The Best Horror Comics From The Sandman: Nightmare Country’s New Series

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country, a new series created by James Tynion IV and Lisandro Estherren for DC Comics, continues on the original series’ theme of finding terror every day by following the Corinthian, one of the most terrifying Nightmares in Sandman legend. As a result, Sandman is now even more pertinent as a mirror of contemporary cultural fears thanks to Nightmare Country. It’s not hard to believe that horror comics have seen a revival in recent years, despite several tragedies worldwide and a general feeling of anxiety and fear. James Tynion IV is one of the most prominent creators who has helped to lead this charge. 

As part of a roundtable discussion, we met up with Tynion. He spoke about his long-held love for the Sandman universe and also explained how different projects prepared him for this label. We also discussed his favorite parts from the larger mythos, what to anticipate in this series, and much more, including the best comics from Sandman: Nightmare Country.

Dream of the Endless

Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth created the original Sandman comic back in 1989. The original Sandman series is focused on Dream of the Endless, an anthropomorphic portrayal of dreams who has traveled through both the material world and the subconscious psyche of humanity since the beginning of time. Later featuring the art of Shawn McManus, Mike Dringenberg, Michael Zulli, Chris Bachalo, and more.

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Dream, who is in charge of the world known as The Dreaming, is the designer of many Nightmares and other dream creatures. Madison Flynn, a new human character in Sandman: Nightmare Country, has recurring visions of The Corinthian, a terrifying creature with mouths for eyes, which could have long-term effects on the division between Dreaming and waking life.

The Corinthian

According to James Tynion, The Corinthian is given prominence in the narrative Nightmare Country. One of the scariest pictures ever depicted in a comic book, in his opinion, is the Corinthian. He was a character who always stuck out to him in the first Sandman series, especially in what is probably his favorite issue of the first Sandman series, issue 14, “The Collectors,” by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg, which is the entire first Sandman run. It is among the scariest comics ever created.

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Additionally, it takes place in the midst of a gathering of serial killers. Unbeknownst to all of these murderers, the Corinthian has essentially been encouraging serial killers to emerge around the nation for years.

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Telling a narrative in current times

Tynion wanted to create a series that captured the terrifying intensity of both that issue and the entire Doll’s House arc, as well as one that would tell a narrative that felt as current and dynamic in 2022 as it did at the beginning of the 1990s.

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By the time he began writing it, he had recently relocated to Williamsburg from Bed Stuy, which is close to Pratt Institute, and he knew a number of Pratt alums. Therefore, he has extensive knowledge of this realm, and he has been making an effort to accomplish that in many of my comics.

Tynion was a fan of Sandman

Tynion is genuinely trying to portray the sense of the current day in Something is Killing the Children and Nice House on the Lake. Even when he is delivering a very fanciful tale, he still tries to ground the components and make them feel current. Tynion is of the inclination that the inspiration in him comes from reading the first two books in the Sandman series as a child.

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The unique aspects of Sandman include both the narrative arcs that only concentrate on ordinary human people who come into contact with the exceptional and the narrative arcs that put these spectacular characters front and center. New York City plays a role as if it were a character.

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Finding terror in cultural phobias

In James Tynion’s opinion, cultural phobias are the source of the finest terror, and he believes we are currently experiencing a time of unparalleled terror. It is something that seeing it firsthand is utterly horrifying.

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And as a horror writer, it provides him a lot of chances to approach it from many sides and express his deepest concerns about how resilient our bloated systems are, among other things. But in Nightmare Country in particular, the focus is very much on the core values of the United States of America. We frequently discuss the American Dream, but is this the true motivating force behind the country, or is there another factor at play? Is it a darker thing?

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The need of a personal element

James Tynion IV thinks that without a genuine personal element, he is unable to write. And since the antagonist of that series is modeled after himself, he trusts that Nice House on the Lake is a particularly appropriate illustration. As a result, Walter’s persona embodies many of his strengths and weaknesses.

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Therefore, a large portion of the book is concerned with the conflict between enjoying comfortable life and realizing that the planet is dying all around us. The dread of all of Tynion’s worst tendencies and the ways in which, even when he believes he is trying to be a good friend, sometimes he does the wrong thing and can overstep is also very much present in this.

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Fear is the strongest feeling

All of Tynion’s current horror writing is an attempt to examine the aspects of his identity, the nation he lives in, and the communities he belongs to. They give him the greatest anxiety and he attempts to wrestle with the difficult questions that arise from that and attempt to explore them in fiction.

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But fear is the root of it all, and he thinks fear is one of the strongest feelings. He also suffers from anxiety, making him experience extreme phobias. Not only does he get inspired by the Sandman mythos, but he also puts all of this about himself and his mental health in his work, culminating in a scary blend.

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Terror makes you honest

Terror has this really sincere character. It’s a quick way to be really honest about many different emotions. For this reason, simply seeing the subjects of the protagonists’ nightmares in Nightmare Country shows a whole other element of what is going on in their minds.

