Netflix’s The Sandman Is Surprisingly Good

As a series that has been in production for many years, The Sandman somehow delivers a breath of fresh air. It has so many elements that make for a good and enjoyable series; you can binge over the weekend and not feel bad about spending nearly 10 hours sitting. Though, the story has an already established fanbase considering the fact that it’s based on the comic book of the same name from the early 90s by Neil Gaiman. Funny enough, it was around 1991 when the first attempts at screen adaptation of the comic started. It took decades to get to a point where in the 2010s there was finally some hope that this story would ever see the light of day on TV. 

Now, here we are in 2022 and The Sandman has been released on Netflix as a 10-episode series with hopes of more seasons ahead. 

The Story and Reception of The Sandman 

The mortal wizard escapes from his century-long prison and is now trying to reclaim his equipment while setting order in his realm. 

The story is of a fantastical nature with many glorious moments that will leave both original comic fans and the new ones speechless. Most importantly there are so many things that just work here. The production doesn’t feel cheap like most fantasy shows do. The acting is so good and it’s clear that everyone put their best foot forward in the making of the show. There have been many shows of this nature recently but very few have cracked the code, as well as The Sandman, has. The code means making a show that is both fun and serious. 

From the very first episode, you can see the potential. There’s no weak link among the actors, and the visual effects are actually very competent. Netflix recently has cut the budget of many shows leaving their effects looking laughably bad, but thankfully The Sandman hasn’t fallen victim to that. 

One thing that stands out from the audience’s reception of this first season is that the first six episodes are incredible but throughout the last few episodes the quality drops a little. You can be the judge of that. What’s important is that the show is undeniably worth watching if you enjoy fantasy entertainment. The source material is already good but that doesn’t mean that the show was a given in turning out well. Many times, the world has seen great books or comics turn into awful films and shows. This is not the case here.

Gaiman has been involved in this adaptation of his original work. His previously adapted shows Good Omens and American Gods both were fairly well received. The Sandman currently has an 86 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and generally speaking audience worldwide seems to be enjoying it as well. 

The success of this show is rather surprising taking into consideration just how much Netflix has been providing very little value in recent memory. After the success of Shadow and Bone last year, the TV fantasy world now has two franchises to root for. Let’s hope Netflix actually keeps investing in them and doesn’t leave these shows behind. 

The pacing is not perfect, and this might not make many year-end lists of the best shows of the year, but The Sandman is a win for Netflix. A good show that’s not too long and promises new and exciting stories ahead. Don’t miss out on this one. 

Photo courtesy of Netflix

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