The Sandman

[LadyTevar]

Back in 1990, my other brother brought a little graphic novel called "The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes"

This was my introduction to Neil Gaimon, and to his First Great Creation -- Morpheus, Lord of Dreams. (Crawley of Good Omens being the Second)

It was dark, it was mythic. It was glorious and epic, and I have been hoping and praying that one day I would see the comics live as they did in my dreams.

THIS
IS
WHAT
I
WAITED
FOR.

While I've only seen the first two episodes, they have brought the atmosphere, the DREAMING, to glorious life. Corinthian, Lucian(ne?), Cain, Abel, Gregory and Erving (ahhem GOLDY). The scene with the Hecate was improved far beyond The Three In One just stirring a pot. I know friends of mine who worship Her are thrilled.

My problem will be not binge-ing all of it in one sitting. I am trying to space it out, to savor it. Damn you Netflix for moving so fast to the next episode.

[LadyTevar]

Two more Episodes down: "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "A Hope in Hell"

I liked Joanna Constantine. She had the right attitude, the right skills, and yes, her mistakes haunted her. I'm very glad they remembered Hattie as well.
Matthew the Raven is just as I'd imagined him as well. Patton Oswald was the perfect choice for the voice!

John Burgus, on the other hand... *shivers*. OMG he's even creepier than I remembered, and the comics had him damn near a skeleton from his time prison. Did anyone else note that when The Corinthian loaned John his coat, only John's breath was frosting? But John, such a nice seemingly befuddled English gent. So polite, so soft-spoken, even when admitting to multiple murders and arson "and general mischief". No wonder Rosemary was terrified.

In the comics, Ethel died because the Demon lost the battle, and therefore the Amulet of Protection ceased to function. This is an interesting twist, John giving it to Rosemary, "no one can harm you now, not even me...." But, she was nice to him, to the point she offered him a ride the rest of the way despite being terrified of him, and truthfully just wanting to go home.

I am terrified of the next episode. The comic was gruesome enough. I know they had to sanitize some of it for TV, but this is the issue I remember the most. The torture, the way John just sat there calmly as he took their minds apart. The images are still in my mind. Thankfully I was reading a Collection, and could immediately go to the next issue, where his Big Sister comes to heal us.

I'll watch the next episode tomorrow, in daylight, and then "The Sound of Her Wings" will clear away the darkness as it did then.

[LadyTevar]

I caught up on the next two episodes "24/7" and "The Sound of Her Wings"

24/7, aka "The Diner" was the one I was apprehensive about, because even after reading it decades ago, I can still see the black & white pages in my mind. John in the comic is necrotic, drawn as a skeletal lich with a skull-like head, dark sunken eyes, and a tonsure of long unkempt stringy hair wrapped in rags. I see the pages of what John had them do to each other, and that was why I did not want to see John torture those people in color.

However, because of the images in my mind, I was left feeling oddly disappointed at the TV version. It did not move me like it should have, for I'd literally seen worse. It was still horrible what he had them do to each other, but it was not Horrific, it was not Terrifying, like the comic.
Yes, I'm complaining because it was too Sanitized for TV, and feeling stupid over it.

"THe Sound of Her Wings" on the other hand, was beautiful. This was Death, telling off her lil brother for moping. Taking the hands of the dying and simply being THERE for them. So much goodness, so much tenderness.

And then the bonus of Dream's friendship with Gilbert/Hobb. The costumes, The expert way they changed/didn't change the Swan as the time changed. Gilbert himself, adjusting to the times and even at his lowest still wanting to see what's next.
I want to go back with subtitles, see if I'm right that those talking in the background are simply repeating things said in prior centuries, about taxes, and revolutions.

I also wonder if Dream finally tells Gilbert his 'name', and if he explains truthfully why he missed their last meeting. After all, it seems like Gilbert was coming to The New Inn daily to see if Dream had appeared. After all, it'd not been 100yrs yet.

[bilateralrope]

My problem will be not binge-ing all of it in one sitting. I am trying to space it out, to savor it. Damn you Netflix for moving so fast to the next episode.

I have binged the episodes, without having read the visual novels. Overall I enjoyed it, but not wanting to spoil it for people who haven't got as far as me makes me hesitate to discuss it. I'd prefer an episode or two releasing each week instead of dumping a season at a time.

There are a surprising number of people with flip phones. Is that a detail that was in the visual novels ?

[Lost Soal]

I also wonder if Dream finally tells Gilbert his 'name', and if he explains truthfully why he missed their last meeting. After all, it seems like Gilbert was coming to The New Inn daily to see if Dream had appeared. After all, it'd not been 100yrs yet.

