Batman scribe James Tynion IV, one of the biggest writers in DC Comics’ arsenal, made waves last summer when he announced that he was declining a lucrative contract with the comic book publisher to focus on his creator-owned efforts. Less than a year later, though, Tynion has returned to DC to helm a brand-new series that will focus on the most notorious villain in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman universe.
Released under DC’s Black Label imprint, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country will not star the titular Sandman aka Morpheus aka Dream aka the Lord of the Dreaming. Instead, it will feature the Corinthian, a merciless serial killer who’s been horrifying comic book readers since his debut in The Sandman #10 in 1989. He’s most recognizable for the rows of spiked teeth he has in place of eyes, which he usually hides behind a pair of shades.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Tynion revealed that he really had thought he was done with DC until he was offered the chance to write a Sandman comic, which proved to be an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“To be perfectly honest, I thought I had said everything I wanted to say with other people’s characters, but the moment that [DC editor] Chris Conroy asked me if I was interested in crafting a new story in the Sandman Universe, I knew I couldn’t say no,” Tynion says. “The Dreaming has lived in my head for half of my life. It’s a canvas on which so many stories are possible, and I am humbled to have the chance to make my own mark on it.”
In Nightmare Country, the Corinthian is let loose once again in order to capture another, even more dangerous, nightmare that’s escaped from The Dreaming. The series is set to introduce two new characters, Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy, a deadly duo who are also on the trail of the Corinthian’s quarry and will kill anyone in their path, including the Corinthian. DC describes the comic as a “terrifying travelogue through a nation both recognizable and obscene.” Tynion notes that it’s intended to be a sequel to “The Doll’s House,” the second storyline of Gaiman’s original Sandman comic that introduced the villain in the first place.
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country, labeled as a horror-fantasy series, is written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Lisandro Estherren (Redneck). Each issue will feature a nightmare dream sequence by a guest artist, with the first drawn by Yanick Paquette. Issue one releases on April 12. Remember, Netflix’s The Sandman TV series also arrives later this year.