View source for The Sandman (comic book)


{{other|Sandman (comics)}}

{{Infobox comic book title <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| title = The Sandman
| image = Sandman no.1 (Modern Age).comiccover.jpg
| caption = Cover of ''The Sandman'' No. 1 (January 1989) by [[Dave McKean]]
| schedule = Monthly
| genre = {{plainlist|
* [[Dark fantasy]]
* [[Supernatural horror]]
* [[Superhero fiction|Superhero]]<ref>{{cite web|title= Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Sandman'|website= [[Thrillist]] |date= April 19, 2022 |access-date= May 13, 2022 |url= https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/the-sandman-netflix-release-date-cast-news}}</ref>
}}
| publisher = {{plainlist|
* [[DC Comics]] (1989–1993)
* [[Vertigo Comics|DC Vertigo]] (1993–2020; 2024–present)
* [[DC Black Label]] (2020–2024)
}}
| date = {{plainlist|
* '''''The Sandman''''' (January 1989–March 1996)
* '''''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters''''' (1999)
* '''''The Sandman: Overture''''' (October 2013–November 2015)
}}
| issues = {{plainlist|
* '''''The Sandman''''' (75)
* '''''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters''''' (4)
* '''''The Sandman: Overture''''' (6)
}}
| main_char_team = [[Dream (character)|Dream]] of the [[Endless (comics)|Endless]]
| writers = [[Neil Gaiman]]
| pencillers = {{Collapsible list|'''''The Sandman'''''<br />[[Sam Kieth]]<br /> [[Mike Dringenberg]]<br /> [[Chris Bachalo]]<br /> [[Michael Zulli]]<br /> [[Kelley Jones]]<br /> [[Charles Vess]]<br /> [[Colleen Doran]]<br /> [[Matt Wagner]]<br /> [[Stan Woch]]<br /> [[Bryan Talbot]]<br /> [[Shawn McManus]]<br /> [[Duncan Eagleson]]<br /> [[John Watkiss]]<br /> [[Jill Thompson]]<br /> [[P. Craig Russell]]<br /> [[Alec Stevens]]<br /> [[Mike Allred]]<br /> Shea Anton Pensa<br /> Gary Amaro<br /> [[Marc Hempel]]<br /> [[Glyn Dillon]]<br /> [[Dean Ormston]]<br /> [[Teddy Kristiansen]]<br /> [[Richard Case]]<br /> [[Jon J Muth]]<br />'''''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'''''<br />P. Craig Russell<br />'''''The Sandman: Overture'''''<br />[[J. H. Williams III]]}}
| inkers = {{Collapsible list|'''''The Sandman''''' <br />Mike Dringenberg<br />[[Malcolm Jones III]]<br />[[Steve Parkhouse]]<br />Charles Vess<br />P. Craig Russell<br />[[George Pratt (artist)|George Pratt]]<br />[[Dick Giordano]]<br />Stan Woch<br />Shawn McManus<br />[[Vince Locke]]<br />[[John Watkiss]]<br />[[Alec Stevens]]<br />[[Mark Buckingham (comic book artist)|Mark Buckingham]]<br />Mike Allred<br />[[Steve Leialoha]]<br />[[Tony Harris (comics)|Tony Harris]]<br />Marc Hempel<br />[[D'Israeli (cartoonist)|D'Israeli]]<br />[[Glyn Dillon]]<br />Teddy Kristiansen<br />Richard Case<br />Michael Zulli<br />Jon J Muth<br />'''''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'''''<br />P. Craig Russell<br />'''''The Sandman: Overture'''''<br />J. H. Williams III}}
| letterers = [[Todd Klein]]<br />[[John Costanza]]
| colorists = {{Collapsible list|Robbie Busch<br />[[Steve Oliff]]<br />Danny Vozzo<br />Lovern Kindzierski / [[Digital Chameleon]]<br />[[Jon J Muth]]<br />Sherilyn van Valkenburgh}}
| creative_team_month =
| creative_team_year =
| creators = [[Neil Gaiman]]<br />[[Sam Kieth]]<br />[[Mike Dringenberg]]
}}

'''''The Sandman''''' is a [[dark fantasy]] [[American comic book|comic book]] [[Ongoing series|series]] written by [[Neil Gaiman]] and published by [[DC Comics]]. Its artists include [[Sam Kieth]], [[Mike Dringenberg]], [[Jill Thompson]], [[Shawn McManus]], [[Marc Hempel]], [[Bryan Talbot]], and [[Michael Zulli]], with lettering by [[Todd Klein]] and covers by [[Dave McKean]]. The original series ran for 75 issues from January 1989 to March 1996. Beginning with issue No. 47, it was placed under DC's [[Vertigo Comics|Vertigo]] [[Imprint (trade name)|imprint]], and following Vertigo's retirement in 2020, reprints have been published under DC's [[DC Black Label|Black Label]] imprint.

The main character of ''The Sandman'' is [[Dream (character)|Dream]], also known as Morpheus and other names, who is one of the seven [[Endless (comics)|Endless]]. The other Endless are [[Destiny (DC Comics)|Destiny]], [[Death (DC Comics)|Death]], [[Desire (DC Comics)|Desire]], [[Despair (DC Comics)|Despair]], [[Delirium (comics)|Delirium]] (formerly Delight), and [[Destruction (DC Comics)|Destruction]] (also known as the Prodigal). The series is famous for Gaiman's trademark use of [[anthropomorphic]] personification of various metaphysical entities, while also blending mythology and history in its horror setting within the [[DC Universe]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.neilgaiman.com/p/Cool_Stuff/Essays/Essays_About_Neil/The_Sandman_Summary|title= ''The Sandman'' Summary |first= Neil |last= Gaiman |author-link= Neil Gaiman |year= 2014 |website= NeilGaiman.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140702001223/http://neilgaiman.com/p/Cool_Stuff/Essays/Essays_About_Neil/The_Sandman_Summary |archive-date= July 2, 2014 |url-status= live |access-date= March 13, 2014}}</ref> ''The Sandman'' is a story about how Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, is captured and subsequently learns that sometimes change is inevitable.<ref name="P&N">{{cite book |last = Gaiman |first = Neil |title = The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes |publisher = DC Comics |year = 1991|isbn = 1-56389-011-9 |title-link = The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes}}</ref> ''The Sandman'' was Vertigo's flagship title, and is available as a series of ten [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]], a recolored five-volume [[DC Comics Absolute Edition|''Absolute'' hardcover edition]] with slipcase, a three-volume [[List of Vertigo reprint collections#Omnibus volumes|omnibus edition]], a black-and-white ''Annotated'' edition; it is also available for [[digital distribution|digital download]].

Critically acclaimed, ''The Sandman'' was among the first [[graphic novel]]s to appear on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]], along with ''[[Maus]]'', ''[[Watchmen]],'' and ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]''. It was one of six graphic novels to make ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s "100 best reads from 1983 to 2008", ranking at No. 46.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-books/|title= The New Classics: Books |date= June 18, 2007 |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140110095051/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20207349,00.html |archive-date= January 10, 2014 |url-status= live |access-date= April 20, 2011}}</ref> [[Norman Mailer]] described the series as "a comic strip for intellectuals".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://edition.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/jobenvy/07/29/neil.gaiman.focus/|title= Neil Gaiman: 'I enjoy not being famous'|first= Porter|last= Anderson|date= July 30, 2001|publisher= [[CNN]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140810034408/http://edition.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/jobenvy/07/29/neil.gaiman.focus/|archive-date=August 10, 2014 |url-status= live}}</ref> The series has exerted considerable influence over the fantasy genre and graphic novel medium since its publication and is often regarded as one of the greatest graphic novels of all time.

Various film and television versions of ''Sandman'' have been developed. In 2013, [[Warner Bros.]] announced that a film adaptation starring [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]] was in production, but Gordon-Levitt dropped out in 2016. In July 2020, September 2021 and September 2022, three full-cast audio dramas were released exclusively through [[Audible (store)|Audible]] starring [[James McAvoy]], which were narrated by Gaiman and dramatized and directed by [[Dirk Maggs]]. In August 2022, [[Netflix]] released a [[The Sandman (TV series)|television adaptation]] starring [[Tom Sturridge]].<!--Per WP:CITELEAD, references are not needed in the lead if it is sourced in the body of the article.-->

==Publication history==
[[File:Sandmanadsmall.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''The Sandman'' was advertised as "a horror-edged fantasy set in the DC Universe" in most of DC's comics dated Holiday 1988.]]

