The Sandman - Netflix Series

[Asta]

Yeah, it's a decent sci-fi, I enjoyed it. Haven't read the comic though.

I downloaded Paper Girls - The Complete Story earlier and dipped into it. Probably won't read it as I find it hard committing time to reading comics when I have a mountain of things to watch. I also don't really want to know what happens if there's a second series, and it follows the source.

I slogged through a few episodes of Sandman. Gave up on it.

• It's excruciatingly slow without building up to much.
• It's bland and depressing, from the bleak, washed out production design to the acting.
• It's like American Gods on half a bottle of Valium and a bottle of cheap rye.

(If you've seen American Gods you'll note that yes -- it's even worse).

Gaiman's work in general has a very dated quality to it that they seem to insist on reproducing to mind-numbing effect in other media.

I dropped into random bits of other episodes to see if it looked like anything interesting was going to happen. But, as you wrote, there's nothing there.

I gave up on American Gods quite early too. I don't mind weird (e.g., Doom Patrol, Umbrella Academy), but American Gods was the wrong kind of weird for me.

 

[Otomofan]

There's so much I wanna say about the godawful casting choices, but such discussion is a bannable offense.

I'll say this though....I always enjoyed Patton Oswalt's work as a stand-up comedian, but if I have to hear his stupid "nerdy goofball" voice come out of one more CGI animal's mouth I'm gonna puke.

I'm astounded at how dated the show ended up being. I thought that they'd surely update most of the stories considering they took place over 30 years ago.

One of my favorite issues of the series was "Collectors." It was just a brilliant idea: a serial killer convention, where they just hang out and trade stories and talk about their "hobby" the same way we do with comics. It was an amazing issue and one of the highlights of the early run of the series.

Definitely a fun idea, but even in the late 80s, it took a little suspension of disbelief.

Now, in current day, with 24 hour social media and closed circuit tv pointed in every direction everywhere, it's just a silly, ridiculous idea. It could never, ever work, even in a fantasy setting. It's just too ridiculous. I can't believe they went ahead and filmed it anyway. The whole notion of people going to a convention like that feels like something from the 70s, not our troubled current times, especially after the whole pandemic thing.

They really whiffed big time right from the pilot. The payoff to the first issue was the brutal punishment that Sandman gives to his captor. The gift of eternal awakening. When I first read that, I got chills down my spine. It scared the living piss outta me. In the show, he gives him "the gift of eternal sleep." WTF?? No budget left for the emotional payoff of the episode?? Awful. Just awful.

Several user reviews on IMDB are ripping this thing a new one, and rightly so. It was a beloved book to so many millions of people, and if they were gonna do it in live action, they should have done it RIGHT. But they didn't.

My very favorite issue of the entire series, and the one I got signed when I met Neil Gaiman in person, is issue number 13, "Men of Good Fortune." I was very surprised to see this on the show, and most of the episode was OK, I suppose. The guy playing Hob was all right, nothing to write home about. At least he wasn't played by a black woman for no reason, although I did roll my eyes at seeing all the black background extras in 1300s England.

One wonderful part of that story is when Dream tells Hob that all the great stories eventually return to their true forms, despite the editing and censoring that moral busybodies will inflict on them over the years.

They actually had the audacity to include this exchange, verbatim, in the TV version.

 

[xipotec]

The Sandman GN are artsy and interesting about 15 years or more ago.

So much has been done like this now, its nothing special.

American Gods is kinda the same level of odd / weird that does not lend itself to a mass audience. Most audiences barely understand the movies they are watching.

When Dune and Blade Runner 2049 are too complex for and audience yo grasp what going on , these Gaiman stories do not stand a chance.

What the really need to do is adapt The GraveYard Book. Its the most relatable story and its a fun book.

 

[BeefEaster]

I thought this looked interesting initially from the previews, but I got about halfway through the second episode I'm having trouble finding the motivation to keep watching. It's like netflix just finds a way to dull down anything and everything they get their hands on.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

I thought this looked interesting initially from the previews, but I got about halfway through the second episode I'm having trouble finding the motivation to keep watching. It's like netflix just finds a way to dull down anything and everything they get their hands on.

IMHO, the problem with Sandman is you need to fundamentally change the plot to make this story somewhat accessible to television, but that will drive away the hard core fans. In that case, you might as well make an original story outside of the Sandman IP.

For example - Sandman is one of seven siblings, where Brother Death goes rogue. Sandman has to replace Death somehow.

That's a simple enough story you could market. But if you get to that point, then you might as well adapt Piers Anthony's On A Pale Horse ( Incarnations Of Immortality series) instead.

In fact, On A Pale Horse would be an incredible series if done right.

