The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #4 – James Tynion IV, Writer; Lisandro Estherren, DaNi, Artists; Patricio Delpeche, Tamra Bonvillain, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Since the start of this series, James Tynion IV has been making us ask—what out there is so evil that it could make the Corinithian the lesser of two evils? We’re only starting to get the answer through players like Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy, but I’m getting the feeling they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Madison Flynn has sought refuge with a friend of her caustic frenemy Robbie, a powerful man named Bill—who she’s about to find out has his own twisted interests. He seems to be a serial killer chaser seeking to find the most deranged corners of humanity possible, and an incredibly disturbing segment flashes back to a twisted magazine from the 1960s that brought the worst people around together to gawk at grotesque crime scene photos. DaNi is the guest artist on these haunting segments, and the punchline there really takes it to a higher level than just a visit with serial killers.
Meanwhile, Madison’s situation is about to go from bad to worse with the arrival of Agony and Ecstacy. They’ve taken the murdered Kells and reanimated her into a haunted, creepy revenant who doesn’t want to target her former friend but really has no choice. It’s a genuinely unsettling take on the zombie trope, and these two villains continue to be the most disturbing figures to enter the Sandman universe since—well, the Corinithian himself, who has been largely kept out of focus for the last few issues. Tynion has turned him into a supernatural detective, slowly collecting his evidence and making his entry at exactly the right time. One of the best things about the entire Sandman line of books is the way it captures the vibe of cosmic horrors intersecting with humans with horrible consequences. With only four issues of twelve down so far, it’s likely we’re just starting to peel back the onion.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