===Creation===
''The Sandman'' grew out of a proposal by Neil Gaiman to revive DC's 1974–1976 series ''[[Sandman (DC Comics)|The Sandman]]'', written by [[Joe Simon]] and [[Michael Fleisher]] and illustrated by [[Jack Kirby]] and [[Ernie Chua]]. Gaiman had considered including characters from the "Dream Stream" (including the [[Jack Kirby|Kirby]] Sandman, [[List of The Sandman characters#Brute and Glob|Brute, Glob]], and the brothers [[Cain and Abel (comics)|Cain and Abel]]) in a scene for the first issue of his 1988 miniseries ''[[Black Orchid (comics)|Black Orchid]]''. While the scene did not make it into later drafts because [[Roy Thomas]] was using the characters in ''[[Infinity, Inc.]]'', Gaiman soon began constructing a treatment for a new series, and mentioned his treatment in passing to DC editor [[Karen Berger]].<ref name="OriginNeil"/> He was unsure his ''Sandman'' pitch would be accepted, but weeks later, Berger asked Gaiman if he was interested in doing a ''Sandman'' series. Gaiman recalled, "I said, 'Um&nbsp;... yes. Yes, definitely. What's the catch?' [Berger said,] 'There's only one. We'd like a new Sandman. Keep the name. But the rest is up to you.{{'"}}<ref name="OriginNeil">{{Cite comic| writer= Gaiman, Neil|story= The Origin of the Comic You Are Now Holding (What It Is and How It Came to Be|title= Sandman|issue= 4|date=April 1989}}</ref>

Gaiman crafted the new character from an initial image of "a man, young, pale and naked, imprisoned in a tiny cell, waiting until his captors passed away... deathly thin, with long dark hair, and strange eyes". Gaiman patterned the character's black attire on a print of a Japanese kimono as well as his own wardrobe.<ref name="P&N"/> Gaiman wrote an eight-issue outline and gave it to [[Dave McKean]] and Leigh Baulch, who drew character sketches. Berger reviewed the sketches (along with some drawn by Gaiman) and suggested [[Sam Kieth]] as the series' artist.<ref name="P&N"/> [[Mike Dringenberg]], [[Todd Klein]], Robbie Busch, and Dave McKean were hired as [[inker]], [[letterer]], colorist, and cover artist, respectively. McKean's approach towards comics covers was unconventional, and he convinced Berger that the series' protagonist did not need to appear on every cover.<ref>[[Karen Berger|Berger, Karen]] "Introduction" ''The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes''</ref><ref>{{cite book|last= Bender|first= Hy|chapter= Preludes & Nocturnes|title= The Sandman Companion|publisher= DC Comics|year= 1999|location= New York, New York|page= 40|isbn= 978-1-56389-465-7}}</ref>

The first seven issues were inspired and influenced by early [[DC Comics|DC]] and [[EC Comics]], and authors like [[Dennis Wheatley]], [[Clive Barker]], [[Ramsey Campbell]], [[Robert A. Heinlein|Robert Heinlein]], and [[Alan Moore]], but with issue eight he says he finally found his own voice.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1kzdP3OlBg&t=3105s Neil Gaiman in Conversation with Junot Díaz]</ref>

Gaiman's approach to scripting the series became more difficult as the complex storyline and characters developed. "When I began writing ''Sandman'', it would take me a couple of weeks to write a script. As time went by I got slower and slower, until a script was taking me six weeks to a month to write."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gaiman|first=Neil|title=The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction|date=2016|isbn=978-0-06-226226-4|edition=|location=New York, NY|pages=240|oclc=939277355}}</ref>

===Original series===
The debut issue of ''The Sandman'' went on sale November 29, 1988<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/comic.php?comicid=23005|title= ''Sandman'' #1|first= Mike|last= Voiles|year= 2014|publisher= Mike's Amazing World of Comics|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151208111127/http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/features/comic.php?comicid=23005|archive-date= December 8, 2015|df= mdy-all}}</ref> and was [[cover-date]]d January 1989.<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb series|id= 3817|title= Sandman}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Manning|first1= Matthew K.|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah|chapter= 1980s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9|page= 238|quote = In arguably one of the greatest achievements in serialized modern comic books, writer Neil Gaiman crafted the seventy-five-issue ongoing series ''The Sandman'', introducing its readers to a complex world of horror and fantasy.}}</ref> Gaiman described the early issues as "awkward", since he, as well as Kieth, Dringenberg, and Busch, had never worked on a regular series before. Kieth quit after the fifth issue; he was replaced by Dringenberg as penciler, who was in turn replaced by [[Malcolm Jones III]] as inker.<ref name="Burgas">{{cite web |url= http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2013/01/07/comics-you-should-own-sandman/|title= Comics You Should Own – ''Sandman''|first= Greg|last= Burgas|date= January 7, 2013|website= [[Comic Book Resources]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140410022316/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2013/01/07/comics-you-should-own-sandman/|archive-date= April 10, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref> Dave McKean was the cover artist for the series through its entire run.<ref>Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 238: "''The Sandman'' saw a variety of artists grace its pages&nbsp;... Illustrator Dave McKean's mixed media pieces garnished each cover."</ref>

The character then appeared in two of DC's "Suggested for Mature Readers" titles. In ''[[Swamp Thing (comic book)|Swamp Thing]]'' vol. 2 No. 84 (March 1989), Dream and Eve allow [[Matthew Cable]] to live in the [[The Dreaming (comics)|Dreaming]] because he died there, resurrecting him as a raven.<ref>{{cite comic| writer= [[Rick Veitch|Veitch, Rick]]|penciller= [[Tom Mandrake|Mandrake, Tom]]|inker= [[Alfredo Alcala|Alcala, Alfredo]]|story= Final Payment|title= [[Swamp Thing (comic book)|Swamp Thing]]|volume= 2|issue= 84|date= March 1989}}</ref> He then meets [[John Constantine]] in ''[[Hellblazer]]'' No. 19<ref>{{cite comic| writer= [[Jamie Delano|Delano, Jamie]]|penciller= [[Mark Buckingham (comic book artist)|Buckingham, Mark]]|inker= Alcala, Alfredo|story= The Broken Man|title= [[Hellblazer]]|issue= 19|date= June 1989}}</ref> leading into the latter's guest appearance in ''Sandman'' No. 3 (March 1989).

Gaiman revisited [[Hell (DC Comics)|Hell]] as depicted by [[Alan Moore]] in ''Swamp Thing'', beginning with a guest appearance by Jack Kirby's [[Etrigan the Demon]] in issue No. 4 (April 1989). The story introduces Hell's Hierarchy (as their entry is titled in ''[[Who's Who in the DC Universe]]''), headed by [[Lucifer (DC Comics)|Lucifer]] (who would spin off into his own series in 1999), [[Beelzebub]] (later adversary to [[Kid Eternity]]), and [[Azazel (DC Comics)|Azazel]], whom Dream defeated later in the series. Dream visited the [[Justice League International]] in the following issue, No. 5 (May 1989). Although multiple mainstream DC characters appeared in the series throughout its run, such as [[Martian Manhunter]] and [[Scarecrow (DC Comics)|Scarecrow]], this would not be the norm.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Polo|first1=Susana|title=Batman: Metal #1 confirms a classic character is still very much a part of the DC Universe|url=https://www.polygon.com/comics/2017/8/16/16152428/batman-dark-nights-metal-reveal-issue-1|website=Polygon|date=August 16, 2017|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=September 26, 2017}}</ref> Gaiman and artist Mike Dringenberg introduced [[Death (DC Comics)|Death]], the older sister of Dream, in issue No. 8 (August 1989).<ref>Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 240: "Neil Gaiman, aided by penciller Mike Dringenberg, introduced the character Death to a fascinated readership&nbsp;... Death was an instant hit and arguably became more popular than the Sandman himself."</ref>

Gaiman began incorporating elements of the Kirby ''Sandman'' series in issue No. 11 (December 1989), including the changes implemented by Roy Thomas. Joe Simon, and Michael Fleisher had treated the character, who resembled a [[superhero]], as the "true" [[Sandman]].<ref>{{cite comic|writer=[[Roy Thomas|Thomas, Roy]]; [[Dann Thomas|Thomas, Dann]]|penciller=[[Keith Giffen|Giffen, Keith]]|inker=Mahlstedt, Larry|story=The Sands of Doom! Sandman Interlude|title=[[Wonder Woman]]|issue=300|date=February 1983}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic|writer=Thomas, Roy; Thomas, Dann|penciller=Argondezzi, Vince|inker=[[Frank McLaughlin (artist)|McLaughlin, Frank]]; [[Sam Kieth|Kieth, Sam]]|story=The Sandman Cometh|title=[[Infinity, Inc.]]|issue=49|date=April 1988}}</ref> The Thomas and Gaiman stories revealed that the character's existence was a sham created by two nightmares who had escaped to a pocket of the Dreaming.<ref name="Infinity50">{{cite comic| writer= Thomas, Roy; Thomas, Dann|penciller= Argondezzi, Vince; [[Michael Bair|Bair, Michael]]|inker= [[Tony DeZuniga|DeZuniga, Tony]]; Bair, Michael|story= It's a Grimmworld After All|title= Infinity, Inc.|issue= 50|date= May 1988}}</ref><ref name="Infinity51">{{cite comic| writer= Thomas, Roy; Thomas, Dann|penciller= Bair, Michael; Manna, Lou|inker= Downs, Bob|story= A Death in the Family|title= Infinity, Inc.|issue= 51|date= June 1988}}</ref> [[List of The Sandman characters#Brute and Glob|Brute and Glob]] would later attempt this again on [[Sanderson Hawkins]], sidekick to [[Wesley Dodds]], the [[Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] Sandman.<ref>{{cite comic| writer= [[Geoff Johns|Johns, Geoff]]|penciller= [[Jerry Ordway|Ordway, Jerry]]|inker= [[Wayne Faucher|Faucher, Wayne]]|story= Waking the Sandman Part One: Insomnia|title= [[Justice Society of America|JSA]]|issue= 63|date= September 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic| writer= Johns, Geoff|penciller= Ordway, Jerry|inker= Rollins, Prentis|story= Waking the Sandman Part Two: Night Terrors|title= JSA|issue= 64|date= October 2004}}</ref> Gaiman gave Jed Walker a surname and made him related to several new characters. The Thomas Sandman was [[Hector Hall]], who married the already-pregnant [[Fury (DC Comics)|Fury]] in the Dreaming in ''Infinity, Inc.'' No. 51.<ref name="Infinity51"/> It was explained that Dr. Garrett Sanford, the 1970s Simon and Kirby version of the Sandman, had gone insane from the loneliness of the Dream Dimension and taken his own life. Brute and Glob put the spirit of Hector Hall, which had been cast out of his own body, into Sanford's body, and it eventually began to resemble Hall's.<ref name="Infinity50"/> Fury, in her civilian guise as Lyta Hall, was the only superhero recurring character in the series. Even at that, her powers had come to her via the [[Erinyes|Fury]] [[Tisiphone]],<ref>{{cite comic| writer= Thomas, Roy; Thomas, Dann|penciller= [[Tom Grindberg|Grindberg, Tom]]|inker= DeZuniga, Tony|story= The Secret Origin of the Golden Age Fury|title= [[Secret Origins]]|volume= 2|issue= 12|date= March 1987}} &nbsp;– Note that in ''Wonder Woman'' No. 300, prior to the ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'', Fury was depicted as the daughter of the [[Wonder Woman (Earth-Two)|Wonder Woman]] and [[Steve Trevor]] of [[Earth-Two]].</ref> and the Furies, under the euphemism, "the Kindly Ones", a translation of "[[Erinyes|Eumenides]]", a name they earned during the events of [[Aeschylus]]'s ''[[Oresteia]]'' trilogy, are major characters in the series.

