This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Nerds of the world, rejoice: It has been a great year for awesome news about older favorite books and comics! Several fantasy classics are coming to the screen. , , and Y: The Last Man adaptations are all releasing in 2021; there are several spinoffs in the works; and the legendary Sandman comics are currently in production at Netflix for a drama series, The Sandman.
Audible has the exclusive full-cast audio adaptation of the first three volumes of , , dramatized and directed by audio icon Dirk Maggs and starring James McAvoy, Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Neil Gaiman, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, and Michael Sheen. Later this month, the adventure continues with the second installment, , which introduces all-star talent the likes of David Tennant, John Lithgow, and Bill Nighy to the cast.
Maybe you're new to the Sandman comics, or maybe—gasp!—you've never even heard of them. Either way, we've got you covered. Read ahead for details on 's Sandman, the important characters in the series, and what to expect from the upcoming Netflix series. Be prepared: the article ahead may contain some spoilers.
What is The Sandman about?
The Sandman is a dark fantasy and horror comic that was first released in single issues from DC Comics in 1989. It was written by Neil Gaiman and its graphic artists included Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, Shawn McManus, Marc Hempel, Bryan Talbot, and Michael Zulli, with lettering by Todd Klein. Dave McKean was the cover artist for the series through its entire run. It won 26 individual Eisner Awards, among other honors. It had three storylines: The Sandman, which ran from January 1989 to March 1996; The Sandman: The Dream Hunters in 1999; and The Sandman: Overture, which ran from October 2013 to November 2015. The comic was conceived by Gaiman to revive DC's The Sandman, written by Joe Simon and Michael Fleisher and illustrated by Jack Kirby and Ernie Chua, which ran from 1974 to 1976.
The Sandman is a comic comprised of stories that follow Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, who is captured and gradually learns that sometimes change is inevitable. So, Dream sets out to correct the mistakes he has made in the past. He is surrounded by other characters from Hell's hierarchy, such as Lucifer, Azazel, and Beelzebub. The Sandman storylines usually take place in Morpheus's realm of the Dreaming and the waking world, but occasionally the plots also visit other domains, such as Hell, Faerie, Asgard, and those of the other Endless.
The most popular spinoffs of the Sandman comics—featuring one of the most popular Sandman characters—is 1993's Death: The High Cost of Living, followed in 1996 by Death: The Time of Your Life. The Death comics were released by Vertigo Comics. The storylines follow a premise based on the fable that Death can take a human form once a century in order to keep in touch with humanity.
