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SYFY WIRE James Tynion IV

The Sandman's most terrifying nightmare is about to get his own comic

The Corinthian returns in the new DC Black Label series 'Nightmare Country.'

By Matthew Jackson
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1 Comic Cover PRESS

This spring, one of the most terrifying beings in the Sandman universe is moving up to a starring role in his own ongoing series. DC Comics announced Monday that writer James Tynion IV, best known for his long run on Batman and his creator-owned comics like Something is Killing the Children and The Department of Truth, is returning to the publisher for a new title starring the terrifying nightmare creation known as The Corinthian.

Titled Nightmare Country, the new series from Tynion and artist Lisandro Estherren (Redneck) will arrive this April from DC's Black Label imprint, and will fit into the publisher's ongoing Sandman Universe titles that have previously included The DreamingHellblazer, and Waking Hours. The book will follow The Corinthian, a serial killer whose eye sockets are filled with jagged teeth, as he pursues an even more dangerous nightmare across America. In addition to this new nightmare, Tynion's series will also introduce two more terrifying creations, Mr. Agony and Mr. Ecstasy, who follow The Corinthian around the country, killing as often as possible. 

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1 Comic Cover PRESS

“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 told The Hollywood Reporter in their exclusive announcement. “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.”

Tynion announced last year, after his lengthy run on Batman and other titles, including a Joker spinoff series, that he would be stepping away from DC in order to pursue creator-owned projects through both pre-existing relationships with publishers like Image Comics and through a new subscription imprint at Substack. Though his horror comic The Nice House on the Lake was set to continue, he seemed done with the publisher's preexisting universes for the time being. Now he's back, and he's bringing his horror-heavy storytelling style to a new set of characters. 

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1 Comic Interior PRESS

First introduced in The Sandman #10 back in 1989, The Corinthian first emerged as a rogue nightmare Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreams, was attempted to track down and recapture after he escaped his role in The Dreaming. The character's iconic look of tooth-laden eye sockets behind sunglasses made him a fan favorite, and he has since put in other appearances in different incarnations, including his own three-issue miniseries in 2001. Now, he's back with an all-star creative team telling an ongoing story, and it arrives just in time. The Corinthian is set to make his live-action debut, played by Boyd Holbrook, in the Netflix series The Sandman, which arrives later this year. 

Nightmare Country #1 lands April 12.