The series follows a tragic course in which Dream, having learned a great deal from his imprisonment, tries to correct the things he has done wrong in the past. Ultimately, this causes him to [[Euthanasia|mercy kill]] his own son, which leads to his own death at the hands of the Furies. Dream, having found himself a replacement early on in [[Daniel Hall (comics)|Daniel Hall]], dies in issue No. 69 (July 1995). The remaining issues deal with Dream's funeral, [[Hob Gadling]] choosing to remain immortal in spite of Dream's death, and two stories from the past. The series wraps with the story of [[William Shakespeare]] creating his other commission for Dream, ''[[The Tempest]]'',<ref>{{cite comic| writer= Gaiman, Neil|penciller= [[Charles Vess|Vess, Charles]]|inker= Vess, Charles|story= The Tempest|title= The Sandman|volume= 2|issue= 75|date= March 1996}}</ref> his last work not in collaboration with other writers.

''The Sandman'' became a cult success for DC Comics<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.toonopedia.com/sandman3.htm|title= ''The Sandman''|first= Don|last= Markstein|year= 2008|publisher= [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]|url-status= live|quote= He was an instant hit, both with critics and with the general comics-buying public.|archive-date= May 24, 2012|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120524104908/http://www.toonopedia.com/sandman3.htm|df= mdy-all}}</ref> and attracted an audience unlike that of mainstream comics: much of the readership was female, many were in their twenties, and many read no other comics at all.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://ew.com/article/1994/06/24/cool-cult-favorites-sandman/|title= Cool Cult Favorites: ''Sandman''|first= Ken|last= Tucker|date= June 24, 1994|magazine= Entertainment Weekly|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131219084529/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302789,00.html|archive-date= December 19, 2013|url-status= live|quote= Gaiman, 33, says, 'Superhero comics are the most perfectly evolved art form for preadolescent male power fantasies, and I don't see that as a bad thing. I want to reach other sorts of people, too. I'm proud that ''The Sandman'' has more of a female readership, and an older readership, than DC Comics has ever had.'}}</ref> Comics historian [[Les Daniels]] called Gaiman's work "astonishing" and noted that ''The Sandman'' was "a mixture of fantasy, horror, and ironic humor such as comic books had never seen before".<ref>{{cite book|last = Daniels|first = Les|author-link = Les Daniels|chapter= The Sandman's Coming: A New Approach to Making Myths|title = DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes|publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company|Bulfinch Press]]|year = 1995|location= New York, New York|page = 206|isbn = 0-8212-2076-4}}</ref> DC Comics writer and executive [[Paul Levitz]] observed that "''The Sandman'' became the first extraordinary success as a series of graphic novel collections, reaching out and converting new readers to the medium, particularly young women on college campuses, and making Gaiman himself into an iconic cultural figure."<ref>{{cite book|author-link= Paul Levitz|last=Levitz|first= Paul|chapter= The Dark Age 1984–1998|title= 75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking|publisher= [[Taschen]]|year=2010|location= Cologne, Germany|isbn= 978-3-8365-1981-6|page= 567}}</ref> Gaiman had a finite run in mind for the series, and it concluded with issue No. 75. Gaiman said in 1996, "Could I do another five issues of Sandman? Well, damn right. And would I be able to look at myself in the mirror happily? No. Is it time to stop because I've reached the end, yes, and I think I'd rather leave while I'm in love."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hasted|first=Nick|title=Bring Me a Dream|journal=[[The Independent]]|date=September 5, 1996|location= London, United Kingdom}}</ref> The final issue, No. 75, was dated March 1996.<ref name="GCD"/>

===Additions and spin-offs===
{{Main|List of The Sandman spinoffs}}

''The Sandman'' has inspired numerous spin-offs. While most of these are not written by Gaiman, he did write two miniseries focusing on the character of Death. ''[[Death: The High Cost of Living]]'' was published from March to May 1993 and was based on the fable that Death takes human form once a century to remain grounded and in touch with humanity.<ref>{{gcdb series|id= 4639|title= Death: The High Cost of Living}}</ref><ref>Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 262: "In March 1993, DC Comics debuted a three-issue limited series entitled ''Death: The High Cost of Living''&nbsp;... Written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by future comics superstar Chris Bachalo, ''The High Cost of Living'' had one notable trait besides a brilliant story: its cover bore a new logo. With this debut, DC's provocative new mature-reader imprint, Vertigo, was born."</ref> This was followed in 1996 by ''[[Death: The Time of Your Life]]'',<ref>{{gcdb series|id= 5503|title= Death: The Time of Your Life}}</ref> featuring the characters of [[Foxglove (DC Comics)|Foxglove]] and [[Hazel McNamara|Hazel]] from ''A Game of You''. Other spin-offs include ''[[The Dreaming (comics)|The Dreaming]]'', ''[[Lucifer (DC Comics)|Lucifer]],'' and ''[[Dead Boy Detectives]]''.

A set of ''Sandman'' trading cards was issued in 1994 by [[SkyBox International]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nslists.com/dcsand.htm|title= DC Vertigo: ''The Sandman'' SkyBox – 1994|first= Jeff|last= Allender|year= 2008|publisher= Nslists.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120105140247/http://nslists.com/dcsand.htm|archive-date= January 5, 2012|url-status= live|quote= This set is an oversized format, 2-1/2" by 4-1/2".}}</ref>

In 1999, Gaiman wrote ''[[The Sandman: The Dream Hunters]],'' a novella illustrated by [[Yoshitaka Amano]]. As in many of the single-issue stories throughout ''The Sandman'', Morpheus appears in ''Dream Hunters'', but only as a supporting character. In Gaiman's afterword to the book, he describes the story as a retelling of an existing Japanese legend. There is no trace of it in the primary source he cites,<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Spf8731Qb2cC | title=Japanese Fairy Tales | first=Yei Theodora | last=Ozaki | publisher=Plain Label Books | isbn=1-60303-508-7}}</ref> and when asked, Gaiman has stated that he made up the "legend". The novel was later adapted into a four-issue miniseries by [[P. Craig Russell]] and released by Vertigo from January 2009 to April 2009.<ref>{{gcdb series|id= 32466|title= The Sandman: The Dream Hunters}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lambiek.net/artists/g/gaiman.htm|title= Neil Gaiman|date= October 21, 2011|publisher= [[Lambiek|Lambiek Comiclopedia]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131030030033/http://www.lambiek.net/artists/g/gaiman.htm|archive-date= October 30, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref>

Gaiman and [[Matt Wagner]] co-wrote ''[[Sandman Midnight Theatre]]'', a 1995 prestige format [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]] in which Dream and Wesley Dodds meet in person after the events in the storyline, "The Python", which ended with Dodds's lover, Dian Belmont, going to England, which eventually brings both her and Dodds to Roderick Burgess's mansion.<ref>{{cite comic| writer= Gaiman, Neil; [[Matt Wagner|Wagner, Matt]]|penciller= [[Teddy Kristiansen|Kristiansen, Teddy]]|inker= Kristiansen, Teddy|title= [[Sandman Midnight Theatre]]|issue= 1|date= September 1995}}</ref> In 2001, Dream appeared in a flashback in ''[[Green Arrow]]'' vol. 3, No. 9, which takes place at a point during the 70 years of the first issue.<ref>{{cite comic| writer= [[Kevin Smith|Smith, Kevin]]|penciller= [[Phil Hester (comics)|Hester, Phil]]|inker= [[Ande Parks|Parks, Ande]]|story= Quiver Chapter Nine: The Weird World of Stanley and His Monster|title= [[Green Arrow]]|volume= 3|issue= 9|date= December 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Schedeen|first1=Jesse|title=Sandman: 5 Times The Endless Appeared in the DC Universe|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/09/12/sandman-5-times-the-endless-appeared-in-the-dc-universe|website=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|access-date=April 7, 2018|date=September 12, 2017}}</ref>

