'The Sandman' Captures the Gothic Horror of Neil Gaiman’s Comic

When the first issue of DC Comics' The Sandman was first released back in January 1989, English writer Neil Gaiman—at the time not even 30 years old—was at the very start of his career. All he'd had to his name was scattered nonfiction work, a few short stories, a handful of comics published in the UK, and a three-issue Black Orchid series for DC. But The Sandman—which would eventually run for 75 issues, spawn its own universe, and become one of the most heralded comic works of all time—changed all of that. Now, 33 years, 11 novels, and a number of other hit comics and literary works later, Gaiman is considered arguably the greatest living fantasy writer we have.

And if you're a writer lucky enough to make something considered a modern classic, you're almost always going to get something else: people wanting to adapt it for the screen. The Sandman had a long road to its live-action adaptation, including a planned version that at one point would've starred and been directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. But that winding road of production led the project, eventually, to Netflix, where Gaiman himself was an active contributor to the show's development, and where it now finds itself finally premiering. And luckily for all parties involved, it's pretty damn good.

No comic adaptation is ever going to be 100% accurate—but The Sandman is not super far off. Sure, some details from later issues are brought in earlier, and some characters are slightly tweaked, but from the story beats to the format in which that story is presented (The Sandman generally operates as a series of linked short stories and mini-arcs), everything feels distinctly of a piece with what Gaiman originally presented in The Sandman comic's 75-issue run. And, again—that's a damn good thing.

If you were wondering how some of the key characters from Netflix's The Sandman compare to their depiction within the original comic, we've got you covered.