Hello, DCComics.com and VertigoComics.com readers! Today’s edition of “5.2 Reasons” is so huge that we’re publishing it on both websites. Why? Well, in case you didn’t know, we’re currently in the midst of celebrating The Sandman on VertigoComics.com with a month-long promotion called “25 Days of Sandman,” and frankly, we wanted in on that bad boy. And with all of the Vertigo editors busy and distracted getting ready for New York Comic-Con, it was really easy to slip unnoticed into the “25 Days of Sandman” schedule, right behind yesterday’s awesome collection of quotes and before Friday’s awesome…
Well, you’ll see.
Anyhow, for all of you who are reading this on the Vertigo site, “5.2 Reasons” is a little column we publish every Thursday on DCComics.com in which list off 5.2 reasons why we think something is cool and worth attention. And last year when acclaimed author Neil Gaiman announced his return to his critically lauded, award-winning title The Sandman, it was no less than a dream come true for us (dang it, we should have opened with that). The original series ranks as one of our favorite comic titles of all time, filled with fascinating and imaginative characters, intricately plotted storylines, and enough literary references to fill an annotated edition (of which there is one). In fact, it’s fair to say our anticipation for the upcoming limited series, The Sandman: Overture, has sort of dominated our every waking hour.
Overture launches later this month, appropriately enough the day before Halloween (how's that for a treat!), but before then, we're going to give you all 5.2 Reasons We're Ready to Re-enter the World of Sandman!
1. Neil Gaiman
Because, obviously. Gaiman's been pretty active in the non-comic world over the years (check out his recent novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane), but his return to comics has been something we've been begging for for a long time. Those cookies and cupcakes we've sent him every day for the past 20 years must have finally paid off.
Er, we mean those cookies that someone OTHER than us have sent him... Yeah... Totally not us.
2. J.H. Williams III
Already one of the greatest artists in the comic industry—having previously worked with both Alan Moore and Grant Morrison—Williams takes it to a whole new level on this title. We know, "That doesn't seem physically possible." That's exactly what we thought when we heard it. Then we saw the pages, gasped, then passed out.
3. The Endless
The concept of the Endless is simply amazing, and the portrayal of them as characters captivated readers everywhere. To this day if you go to a comic convention you're almost guaranteed to see a Death walking around. We seriously can't wait to see them again...
4. The Endless of Time Past
...except the Endless we see might not necessarily be the Endless we know. Now, we don't know this for sure. Plot details are under hardcore lockdown and hidden even from our watchful eyes. However, we do know that The Sandman: Overture is a prequel to The Sandman, and we also know from Sandman: Endless Nights that Death acted very differently in the past and Delirium was once known as Delight. Heck, we might even get to see Destruction prior to his self-imposed exile. The possibilities (and we apologize for this in advance) are endless.
5. Diverse Cast of Characters
However, the Endless aren't the only characters we're looking forward to reuniting with. The Corinthian, Merv, Cain and Abel, Matthew, Fiddler's Green, and so many others we hope make an appearance. It's like a high school reunion. A really, really, really, really weird high school reunion.
5.1 This Cover by Dave McKean
5.2 This Teaser Image
What do you love about The Sandman? Who is your favorite character? What's your favorite storyline from the original series? Let us know in the comments!
