What do you think?
Rate this book
The Absolute Sandman
Absolute Sandman Overture
OVERTURE
noun
1. A piece of orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio, often containing the main themes of the work or quotations from the work that is to come.
2. Approaches made with the aim of opening negotiations or establishing a relationship.
3. The first part of an event. The very beginning of something.
From Amazon:
The gateway story to the ground-breaking and New York Times best-selling Sandman series by multi award-winning author Neil Gaiman is collected here in an Absolute over-sized edition. Collects The Sandman: Overture #1-6.
From Vertigo Comics:
Neil Gaiman’s legendary series is back in DC’s Absolute Edition format! From the birth of a galaxy to the moment that Morpheus is captured, THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE features cameo appearances by fan-favorite characters such as the Corinthian, Merv Pumpkinhead and, of course, the Dream King’s siblings: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny. This volume collects THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #1-6 in its entirety together with a special presentation of the whole story’s original, uncolored art by J.H. Williams III, plus bonus material and a new cover by Williams!
noun
1. A piece of orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio, often containing the main themes of the work or quotations from the work that is to come.
2. Approaches made with the aim of opening negotiations or establishing a relationship.
3. The first part of an event. The very beginning of something.
From Amazon:
The gateway story to the ground-breaking and New York Times best-selling Sandman series by multi award-winning author Neil Gaiman is collected here in an Absolute over-sized edition. Collects The Sandman: Overture #1-6.
From Vertigo Comics:
Neil Gaiman’s legendary series is back in DC’s Absolute Edition format! From the birth of a galaxy to the moment that Morpheus is captured, THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE features cameo appearances by fan-favorite characters such as the Corinthian, Merv Pumpkinhead and, of course, the Dream King’s siblings: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny. This volume collects THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #1-6 in its entirety together with a special presentation of the whole story’s original, uncolored art by J.H. Williams III, plus bonus material and a new cover by Williams!
416 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2018
4 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 10, 2023
The adventure Gaiman writes is interesting but the real star of the show is JH Williams. He brings his A-game to this. I suppose he always does. For some reason he always gets stuck with these overly philosophical stories (I'm also thinking of Promethea).
The edition I have also includes his original artwork. At first I thought a few pages seemed like the colorist Dave Stewart was doing the heavy-lifting, but actually Williams was skipping inks and going right to paint on a few pages.
The edition I have also includes his original artwork. At first I thought a few pages seemed like the colorist Dave Stewart was doing the heavy-lifting, but actually Williams was skipping inks and going right to paint on a few pages.
May 31, 2021
Wow! Sandman at its best. Cosmic story telling from Gaiman, amazing art and design through-out. A really fitting final volume in the series. Makes me want to start over and read the whole series again.
November 12, 2022
(Zero spoiler review) 3.5/5
Despite sitting here, having scored the book, with a few paragraphs of vaguely literate word vomit about to spill forth describing my feeling on Sandman Overture, I'm still not sure what those feelings are exactly. There is little here to complain about. William's mind bending, genre straddling, face exploding artwork. The master Dave Stewart on colours, and Neil Gaiman turning in his usual levels of narrative competence (well, mostly), but still, the whole thing left me feeling a little cold, a little disappointed. Sandman wasn't the oh my god, so this is what an orgasm via book feels like moment I kinda thought it was going to be. Or so my somewhat unrealistic expectations had me believe. It was mostly very good, and occasionally not very good, but overall, a story I will read again, albeit, omitting a few issues here and there. I really don't think I'm going to be reading Overture again though, despite the very solid score I've given it. I can't think of a single reason why it doesn't deserve 3.5. To give it less would do considerable disservice to all who worked on it. Yet despite its amazing art and colours, Gaiman's whimsical navel gazing really has gone one step too far here. His prose is fine, his concept is fine. His execution is mostly fine. But it all adds up to a whole lot of finery, that while shiny and shimmery, didn't give me the fizz like it should. A tale less than the sum of its parts, it seems.
There were some beautiful moments here. For a few pages now and then, it seems like we are going to get a consistent, consecutive, somewhat straightforward narrative. But then it goes all mind bendingly existential, and I just couldn't summon enough interest to invest in the strangeness. This is two good acid trips and one bad one cobbled together into a single story. Gaiman does it as best as you could expect anyone to, I guess. The man is a talent. It's just too often I find myself wishing he would just tell a straight forward story, and not feel the need to make it more than it needs to be.
