Who Is The Sandman,The Cosmic Being Who Controls All Dreams

Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman is a highly prolific author with works in many different narrative styles. Among the genres Gaiman has touched on are short fiction, novels, comics, graphic novels, non-fiction, sound theater and film. Among his most important works are The Sandman comic book series and the novels Stardust, Anansi Boys, American Gods, Coraline and The Graveyard Book.

The Sandman comic book has gained special relevance thanks to Netflix. The streaming platform took this character to the small screen and had a successful season. So it is unsurprising that Gaiman has recently announced that he is working on the second season.

The successful series is based on the DC comics about this character. This collection dates back to the 1980s and had more or less 75 issues to its credit. Today we will delve into the author’s guts and star character Sandman, also known as the Lord of the Dreamin.

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman series stands out as the debut work of this prolific author. Many specialized critics consider this work as one of the most original and sophisticated of the genre. This epic based on Morpheus is one of the most artistically ambitious comics and, to this day, is considered a popular icon.

The series shows a very original and personified concept of beings called the Eternals. These entities are the oldest beings in creation. They are much older than mankind and possess realms of their own.

Each eternal being has its own symbols; they can contact their other brothers with them. Thanks to this, they can create bridges through existence, which comes very naturally to them.

The members of this family do not get along very well. This bad affinity is quite understandable, as everyone has innate qualities. These gifts mean the opposite of each other and rarely interact with each other.

The Sandman Origin

Before The Sandman series saw the light of day, DC published a series of the same name from 1974 to 1976. Joe Simon and Michael Fleisher were the artists embodying the character, and Jack Kirby and Ernie Chua were in charge of the illustration.

That series is the basis for Gaiman’s current proposal, which bears the same name. The protagonist of The Sandman is Dream, an anthropomorphic figure of dreams themselves.

This character assumes various names. Morpheus is the most popular, but he also goes by the names of Shapeshifter, Oniros, and the Prince of Stories. On some occasions, he is also identified as Arenero.

Apart from this character, Neil Gaiman considered including other “Dream Stream” characters. These included Kirby Sandman, Glob, Brute, and Cain and Abel brothers.

The authors intended to do this in a 1988 scene from the first volume of the miniseries called Black Orchid. Ultimately, the publisher did not include that scene in later drafts because Roy Thomas used it in Infinity Inc.

Making The Sandman Comics Series

So, Gaiman began to imagine a deal to make a new series a reality. That deal he mentioned to publisher Karen Berg at DC. After several months passed, Berg offered the artist a comic to work on, and thus the Sandman series was born.

“A man, young, pale and naked, imprisoned in a small cage, waiting for his captors to die…”. The clothing was a black Japanese kimono. 

Eight issues were born, and Dave McKean and Leigh Baulch were responsible for drawing the character sketches. Joining the team was Sam Kieth, the lead artist for the series. Subsequently hired as inker Mike Dringenberg, letterer Todd Klein, colorist Robbie Busch, and cover artist Dave McKean.

The cover developed was quite unconventional. It struck a chord with Berg, convincing him that the series’ protagonist didn’t have to appear on every cover.

The Eternals

Image: DC Comics

This majestic work by Neil Geiman with The Sandman takes us to explore the depths of dreams. Where an ethereal world is presented, with beings that govern our reality, these are the Eternals or entities with immeasurable power.

The origin of the eternal ones goes back to the beginning of everything, a night with darkness without limits and an end. Thus, time appeared, where all things could exist, both night and time. In this way the universe and its different children, the eternal ones, were created. These were also called divine beings, whose task was to take care of the kingdom given to them.

The eternal ones are considered as old as the concepts that represent them. They have no exact age, but they seem to be older than life itself. And they are known to have had several manifestations. Here we tell you a little about each of them.

Destiny

Image: DC Comics

Destiny is considered the greatest of the Eternals. Which is not bestowed in vain, for he represents all that is what was and what will be. His appearance resembles an ancient monk carrying a book chained on his arm. He never shows his face.

The book is part of the essence of Destiny. His father, Time, left him the book as an inheritance. Hence, its writings are the sum of all that exists, past, present and future.

This god is one of the entities that seem more immersed in his work. It very rarely shows traces of a personality. He is considered the most powerful of the Eternals and influences everything.

Death

Image: DC Comics

The second of the deities of the Eternals is Death. She gives passage to the afterlife and will be the last to leave the universe. Therefore, she is in charge of carrying the last through the gates. Her appearance resembles a gothic girl who enjoys an excellent mood. The sign that characterizes her is Ankn.

With this character, she sought to change the ruthless versions that are linked to the concept of death. This made her very popular through the years, thanks to the charisma and kindness of the version shown.

This gothic girl is Dream’s closest sister. She very often offers her help and advice to her brother. She shows great sensitivity and wisdom, trying to learn from the other deities.

Dream

Image: DC Comics

Dream is one of the most emblematic gods of The Sandman mythology. He lives in his mutable kingdom full of creatures independent of himself. His appearance is that of a tall, thin, pale man with dark eyes but with luminous points in his center. This is the protagonist of this series. His sign is his helmet which is constructed of a skull.

