OVERTURE noun 1. A piece of orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio, often containing the main themes of the work or quotations from the work that is to come. 2. Approaches made with the aim of opening negotiations or establishing a relationship. 3. The first part of an event. The very beginning of something. From Amazon: The gateway story to the ground-breaking and New York Times best-selling Sandman series by multi award-winning author Neil Gaiman is collected here in an Absolute over-sized edition. Collects The Sandman: Overture #1-6. From Vertigo Comics: Neil Gaiman’s legendary series is back in DC’s Absolute Edition format! From the birth of a galaxy to the moment that Morpheus is captured, THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE features cameo appearances by fan-favorite characters such as the Corinthian, Merv Pumpkinhead and, of course, the Dream King’s siblings: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny. This volume collects THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #1-6 in its entirety together with a special presentation of the whole story’s original, uncolored art by J.H. Williams III, plus bonus material and a new cover by Williams!