Without spoiling the ending of the series proper, Death is possibly even less likeable here than he was come the end of the series. Only a brief cameo by a certain someone put a smile on my face. Everyone else is dour and disappointing.
It was sorta nice to be back in this world again, even if this isn't the story I wanted and the art is exceptional, albeit a tad much at times. It's great, it's just not all that good either. 3.5/5
OmniBen.
Despite sitting here, having scored the book, with a few paragraphs of vaguely literate word vomit about to spill forth describing my feeling on Sandman Overture, I'm still not sure what those feelings are exactly. There is little here to complain about. William's mind bending, genre straddling, face exploding artwork. The master Dave Stewart on colours, and Neil Gaiman turning in his usual levels of narrative competence (well, mostly), but still, the whole thing left me feeling a little cold, a little disappointed. Sandman wasn't the oh my god, so this is what an orgasm via book feels like moment I kinda thought it was going to be. Or so my somewhat unrealistic expectations had me believe. It was mostly very good, and occasionally not very good, but overall, a story I will read again, albeit, omitting a few issues here and there. I really don't think I'm going to be reading Overture again though, despite the very solid score I've given it. I can't think of a single reason why it doesn't deserve 3.5. To give it less would do considerable disservice to all who worked on it. Yet despite its amazing art and colours, Gaiman's whimsical navel gazing really has gone one step too far here. His prose is fine, his concept is fine. His execution is mostly fine. But it all adds up to a whole lot of finery, that while shiny and shimmery, didn't give me the fizz like it should. A tale less than the sum of its parts, it seems.
There were some beautiful moments here. For a few pages now and then, it seems like we are going to get a consistent, consecutive, somewhat straightforward narrative. But then it goes all mind bendingly existential, and I just couldn't summon enough interest to invest in the strangeness. This is two good acid trips and one bad one cobbled together into a single story. Gaiman does it as best as you could expect anyone to, I guess. The man is a talent. It's just too often I find myself wishing he would just tell a straight forward story, and not feel the need to make it more than it needs to be.
Without spoiling the ending of the series proper, Death is possibly even less likeable here than he was come the end of the series. Only a brief cameo by a certain someone put a smile on my face. Everyone else is dour and disappointing.
It was sorta nice to be back in this world again, even if this isn't the story I wanted and the art is exceptional, albeit a tad much at times. It's great, it's just not all that good either. 3.5/5
OmniBen.
January 4, 2019
Extremt snygg. Halvbra story. Men EXTREMT snygg.
January 22, 2024
4.6*
Horror pur combinat amb mitologia i una mica de moltes coses més --riures, alegria, plors, tristesa, melancolia, tendressa,...-- al més pur estil Gaiman. Imprescindible per a tots els amants del gènere fantàstic.
Horror pur combinat amb mitologia i una mica de moltes coses més --riures, alegria, plors, tristesa, melancolia, tendressa,...-- al més pur estil Gaiman. Imprescindible per a tots els amants del gènere fantàstic.
February 26, 2018
Recently, I completed my second time through reading the Sandman series, but this was the first time reading Overture. And I loved it.
When I read the forward, it said that the story is a prequel that tells the story of what Morpheus was doing before being imprisoned at the start of the series. Seeing as I'm not a huge fan of prequels, I was disappointed.
And then I read it. And then I saw how the first issue of Overture ended:
"So . . . Do you think father will be pleased to see us?"
Where the story goes from there was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!
I very quickly got over my trepidation of it being a prequel, because while it was predominately a prequel, there were scenes with the new Dream. And themes that were present throughout the series were still present in Overture. There were so many echoes of the original series while still being its own story, which, ya know, is what an overture is!
The manner in which the story is told is also brilliant. It eschews traditional comic modes all throughout the series. There were moments where there was a story behind beyond inside the actual pages. Literately. There would be a double page spread that continues the story, obviously, but then, that double page spread opens up to reveal an interior story that covers four pages!
There are parts in the story where to keep up with the narrative and dialogue flow, the book must be rotated.
The artistic style was varied and intense. At times, photo realistic and at times, very abstract. And everything inbetween.
The book stands apart from the original series as its own entity and can be easily (okay, creatively) understood without the rest of the books. And at the same time, the story is definitely part of the overall thematic thread that runs through the series, making this a necessary and integral part of the series.
The book accomplishes much and brilliantly so.
When I read the forward, it said that the story is a prequel that tells the story of what Morpheus was doing before being imprisoned at the start of the series. Seeing as I'm not a huge fan of prequels, I was disappointed.
And then I read it. And then I saw how the first issue of Overture ended:
"So . . . Do you think father will be pleased to see us?"
