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So good! I have never read the comics and so had no knowledge of the story or any of the characters, but it turns out it stands alone quite well. Just one piece of advice… the first episode is so full of everything that you really have to pay attention so that the following episodes make sense. I ended up watching it twice. Anyhow, it’s not often a series sweeps me up like this. Great fun, excellent writing and a stellar cast.
My only disappointment was that Despair is portrayed as an overweight woman with stringy hair in a tattered cardigan. I mean, really? The only thing missing was a dozen cats. Other than that… loved it.
casa azahar 
How interesting you posted this today…just last night I almost started watching it but decided not to after reading a couple of reviews. I was only reading them to see if it was scary, I’m not a horror fan and I wasn’t sure. But now I think perhaps those reviews were comic fans who didn’t like their beloved characters messed with. As I also have no pre-knowledge of the story or characters, so maybe I should give it a watch after all.
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Oh no, it’s not scary at all. The production is beautiful, very well done, and so many good actors. I think the majority of the comic fans are actually quite happy with the result. Give it a try and tell me what you think. I have two eps to go.
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Gave it a go last night, quite enjoyed episode one so will definitely continue.
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Sandman was my first exposure to Gaiman’s work, and still the only work of his other than Good Omens that I’ve felt moved to revisit after one reading or viewing. It did start out as a horror comic — that was what DC contracted for, more or less, when they were starting their “adult” line of Vertigo Comics, the first time since Frederick Wertham and the institution of the Comics Code that publishers had thrown over the whole Comics Code thing (there used to be a little seal in the corner of the cover of every issue of Batman etc., essentially promising that there would be nothing violent or sexual or “deviant” or whatever inside). I’m chortling as I read some online commentary from the dudebros complaining about “It’s so gaaaay.” Guys, there were gay characters aplenty when he published it (and trans, and nonbinary, specifically Desire) and he fucking won an award from the Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation for positive representation in media, I was THERE to watch him accept it.
What you’ve seen is of course only a fraction of the complete arc. It’s ambitious. He’s managed to compress material from further along in his story into some of these episodes and it works organically (in the comics we don’t meet Hob Gadling till a good deal later). The idea that there are some immortal humans is important to the overall story arc and it’s good to introduce it here.
Despair was drawn as a bulky woman originally but there the resemblance all but ends; she was squat and always moved with a crouch so that she didn’t look entirely human, kind of toadlike and creepy, and instead of sniffly her demeanor and expression were sullen and dire. It made her look less as if she were despairing herself, and more as if she were enjoying inflicting despair on others. From her house she’s able to look out from behind all the mirrors in the world.
We haven’t yet met Destiny (who keeps the Book where everything that will happen is written) or Delirium (who used to be Delight), and Destruction went walkabout a couple of centuries ago and no one knows where he is.
It really does do justice to the comics without being slavish; Gaiman’s had thirty years to think of things he might have liked to do differently or develop different ideas while still respecting the integrity of the material as his imagination gave it to him. I particularly like some of the casting choices and voices. I never thought of the Corinthian having that grits-and-fatback Southern accent, but it’s perfect.
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Hopefully it won’t take another 30 years to get further seasons made, but it does seem like they know what they’re doing with it and, after the amazing response to this first season, I’m sure Netflix will be happy to throw all kinds of money at future productions. And I certainly know who to ask if I have any questions about the characters. Thanks for this.
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As you can tell, the problem is getting me to shut up.
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Never stop!
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I had always heard what a great property The Sandman was, and was also aware of the starts-and-stops just to get it to the screen, so when I heard the series was finally arriving I was very excited to see it. It did not disappoint. I felt the story was compelling, most all of the characters were flawlessly cast, and I certainly hope we see a lot more of it. I am now going to dive into the comics themselves to pass the time until (hopefully!) The Sandman returns. I recommend everyone give it a view. In particular, I feel Episode 6 is one of the great hours of television I have seen in a long time.
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Eps 1 and 6 were the best for me, had to watch both twice. 6 reminded me of ep 3 of Good Omens, which should be releasing season 2 shortly. Something to tide us over.
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