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Tynion adds that what frightens us the most tells the most about who we are. He is certain that having the ability to jump immediately to the subconscious is an amazing tool, especially for writers. Fear results in physiological alterations that might result in behavioral responses like mounting an aggressive defense or running away from the threat.

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What the Corinthian fears most

When asked if the Corinthian has anything he’s afraid of, Tynion explained that the Corinthian fears not existing again. “In a very basic sense, I would say that his greatest fear is that he had already experienced nonexistence when he was initially destroyed, and he doesn’t want that to happen ever again.

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But he still feels a draw toward the darkness that might ultimately be his downfall, and he wants to know why.” Dream built the Corinthian, a nightmare that he ultimately destroys for turning rogue and failing to realize his initial vision, which was to build a “black mirror” to reflect the evil that mankind was unable to face itself.

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Introducing new eerie characters

As the series goes on, they will play around with more of The Sandman mythology, but Tynion wanted to ground it first and introduce some of these new characters so that the public becomes familiar with the mythology of the Sandman universe. We will likely see Dream at last in subsequent issues, in Tynion’s opinion.

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Thessaly, one of his favorite characters from the original Sandman series, was also reported to be appearing in a special one-shot issue, which will be illustrated by Maria Llovet, one of Tynion’s favorite contemporary artists. We will see more character developments in the next installments.

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Introducing new human characters

They are planning to introduce a few human characters over the course of the series. The first one features Madison Flynn, an art student who specializes in a particular genre of horror painting and who spends her days daydreaming about terrifying imagery. Many members of Sandman’s audience resemble Flynn.

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In addition, she is the kind of person who, while being afraid of the situation she is in and will continue to be in, is simply attracted to Corinthian when she first meets him. This makes it possible to appeal to her concerns and pit her against the Corinthian. She doesn’t fear him either. She seems to be infatuated with the way he looks, with his unadulterated, iconic, and nightmare qualities.

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The Coritnthian’s magnetism

One of the finest horror pictures to ever appear in comic books, in my opinion, is the Corinthian, Tynion said. “The fantastic image that is created by the dentures used as eyes simply remains with you, much the way the finest horror images do. This person appears to be totally human, but there is one defect that makes him so frightening.

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This is the ideal weird aspect in the story. It really simply boils back to that initial notion and design, in my opinion.” Prior to the events of the novel, not much is known about the Corinthian, although he always appeared to dislike the distinctions between the Dreaming and the waking world.

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Uncovering Americana’s secrets

While Tynion spent a lot of time studying conspiracy and urban legends for his Image Comics book Department of Truth, he made a suggestion that thematically, the darker aspects of uncovering Americana’s secrets would “come funneling into Nightmare Country.”

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Tynion acknowledges that in the original Sandman, the Corinthian was seen as something of a “patron saint for serial killers,” and the DC Black Label narrative would delve into the macabre realm of serial killers. Any group of items that are indicative or even archetypal of American culture as a whole is referred to as Americana. Americana can be anything about the United States or the American people.

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Brand-new characters fitting in

How brand-new characters like Agony and Ecstasy precisely fit inside the greater Sandman Universe is, according to Tynion, the “central question of the series.” According to The Sandman, nightmares are a manifestation of the psyche’s anxieties, and stories originate in Dreaming. Tynion made a suggestion that Nightmare Country may have “various typefaces of existence.”

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Tynion stated that further well-known Sandman characters and elements of the mythology would emerge in Nightmare Country but refrained from giving any further details. Conjoined twin demons named Agony and Ecstasy have diligently served Hell for all of the time. They serve as the punishment for demons that violate Hell’s law and have been beaten three times by humans.

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Mister Agony and Mister Ecstasy

Mister Agony and Mister Ecstasy, two new antagonists to the Sandman Universe, are introduced in Nightmare Country. The characters are not real-life nightmares, which Tynion swiftly confirmed, adding that this “makes them extra scary.” Agony and Ecstasy were inspired by Neil Gaiman’s stand-alone novella Neverwhere when Tynion was writing Nightmare Country.

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Tynion also drew on broader Neil Gaiman inspirations. In order to make Nightmare Country accessible to readers who may not have read a Sandman tale before, Tynion also wanted to pace the story intentionally to allow readers to learn about the Sandman Universe via the plot rather than “throw them in straight in the deep end” from the beginning.

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The talented art team

Tynion is very grateful to the book’s primary art team. “Patricio [Delpeche] and Lisandro [Estherren] are really doing such exquisite work, and their collaboration has given the series’ central plot such a dreamlike aspect.” As the series progresses, you’ll see various ways in which they employ all of these wonderful artists to create these horrifying scenes, which they refer to as nightmares.

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Additionally, Sandman has always featured a variety of aesthetic viewpoints, which is very fitting given that we examine Dreams from a wide range of perspectives and that everyone’s dreams are somewhat unique. He feels pleased with the job they have accomplished together.