Gaiman wrote several new stories about Morpheus and his siblings, one story for each, which were published in 2003 as the ''[[The Sandman: Endless Nights|Endless Nights]]'' anthology. The stories are set throughout history, but two take place after the final events of the monthly series. It was written by Gaiman and featured a different illustrator for each story.<ref>{{gcdb series|id= 231457|title= The Sandman: Endless Nights}}</ref> This collection was the first hardcover graphic novel ever to appear on ''The New York Times'' Hardcover Best Seller list.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20031117/38316-the-year-in-books-2003-comics.html|title= The Year in Books 2003: Comics|date= November 17, 2003 |work= [[Publishers Weekly]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140810061448/http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20031117/38316-the-year-in-books-2003-comics.html|archive-date= August 10, 2014|url-status= live|quote= Certainly the biggest and most historic comics event of the year was the debut of Neil Gaiman's ''The Sandman: Endless Nights'' (DC/Vertigo) at number 20 on ''The New York Times'' extended bestseller list in early October. This is the first time a hardcover graphic novel by a comics publisher has ever landed on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list.}}</ref>

Writer/artist [[Jill Thompson]] wrote and illustrated several stories featuring the ''Sandman'' characters. These include the [[manga]]-style book ''[[Death: At Death's Door]]'', one of DC's best-selling books of 2003,<ref name="Time">Arnold, Andrew D. (February 16, 2004). "Drawing in the Gals; Move over, guys. Graphics for girls are the hot new genre in Japanese comics". ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. p. 97</ref> set during the events of ''[[The Sandman: Season of Mists|Season of Mists]]'', and ''[[The Little Endless Storybook]]'', a children's book using childlike versions of the Endless.<ref>Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 300: "''The Little Endless Storybook'', written and lovingly illustrated by Jill Thompson in the style of a young children's picture book, told the story of the Endless's Delirium and her dog, Barnabas."</ref>

To commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of ''The Sandman'', Gaiman wrote a new tale involving the battle that had exhausted Morpheus prior to the beginning of the original story.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.wired.com/2012/07/neil-gaiman-on-sandman-and-amanda-palmer-talks-theatre-is-evil/|title= Power Couple on ''Sandman'' Prequel and Kickstarter Success|first= Geeta|last= Dayal|date= July 18, 2012 |magazine= [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140411190718/http://www.wired.com/2012/07/neil-gaiman-on-sandman-and-amanda-palmer-talks-theatre-is-evil/|archive-date= April 11, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= January 9, 2013|quote= Fantasy author Neil Gaiman made headlines around the world last week when he announced a return to the beloved ''Sandman'' series for the comic's 25th anniversary. It will be the first new ''Sandman story'' in a decade.}}</ref> Written by Gaiman and with art by [[J. H. Williams III]], ''[[The Sandman: Overture|Overture]]'' tells the previously hinted story of Dream's adventure prior to ''Preludes and Nocturnes'', which had exhausted him so much that it made Burgess's actions capable of capturing him. The limited series had six issues.<ref>
* {{cite web|url= http://www.digitalspy.com/comics/news/a393167/neil-gaiman-returns-to-the-sandman-comic-con-2012.html|title= Neil Gaiman returns to ''The Sandman'' – Comic Con 2012|first= Hugh|last= Armitage|date= July 13, 2012|work= [[Digital Spy]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130522015701/http://www.digitalspy.com/comics/news/a393167/neil-gaiman-returns-to-the-sandman-comic-con-2012.html|archive-date= May 22, 2013|url-status= live}}
* {{cite journal|url= https://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/07/neil-gaiman-sandman-overture/|title= 25 Years Later, Neil Gaiman's ''Sandman'' Returns With a Prequel|first= Laura|last= Hudson|date= July 25, 2013|journal= [[Wired (website)|Wired]]|archive-url= https://www.webcitation.org/6JQ0VZPYx?url=http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/07/neil-gaiman-sandman-overture/|archive-date= September 6, 2013|url-status= live|df= mdy-all}}</ref> Issue #1 was released on October 30, 2013,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/comics/the-sandman-overture-2013/the-sandman-overture-1|title= ''The Sandman: Overture'' #1|date= October 30, 2013|publisher= [[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140710072546/http://www.vertigocomics.com/comics/the-sandman-overture-2013/the-sandman-overture-1|archive-date= July 10, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref> and although it was planned to have a bi-monthly release schedule, issue 2 was delayed until March 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/comics/the-sandman-overture-2013/the-sandman-overture-2|title= ''The Sandman: Overture'' #2|date= March 26, 2014|publisher= Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140723161300/http://www.vertigocomics.com/comics/the-sandman-overture-2013/the-sandman-overture-2|archive-date= July 23, 2014|url-status= live|df= mdy-all}}</ref> which Gaiman explained was "mostly due to the giant signing tour I was on from June, and me not getting script written on the tour, with knock-on effects".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=49066|title= Update: Gaiman Explains ''Sandman: Overture'' #2 Delay|first= Albert|last= Ching|date= November 12, 2013|website= Comic Book Resources|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140314170905/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=49066|archive-date= March 14, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= December 27, 2013}}</ref> Special editions were released approximately a month after the original editions, which contain interviews with the creative team, alongside rare artwork.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/comics/the-sandman-overture-special-edition-2013/the-sandman-overture-special-edition-1|title= ''The Sandman Overture Special Edition'' #1|date= November 27, 2013|publisher= Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131228000606/http://www.vertigocomics.com/comics/the-sandman-overture-special-edition-2013/the-sandman-overture-special-edition-1|archive-date= December 28, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref> ''Overture'' also reveals that [[Nyx|Night]] and [[Father Time|Time]] respectively are mother and father to the seven Endless siblings.

In 2018, DC announced ''[[The Sandman Universe]]'', a new line of comics exploring ''The Sandman''{{'}}s part of the DC Universe. It started in August 2018.<ref name="PolyNext">{{cite web|last1=Polo|first1=Susana|title=The Sandman Universe is Neil Gaiman's next comics project|url=https://www.polygon.com/comics/2018/3/1/17067712/sandman-dc-comics-universe-neil-gaiman|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|access-date=April 29, 2018|date=March 1, 2018}}</ref><ref name="EWAnnounce">{{cite magazine|last1=Holub|first1=Christian|title=Neil Gaiman announces new Sandman Universe line of comics — exclusive|url=https://ew.com/books/2018/03/01/neil-gaiman-sandman-universe-comics/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=April 29, 2018|date=March 1, 2018}}</ref>

Dream of The Endless makes an appearance in [[Dark Nights: Metal]], as Daniel.

==Summary==
[[File:Neil Gaiman and Tori Amos - Comic Connections.webm|thumb|[[Neil Gaiman]] discusses ''Sandman'' in 2014 with [[Tori Amos]] guesting]]
''The Sandman''{{'}}s main character is [[Dream (character)|Dream]], the eponymous [[Sandman]], who is the [[anthropomorphic]] personification of [[dream]]s. At the start of the series, Morpheus is captured by an occult ritual that was trying to capture his sibling [[Death of the Endless|Death]] and is held prisoner by its caster for 70 years. Morpheus escapes in the modern day and, after avenging himself upon his captors, sets about rebuilding his kingdom which has fallen into disrepair in his absence while reclaiming his gear and hunting down the escaped dreams and nightmares like Corinthian, Brute and Glob, and Fiddler's Green.<ref name="NeilG">{{cite web|url= http://www.neilgaiman.com/p/Cool_Stuff/Essays/Essays_About_Neil/The_Sandman_Summary|title= ''The Sandman'' Summary|first= Cindy|last= Speer|date= n.d.|publisher= NeilGaiman.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151118092820/http://www.neilgaiman.com/p/Cool_Stuff/Essays/Essays_About_Neil/The_Sandman_Summary|archive-date= November 18, 2015|url-status= live}}</ref> 

The character's initial haughty and often cruel manner begins to soften after his years of imprisonment at the start of the series, but the challenge of undoing past sins and changing old ways is an enormous one for a being who has been set in his ways for billions of years.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.whatevercomics.com#/sandman-series-review/4534322863|title= ''The Sandman'' – Series Review|first= James|last= Hurvid|date= n.d.|publisher= Whatever Comics|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151208153341/http://www.whatevercomics.com/#/sandman-series-review/4534322863|archive-date= December 8, 2015|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all|access-date= February 8, 2015}}</ref> In its beginnings, the series is a very dark horror comic. Later, the series evolves into an elaborate [[fantasy]] series, incorporating elements of [[classical mythology|classical]] and contemporary mythology, ultimately placing its protagonist in the role of a [[tragic hero]].

