Exclusive DC preview: Gaiman and Williams herald a cosmic war in The Sandman: Overture #3

Something must have been done to please the comic book gods, because next week marks the release of new issues of The Sandman: Overture and Hawkeye, two series that have been plagued by delays. For both of these titles, maintaining a high standard of quality is the key concern, so giving the creative teams all the time they need is going to lead to a better product whenever it comes out. That’s especially important for Overture, which has astronomical expectations on it considering its legacy and creative team.

It’s taken four months for The Sandman: Overture #3 to hit stands, but this preview of next week’s The Sandman: Overture makes it very clear why it’s taken so long. Artist J.H. Williams III is one of the top illustrators working in the business, with huge stylistic versatility and an incredible understanding of page design, and it takes a lot of time to turn out the kinds of detailed visuals on display in this preview. Gaiman has gone on the record saying he was late with scripts, and as the story grows in scope, the pages require even more attention from the creative team, which includes A-list talent like colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Todd Klein.

The Sandman’s original run had its fair share of cosmic elements (in fact, it makes an appearance in next week’s Cosmic Comics Panel), and Gaiman has been tapping into that aspect of the mythos for Overture, which details the events leading up to Morpheus’ imprisonment in The Sandman #1. The first three pages of this preview showcase Williams’ diversity as he renders various alien cultures in different art styles, while the last two pages provide a treat for longtime Sandman readers as Morpheus runs into the three women that will bring about his doom in future events. The wait between issues is difficult, but as long as Overture continues to deliver, it’s worth being patient.