Published in conjuncture with The Sandman's 25th anniversary, "The Sandman: Overture" is a six issue miniseries that serves as a prequel to the classic ongoing series. Written by Neil Gaiman with art by J.H. Williams III, this mini-series tells the tale of the great cosmic event that weakened Dream of the Endless enough to be captured by a simple human mystic in The Sandman #1.

Originally intended to run bi-monthly, with its first issue published in October 2013, "The Sandman: Overture" was plagued by delays and the final issue would not come out until late 2015.

Additionally, The Sandman: Overture Special Edition was also published alongside this miniseries. These special editions featured glimpses int the creative process behind this series, such as textless and uncolored art, script notes, and interviews.

Collected Editions

• The Absolute Sandman Overture
• Sandman Omnibus Volume III
• The Sandman: Overture 30th Anniversary Edition
• The Sandman: Overture The Deluxe Edition