While there's nothing there which really says it, I get the impression that he owns the new place and either had it built or named specifically to attract Morpheus.

[Bedlam]

My problem will be not binge-ing all of it in one sitting. I am trying to space it out, to savor it. Damn you Netflix for moving so fast to the next episode.

I have binged the episodes, without having read the visual novels. Overall I enjoyed it, but not wanting to spoil it for people who haven't got as far as me makes me hesitate to discuss it. I'd prefer an episode or two releasing each week instead of dumping a season at a time.

There are a surprising number of people with flip phones. Is that a detail that was in the visual novels ?

The original stories were set when the comics came out the very late 80's to early 90's (well some of them were set hundreds or even thousands of years earlier but they were sort of flash back no story was set after the 'present') so flip phones were not really a thing then. In the original Dream did make his meeting in 1989 as that was when he got free but as they decided to move his freedom forwards to the present he missed it (they couldn't change the date of the meeting as the but with Shakespeare in the tavern wouldn't work 30 years later and that becomes important later).

[LadyTevar]

My problem will be not binge-ing all of it in one sitting. I am trying to space it out, to savor it. Damn you Netflix for moving so fast to the next episode.

I have binged the episodes, without having read the visual novels. Overall I enjoyed it, but not wanting to spoil it for people who haven't got as far as me makes me hesitate to discuss it. I'd prefer an episode or two releasing each week instead of dumping a season at a time.

There are a surprising number of people with flip phones. Is that a detail that was in the visual novels ?

Oh no. Gilbert's Motorola "brick" was the type of phone in the original novels.

However, there's been a trend in some places back to the flip-phone because they're cheap. So there's one reason ... and probably a big reason when you're buying Props for a show.

As for Spoilers? This is a Graphic Novel that's been out longer than I've been out of school. You really can't spoil the basic storyline, only how it plays out on TV vs Comics.

This is also why I'm spooling it out a couple episodes at a time, for those who may not have binged the full thing

[bilateralrope]

However, there's been a trend in some places back to the flip-phone because they're cheap. So there's one reason ... and probably a big reason when you're buying Props for a show.

As for Spoilers? This is a Graphic Novel that's been out longer than I've been out of school. You really can't spoil the basic storyline, only how it plays out on TV vs Comics.

Sure, flip cellphones are cheap. But the fliphones here were all smarthphones, which are expensive. But they share the clear visual of closing the phone to hang up.

As for spoilers, you've got to remember that there are people like me who start with the TV series. So you can still spoil the storyline if you get ahead of them.

[LadyTevar]

As for spoilers, you've got to remember that there are people like me who start with the TV series. So you can still spoil the storyline if you get ahead of them.

A very good point, which is why I've only been posting what I've seen so far. And, due to work and the FFXIV Update, I've not watched more yet.

[LadyTevar]

So, now we're into "The Doll's House" saga of the Comic, and I'm very much enjoying the show. This was again a very dark tale, but what do you expect when it deals with Rogue Nightmares.

On with the first chapter: "The Doll's House".
Not sure I like Despair. Then again, you can't show a corpulent naked person on TV. Despair made me think of Kathy Bates in her Stephen King Movies -- Misery. Delores Claiborne. Dumpy, dressed in frumpy old lady clothing, deeply unhappy and not right in the head.
Desire on the other hand is So Very Much like the Comic. So Bright. So Confident. So Sure THEY are the Center of the UNIVERSE, and Big Brother is in the way.
Yes, how else could Roderick Burgess learn how to catch an Endless, but through his Desires?

SO far, not many changes to Rose Walker, other than being Unity's Great-Grand-daughter, not grand-daughter. Again, a change due to the change in Timeline, updating the 1980's to the Current Era. They glossed over how Unity's dream of a daughter happened, but I'm not sorry they did. They are not playing around with Jed Walker's life, however. Uncle Barnaby is the same abusive slime he was in the comic.

With such an odd caste of characters in the House, you'd think they were all Dreams and Nightmares, but it's just how off-beat humans are. Even Barbie and Ken.
Stephen Fry as the man in the attic is a wonderful touch tho.