Where the story goes from there was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!
I very quickly got over my trepidation of it being a prequel, because while it was predominately a prequel, there were scenes with the new Dream. And themes that were present throughout the series were still present in Overture. There were so many echoes of the original series while still being its own story, which, ya know, is what an overture is!
The manner in which the story is told is also brilliant. It eschews traditional comic modes all throughout the series. There were moments where there was a story behind beyond inside the actual pages. Literately. There would be a double page spread that continues the story, obviously, but then, that double page spread opens up to reveal an interior story that covers four pages!
There are parts in the story where to keep up with the narrative and dialogue flow, the book must be rotated.
The artistic style was varied and intense. At times, photo realistic and at times, very abstract. And everything inbetween.
The book stands apart from the original series as its own entity and can be easily (okay, creatively) understood without the rest of the books. And at the same time, the story is definitely part of the overall thematic thread that runs through the series, making this a necessary and integral part of the series.
The book accomplishes much and brilliantly so.
June 7, 2023
The Sandman Overture.
The first part of an event.
The very beginning of something.
Neil Gaiman's return of his most beloved series, Sandman. I have read Sandman a couple times, but never this volume until know. I finally have, and it was wonderfull. J.H. Williams lll is something else. I loved his work on Batwoman, and he really is a dream artist for The Sandman, no pun intended ! People who follow me know i am a sucker for a good hardcover or Absolute, and this is absolutely (again no pun) the best way to digest this story. This is truly phenomenal. Well back to dreaming...
This team has over 20 eisner awards combined, they are the Beatles of comics.
The first part of an event.
The very beginning of something.
Neil Gaiman's return of his most beloved series, Sandman. I have read Sandman a couple times, but never this volume until know. I finally have, and it was wonderfull. J.H. Williams lll is something else. I loved his work on Batwoman, and he really is a dream artist for The Sandman, no pun intended ! People who follow me know i am a sucker for a good hardcover or Absolute, and this is absolutely (again no pun) the best way to digest this story. This is truly phenomenal. Well back to dreaming...
This team has over 20 eisner awards combined, they are the Beatles of comics.
January 13, 2025
Years after the original Sandman series and the Dream Hunters and Endless Nights mini series Neil Gaiman revisited the Sandman Universe to write the Overture, a six part prequel.
This is a book where the oversized absolute edition is a real advantage to showcase the artwork because it is stunning. The design & inventiveness & beauty that J.H.Williams III brings to this story is on another level to most other comics. He's an absolute genius and the art is perfect for the grandeur of the story which is cosmic in scope.
At one point we get a fold out four page spread that is just incredible.
This not only gives us the events showing the adventure Morpheus has prior to the first issue of the original series but includes elements & themes from parts of the series throughout.
OVERTURE
noun
1. A piece of orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio, often containing the main themes of the work or quotations from the work that is to come.
2. Approaches made with the aim of opening negotiations or establishing a relationship.
3. The first part of an event. The very beginning of something.
This establishes the relationship Morpheus has with his parents as well as his siblings in the Endless as well as those he has created including the nightmare the Corinthian.
As a mini series in itself it is amazing and as a prequel it gives us everything that is loved about the Sandman Universe but shows how Dream finds himself weakened and trapped at the start of Sandman issue 1 from the 1980s bringing us full circle.
My favourite comic book read of 2024 and on my list of top comic book reads ever. Not just comics but a favourite fantasy story.
The Absolute edition gives us the story twice as it reprints the entire six issues in a special artist edition showing the artwork prior to colouring and digital effects. Stunning.
There's also a miscellany of bonus material and artwork.
This is a book where the oversized absolute edition is a real advantage to showcase the artwork because it is stunning. The design & inventiveness & beauty that J.H.Williams III brings to this story is on another level to most other comics. He's an absolute genius and the art is perfect for the grandeur of the story which is cosmic in scope.
At one point we get a fold out four page spread that is just incredible.
This not only gives us the events showing the adventure Morpheus has prior to the first issue of the original series but includes elements & themes from parts of the series throughout.
OVERTURE
noun
1. A piece of orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio, often containing the main themes of the work or quotations from the work that is to come.
2. Approaches made with the aim of opening negotiations or establishing a relationship.
3. The first part of an event. The very beginning of something.
This establishes the relationship Morpheus has with his parents as well as his siblings in the Endless as well as those he has created including the nightmare the Corinthian.
