The best Sandman stories to read after watching the Netflix series
Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is a many-splendored wonder. One part pulp horror, one part urban fantasy comic replete with Shakespearean and mythological cameos, the comic covers a lot of ground with a host of characters both mundane and otherworldly. What begins as a story about Morpheus, the immortal King of Dreams, and his quest for redemption gradually evolves into something even larger: a story about the nature of stories themselves and their essential relationship to humanity.
The original 75-issue series, along with its assorted constellation of spinoff series and books, is a multifarious anthology of beautifully illustrated and brilliantly told stories that run the gamut from bone-chilling to soul-stirring.
In celebration of the long-awaited live-action TV adaptation of The Sandman, which premiered this weekend on Netflix, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite volumes and issues from the comic for those looking to explore the universe of the original series in more detail. Sweet dreams, and happy reading.
The Sandman started its life as a horror comic before it become something much more. “24 Hours” is the horror version of Sandman at the height of its powers: mean, haunting, and skin-crawlingly upsetting, a one-act play where diner patrons slowly go mad together.
The story is mostly stand-alone: John Dee, a D-List DC Comics villain, has obtained Dream’s ruby, which contains much of his powers to realize the dreams of others. Already a twisted soul, Dee is further corrupted by the ruby, which warps his body into its current ghoulish appearance. Recently freed from imprisonment, Dee slinks into a diner and makes its patrons his first victims — using the ruby’s powers to manipulate their desires and warp
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