente y sin parar.

Aunque el argumento y la prosa es impecable, estamos hablando de Neil Gaiman así que no podría haber sido de otra manera, esta vez para mí lo más destacado de "Sandman Obertura" es la ilustración. Cada página es una obra de arte, y no hablo de cada viñeta, literalmente, cada página es una explosión de estilo único, la composición de las viñetas está perfectamente pensada, cada trazo transmite el estilo exacto del personaje y su estado emotivo, todo esto acompañando al texto de una forma impecablemente sincronizada.

La literatura es un arte. La pintura es un arte. Neil Gaiman y J. H. Williams han mostrado su gran talento en una suma perfecta que resulta en una obra redonda y de la que se disfruta cada segundo de su lectura y contemplación.
Profile Image for Jtumblepop.
69 reviews
February 29, 2016
Pensaba que era una obra visual para poder volver a sacar unos cuartos resucitando a Sandman. Pero he vuelto a leerlo todo junto, capítulo a capítulo (maldito J.H. Williams y su regodeo técnico de tres a cutro meses) y le he visto la consistencia de mostrar cuál fue la debilidad de Morfeo que hiciera que cuatro mortales aficionados a la brujería lo pudieran encerrar en un círculo mágico. La interacción de Los Eternos como un todo que son hijos de la Noche y El Tiempo. Detalles que el fan completista agradecerá, pero que pueden parecer paparruchas y rodeos innecesarios para un lector más casual.
Profile Image for Ernesto Carlos.
7 reviews
October 2, 2015
It’s just my opinion, but despite that the ending at first sight is evident, the fact that we could read again one of the endless Dreams adventures write by Gaiman is a delicatessen for hard core fans, but also the opportunity for the new generations give a chance to one of the greatest graphic novel ever created. 100% recommended.

Because this is the Sandman farewell, at least for the moment, I missed a few secondary characters like Fiddler’s Green, Matthew or Mervyn.
Profile Image for Carolyn.
682 reviews4 followers
October 4, 2015
A smooth transition into the first issue of The Sandman series, this addition was just as beautiful as the others. I think I'll have to re read the Overture archive cause I'm definitely a little confused but overall, it was a beautifully written and drawn series. Morpheus as a character is lovingly complex, stoic but compassionate in a dark way all at once.
Profile Image for Ettore Pasquini.
135 reviews122 followers
November 25, 2015
Wow. This must be the most spectacular Sandman I ever read. Or maybe I should say cinematic. It starts slow and then it progresses and gathers speed and you fall straight into the vortex. Amazing writing (what a conclusion and introduction, really) and spacey art, especially after the first few pages.
Good soundtrack: Zeit
Profile Image for Adriana.
264 reviews44 followers
December 4, 2015
Neil is definitely a cat person. :)

A fantastic prelude-end to the series. If you've never read Sandman before, definitely read Sandman and then read this as a post-script. I really feel this enriched the world of Sandman, which I consider one of the greatest written achievements of modern-day storytelling.
Profile Image for Jeremy.
27 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2016
I was glad to see the completion of this series. I loved J.H. Williams' artwork throughout. I tried to get all the Dave McKean covers, but I lucked out a couple of times. Despite the delays I eagerly waited for every one as I collected the single issues, and when I finally got issue six I read the whole thing back to back. Reading as a whole was a better experience in my opinion. I loved it!
Profile Image for Allyssa (Book Ally).
246 reviews6 followers
July 12, 2022
Giving this no rating as I was completely confused because duh its the end of the series and i thought it was the first. Silly me. Anyway I intend on starting the series properly at some stage when I can get my hands on it and the art work was stunning!!!!
Profile Image for Megan.
402 reviews
December 11, 2015
SO FREAKING GOOD! Sad this is over, but it was great having Sandman back for a bit. :D
Profile Image for Anie.
984 reviews32 followers
December 29, 2015
What a particular ending to such a brilliant buildup - this was such a good arc, and such a good culmination.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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