Still, that was just the setting stage for "Playing House".
Gold the Shapeshifter and Jed "The Sandman".
A Nightmare 'playing house' and giving a child in a hopeless position a release from his living nightmare. The computer bank full of villains, all from the Rogue's Gallery of DC Comics' Golden Age "Sandman", even drawn in Golden Age Style! Jed's Costume, with the pouch of sand and the Ruby at his neck, an amusing touch that I think was part of the Golden Age Sandman's costume as well. And Gold was in control of Jed's dreams, playing the DM for the nightly chase. Pity about the rat waking him, but so on theme for a Pied Piper.
It was a good change from the comic. I liked Gold wanting to be more than a Nightmare, wanting to bring happiness and power to someone who desperately needed it. Everything Gold said was right, and I'm glad she stuck to it even as she was UnMade. Morpheus may be Lord of Dreams, but he is not Human, or Humane, or Compassionate. He also doesn't like having that pointed out to him, even by Lucienne.

Corinthian continues to be a scary mutherfucker. I like his expanded role, he's been a plot point the whole way as opposed to "The Doll's House" being his first appearance. He was central to "The Collectors" storyline, and I'm waiting to see how the TV show continues to run with that. Corinthian's been lucky to avoid being caught so far, or perhaps it's his desire to stay in the Waking World (or just Desire period). It's amusing how he sets off all the Gaydar and instantly has all the men in lust with him. Again... is that just Corinthian, or is he getting help?
Still, Uncle Barnaby deserved everything Corinthian did to him even if we didn't get to see it, but Aunt Clarice was just a woman too scared and beat-down to stand up. Far too many of those in the world, and unfortunately far too many die in horrible ways. Poor Jed, from the frying pan to the fire and doesn't know it yet.

I don't have high hopes for Lyta and her baby. It's a beautiful dream she's having and Rose's influence is the only reason it's as strong as it is. I GET this -- it would be very nice to see Nitram "living" in our house with our kitties, or living out one of our shared dreams of just traveling across the world, going to Cons and SCA events in an RV. I sometimes dream of Nitram, before he vanishes into a crowd, or the Dream otherwise moves away from him. Lyta is still very full of grief and unfulfilled Dreams, strong enough that Rose can unconsciously, inadvertently, make them real.

But I also remember what happened to the Woman Who Got Pregnant while Inside The Dreaming.
In the comic, she was the wife of the DC Hero Jed was imitating. THAT Gold was keeping the mortal Sandman alive inside a hidden pocket of the Dream alongside his wife, but unlike Jed the comic Sandman was truly Fighting Crime as part of the DC Hero Universe. That Sandman also *knew* Gold was a Nightmare, but was very mistaken about who was in charge of the 'Dreamland'.
Morpheus did not need Rose to find Gold, and was much rougher in bringing Gold to heel. This, of course, dissolved the Pocket, killing the (mortal) Sandman, and kicking the still-alive wife back out into the Waking World, pregnant and alone. Again, Morpheus was shown as Inhuman, Inhumane, without the least amount of Compassion. He was simply Doing his Duty, Righting the Dreaming. It did not matter who was hurt, although Morpheus did say he would come back for the baby later, because the babe was Of The Dreaming and did not belong in the Waking World.
Never read far enough to know what happened afterwards.

[Tsyroc]

I wasn't going to watch this show and then I watched some YouTube reviews for the first couple of episodes that were pretty positive.

Everything in this show looks great.

I do think the first couple of episodes seem kind of slow but after that I really enjoyed the show. I've never read any of The Sandman comics but I did read the spin-off Lucifer books. I'm not sure about the casting for Lucifer on this show but it's not horrible and I don't think getting Tom Ellis to do it would have worked at all.

I understand there was some controversy about the casting of Death because she was a very popular character that sold a lot of merchandise based a lot on her look. I think the actress they got was excellent and other than not having chalk white skin I think she did have the general appearance of the comic character. So, nicely done.

Johanna Constantine was an interesting switch that I would like to see more of. Superficially, she doesn't seem quite as douchie as John but I think a fair bit of it is still there (the exes). Plus, I think she takes better care of her appearance if not necessarily that of her apartment than John does.

[Solauren]

Watched, the show, loved it. Looking forward to next season.


As for the nay-sayers on deaths appearance - The endless can probably change their appearance at will. She wanted to look like that right now. Who are you to judge?

[Soontir C'boath]

Speaking of Jenna Coleman, I almost felt like there wasn't much of a difference between Constantine and Clara from Doctor Who. Heck, Tom Sturridge kind of look like Matt Smith so it might as well been a Doctor Who serial without the police box.

I definitely like Sturridge's voice. It fits so well with the personification of the dreaming.

I hope Netflix renews the show.

[Tsyroc]

I hope Netflix renews the show.

Same here.

I've seen a breakdown on Netflix and it looks like they will give good shows 2 series before they bail because of costs. If they are doing really well and will bring in new subscribers they might go beyond that. Anything that costs a lot and doesn't do great or better in the numbers isn't likely to get renewed.