Neil Gaiman - Neil Gaiman Planning 'The Sandman' Prequel For 2013

The new stories will be illustrated by JH Williams, who has previous form working on both Batwoman and Promethea. The Guardian has reported on the news from Comic-Con, where Gaiman made a video announcement to expectant fans. He admitted that the prequel had been "a long time coming" and added "It was one of the few stories that I actually felt, when I finished Sandman, that I had failed because I had not told [it], and I'm really looking forward to telling it." The books will be published by the DC Comics imprint, Vertigo. The executive editor of Vertigo, Karen Berger described The Sandman as a "dark, soulful, literary epic that transformed comics and continues to captivate countless new readers year after year."

Fans of the series include the renowned author Normal Mailer, who said, of the books: "Along with all else, Sandman is a comic strip for intellectuals, and I say it's about time." With the 25th anniversary of The Sandman approaching, Gaiman felt that it was the perfect time to treat fans of his comics to some closure: "with Sandman's 25th anniversary year coming up, I'm delighted, and nervous, that that story is finally going to be told," Gaiman explained.