The storylines primarily take place in the Dreaming, Morpheus's realm, and the waking world, with occasional visits to other domains, such as [[Hell (DC Comics)|Hell]], [[Fairy|Faerie]], [[Asgard]], and the domains of the other [[Endless (comics)|Endless]]. Many stories take place in the contemporary United States of America and the United Kingdom. The [[DC Universe]] was the official setting of the series, but well-known DC characters and places were rarely featured after 1990. A notable exception is Lyta Hall, formerly [[Fury (DC Comics)|Fury]] of the 1980s super-team [[Infinity, Inc.]], who figures prominently in the "Kindly Ones" story arc. Most of the storylines take place in modern times, but many short stories are set in the past, taking advantage of the immortal nature of many of the characters, and deal with historical individuals and events, such as in the short story "Men of Good Fortune".<ref name="NeilG" />

==Characters==
{{main|List of The Sandman characters}}

==Themes and genre==
''The Sandman'' comic book series falls within the [[dark fantasy]] genre, albeit in a more contemporary and modern setting. Critic Marc Buxton described the book as a "masterful tale that created a movement of mature dark fantasy" which was largely unseen in previous [[fantasy]] works before it.<ref name="Marc">{{cite web |url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=50526|title= By Crom! The 10 Greatest Fantasy Comics of All-Time|first= Marc|last= Buxton|date= January 26, 2014|website= Comic Book Resources|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140409194641/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=50526|archive-date= April 9, 2014|url-status= live}} Archive requires scrolldown</ref> The comic book also falls into the genres of [[urban fantasy]], [[epic fantasy]], historical drama, and [[Superhero comics|superhero]]. It is written as a metaphysical examination of the elements of fiction,<ref name="Geek">{{cite web |url= http://www.denofgeek.us/books-comics/the-sandman/218867/the-sandman-the-essential-horror-comic-of-the-nineties|title= ''The Sandman'': The Essential Horror Comic of the Nineties|first=  Marc|last= Buxton|work= Den of Geek|date= October 30, 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131103220936/http://www.denofgeek.us/books-comics/the-sandman/218867/the-sandman-the-essential-horror-comic-of-the-nineties|archive-date= November 3, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref> which Neil Gaiman accomplished through the artistic use of unique [[anthropomorphic]] personifications, mythology, legends, historical figures and [[Occultism|occult]] culture, making up most of the major and minor characters as well as the plot device and even the settings of the story.<ref name="Geek"/> In its earliest story arcs, the ''Sandman'' mythos existed primarily in the [[DC Universe]], and as such numerous DC characters made some appearances or were mentioned. Later, the series would reference the DCU less often, while continuing to exist in the same universe.<ref name="IGN"/>

Critic Hilary Goldstein described the comic book as "about the concept of dreams more so than the act of dreaming".<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/10/13/the-absolute-sandman-vol-1-review|title= ''The Absolute Sandman'' Vol. 1 Review|first= Hilary|last= Goldstein, Hilary|date= October 13, 2006|website=[[IGN]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141019044203/http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/10/13/the-absolute-sandman-vol-1-review|archive-date= October 19, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref> In the early issues, responsibility and rebirth were the primary themes of the story.<ref>Rauch (2003) p.76</ref> As Dream finally liberates himself from his occultist captors, he returns to his kingdom which had fallen on hard times due to his absence, while also facing his other siblings, who each have their own reaction to his return. The story is structured not as a series of unconnected events nor as an incoherent dream, but by having each panel have a specific purpose in the flow of the story.<ref name="IGN"/> Dreams became the core of every story arc written in the series, and the protagonist's journey became more distinct and deliberate. Many Vertigo books since, such as ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'' and ''[[Y: The Last Man]]'', have adopted this kind of format in their writing, creating a traditional prose only seen in the imprint.<ref name="IGN"/>

==Collected editions==
''The Sandman'' was initially published as a monthly serial, in 32-page comic books with some exceptions to this pattern. The stories within were usually 24 pages long, with eight exceptions within the main story arc: issue #1, "Sleep of the Just" (40 pages); issue #14, "Collectors" (38 pages); issue #32, "Slaughter on Fifth Avenue" (25 pages); issue #33, "Lullabies of Broadway" (23 pages); issue #36, "Over the Sea to Sky" (39 pages); issue #50, "Distant Mirrors—Ramadan" (32 pages); issue #52, "Cluracan's Tale" (25 pages); issue #75, "The Tempest" (38 pages).<ref>Bender "Appendixes" p. 264–270</ref> As the series increased in popularity, DC Comics began to reprint them in hardcover and trade paperback editions, each representing either a complete novel or a collection of related short stories.

DC first published "[[The Sandman: The Doll's House|The Doll's House]]" storyline in a collection called simply ''The Sandman''.<ref name="NeilG"/> Shortly thereafter, the first three volumes were published and named independently and collected in a boxed set. (Death's debut story, "The Sound of Her Wings" from issue #8, appeared both at the beginning of early editions of ''The Doll's House'' and at the end of ''Preludes and Nocturnes'', creating overlap between the first two volumes.<ref name="NeilG"/>) In 1998, the cover images from ''The Sandman'' were released as one compiled volume titled ''[[Dustcovers: The Collected Sandman Covers]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Gaiman|first1= Neil|last2= McKean|first2= Dave|title= Dustcovers: The Collected Sandman Covers, 1989–1997|publisher= DC Comics|year= 1998|page= 206|isbn= 978-1-56389-388-9}}</ref> [[Dave McKean]]'s covers use techniques such as painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, and computer manipulation.

===Trade paperbacks===
A total of ten [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]] contain the full run of the series and have all been kept in print. In 2010, Vertigo began releasing a new edition of ''Sandman'' books, featuring the new coloring from the ''Absolute Editions''.<ref>{{Cite web | url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/the-sandman-vol-1-preludes-and-nocturnes-new-edition| title= ''The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes – New Edition''|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140314174704/http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/the-sandman-vol-1-preludes-and-nocturnes-new-edition|archive-date= March 14, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= November 1, 2011}}</ref>
* ''[[The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes|Preludes and Nocturnes]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #1–8, 1988–1989: Dream is imprisoned for decades by an occultist seeking immortality. Upon escaping, he must reclaim his objects of power while still in a weakened state, confronting an addict to his dream powder, the legions of [[Hell (DC Comics)|Hell]], and an all-powerful madman ([[Doctor Destiny]]) in the process. Guest starring several DC Comics characters include [[John Constantine]], [[Mister Miracle]], the [[Martian Manhunter]], the [[Scarecrow (DC Comics)|Scarecrow]], [[Etrigan the Demon]], and the [[Sandman (Wesley Dodds)|original Sandman]]. It features the introduction of [[Lucifer (DC comics)|Lucifer]], with cameos by [[Batman]] and [[Hal Jordan|Green Lantern]].
* ''[[The Sandman: The Doll's House|The Doll's House]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #9–16, 1989–1990: Morpheus tracks down rogue dreams that escaped the Dreaming during his absence. In the process, he must shatter the illusions of a family living in dreams, disband a convention of serial killers, and deal with a "dream vortex" that threatens the existence of the entire Dreaming. It features [[Hector Hall]] as the Bronze Age [[Sandman (DC Comics)|Sandman]], and introduces the characters William Shakespeare and Hob Gadling.
* ''[[The Sandman: Dream Country|Dream Country]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #17–20, 1990: This volume contains four independent stories. The imprisoned muse [[Calliope]] is forced to provide story ideas, a cat seeks to change the world with dreams, [[William Shakespeare]] puts on a play for an unearthly audience, and a shape-shifting immortal (obscure DC Comics character [[Element Girl]]) longs for death.
* ''[[The Sandman: Season of Mists|Season of Mists]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #21–28, 1990–1991: Dream travels to Hell to free a former lover, Nada, whom he condemned to torment thousands of years ago. There, Dream learns that Lucifer has abandoned his domain. When Lucifer gives Hell's key (and therefore, the ownership of Hell) to the Sandman, Morpheus himself becomes trapped in a tangled network of threats, promises, and lies, as gods and demons from various pantheons seek ownership of Hell. Wesley Dodds and [[Hawkman (Carter Hall)]] appear in one panel.
* ''[[The Sandman: A Game of You|A Game of You]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #32–37, 1991–1992: Barbie, a New York divorcée (introduced in ''The Doll's House''), travels to the magical realm that she once inhabited in her dreams, only to find that it is being threatened by the forces of the Cuckoo. This series introduces the character of Thessaly, who will play a key role in Morpheus's eventual fate.
* ''[[The Sandman: Fables & Reflections|Fables and Reflections]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #29–31, 38–40, 50; ''The Sandman Special'' #1; and ''Vertigo Preview'' No. 1, 1991–1993: A collection of short stories set throughout Morpheus's history, most of them originally published directly before or directly after the "Game of You" story arc. Four issues, dealing with kings and rulers, were originally published under the label ''Distant Mirrors'', while three others, detailing the meetings of various characters, were published as the "Convergences" arc. ''Fables and Reflections'' includes ''The Sandman Special'' #1, originally published as a stand-alone issue, which assimilates the myth of [[Orpheus]] into the Sandman mythos, as well as a very short Sandman story from the ''Vertigo Preview'' promotional comic.
* ''[[The Sandman: Brief Lives|Brief Lives]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #41–49, 1992–1993: Dream's erratic younger sister Delirium convinces him to help her search for their missing brother, the former Endless Destruction, who left his place among the "family" three hundred years before. Their quest is marred by the death of those around them, and eventually, Morpheus must turn to his son Orpheus to find the truth and undo an ancient sin.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gaiman|first=Neil|title=Brief Lives|year=1994|publisher=DC Comics|isbn=1-56389-138-7}}</ref>
* ''[[The Sandman: Worlds' End|Worlds' End]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #51–56, 1993: A "reality storm" strands travelers from across the cosmos at the "Worlds' End Inn". To pass the time, they exchange stories. Guest-starring [[Prez (character)|Prez]] and [[Wildcat (DC Comics)|Wildcat]].
* ''[[The Sandman: The Kindly Ones|The Kindly Ones]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #57–69 and ''Vertigo Jam'' No. 1, 1993–1995: In the longest ''Sandman'' story, Morpheus becomes the prey of the [[Erinyes|Furies]], avenging spirits who torment those who spill family blood.
* ''[[The Sandman: The Wake|The Wake]]'' collecting ''The Sandman'' #70–75, 1995–1996: The conclusion of the series, wrapping up the remaining loose ends in a three-issue "[[wake (ceremony)|wake]]" sequence, followed by three self-contained stories. It features a guest appearance by Wesley Dodds, and cameos by Batman, the Martian Manhunter, [[Clark Kent]], [[Darkseid]], the [[Phantom Stranger]], [[Doctor Occult]], John Constantine, and the [[Black Spider]].

