The Sandman by Neil Gaiman is a critically acclaimed original comic series which ran for 75 issues from 1989 to 1996. Over the years the DC Vertigo won 26 Eisner Awards, topped various ‘Best Comic Series’ lists and has been called the 'Shakespeare of comics,' due to its lyric wordplay, sophisticated storytelling arcs and dramatic characterizations (including, funnily enough Shakespeare himself)-not due to its love of iambic pentameter. Guess who studied Shakespeare in Secondary... this guy.
There have been many spin-offs, side projects and divergent series since the original run but rumours of a Sandman movie or TV series have been swirling since time immemorial without success. That is, until now. Audible have released The Sandman series as audio books, however this is not a simple retelling of the comics but a more complex affair with full orchestration, a complete cast and narration by Gaiman himself.
The first part of the audio book released mid-July 2020 and over the course of a few days I have been listening to it intently. The audio drama covers the first three volumes of the graphic novel collections- Preludes and Nocturnes, The Dolls House and Dream Country and is very faithful to this source material, with just a few tweaks and additions to help the flow in the audio format.
The epic saga begins with Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, captured by occultists and kept imprisoned for many years. When he breaks free he realises that his objects of power have been taken and he journeys across different realms to reclaim them. Along the way he meets various characters from the DC universe including Batman, The Martian Manhunter, John Constantine and more niche characters.
The next story arc concerns the Dream Vortex and a young lady called Rose Walker, who threatens the very existence of the Dreaming, the 'land' where Morpheus' kingdom exists.
The Audible ends with the anthology tales from Dream Country. There are 4 different stories including a really uncomfortable tale about the muse Calliope being imprisoned by a writer. This is followed by the award winning single comic story of Shakespeare creating a play for an extraordinary audience, unlike any he has met before. I remember reading this about 20 years ago and thinking how this graphic novel was peculiar as there wasn't a single story arc but rather, characters and themes that would pervade the rest of the series.
The whole Audible experience is expertly crafted as the cast, including including James McAvoy (playing as Morpheus), Michael Sheen (Lucifer) , Taron Egerton (a haunted John Constantine here but also excellent as Moomin Troll in the brilliant Moominvalley), Kat Dennings (Death) and Riz Ahmed (The Corinthian) all bring their A-game to lend proceedings an air of authenticity and gravitas. The music is suitably brooding but there are moments of crescendo, where the organs go full throttle, the choirs voice rises and the trumpets blare, it's moody and unsettling stuff which adds weight to the whole affair.
The Sandman stories themselves are intriguing and soulful, with a particular favorite of mine being chapter 8 when Dream travels with Death as she does her work. It is very philosophical yet also deeply sad. I also loved chapter 10, in which Dream meets at the same inn every 100 years with Hob Gadling, who Death has granted an extention to his life, to see how he fares through the centuries. The music and sounds of the times brings the centuries to life.
I disliked '24 hours' in which Dream tracks down rogue dreams and horrific nightmares created by John Dee, a psychopath who has escaped from Arkham Asylum. The story is an interesting one of depravity and uncontrolled desire let loose but it all made for uncomfortable listening and the grotesque sounds made me uneasy, and I'm no shrinking violet.
Overall, when I read these stories in comic form years ago, I was taken with them but hearing them performed aloud added further depth. The Sandman is a masterclass in audio storytelling and is well worth the 10 + hours of engagement required. It isn't always easy listening with some vividly voice-acted scenes of horror and terror but then, that's what The Sandman does best... haunt your dreams.
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