It quickly became one of, if not my most, favourite series in the medium. I could write post after post about the series but this particular one I want to focus on a special mini series that was released between 2013 and 2015 called The Sandman : Overture. Gaiman once again pens the series with artwork from J. H. Williams III and Dave Stewart this time around.
Overture once again follows the series protagonist Dream of The Endless, the titular Sandman, an anthropomorphic personification of dreams. Although, it is a prequel that takes place before the initial 75 issue run so it may serve as an excellent starting point for new readers. For me, having read through all those issues, thoroughly enjoying every single one and saddened that I didn't have another 75 to read through, Overture brought the series to an unbelievably satisfying conclusion and I would personally recommend reading them this way. I read the Deluxe Edition which compiles the individual issues and while it is written to Gaiman's usually high standard it's the artwork from Williams and Stewart that made this book transcend the medium of comics and graphic novels.
The front cover gives just a taste of what is in store for your ocular senses inside. Each page is a work of art and the style may change from page to page or chapter to chapter, or even when Dream is encountering different characters, like his father, Time, and his mother, Night. The typical structure of comic book panels is disregarded in favour of almost a free flowing form which remains obvious to the reader where the eyes should be drawn to and which text bubble should be read next.
A quick Google Image search for The Sandman: Overture will show some other examples of I'm saying here but I would highly recommend you just read it and experience it for yourself. Even the pages that come between the storytelling are a masterclass of artistry. I read it digitally and compiled some screenshots of this image that comes between chapters.
You don't even need to be a fan of comic books or graphic novels but if you have any interest in great storytelling and beautiful artwork do yourself a favour and feast your eyes upon The Sandman: Overture, you won't regret it and it may serve as the start of a new love for you, be it just The Sandman series or even the medium as a whole, as it has that kind of potential.