====30th Anniversary editions====
In 2018 DC republished the previous ten trade paperbacks in a new 30th anniversary edition,<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2018/10/30/dc-vertigo-announces-30th-anniversary-editions-of-the-sandman|title= DC Vertigo announces 30th Anniversary editions of The Sandman|date= June 14, 2018}}</ref> along with [[The Sandman: Endless Nights|Endless Nights]], now numbered as Volume 11, both prose and comic versions of [[The Sandman: The Dream Hunters|The Dream Hunters]] as separate unnumbered volumes, and [[The Sandman: Overture|Overture]] as Volume ∞.

===Absolute editions===
The [[DC Comics Absolute Edition]] series are large 8" by 12" prints of a considerably higher quality and price than the library edition, and include a leather-like cover and a [[slipcase]]. Many of the early stories have been extensively retouched or recolored with Gaiman's approval.<ref name="Absolute1">{{Cite web|url= http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Comics/The+Absolute+Sandman%2C+Vol.+1/|title= Neil's Work: ''The Absolute Sandman'', Vol. 1|publisher= NeilGaiman.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140713005911/http://neilgaiman.com/works/Comics/The+Absolute+Sandman%2C+Vol.+1/|archive-date= July 13, 2014|url-status= live| access-date=December 23, 2008}}</ref>
* '''''The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #1–20 (''Preludes and Nocturnes'', ''The Doll's House'', and ''Dream Country''). Extras include Gaiman's original series pitch, character designs charting the visual development of Dream, script and pencils for ''The Sandman'' #19 ("A Midsummer Night's Dream"), and Gaiman's prose summary of the first seven issues from ''The Sandman'' #8, which features story beats not in the original comics.<ref name="Absolute1"/> Published November 2006. To promote the volume, DC issued a refurbished edition of the first issue of the series.
* '''''The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 2''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #21–39. Extras include the Desire story "The Flowers of Romance" from ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' #1, script and pencils for ''The Sandman'' #23 ("Season of Mists: Chapter Two"), humorous biographies of the contributors, a section on DC's official "Sandman Month", a prose story from the box of the first Sandman statue detailing the statue's (fictional) history, and a complete reproduction of ''A Gallery of Dreams'' (a one-shot of ''Sandman''-inspired art). Published October 2007.
* '''''The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 3''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #40–56, "Fear of Falling" from ''Vertigo Preview'' #1, and ''Sandman Special'' #1. Extras include the Desire story "How They Met Themselves" from ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' #3, script and thumbnails from ''The Sandman'' #50 ("Ramadan"), art galleries from ''The Sandman'' #50 and ''Sandman Special'' #1, a gallery of works inspired by the Endless, a section on Jill Thompson's "Little Endless" series, and a gallery of statues inspired by ''The Sandman'' #50. Published June 2008.
* '''''The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 4''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #57–75 (including three "lost" pages from ''The Sandman'' #72, originally published in ''The Dreaming'' #8)<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-dreaming-8-his-brothers-keeper/4000-116449/ | title=The Dreaming #8 - His Brother's Keeper (Issue)}}</ref> and "The Castle" from ''Vertigo Jam'' #1. Extras include script and developmental art for ''The Sandman'' #57 ("The Kindly Ones: Part One") and #75 ("The Tempest"), a timeline of ''The Sandman''{{'s}} production from Gaiman's initial pitch to the publication of the last issue, and sections on the merchandise inspired by ''The Sandman''. Published November 2008.
* '''''The Absolute Death''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #8 and #20, ''Death: The High Cost of Living'' #1–3, ''Death: The Time of Your Life'' #1–3, "A Winter's Tale" from ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' #2, "The Wheel" from ''9–11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember'', and "Death and Venice" from ''The Sandman: Endless Nights''. Extras include the "Death Talks About Life" AIDS pamphlet, script and pencils for ''The Sandman'' #8 ("The Sound of Her Wings"), a complete reproduction of ''A Death Gallery'' (a one-shot of ''Death''-inspired art), a section on the collectibles inspired by Death, and sketches by Chris Bachalo. Published November 2009.
* '''''The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 5''''', collecting "The Last Sandman Story" from ''Dust Covers: The Collected Sandman Covers'', ''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' (both the prose version, written by Gaiman and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, and the four-issue comics adaptation by P. Craig Russell), ''The Sandman: Endless Nights'', and ''Sandman Midnight Theatre'' #1. Extras include script, designs, and layouts for "The Heart of a Star" from ''Endless Nights'', covers and sketches from the comics adaptation of ''The Dream Hunters'', a gallery of ''Sandman''-inspired posters, and a section on the figures and statues inspired by ''The Sandman''. Published November 2011.
* '''''The Absolute Sandman: Overture''''', collecting ''The Sandman: Overture'' #1–6. Extras include the script for ''The Sandman: Overture'' #1 ("Chapter 1: A flower burns"), sections on Dave Stewart's coloring process, Todd Klein's lettering process, and Dave McKean's cover art process, interviews with the creative team, and art by J.H. Williams. Published July 2018.

===Annotated editions===
[[File:The Annotated Sandman Vol. 1, Special Sneak Preview Panel.jpg|thumbnail|The ''Annotated'' editions contain full size reproductions of the comic in black-and-white, with Klinger's annotations on wide margins next to each page.]]
While initially hesitant about releasing annotated editions, Gaiman eventually changed his mind when he forgot a reference when asked about it by a reader. The task of annotating the series was undertaken by Gaiman's friend [[Leslie S. Klinger]] of ''[[The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes]]'' who worked from the original scripts given to him by Gaiman.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/01/do-it-while-i-can-still-remember-things-the-annotated-sandman-volume-one|title= Do It While I Can Still Remember Things: ''The Annotated Sandman'', Volume One|first= Lee|last= Mandelo|date= January 9, 2012|publisher= [[Tor.com]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140518140322/http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/01/do-it-while-i-can-still-remember-things-the-annotated-sandman-volume-one|archive-date= May 18, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= August 6, 2012}}</ref>

The first volume of ''The Annotated Sandman'' was published by DC Comics in January 2012 as a large 12" by 12" black-and-white book with an introduction by Gaiman and included issues #1–20. The annotations are presented on a page-by-page, panel-by-panel basis, with quoted sections from Gaiman's scripts and insight into the various historical, mythological and [[DC Universe]] references included in the comic. The second volume annotating issues #21–39 was released in November 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/the-annotated-sandman-vol-2|title= ''The Annotated Sandman'', Vol. 2|publisher= Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140518171634/http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/the-annotated-sandman-vol-2|archive-date= May 18, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= August 6, 2012}}</ref> The third volume covering issues #40–56, ''The Sandman Special'' No. 1 and the story "How They Met Themselves" from ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' #3 was released in October 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/blog/2014/02/27/the-annotated-sandman-arrives-this-october|title= ''The Annotated Sandman'' arrives this October!|date= February 27, 2014|publisher =Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140518173219/http://www.vertigocomics.com/blog/2014/02/27/the-annotated-sandman-arrives-this-october|archive-date= May 18, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= March 13, 2014}}</ref> The fourth volume including issues #57–75 and the story "The Castle" from ''Vertigo Jam'' #1 was released in December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/the-annotated-sandman-vol-4|title= ''The Annotated Sandman'', Vol. 4|publisher= Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151011034649/http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/the-annotated-sandman-vol-4|archive-date= October 11, 2015|url-status= live}}</ref>

The first volume was nominated for the 2012 [[Bram Stoker Award for Best Non-Fiction]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/blog/2013/02/25/the-annotated-sandman-vol1-nominated-for-bram-stoker-award|title= ''The Annotated Sandman'' Vol. 1 Nominated for Bram Stoker Award|date= February 25, 2013|publisher= Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140314090309/http://www.vertigocomics.com/blog/2013/02/25/the-annotated-sandman-vol1-nominated-for-bram-stoker-award|archive-date= March 14, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= March 14, 2014}}</ref>

===Omnibus editions===
''The Sandman Omnibus'', a massive two-volume hardcover edition, was released in 2013 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of ''The Sandman''. ''Volume 1'' collects issues #1–37 and ''The Sandman Special'' No. 1 with ''Volume 2'' collecting issues #38–75 with stories from ''Vertigo Jam'' No. 1 and ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge''. Both volumes are printed with the ''Absolute edition'' recoloring, feature a leather-like cover in black and red, and have over 1000 pages.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.vertigocomics.com/blog/2013/03/07/the-sandman-omnibus-vol-1-arrives-this-august|title= ''The Sandman Omnibus'' Vol. 1 Arrives This August|date= March 7, 2013|publisher= Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140314090359/http://www.vertigocomics.com/blog/2013/03/07/the-sandman-omnibus-vol-1-arrives-this-august|archive-date= March 14, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= March 14, 2014}}</ref>

A special Silver version of ''The Sandman Omnibus'' was released as well. Limited to 500 copies and autographed by Gaiman, the ''Silver edition'' includes both volumes with a slipcase, silver-like finish and a numbered page with Gaiman's signature.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/11/08/the-sandman-omnibus-silver-edition|title= ''The Sandman Omnibus Silver Edition'' Autographed by Neil Gaiman|date= November 8, 2013|publisher= Vertigo|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131111052619/http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/11/08/the-sandman-omnibus-silver-edition|archive-date= November 11, 2013|url-status= live|access-date= March 14, 2014}}</ref>

In 2019, a third [[Omnibus edition|omnibus]] volume was released which includes the acclaimed miniseries ''Death: The High Cost of Living'' and ''Death: The Time of Your Life'', the graphic novels ''Sandman Midnight Theatre'' and ''The Sandman: Endless Nights'', the prose and comics versions of ''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' and the award-winning miniseries ''The Sandman: Overture'', together with the artistic showcases of ''A Death Gallery'', ''The Sandman: A Gallery of Dreams'' and ''The Endless Gallery''<ref>{{Cite book|isbn = 978-1401287733|title = The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 3|last1 = Gaiman|first1 = Neil|year = 2019| publisher=National Geographic Books }}</ref>

===Deluxe hardcover editions===
In 2020 DC started publishing ''The Sandman'' in five Deluxe hardcover editions.

