The cover for the first issue of Neil Gaiman's highly anticipated graphic novel release for 2013, Sandman:Overture, has been unveiled by Entertainment Weekly on the eve of the San Diego Comic Convention.

Artist Dave Mckean created the first issue cover of Overture, while its interior art was done by J.H. Williams III. McKean did the original covers for the past Sandman series.

The Sandman:Overture cover features Morpheus, this time, with a clean cut look. "There is something special about Dave McKean that makes it feel real.... I get the same thrill I got 25 years ago seeing his covers...," Gaiman told EW.

This will be Gaiman's return to Sandman since the series ended in 1996. According to the author, Overture picks up when "he (Morpheus) was returning from somewhere far, far away - but we never got to the story of what he was doing and what had happened. This is our chance to tell that story.

The new Sandman series is part of DC Entertainment's relaunch of its imprint, Vertigo, along with five other new series to be launched by the end of the year. Sandman: Overture will be available on October 30th.

Gaiman and Sam Keith, former Sandman artist, will appear at Comic Con on Saturday, July 25th, as part of Vertigo's 25th anniversary panel. In addition to Overture's first cover, McKean also did the cover for the official Comic Con souvenir booklet and T-shirts.

The Sandman author recently released his latest novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.

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