This moody and pale character assumes several names, one of which is Morpheus, the king of the dream world. With this, who has access to all the stories ever told knows of existence itself.

He can create whatever he wishes when he is in his dream dimension. But, outside of it, his abilities diminish in reality. Dream can use his powers to create illusions, so he manages to change his appearance so that beings with lesser capacity can understand him.

Destruction

Image: DC Comics

Destruction represents change; for this to happen, it is necessary to destroy what already exists. In this way, creation and life are given way. To this one belong the realm of physical reality and logic. He is the harbinger of death, and his appearance resembles a large red-haired man with a beard. His sign is the sword.

This was the fourth Eternal to appear; his name indicates what he represents. It is the necessary step for the creation of new forms. But, seeing how most beings strive to destroy themselves, he abandoned his functions, turning his back on his duties and opting to learn the art of creation.

Desire and Despair

Image: DC Comics

Desire represents everything wanted, from love and lust to food. His character is attractive androgynous, and slender. His eyes are tawny. He is truly a dangerous character and is Desire’s twin. He is constantly at odds with Morpheus. His sign is a heart.

Desire possesses an incredible beauty, which has as its main task in the universe to ensure the temptation of beings. This one does not care about nature, presenting itself cruel and imposing often. Therefore, she has deservedly earned the distrust and hostility of some of her brothers.

But here it is necessary to clarify something, for the Eternals, there is neither good nor evil, but predominates the being, the being. And the function of Desire is as necessary as the rest because this is the only way to guarantee the balance of the Cosmos.

Despair is the twin sister of Desire. She is a queen in her own territory made of mirrors and represents the incarnation of Despair and anguish. She is a fat, naked woman with sharp white teeth. The sign that characterizes her is a fishhook.

Although the twins’ bodies are completely different, so is their personality. Desespero is cold and intelligent. She represents the feeling of all those beings who could not achieve their desires.

Delirio

Image: DC Comics

Delirio is the youngest of the Eternals. She was formerly known as Delight and represents the incarnation of madness and senselessness. Delirio  is a long-suffering deity who changed into madness. She has the appearance of a girl or adolescent with badly cut hair. Her eyes are blue and green.

In itself, Delirio is eccentric and with a temperament that suffers sudden changes. If you are in front of her, you can see into the eyes of madness. But, in the same way is to open doors to strange wisdom. Delirio knows truths that are not even written in the Book of Destiny.

Lucifer

Image: DC Comics

Lucifer is one of Sandman’s best-known characters. He represents a rebellious archangel given the kingdom of hell to exercise dominion. Sometime later, he exhausts himself from exile in this realm, constantly struggling against mortals’ prejudices.

Eventually, he is seen leaving his kingdom to retire on earth and live as a mortal. This character first appeared in the 2005 Constantine movie. He later got his own series. A young David Bowie inspired the character.

John Constantine

Image: DC Comics

John Constantine is one of the Sandman characters that requires no introduction. The fans widely know him. He is, in fact, a famous English occultist and a powerful sorcerer who is in charge of investigating the occult. Constantine uses his abilities to keep mystical beings under control. Due to his links with the occult realms, he has come to interact with the Eternals.

Publication of Sandman

Image: DC Comics

The regular series of this series, The Sandman, was published from 1989 to 1996 by DC Comics. As time went by, Vertigo, another imprint of the same American publisher founded in 1993, was incorporated.

The Sandman originally consisted of 75 issues, which contained 24 pages. However, there were issues with more pages. DC Comics published these on a monthly basis. The covers were designed by Dave McKean, for which the artist used mixed techniques of painting, drawing, texture and collage.

Due to the resounding success of the series, DC Comics began to reprint the issues. At first, they were published in paperback. The first compilation was the story arc of The Doll’s House. In the end, they split ten collected volumes, allowing them to integrate two issues on the fringe of the regular series.

The Sandman’s Adaptation

Image: Netflix

The Sandman has been adapted to other media. In the case of television, Warner Bros. was interested from the beginning of this project. Eric Kripke, who created the Supernatural series, was involved in this project. For Neil Gaiman, the series director had to be Terry Gilliam.

In 2019, Netflix agreed with Warner Bros. to develop a television series about The Sandman. In the team were showrunner Allan Heinberg and executive producers Neil Gaiman and David S. Goyer.

The first season it consisted of 11 episodes. They covered the first two arcs of The Sandman graphic novel. The project’s budget was around $165 million. And it has already been given the green light for a second season.

In this second installment, Sandman will have the adaptation that its author has been looking for years, which will surely be great for all fans of this genre.

The Sandman, The Cosmic Being Who Controls All Dreams

The Sandman is an outstanding DC comic book based on gods, exploring much deeper concepts. This series is constructing what it is to be a human being—addressing concerns, fears, dreams, and many hopes and longings.

The Sandman character became worldwide popular with the recent Netflix series, which has been a success in its first season. So, most of us are eager to see what they bring us with this second installment.

In general, those who have not had the opportunity to explore this series will see life itself. With its facets very well studied, without fear and with longing. But the best part is that cynicism and hope are always there. In itself, Gaiman’s work explores our most profound feelings through dreams.

Featured Image Via DC Comics