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Working with the team

When asked about the artwork, Tynion talked about his interactions with Yanick Paquette and Lisandro Estherren. “It has been simply amazing. I’ve been in love with Lisandro’s work for years, and he has been on my wish list of artists I’d like to collaborate with, “Tynion concurred, applauding Estherren and colorist Patricio Delpeche’s efforts. “Yanick is renowned and one of the finest artists working in the field. We’ve crossed paths a little with my superhero work, but we still haven’t done anything long-form.”

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Canadian cartoonist Yanick Paquette creates comic books. Since 1994, he has been employed by Antarctic Press, Topps, Marvel, and DC Comics. Argentine cartoonist Lisandro Estherren, who has worked in Boom! Studios and Image Comics.

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Illustrators and colorists who worked on the project

The nightmare scene is illustrated by Paquette in issue one of Nightmare Country, with pages by other guest artists appearing in each issue to “build on the background of the Corinthian and [explain] a bit of the country.” Tynion praised Paquette and colorist Nathan Fairbairn for bringing the Dreaming to life in the first issue through their collaborative efforts.

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When inquired about the brand-new human characters in the Sandman Universe that were revealed in Nightmare Country and Flynn, the main character from the debut issue. “I wanted to create modern figures who appeared to be from the year 2022. That is what made Rose and Barbie stand out so much, “Tynion clarified.

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Tynion drew from his own experiences to create Flynn

In order to create a dynamic protagonist in Flynn, Tynion relied on his own experiences of attending college near New York City and moving to Brooklyn in his twenties. For the role, he claimed that he “tried to convey that vibe.” Tynion pointed out that Flynn offers the first perspective into the universe and tale, which will be developed further in subsequent chapters.

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Even so, Tynion vowed not to hold back and that “this will be brutal and awful in places because I adore bloody and horrible comics.” Tynion explained that Nightmare Country would also have a strong fantasy element since he believes that fusing several horror genres together is “the core of Sandman.”

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Flynn is a person without hope

Tynion wanted to get started with a person in their early 20s who was just finishing off college in New York. He drew from that experience to write the comic. As a result, as time goes on, various people will see that in different ways. And each of the main characters—of whom there will be more introduced as the series progresses—sort of speaks to a different facet of Nightmare Country’s reality.

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Flynn, who is seen in the opening perspective, is a young person without hope for the future. Because he believes that it resonates with many young people today, Tynion wanted to start with the concept of someone who can’t truly imagine a brighter future for herself any longer.

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Human imagination can result in frightening things

Tynion saw that it was a recurrent theme in his writing, the idea that human imagination and volition may sometimes result in frightening realities. He said, “There’s a self-destructive streak in a lot of us, and we create the horror in our life. Tynion realized that his examination of this topic in the Sandman Universe has significance because The Sandman served as his initial inspiration for writing comic books.

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The Sandman Universe, in Tynion’s opinion, is “so wide” that he “could write 100 issues in this realm.” Despite his commitment to concentrating on his creator-owned projects, Tynion couldn’t resist the opportunity to work in the Sandman Universe since it was so compelling and personally satisfying.

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A Doll’s House

The second plot, A Doll’s House, which is the Corinthian’s debut arc, is the one that truly made Tynion fall in love with the entire Sandman concept. That has probably been the most effect on his Corinthian-themed series. The series’ primary protagonists should be relatable people who occasionally come into contact with the wonderful before having their lives entirely destroyed by it.

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An older man in the desert tells a younger one an old tale about the sad love between Dream and Queen Nada as part of a manhood ceremony. Nada rejects Dream because of concern over the repercussions of loving an eternal. Nada is thrown to Hell by Dream as a result of his rage, where she’s still now.

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Razorblades

The story arc of Razorblades brought to Tynion’s attention a lot of the amazing artists working in horror illustration. “It was primarily about taking in all of those inspirations and maintaining my horror senses in my mind.

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The thing about the horror that I’ve always enjoyed is that, as a genre, it most accurately portrays reality; the finest horror always arises from profound cultural fears. We have had a lot to be terrified of in recent years, and cultural anxieties can be such an urgent thing. And as a result, I believe the horror subgenre has had a true comeback.”

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Nightmare Country included guest artists

Nightmare Country includes a few pages by a guest artist in each issue that expand on the Corinthian’s past and provide some context for the world we’re living in. Some portions were written by Yannick Paquette and Nathan Fairburn for the initial issues, and they did an outstanding job. It’s quite unsettling.

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The one and only sight into the Dreaming that we get in the first issue are really breathtaking. There will be a lot of amazing guest artists that will be adding to the book. Because the Corinthian looks so very amazing, Tynion wanted to see him drawn by a variety of different artists.

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On existentialism versus traditional horror

“Why not have it all? The fact that you may have your cake and eat it, too, is what I enjoy most about the original Sandman comics. All types of terror may actually converge in this situation,” Tynion said. Because he enjoys reading gory and horrific comics, his book will have some of those elements.

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Sandman deals with the notion of tales and different kinds of horror stories and how they merge together; it may occasionally go toward fantasy and will frequently veer toward traditional horror cliches. We’ll encounter many distinct facets of terror here. However, he thinks that it must be existential in order to truly elicit that emotional response.