* '''''The Sandman Deluxe Edition Book One''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #1–16. Extras include and ''Sandman Midnight Theatre'', Gaiman's original series pitch, character designs charting the visual development of Dream. Published November 2020.
* '''''The Sandman Deluxe Edition Book Two''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #17–31, The Sandman Special #1. Extras include Fear of Falling" from ''Vertigo Preview'' #1, and the ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' stories "Flowers of Romance" "A Winter's Tale", and "How They Met Themselves". Published March 2021.
* '''''The Sandman Deluxe Edition Book Three''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #32–50. Published August 2021.
* '''''The Sandman Deluxe Edition Book Four''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #51–69 and ''Vertigo Jam'' #1. Published November 2021.
* '''''The Sandman Deluxe Edition Book Five''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #70-75, ''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' #1–4, ''Sandman: Endless Nights'' (New Edition), ''Sandman: Dream Hunters'' 30th Anniversary Edition (Prose Version), and ''Dust Covers: The Collected Sandman Covers''. Published February 2022.

They also published a new hardcover version of ''The Absolute Death'' in April 2022'','' now titled '''''Death: The Deluxe Edition'''''. Like its predecessor, it collects ''The Sandman'' #8 and 20, "A Winter's Tale" from ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' #2, ''Death: The High Cost of Living'' #1–3, "The Wheel" from ''9–11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember'', ''Death: The Time of Your Life'' #1–3, and "Death and Venice" from ''The Sandman: Endless Nights''. Extras include "Death Talks About Life", ''A Death Gallery'', and a new introduction by Tori Amos.

===2022–2023 paperback reprints===
In 2022, DC Black Label began to reprint the core Sandman series as a series of paperback collections. These collect the 30th anniversary editions of the original series into four paperback volumes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-18 |title=Sandman: DC Reprinting Neil Gaiman's Entire Series Ahead of Netflix Series' Premiere |url=https://www.cbr.com/dc-reprinting-entire-sandman-2022/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref> These were followed in 2023 by two more books, collecting the remainder of the 30th anniversary editions, as well as ''Sandman Midnight Theatre'' #1 and ''The Sandman Universe'' #1.

* '''''The Sandman: Book One''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #1–20 (''Preludes and Nocturnes'', ''The Doll's House'', and ''Dream Country''). Published April 2022
* '''''The Sandman: Book Two''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #21–37 (''Season of Mists'', the first part of ''Fables and Reflections'', and ''A Game of You''), ''Sandman Special'' #1, and segments from ''Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' #1–3 ("The Flowers of Romance", "A Winter's Tale", and "How They Met Themselves"). Published April 2022.
* '''''The Sandman: Book Three''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #38–56 (the remainder of ''Fables and Reflections'', ''Brief Lives'' and ''World's End'') and "Fear of Falling" from ''Vertigo Preview'' #1. Published May 2022.
* '''''The Sandman: Book Four''''', collecting ''The Sandman'' #57–75 (''The Kindly Ones'' and ''The Wake''), "The Castle" from ''Vertigo Jam'' #1, and "The Last Sandman Story" from ''Dust Covers: The Collected Sandman Covers''. Published May 2022.
* '''''The Sandman: Book Five''''', collecting ''Sandman Midnight Theatre'' #1, ''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' (prose edition), and ''The Sandman: Endless Nights''. Published February 2023.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Sandman |at=Book Five |first=Neil |last=Gaiman |date=February 7, 2023 |isbn=9781779521514 |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725745/the-sandman-book-five-by-neil-gaiman/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |publisher=Penguin Random House |language=en-US}}</ref>
* '''''The Sandman: Book Six''''', collecting ''The Sandman Universe'' #1, ''The Sandman: Overture'' #1–6, and ''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' (comic edition) #1–4. Published August 2023.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Sandman |at=Book Six |first=Neil |last=Gaiman |date=August 2023 |isbn=9781779524010 |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737453/the-sandman-book-six-by-neil-gaiman/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |publisher=Penguin Random House |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Reception and legacy==
''The Sandman'' No. 19, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", won the [[World Fantasy Award]] in 1991 for Best Short Fiction.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/1991.html|title= 1991 World Fantasy Award Winners and Nominees|publisher= World Fantasy Convention|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131015020019/http://www.worldfantasy.org/awards/1991.html|archive-date= October 15, 2013|url-status= dead|access-date= January 26, 2006|df= mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=locus>{{cite web|url= http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit50.html#1852|title=Neil Gaiman|year= 2011|work=The Locus Index to SF Awards: Index to Literary Nominees|publisher=[[Locus Publications|Locus]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131014232309/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomLit50.html#1852|archive-date= October 14, 2013|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lambiek.net/artists/v/vess_charles.htm|title= Charles Vess|date= June 9, 2012|work=[[Lambiek|Lambiek Comiclopedia]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121112134903/http://www.lambiek.net/artists/v/vess_charles.htm|archive-date= November 12, 2012|url-status= live}}</ref> ''The Sandman'' and its spin-offs have won more than 26 [[Eisner Awards]],<ref name="Eisner1990s">{{cite web |url= http://www.comic-con.org/awards/1990s-recipients|title=1990s Eisner Awards Recipients|year=2013|publisher=[[San Diego Comic-Con International]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130823041631/http://www.comic-con.org/awards/1990s-recipients|archive-date= August 23, 2013|url-status= live|access-date= October 25, 2013}}</ref> including three for [[Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series|Best Continuing Series]], one for Best Short Story, four for Best Writer ([[Neil Gaiman]]), seven for Best Lettering ([[Todd Klein]]), and two for Best Penciller/Inker (one each for [[Charles Vess]] and [[P. Craig Russell]]). ''The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' was nominated for the [[Hugo Award for Best Related Book]] in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2000-hugo-awards/|title= 2000 Hugo Awards|publisher=[[Hugo Awards]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130930184208/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2000-hugo-awards/|archive-date= September 30, 2013|url-status= dead|access-date= April 17, 2011|df= mdy-all}}</ref> ''The Dream Hunters'' and ''Endless Nights'' won the [[Bram Stoker Award for Best Illustrated Narrative]] in 1999 and 2003, respectively.<ref name="Award1999">{{Cite web |title=1999 Bram Stoker Award Winners & Nominees |url=https://www.thebramstokerawards.com/uncategorized/1999-bram-stoker-award-winners-nominees/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813071933/http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/uncategorized/1999-bram-stoker-award-winners-nominees/ |archive-date=2022-08-13 |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=The Bram Stoker Awards |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Award2003">{{Cite web |title=2003 Bram Stoker Award Winners & Nominees |url=https://www.thebramstokerawards.com/uncategorized/2003-bram-stoker-award-winners-nominees/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529084948/http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/uncategorized/2003-bram-stoker-award-winners-nominees/ |archive-date=2022-05-29 |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=The Bram Stoker Awards |language=en-US}}</ref> That same year, ''Season of Mists'' won the [[Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Scenario]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2004/01/fred-unlucky-black-cat.asp|title= Fred the Unlucky Black Cat|first= Neil|last= Gaiman|date= January 23, 2004|publisher=Neil Gaiman|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140518140117/http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2004/01/fred-unlucky-black-cat.asp|archive-date= May 18, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= August 29, 2011}}</ref> In 2005, [[IGN]] declared ''The Sandman'' as the best Vertigo comic ever.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/20/the-25-best-vertigo-books?page=5|title= The 25 Best Vertigo Books|first= Hilary|last= Goldstein|date= December 19, 2005|website=IGN|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140518180304/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/20/the-25-best-vertigo-books?page=5|archive-date= May 18, 2014|url-status= live|quote= The choice for No. 1 was not even close. There is ''Sandman'' and then there is everything else.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-15-must-read-graphic-novels-the-sandman-batman-year-one-the-walking-dead-sin-city-and-more-1899467|title= 15 Must Read Graphic Novels|first= Andre|last= Borges|date= October 23, 2013|location= Mumbai, India|work= [[Daily News and Analysis]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074729/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-15-must-read-graphic-novels-the-sandman-batman-year-one-the-walking-dead-sin-city-and-more-1899467|archive-date= October 6, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref> ''The Sandman: Overture'', a prequel mini-series, earned the 2016 [[Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story]].

