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The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - The Glass House #1
- Writer:
- James Tynion IV
- Artist:
- Lisandro Estherren
- Letterer:
- Simon Bowland
- Cover Artist:
- Reiko Murakami
- Publisher:
- DC
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-04-11
- Colorist:
- Patricio Delpeche
Deep in the Bay Area, at the heart of Silicon Valley, the tech company The Prophet is rising rapidly. Sleazy CEO Ken takes his employees to the club --and if he deems them worthy -- takes him to a second club, where they are promoted for life. Shy and ambitious Max wants desperately to make it big but has concerns about the dubious rise of their company. But when Ken invites him to the mysterious club, The King of Pain, he can't say no. However, the Corinthian may already be waiting for him.
Written by acclaimed horror comic veteran James Tynion IV, illustrated by Lisandro Estherren, colored by Patricio Delpeche, and lettered by Simon Bowland, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - The Glass House #1 sets the Corinthian loose in the streets of San Francisco. He has his sights set on the moguls of Silicon Valley, and the technocratic American Dream is about to become a nightmare of unimaginable proportions.
Although the premise is fantastical, as is only possible in the world of The Sandman, The Glass House #1 is a visceral and relevant critique of the current reign of Silicon Valley, its startups, its rise to power, resulting in a tech-obsessed and addicted world, and its impending fall. Although the Corinthian gets top billing in this series, this issue focuses more on its human cast -- to a chilling effect.
More unsettling than Corinthian's three mouths, the hellish nightclub The King of Pain and its creepy demonic orgies is an uncomfortable portrayal of humanity's dark side. Power, greed, temptation, and desire are put front and center in this issue. Although contemplative, introverted, and not without morals, Max isn't immune to greed and desire. The vapid and lecherous mogul, Ken, having never recovered from his breakup, freely flirts, harasses, and buys his way through his empty life, upholding a slick facade that even the reluctant and still-human Max cannot resist.
Writer Tynion IV, no stranger to horror comics, is the natural choice for The Sandman. His trademark expletive-laden, casual, and naturalistic -- yet sinister -- dialogue fits the cynical and vapid crowd of Silicon Valley party-goers. The plot flows naturally, creepily so, implying danger and menace with every panel. It's no big leap when The Glass House #1 goes from swanky bar to demonic dream brothel or from easy chats about dreams to implied violence and death. While there are no major surprises to be had in this familiar yet warped world, Tynion IV stays faithful to Neil Gaiman's vision while impressing his own touch, resulting in a story that is as skin-crawling and uncomfortable as it is compelling.
The visuals add to this sense of unease. Artist Lisandro Estherren's style is warped and wobbly, with curving and uneven lines. This makes everything in this issue look as though it takes place in a hypnogogic, dreamlike haze -- the perfect vehicle for a story about dreams, demonic deals, and nightmares. Simon Bowland's lettering matches Estherren's raw, penciled, and woozy line art, making for a cohesive waking dream experience for readers. Delpeche's colors bring this beautiful and boozy nightmare together. Blue is the dominating shade, evoking the peacefulness of sleep and dreaming, the darkness of the night sky, the sleek nightclubs, the cold and unfeeling chrome of Silicon Valley, and course, the coldness of death. These blues are softly highlighted by bold, natural golden light, mysterious supernatural purples, and the threatening reds and greens of Lord Azazel's demonic bar.
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country - The Glass House #1 is a sinister and satisfying slow burn of an introduction, briefly exploring the dark and compelling side of human greed and desire against a backdrop of progress. The creative team crafts a worthy reintroduction to a character perfectly suited to the beautiful nightmare that's sure to unfold in future issues.