There's a point where a show's potential SFX needed might mean an animated series is the better choice. Maybe Sandman is in this category.

There are just some things you can't film or film easily. Stephen King has had nearly everything he's written made into a film or TV show, but not The Long Walk. It just wouldn't make it past a clearly modern politically correct society to film.

Certain IPs need a specific medium and format. Orson Scott Card's Enders Game needs a TV series. You can't cover a story that broad and do it justice in a 2 hour film. You can't do Band Of Brothers as a 2 hour movie.

 

[KitbashOfficer]

Wow - the venom! I'm a few episodes in and liking the premise and pacing so far. Much better than Gaiman's other work: American Gods.

Kind of reinforces what I've noticed about the majority of folks in the vastness of this forum: people undecidedly into these creative works, yet on the whole decidedly unimaginative...

 

[Asta]

Wow - the venom! I'm a few episodes in and liking the premise and pacing so far. Much better than Gaiman's other work: American Gods.

Kind of reinforces what I've noticed about the majority of folks in the vastness of this forum: people undecidedly into these creative works, yet on the whole decidedly unimaginative...

 

[Xeno Junkie]

I started watching the series last night and I must say that the most aggravating thing is the fact that Pat Oswald is voicing the raven.

For such a dark and mysterious character as Dream is, to have such an annoying “sidekick” really takes away from him.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I'm on episode 7. 5 and 6 especially were amazing.

 

[Mike86]

I’ve only watched the first episode so far but I liked it. I’m only just getting into the comics so I’m by no means a diehard fan. Wonder if there will be any figures. I’d at least take Morpheus.

 

[Xeno Junkie]

I’ve only watched the first episode so far but I liked it. I’m only just getting into the comics so I’m by no means a diehard fan. Wonder if there will be any figures. I’d at least take Morpheus.

Like you, the TV series is my first introduction to the character. I’ve known of the comic series since forever but was never drawn to it so this is all new to me. With that said, I’m really enjoy the series.

 

[ZE_501]

I made it a third of the way into episode 5 before throwing in the towel.

I tried reading the comics a few years ago and much like the show, found them dated and kind of ... drab.

 

[chrisstbh]

Thought this was pretty decent.

 

[karamazov80]

I have been a fan of the Sandman comics for around 20 years, and finished the show pretty quickly over the weekend. I thought it was pretty dang good, myself. I thought the casting and acting was generally well done, CG was really solid, and the stories were pretty cool to see in live action. I wasn't sold on the guy playing Morpheus in the trailers, but thought he did a fine job finding that balance between being an aloof, godlike entity and someone who is becoming more empathetic and human over the course of the story. Desire seems like pitch perfect casting. I thought Death was also pretty well cast, being appropriately optimistic and likable. Putting Brienne as Satan worked for me, and I'm hopeful we will get a second season to see the follow-up story they set up. They didn't flinch from the sub-plot involving Dr. Destiny, so there were clearly no major guardrails imposed on the creative side. The Corinthian was given more importance and weight than he had in the comic, but I guess they felt compelled to have a primary antagonist driving things throughout the season, so that makes some sense.

If I had to levy a complaint it is that you really don't get much here that diverges from the comic, even to the details on Fun Land's hat. That is a double-edged sword, of course, since the comic is a masterpiece, but no real surprises. And it doesn't bother me, but there seemed to be more gay than straight people and relationships in the show. Only a critique because it felt inauthentic. It's as if they went out of their way, for instance with the gender swap and relationship between Constantine and the woman with the bag of sand, and the Corinthian. There was some of that in the original comic, but . . .I thought the show was fun and definitely worth a watch. As brilliant as the comic? Not even close. Tone isn't the same, and the storytelling approach is just different. But better than I expected it to be.

 

[Otomofan]

Desire seems like pitch perfect casting.

 

[karamazov80]

Not sure what that means, but the essence of the character seems fully on display. The extreme, disturbing smile always plastered on its face, the grandiose, dramatic quality, and the androgenous, even hermaphroditic nature of this character seem right on.

 

[Otomofan]

At the risk of offending anyone, I'll just say that I respect your opinion but I couldn't possibly disagree more.

 

[KitbashOfficer]

I made it a third of the way into episode 5 before throwing in the towel.

I tried reading the comics a few years ago and much like the show, found them dated and kind of ... drab.

Episode 5 did devolve into an Ezra Miller party.

Episode 6 was awesome.

 

[generalszabo]

I might watch this, I was trying to get into the comic first for like the 5th time, in vain

I just have no interest in the way the story is told, I don't appreciate his work like people keep telling me I should

He's no Alan Moore is he?

 

[meanstreak]

I never read the comic and knew nothing about it either, and i've been enjoying the show so far. I have two episodes left.