Spoilers for The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #5 are ahead!
The Sandman is one of the most iconic horror stories ever published by DC Comics, with a new spin-off series, The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country, revisiting powerful moments from the original series' first arc. Following the Corinthian, a Nightmare with teeth for eyes, Nightmare Country has explored what it means for creatures like the Corinthian to enter the waking world in contemporary America. This focus on the Corinthian coincides with the release of The Sandman show on Netflix, and issue #5 of Nightmare Country hints that its next arc will be built on one of the show's best ideas.
The Corinthian famously was banished from existence by Dream of the Endless in The Sandman #14 by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg. The Nightmare had been previously wandering around the waking world, his penchant for violence inspiring scores of serial killers, culminating in his appearance at a serial killer convention. Dream, disgusted with his creation's effect on humanity, reduced the Corinthian to nothing but a tiny skull as punishment. However, in Nightmare Country, the Corinthian has been disturbed to find that an art school student named Flynn frequently paints him in the waking world, unafraid of him. At the same time, Flynn encounters a horrifying figure with tongues for eyes, leading the Corinthian to suspect that there's something else at play.
Now, the Corinthian has a shot at redemption in the spirit of the nightmare Gault from The Sandman Netflix show, evident in The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #5 by James Tynion IV, Lisandro Estherren, Aaron Campbell, Jordie Bellaire, Patricio Delpeche, and Simon Bowland. The Corinthian remembers the feeling of "shame" he first experienced when Dream discovered him at the serial killer convention, a feeling so powerful that it may have changed him for the better. He's driven to save the life of Flynn, and implores Dream to let him stay in the waking world and help her. Dream acquiesces and bounds him to the will of Flynn to curb the Nightmare's violent tendencies. In this way, the Corinthian is given the chance to redeem himself and his past life, much in the way that the Nightmare Gault was able to in The Sandman show. Originally tasked with being a Nightmare for Jed Walker, Gault re-imagined themselves as a dream to protect Jed from his horrific day-to-day life. When challenged by Dream later on, Gault replied, "Even a Nightmare can dream," suggesting that Nightmares can remake themselves beyond their original intended purpose.
While it's clear that the Corinthian has done some truly reprehensible things, Nightmare Country has proved that there is more to the character than his initial, disastrous effect on humanity. In this way, the overarching idea behind Sandman, the exploration of humanity's potential through the Dreaming, can also apply to Nightmares like the Corinthian. This unsettles the dynamic between Nightmares and their creator, as even figures like the Corinthian can be afforded the chance to redeem themselves like any human would.
Gault's arc in The Sandman show beautifully illustrated that Nightmares have feelings and desires just like any other being. Though they are a different character from the original Nightmares, Brute and Glob, who went missing from the Dreaming in the Sandman comics, they brought nuance to the relationship between humanity and Nightmares. This nuance will be tested in the next Sandman: Nightmare Country arc, as readers will see whether or not the Corinthian can truly grow past the violence he once relished in and become something more.
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #5 is available now from DC Comics.