As a mini series in itself it is amazing and as a prequel it gives us everything that is loved about the Sandman Universe but shows how Dream finds himself weakened and trapped at the start of Sandman issue 1 from the 1980s bringing us full circle.
My favourite comic book read of 2024 and on my list of top comic book reads ever. Not just comics but a favourite fantasy story.
The Absolute edition gives us the story twice as it reprints the entire six issues in a special artist edition showing the artwork prior to colouring and digital effects. Stunning.
There's also a miscellany of bonus material and artwork.
December 10, 2021
This book is the beginning and the conclusion of the Sandman. It was the last story written by Neil Gaiman, as a prequel to the original series. The narrative is nothing short of epic, a tale of cosmic proportions where all of reality is at stake.
But what truly sets this volume apart from all the other Sandman graphic novels is the unbelievable artwork by J.H. Williams III. I've never seen such detail, such amazing page layout and composition; it's progressive, experimental, trippy, out of this world. The colorist and the letterer did an equally wonderful job - a work of art in the truest sense of the word.
The Absolute edition was top-notch, as usual. My only complaint is that it was too short. The "Overture" series is just 6 issues long, even with the extras (covers, interviews, script, an overview of the creative process, etc.) it wouldn't amount to half the number of pages of the previous volumes. So what they did was... print the whole story again, but without colors and digital processing. It was not too bad, but felt like a cheap way to fill space.
Anyway, it was a great swan song for the best graphic novel of all time, by my favorite fantasy writer. I'm sad it's over, but as all good stories, it'll get better with time, as it slowly decants into my memories. Long live the Sandman! This was the trip of a lifetime, one I'll remember forever in my dreams.
But what truly sets this volume apart from all the other Sandman graphic novels is the unbelievable artwork by J.H. Williams III. I've never seen such detail, such amazing page layout and composition; it's progressive, experimental, trippy, out of this world. The colorist and the letterer did an equally wonderful job - a work of art in the truest sense of the word.
The Absolute edition was top-notch, as usual. My only complaint is that it was too short. The "Overture" series is just 6 issues long, even with the extras (covers, interviews, script, an overview of the creative process, etc.) it wouldn't amount to half the number of pages of the previous volumes. So what they did was... print the whole story again, but without colors and digital processing. It was not too bad, but felt like a cheap way to fill space.
Anyway, it was a great swan song for the best graphic novel of all time, by my favorite fantasy writer. I'm sad it's over, but as all good stories, it'll get better with time, as it slowly decants into my memories. Long live the Sandman! This was the trip of a lifetime, one I'll remember forever in my dreams.
Read
October 26, 2023Eyegasm material. JH Williams III, Dave Stewart, and Todd Klein are a trio sent from god. Neil Gaiman dialogue is always smooth to read if often overlong; he mentions in the intro that his favorite scene was when Dream meets the different aspects of himself, and I could tell because it was something like a 5 or 6 page scene that could have been 3. But since every piece of this is some of the most beautiful art I’ve ever seen, I didn’t mind much. There’s two foldout spreads and even a moment where you have to rotate the book as you read it! I’m sure this has been done before, but I’ve never seen it done with such immersive and exciting artwork. From what I’ve read of the original run, Overture easily outdoes it, and delivers aesthetically what I’d expect from such a conceptually grand story.
The back matter in the absolute edition is also a pot of gold- ALL of Williams’ original pencils and paints are included, as well as interviews with everyone on the team. I’ll be listening to their desert island music picks and looking for their comic recommendations for the next week.
The back matter in the absolute edition is also a pot of gold- ALL of Williams’ original pencils and paints are included, as well as interviews with everyone on the team. I’ll be listening to their desert island music picks and looking for their comic recommendations for the next week.
October 2, 2021
I could stare at JH Williams III's art for hours on end and never tire of it. This book is a gorgeous, dreamy, meandering homecoming. I would not recommend it as an actual prequel to Sandman because the story is so grand in scope that it's hard to latch onto. But I care about Morpheus and the other residents of The Dreaming, so the story became secondary to the artwork and the feeling of being back in this world.
February 7, 2018
This story takes place prior to Sandman #1 ( the original comic series of Volume 1 of the omnibus ) and features not only another great yarn from Gaiman ( including all the various incarnations of Dream ) but some amazing artwork from JH Williams III.
September 3, 2022
One of my favorite Sandman story arcs, Overture, falls outside the chronology and release cycle of the original 75-issue run of the series and tells the story of what Dream was doing just before the series started. Is it a critical arc in the history of the franchise? No. But it is magnificent.
