The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #3 – James Tynion IV, Writer; Lisandro Estherren, Francesco Francavilla, Artists; Patricio Delpeche, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: James Tynion IV came back from work-for-hire retirement for this book, so you know it’s going to be something special. He’s one of the current masters of horror in comics, and there are few things more horrific than his lead character here—The Corinthian, one of the most nightmarish creations of the Dreaming. But as we saw in the first two issues, The Corinthian may not be the most disturbing thing in the book. That goes to the original creations of Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy. As the issue opens, the two of them torment the haunted Madison Flynn as they lay waste to her apartment building and send her on the run. We’ve seen some masters of gore and horror before, but there’s something about the businesslike, almost joyful way these two commit their atrocities that makes them stand out as truly disturbing. A scene at the end of the issue is definitely going to stick with me for a long time.
With nowhere else to turn, Madison seeks out her frenemy Robbie—who is currently spending the night with his paramour, a politically powerful millionaire named Bill Teague, who might know more about this horror show than he’s letting on. The creepy visuals let up once Madison finds this safe haven, and Bill seems to know how to keep everyone safe, but the tension never lets up. And then there’s the two splash-page segment drawn by Francesco Francavilla, the only segment of this issue that actually features the Corinthian in person. Wonderfully haunting and beautiful, with deliriously creepy visuals of newly-formed nightmares, it’s the perfect example of how the creative teams’ imagination drives this series. After all, we can’t really have a series about nightmares without some surreal visuals, can we? More than any other book in the Sandman Universe line, this one feels like it’s paying tribute to the original vision.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
