Neil Gaiman’s classic comic series The Sandman has long been eyed by Hollywood. Since the 1990s, there have been multiple attempts to translate the horror/fantasy epic into live-action, though none ever got past the scripting stage. Now, 33 years on from the first issue hitting shelves, Netflix has delivered the goods with a faithful retelling of the first two major arcs, and the consensus is that it was worth the wait.
Created under the watchful eye of Gaiman himself, the show pretty much brings what was on the page to the screen, with a couple of minor tweaks along the way to update the story for 2022, and broaden the diversity of the characters. Judging by the reaction from fans and critics, the show has hit a home run.
The Sandman is currently sitting at an impressive 87 percent positive on the Tomatometer (matched by an 86 percent audience score), and has now been officially Certified Fresh, so a little self-congratulation was in order.
Nobody knows exactly how Netflix decides which shows will continue and which are strangled in the crib, but the positive reception from critics and fans, the amount of conversation about the show on Twitter, and reduced production costs for a second season (as many assets can be reused from the first) should mean we get to see more of Gaiman’s story realized onscreen soon.
Then again, if The Sandman did stop here we’d be very sad, though at least we’ll have gotten got a fantastic adaptation of the “24/7” story and the especially moving “The Sound of Her Wings”, which beautifully wove in the century-spanning saga of the immortal Hob Gadling.
Let’s hope we get confirmation that season two is coming soon.
Published: Aug 9, 2022 04:20 am