Mr. Gaiman began Sandman with a "bang" and got better at his craft as the series continued (despite a few clunker issues.) This work, written long after the original series, after some best-selling long-form novels, is the author in peak form. The writing approaches the best the genre can offer. And the artwork? Also, just stellar (sometimes literally). The style, composition, inking, and colors - are terrific.
And this is the "Absolute Edition," which I recommend for fans looking for premium versions of these comics. They are expensive, expansive, and heavy, but the way the art appears on the page is worth the acquisition price.
If Goodreads allowed half-stars, I would have made this one four-and-a-half. There is a lot of extraneous material here; a large part appears twice to show some original inking and the like. I geek out on the process of creating comics a bit, but this seemed a little over-indulgent. The page count could have been shortened or used better by including some other apocryphal content from the Sandman Universe.
I highly recommend The Sandman Overture. It is some of the best work ever done in comics and not to be missed.
Mr. Gaiman began Sandman with a "bang" and got better at his craft as the series continued (despite a few clunker issues.) This work, written long after the original series, after some best-selling long-form novels, is the author in peak form. The writing approaches the best the genre can offer. And the artwork? Also, just stellar (sometimes literally). The style, composition, inking, and colors - are terrific.
And this is the "Absolute Edition," which I recommend for fans looking for premium versions of these comics. They are expensive, expansive, and heavy, but the way the art appears on the page is worth the acquisition price.
If Goodreads allowed half-stars, I would have made this one four-and-a-half. There is a lot of extraneous material here; a large part appears twice to show some original inking and the like. I geek out on the process of creating comics a bit, but this seemed a little over-indulgent. The page count could have been shortened or used better by including some other apocryphal content from the Sandman Universe.
I highly recommend The Sandman Overture. It is some of the best work ever done in comics and not to be missed.
January 6, 2023
Another great installment in the Sandman universe. We find out what incident left Morpheus too weak to resist his capture at the very beginning of the Sandman series. It’s a question I actually never wondered about, but am happy to learn the answer to all the same.
The most fascinating thing to me about this installment is learning that the Endless do in fact have parents: Time and Night. I would love to get a short story about how exactly the universe started between them.
Also, learning about Hope in this story turned the later issue when Morpheus is having that duel with Lucifer into such a gut punch. My heart.
The most fascinating thing to me about this installment is learning that the Endless do in fact have parents: Time and Night. I would love to get a short story about how exactly the universe started between them.
Also, learning about Hope in this story turned the later issue when Morpheus is having that duel with Lucifer into such a gut punch. My heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2023
The most beautiful comic book ever made.
December 19, 2023
Some exceptional art
December 30, 2024
Fantastic. And also, drop dead gorgeous
December 18, 2022
One of the best representatives of the medium of sequential art. Gaiman achieves to turn his entire 'Sandman' run into a circle with no beginning and no end (coming ever closer to Moore's skill when he was in his prime), and the quality of Williams' artwork is unsurpassable. The only 'downside' of the book is the fact that you really need to know your 'Sandman' lore to fully comprehend this arc's greatness.
This is an absolute masterpiece and five stars aren't enough -- a city full of stars might be more appropriate to rate this cultural milestone.
This is an absolute masterpiece and five stars aren't enough -- a city full of stars might be more appropriate to rate this cultural milestone.
December 20, 2020
What an amazing return to the world of Sandman. If this was anyone else other than Neil Gaiman, I would be concerned that this could not live up to the high expectations. The art by J.H.Williams is incredible and matches and in some aspects surpasses the the art in the original series. This isn't an origin story but does take place before the events of Sandman 1 and should be read after reading the original series in it's entirety. A must read for sandman fans.
March 15, 2018
This was a wonderfully written and illustrated work to complete the Sandman series created by Neil Gaiman. It was nice to catch up with all the characters and stories again. It made me want to go back to the beginning and read them all over from the start.
July 8, 2018
The ABSOLUTE edition of a treasure of a story. The build of the book is solid and luxurious, and I could spend hours poring over Williams III's amazing art and all the additional features. A must-have for the true Gaiman / Sandman collector.
November 8, 2018
First off, it's one of the most gorgeous books I've ever read and in the Absolute form, it's like flipping through painting after painting. And the story is really wonderful. Vast ideas, fleshed out characters, human emotions. Yeah, you're gonna wanna read this.
August 16, 2020
Sigue dando calorcito en el corazón leerlo. Y el dibujo es para enmarcar cada cm de mi casa con él. Genios. Maravilla.
August 26, 2020
It was good, I guess.
October 19, 2021
Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews