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unladylike's review
3.0
Sandman, via the 4 or 5 Absolute editions released in the mid '00s, was what made me truly fall in love with comic books with an adult, post-university mind rather than an adolescent imagination that latched onto certain character designs and the dream of super-powers. I really don't mean to elevate the adult form of literary love over the child-like one, and I'm sure Mister Gaiman would disapprove strongly if I did. I've actually had the chance to tell Neil in person how Sandman influenced me, and I can say he's been one of my favourite authors for over a decade.
So I approached Sandman: Overture with equal parts eagerness and hesitancy. This is a book I will have to read over and over, and my rating and review will likely shift over time. I think it would be appropriate to transcribe the first of Neil's notes from the signed deluxe hardcover version on my lap:
"Hullo everyone,
I'm not 26 anymore, am I? I don't think I've ever felt less 26 in my life. I'm wearing computer-writing glasses, and feeling like I'm re-forming a beloved supergroup, and the only thing I can be certain of is that the world will buy the story and grumble that it's not as good as they remember."
Those three sentences are so typically Neil Gaiman: He makes me chuckle aloud at his simple cleverness, and somehow makes a cliche into a profound assertion that causes me to doubt my own first instincts as an arts critic.
It took me far too long to make my way through the six issues of this story, and that fact alone stands in stark contrast to the way I plowed through hundreds and sometimes thousands of pages at a time when I first found Sandman.
J.H. Williams III's art deserves nothing less than 5 stars. That's pretty much true of all of his work, but there are so many pretty and strange things to look at in this book in particular. So why did I feel the script and story left me feeling empty?
I am actually okay with leaving that question open-ended, and coming back to it at a later date, when I can sit down and read the whole thing in one sitting.
So I approached Sandman: Overture with equal parts eagerness and hesitancy. This is a book I will have to read over and over, and my rating and review will likely shift over time. I think it would be appropriate to transcribe the first of Neil's notes from the signed deluxe hardcover version on my lap:
"Hullo everyone,
I'm not 26 anymore, am I? I don't think I've ever felt less 26 in my life. I'm wearing computer-writing glasses, and feeling like I'm re-forming a beloved supergroup, and the only thing I can be certain of is that the world will buy the story and grumble that it's not as good as they remember."
Those three sentences are so typically Neil Gaiman: He makes me chuckle aloud at his simple cleverness, and somehow makes a cliche into a profound assertion that causes me to doubt my own first instincts as an arts critic.
It took me far too long to make my way through the six issues of this story, and that fact alone stands in stark contrast to the way I plowed through hundreds and sometimes thousands of pages at a time when I first found Sandman.
J.H. Williams III's art deserves nothing less than 5 stars. That's pretty much true of all of his work, but there are so many pretty and strange things to look at in this book in particular. So why did I feel the script and story left me feeling empty?
I am actually okay with leaving that question open-ended, and coming back to it at a later date, when I can sit down and read the whole thing in one sitting.
mandydragn's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It is a little hard to follow the story, as it seems to jump from place to place inexplicably. The art is exquisite, as always.
theesotericcamel's review
4.0
It was great to return to the world of The Sandman with fresh new stories. It was like meeting up with a long lost friend. This particular graphic novel takes place before "Preludes and Nocturnes" and after "The Wake," so it is a prequel and a sequel at the same time...But actually it is mostly a prequel.
Although most of the graphic novels that make up the series can be read on their own I don't think that is the case with "Overture." As such, it is not really the best one to start with if you've never read anything else in the series despite being a prequel. There are a couple of reasons for this. A lot of the story is written with the assumption that we already know most the characters that take part in it. (And if you are an avid Sandman reader, you would.) The other reason is that the panel and layouts are crazy! This is both great and not so good. Personally, I happen to like the bold experimentation that is used in the telling of the story through the panels and fold outs and such. But those used to more conventional comic book style would probably find the story hard to follow. That being said, this is a very beautiful graphic novel and definitely one of the more stylistically striking of the entire series. The interior work by J.H. Williams is simply gorgeous. (He is also responsible for the art behind Promethea, another favourite of mine.) And Dave McKean even came back out of retirement to do some of the covers. The story itself reveals that Neil Gaiman has not lost touch with the Dreaming. It is true to form and on par with the rest of the series. So to conclude, I loved it, but I would not recommend it as an entry point to the series. This book was definitely written with the fans in mind.
Although most of the graphic novels that make up the series can be read on their own I don't think that is the case with "Overture." As such, it is not really the best one to start with if you've never read anything else in the series despite being a prequel. There are a couple of reasons for this. A lot of the story is written with the assumption that we already know most the characters that take part in it. (And if you are an avid Sandman reader, you would.) The other reason is that the panel and layouts are crazy! This is both great and not so good. Personally, I happen to like the bold experimentation that is used in the telling of the story through the panels and fold outs and such. But those used to more conventional comic book style would probably find the story hard to follow. That being said, this is a very beautiful graphic novel and definitely one of the more stylistically striking of the entire series. The interior work by J.H. Williams is simply gorgeous. (He is also responsible for the art behind Promethea, another favourite of mine.) And Dave McKean even came back out of retirement to do some of the covers. The story itself reveals that Neil Gaiman has not lost touch with the Dreaming. It is true to form and on par with the rest of the series. So to conclude, I loved it, but I would not recommend it as an entry point to the series. This book was definitely written with the fans in mind.
andyc_elsby232's review
4.0
Staggeringly good-looking, but it didn't move me quite as much as others in the series have. It feels like a very different beast from the ones I adore. It is undoubtedly an amazing work of visual art, but some of the others in the series I would regard as masterpieces in any medium, period.
I would gladly eat a piggable.
I would gladly eat a piggable.
reedatl's review
4.0
Great, but very steeped in it's own world and logic. Wish I had read it right after finishing the original run and I didn't have to struggle to remember everything.
cwebb's review against another edition
4.0
Nicely linear, different style but quite nice. It does clear up way less than anticipated but it's fine.