The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House #3 – James Tynion IV, Writer; Lisandro Estherren, Artist; Patricio Delpeche, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This series has been a compelling second act to Nightmare Country, as the story deepens from its focus on the doomed Madison Flynn, and turns the Corinthian into an odd protagonist of sorts. The entire crew, with Madison in a cat’s body, are now holed up in LA as Madison’s story gets turned into a twisted adaptation. That has pulled in several new players, like the hapless Max—who is becoming increasingly obsessed with the undead Kells and is manipulated by the ruthless Teague. With Corinthian deputized by Dream, he gets a visit from the Librarian Lucien with some tips and warnings, as the stakes for the series are set very high. The creative team is excellent at setting the mood, with this version of LA feeling like a deeply corrupt and unwelcoming place. There’s something sinister lurking around every shadow, and our “heroes” are going to discover it one way or another.
In a world filled with supernatural threats, it’s hard to create a truly terrifying human villain, and that’s where Tynion exceeds with Teague. This guy is so loathsome because he resembles so many real people, and the scene where he explains what he wants to do to Kells is genuinely disturbing. There are few people in this series who are actually likable—with the exception of Madison, as a very snarky cat—but the story makes very clear who is the lesser evils, and somehow that includes the abomination with teeth for eyes. The story builds to a great reveal in the last act, as we learn who a major player has been puppeting, and while the series is taking a month off, that’s not for lack of new content. We’re getting a special one-off before the series returns for its second half, and Tynion and Estherren are pulling the strings tight to build the tension nicely before this creepy tale comes to a close.
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