The Sandman had always been in my blind spot as a geek. Growing up, as the eldest son, I was introduced to comics in the 1990s by a cousin who was big on Marvel and the X-Men, but the more serious, more thoughtful, more adult comics had passed me by. With every year, Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece remained a spectre hovering over me, a “legendary graphic novel” that I hadn’t read.
Preludes and Nocturnes
And then in 2019, Netflix announced their intention to make a live action series. Many of my friends who loved the series were feeling a mix of emotions. I, however, was left feeling mostly disengaged. The idea of a live action version of this comic that had always eluded me became more and more of an academic concern (much like Jupiter’s Legacy and Cowboy Bebop, two other pieces of pop culture that had also passed me by).
At this point the decision was made. I would not read any of The Sandman comics. I wanted to approach the TV show with fresh eyes. Would it wow me? Would I be a convert to The Sandman? Or would it, much like so many other failed adaptations (Y The Last Man, DMZ, Jupiter’s Legacy, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell) end with a whimper.
I can’t make a comparison to the original (as I’ve just spent the last few paragraphs explaining myself), but I can say Netflix’s The Sandman made me feel very good things. The Sandman, as a standalone television series, really works. Neil Gaiman was able to adapt a comic book into a TV series, without it feeling like a comic book TV series. In these 10 episodes, there never was a point where I felt left out, or felt like I needed to do homework to keep up. The series is beautifully paced, never plodding, and never rushed. Neil Gaiman takes his time to tell this story and it shows. It never feels indulgent and never feels overwrought. The Sandman is some good, solid, television.
The Doll’s House
And now, a quick primer on The Sandman.
The Sandman tells the story of the time (capital D) Dream is caught by some pesky humans trying to achieve immortality. While imprisoned, the dream world falls into disarray, causing some humans to not wake up from their slumber, and nightmares to run rampant. After a century, Dream finally breaks free, and tries to right all the wrongs that have happened in his absence, all while trying to find some things of his that had been stolen. That is the big overarching story of The Sandman, but it isn’t the only story being told here. Neil Gaiman’s layered, onion like storytelling gives the audience a lot to unpack, all while asking questions of us about the nature of who we are as humans. Also just like an onion, there may be tears.
Netflix’s The Sandman isn’t just a story about Dream (or Morpheus, or Oneiros, one of the seven Endless) and his quest. That would be too easy, too lame, too beneath Gaiman. There is of course an objective story in these 10 episodes. Dream needs to *do a thing.* But there is also a subjective story that is just beneath the surface. The story of our collective need to *do a thing.*
Gaiman shows us what it means to be human and to dream. The Sandman also has some of the best standalone episodes I have seen in a long time. These bottle episodes are traditionally seen as fillers, when a writer needs to fill out a 22 episode season, but here, Gaiman uses these episodes to great effect, filling out characters and providing background to their motivations. They were also some of my favourite episodes in the series.
A Game of You
1991 was the first attempt at adapting The Sandman for the screen, with it coming closest in 2013, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt attached to star. Now, I like me some JGL, but after having seen Tom Sturridge as Dream, I don’t think that initial version would have worked. Tom Sturridge brings a depth to the character that Gordon-Levitt would not have been able to. Tom Sturridge’s Morpheus is powerful and strong. He doesn’t suck the air out of every scene he’s in, but can impose himself on it when he needs to.
Adapting something is hard work. Adapting an iconic piece of pop culture is even harder. How do you satisfy everyone? How many winks and nods is too many winks and nods? How do you introduce the thing to a new audience, without making it boring to fans? Whatever that formula is, Neil Gaiman has cracked it. From American Gods, to Good Omens, and now Netflix’s The Sandman, Gaiman has been able to walk that fine line to make TV adaptations that work for all audiences, without alienating anyone.
Fables and Reflections
Most importantly, Netflix’s The Sandman works as a TV series. It doesn’t require a newcomer to have any prior knowledge. But at the same time it doesn’t plod along trying to introduce the world to them either. This series doesn’t have a slow build to introduce the universe and get everyone up to speed. It isn’t an origin story of Dream, or the Endless, or the world of The Sandman.
This is something that stands on its own without needing you to read 75 (plus 10 spinoff) issues of homework. This is good adult television. This is get-off-Twitter and put-your-phone-down television. And knowing that these 10 episodes only cover about the first 16 issues of the comic series makes me happy. Now onto Season 2, whenever that may be.
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