By Neil Gaiman (Author), J.H. Williams (Illustrators) DC Comics/Vertigo (Publisher)

> Review by Joe Tell

The Sandman: Overture is the long-awaited prequel to the original Sandman series that Neil Gaiman spearheaded back in the late 1980s. The story sets the scene for the first volume of Sandman and sheds new light on the Endless family of characters. Overture doesn’t just tie in to the original series, it actually manages to enhance it. The Corinthian, Merv Pumpkinhead and the Dream King’s siblings—Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny—all make appearances. Gaiman is a New York Times best-selling author and a legendary figure in the comic book world. A masterful storyteller, his work on the Sandman series forever changed the landscape of modern comics. Overture continues along in that same vein. The Sandman is one of the most finely-crafted series in the history of the medium and can best be described as dark fantasy. The Sandman narrative uses elements like anthropomorphic personifications, mythology, legends, historical figures and occult themes to tell stories that take place in the Sandman’s realm, called The Dreaming. The art by J.H. Williams III contained within Overture is stunningly beautiful. It has a hallucinogenic quality and creates the look and feel of a waking dream. Williams does more than illustrate the book; he embellishes and illuminates the words that Gaiman writes. There are a couple of four-page fold-outs contained within the book that are fantastic. Overture is one of the best, if not the best, looking comics I have ever read. The deluxe edition contains many extra features, including interviews with the creative team, which highlights the creative process that went into the book. Highly recommended!

By Stephen D. Korshak and David Spurlock (Authors) Margaret Brundage (Artist)

> Review by Joe Tell

T he Alluring Art of Margaret Brundage: Queen of Pulp Pin-Up Art is a very entertaining and interesting read. The book sheds new light on the life and career of legendary Weird Tales cover artist, Margaret Brundage. Margaret’s lush and alluring paintings created great controversy in the 1930s. Her lavishly colored artwork featured scantily clad young women bearing whips and wielding knives that were menaced by all types of monstrous beings. Margaret’s innovative and shocking artwork was in high demand because her covers sold the most pulp magazines. The best part of this book is all of Margaret’s stunning, pulp magazine cover art for Weird Tales, Oriental Stories, Magic Carpet and Golden Fleece are all compiled together along with some never before seen, unpublished work. Many of her covers featured gothic fetish themes based on the stories that were published within Weird Tales. Stories that were written by renowned authors like H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert Bloch and Conan the Barbarian creator, Robert E. Howard. The second part of the book reveals, for the first time ever, the secret life that Margaret led apart from the pulp magazine scene. She and her husband Slim were political activists who took part in the birth of the American counterculture. Margaret Johnson and Slim Brundage first met at Chicago’s infamous Dil Pickle Club. The club was known as a speakeasy but its members also participated in the highly political causes that defined the Chicago Renaissance. The Dil Pickle Club was at the center of a diverse subculture that encouraged free speech and rallied for workers and civil rights at a time when activism led to blacklisting. This is essential reading for any fan of fantasy and horror art.