Netflix’s immediate impact model, with its entire seasons or series released all at once and commented on the first three days of release no opportunity for restful digestion, does a very disservice to several of its best series. Precisely those that go out of their algorithmic norm and have a care in most of its aspects that are much more appreciated by tasting it at the right time.
In the case of ‘Sandman’ it can be even more radical. Neil Gaiman’s original comics are one of the most important literary sources of our time, precisely because qualities that made her practically unadaptable, and rushing into it can lead to misunderstanding. What are all these characters? What mythology are we anchored to? What will be the great conflict? The best thing about the comic was not having a simple answer to all these questions and, luckily, the Netflix series maintains that essence while managing to be entertaining on its own merits.
dream with me
On its own merits, it amounts to not being limited to the conventions of conventional fantasy. The original ‘Sandman’ could get scattered throughout different plots, letting the metaphysical ideas about humanity, dreams and creativity be the ones that act as connective tissue for the reader. Gaiman, being involved as a creator, tries to maintain that pillar, although his associates David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg help make that set of plots more cohesive.
Not only is there a clearer cohesion to the series, but it serves to make for effective television that manages to avoid comic book tendencies that would be somewhat anticlimactic on screen, as well as quick resolution of conflicts. The mentioned catacrocker trio uses it to make series chapters that work by themselves and, at the same time, mark a narrative evolution.
Aspects such as the management of the adventure of the Dream (Tom Sturridge) to recover his stolen objects or the evolution of the character of the Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook) as a persistent antagonist throughout the season show the care taken so that his ambition is not overwhelming to the new viewer. Because there are many things that could scare him away, such as the almost inscrutable character of the protagonist, who has a very gradual evolution that the series does not seek to make too obvious.
‘Sandman’: an adaptation up to the challenge
For the viewer who was already a fan of ‘Sandman’ there is much to be happy about. The master plots are maintained quite faithfully, the extravagances or murky aspects have not been compromised too much that characterized the panels and Sturridge manages to get closer to the personification of a Sisters of Mercy record that was the Dream of the comic.
Beyond the winks, it is a delight for its way of making the most memorable moments of the first volumes work, such as the duel in hell, the episode in the cafeteria, the encounter with Death or a beautiful story of friendship along the way. throughout the centuries. oh and the macabre sense of humorclosely linked to the Corinthian.
But the best thing about the series is how it doesn’t try to neglect the viewer who is going to come virgin to the world of ‘Sandman’. There is an important whirlwind of characters, of references that can go over your head, but there is also a special attention to detail so that everything is actionable. There’s a visual work that stands out from the generic work that usually mark the average productions of the platform. And there is also a rich world that is intriguing to get into, and the series takes you by the hand through them with its invaluable sense of (dark) fantasy.
For those who also want to scratch something out of the fantasy they consume, ‘Sandman’ offers hours of interesting investigation around the human condition, of how he needs aspects that he does not understand such as dreams or death in order to be human, of the power of elements such as hope or the passion for living to defeat periods of darkness. We are discovering these aspects along with Sueño itself, and there is a feeling that the series is not randomly releasing details, that everything is part of a very rich whole and that it is worth digesting little by little.
He also knows how to do his job when it comes to making it clear that there is a potential to continue evolving, to continue developing these characters, these imaginative worlds, just as comics did. Gaiman and his team have not wanted to neglect any aspect, and it shows, because his elegant and somber reflection in the form of unleashed fantasy has managed to survive his difficult passage to the screen. Not only that, it’s almost the dream adaptation that fans have been craving and also a perfect opportunity for Netflix to establish an epoch-making series. That is why it is the best series that they have released this year, and one that you should not miss.