Hillary Goldstein of IGN praised the comic book, saying that it

{{quote|is truly the cream of the crop when it comes to Vertigo books. Neil Gaiman's work on the series is considered legendary for a reason. This story, in its entirety, is every bit as good as ''Watchmen'' and of equal (if not greater) literary merit. Were I to list the 100 best single comic-book issues I have ever read, three would come from this collection. Whether you have read ''The Sandman'' before or are a first timer, this is the one book you need to buy this fall. The stories within are magnificent and the care taken in reproducing Gaiman's work is the same you'd expect for any great work of literature.<ref name="IGN"/>}}

==Adaptations into other media==

===Film===
Throughout the late 1990s, a film adaptation of the comic was periodically planned by [[Warner Bros.]], parent company of DC Comics. [[Roger Avary]] was originally attached to direct after the success of ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', collaborating with ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl|Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' screenwriters [[Ted Elliott (screenwriter)|Ted Elliott]] and [[Terry Rossio]] in 1996 on a revision of their first script draft, which merged the "Preludes and Nocturnes" storyline with that of "The Doll's House". Avary intended the film to be in part visually inspired by animator [[Jan Švankmajer]]'s work. Avary was fired after disagreements over the creative direction with executive producer [[Jon Peters]], best known for the 1989 film ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' and the abandoned project ''[[Superman in film#Superman Lives|Superman Lives]]''. It was due to their meeting on the ''Sandman'' film project that Avary and Gaiman collaborated one year later on the script for ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]''. The project carried on through several more writers and scripts. A later draft by William Farmer, reviewed at ''[[Ain't It Cool News]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.aintitcool.com/node/2571| title= Moriarty takes a look at what Jon Peters has done with Neil Gaiman's ''Sandman'' property|date=November 29, 1998|work= [[Ain't It Cool News]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131202225513/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/2571|archive-date= December 2, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref> was met with scorn from fans. Gaiman called the last screenplay that Warner Bros. would send him "not only the worst ''Sandman'' script I've ever seen, but quite easily the worst script I've ever read".<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://sciencefictionworld.com/tv/fantasy-tv/575-neil-gaimans-the-sandman-escapes-development-hell.html|title= Neil Gaiman's ''The Sandman'' escapes development Hell?|last= Wood|first= Gerard|date= September 9, 2010|publisher= Science Fiction World|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131203015719/http://sciencefictionworld.com/tv/fantasy-tv/575-neil-gaimans-the-sandman-escapes-development-hell.html|archive-date= December 3, 2013|url-status= dead|access-date= April 20, 2011|df= mdy-all}}</ref> Gaiman has said that his dissatisfaction with how his characters were being treated had dissuaded him from writing any more stories involving the Endless, although he has since written ''Endless Nights'' and ''Sandman Overture''.

By 2001, the project had become stranded in [[development hell]]. In a Q&A panel at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] in 2007, Gaiman remarked, "I'd rather see no ''Sandman'' movie made than a bad ''Sandman'' movie. But I feel like the time for a ''Sandman'' movie is coming soon. We need someone who has the same obsession with the source material as [[Peter Jackson]] had with ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|Lord of the Rings]]'' or [[Sam Raimi]] had with ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]''."<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.mania.com/gaiman-stardust-beowulf-sandman_article_90327.html|title= Gaiman on ''Stardust'', ''Beowulf'' and ''Sandman''|last= Ellison|first= Laura|work= Mania|date= August 7, 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131207114250/http://www.mania.com/gaiman-stardust-beowulf-sandman_article_90327.html|archive-date= December 7, 2013|url-status= dead|access-date= December 23, 2008|df= mdy-all}}</ref> That same year, he stated that he could imagine [[Terry Gilliam]] as a director for the adaptation: "I would always give anything to Terry Gilliam, forever, so if Terry Gilliam ever wants to do ''Sandman'' then as far as I'm concerned Terry Gilliam should do Sandman."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lost_in_la_mancha/news/1677304/neil-gaiman-talks-isandman-good-omensi-adaptations/|title= Neil Gaiman Talks ''Sandman'', ''Good Omens'' Adaptations|first= Jeff|last= Giles|date= October 5, 2007|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131216154042/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lost_in_la_mancha/news/1677304/neil-gaiman-talks-isandman-good-omensi-adaptations/|archive-date= December 16, 2013|url-status= live}}</ref> In 2013, DC President [[Diane Nelson (businesswoman)|Diane Nelson]] said that a ''Sandman'' film would be as rich as the [[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter universe]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dc-chief-superman-wonder-woman-586081?page=2|title= DC Entertainment Chief Reveals What's Next for Superman, Wonder Woman and 5 Superheroes Who Deserve Movies (Q&A)|first= Borys|last= Kit|date= July 17, 2013|work= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140804045508/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dc-chief-superman-wonder-woman-586081?page=2|archive-date= August 4, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref> [[David S. Goyer]] announced in an interview in early December that he would be producing an adaptation of the graphic novel, alongside [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]] and Neil Gaiman. [[Jack Thorne (writer)|Jack Thorne]] was hired to write the script.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2014/02/jack-thorne-to-script-sandman-for-joseph-gordon-levitt-689850/|title= Jack Thorne To Script ''Sandman'' For Joseph Gordon-Levitt|first= Mike Jr.|last= Fleming|date= February 26, 2014|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140711223037/http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/jack-thorne-to-script-sandman-for-joseph-gordon-levitt/|archive-date= July 11, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= April 14, 2014|quote= Jack Thorne has been set to script ''Sandman'' at Warner Bros based on the pitch that David Goyer made for his treatment for the Neil Gaiman comic book classic. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is producing with Goyer and the hope is for him to star and possibly direct.}}</ref> On October 16, 2014, Gaiman clarified that while the film was not announced with the DC slate by Warner Bros., it would instead be distributed by [[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]] and announced with those slate of films.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/100211415516/despite-talk-last-month-about-the-script-being-worked|title=It's not a DC Comics film. It's a Vertigo film. That's a different slate of films, and a different announcement.|last= Gaiman|first= Neil|publisher= [[Tumblr]]|date= October 16, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141130032247/http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/100211415516/despite-talk-last-month-about-the-script-being|archive-date=November 30, 2014 |url-status= live|access-date=October 16, 2014}}</ref> Goyer told ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' in an interview that the studio was very happy with the film's script.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/12/david-s-goyer-dark-knight-hires-kevin-turen-president-indie-films-1201304542/|title= David S. Goyer Taps Kevin Turen President As Superhero Vet Takes Indie Turn|last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr.|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 1, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150801235616/http://deadline.com/2014/12/david-s-goyer-dark-knight-hires-kevin-turen-president-indie-films-1201304542/|archive-date=August 1, 2015 |url-status= live|access-date=December 1, 2014}}</ref> According to ''Deadline Hollywood'', the film was to be distributed by [[New Line Cinema]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/vertigo-dc-new-line-sandman-joseph-gordon-levitt-warner-bros-dc-comics-1201461778/|title=Vertigo DC Movies Like Sandman Going To New Line; Warner Bros Keeps Batman, Superman, Justice League, Other DC Titles|website=Deadline Hollywood|last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr.|date= June 29, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150803032001/http://deadline.com/2015/06/vertigo-dc-new-line-sandman-joseph-gordon-levitt-warner-bros-dc-comics-1201461778/|archive-date= August 3, 2015|url-status= live}}</ref> In October 2015, Goyer revealed that a new screenwriter was being brought on board to revise the script by Jack Thorne and stated that he believed the film would go into production the following year.<ref name=Goyer-comments>{{cite news|last1=Goldberg|first1=Matt|title=''Sandman'': Producer David Goyer Comments on When It Might Go into Production|url=https://collider.com/sandman-movie-production-start-david-goyer/|access-date=October 24, 2015|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|date= October 20, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151106045740/http://collider.com/sandman-movie-production-start-david-goyer/|archive-date= November 6, 2015|url-status= live}}</ref> In March 2016, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' revealed that [[Eric Heisserer]] was hired to rewrite the film's script.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/joseph-gordon-levitts-sandman-movie-872895|title=Joseph Gordon-Levitt's ''Sandman'' Movie Finds Its Writer|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Kit|first=Borys|date=March 4, 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160410101108/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/joseph-gordon-levitts-sandman-movie-872895|archive-date= April 10, 2016|url-status= live}}</ref> The next day, Gordon-Levitt announced that he had dropped out due to disagreements with the studio over the creative direction of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2016/film/news/joseph-gordon-levitt-sandman-drops-out-1201723703/|title=Joseph Gordon-Levitt Drops Out of ''The Sandman''|work=Variety|last=McNary|first=Dave|date=March 5, 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160827053732/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/joseph-gordon-levitt-sandman-drops-out-1201723703/|archive-date= August 27, 2016|url-status= live}}</ref> On November 9, 2016, i09 reported that Heisserer had turned in his draft of the script but left the film, stating that the film should be an [[HBO]] series instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/another-screenwriter-leaves-the-sandman-movie-saying-i-1788552482|title=Another Screenwriter Leaves the Sandman Movie, Saying It Has to Be a TV Show|work=io9|last=Rome|first=Emily|date=November 3, 2016|access-date=November 10, 2016|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032419/https://io9.gizmodo.com/another-screenwriter-leaves-the-sandman-movie-saying-i-1788552482|url-status=dead}}</ref>

; Death
* In ''[[DC Showcase: Death]]'', an animated short from ''[[DC Showcase]]'', Death made her first official appearance outside of comics. In the short, Death (voiced by [[Jamie Chung]]) meets Vincent (voiced by [[Leonardo Nam]]), a failed artist struggling with his personal demons. It was directed by [[Sam Liu]], and written by [[J. M. DeMatteis]]. The short was released as a special feature with the ''[[Wonder Woman: Bloodlines]]'' Blu-Ray.

===Television===
====''The Sandman''====
{{main|The Sandman (TV series)}}
Due to the prolonged development period of the film, in 2010, [[DC Entertainment]] shifted focus onto developing a television series adaptation. Film director [[James Mangold]] pitched a series concept to cable channel [[HBO]], whilst consulting with Gaiman himself on an unofficial basis, but this proved to be unsuccessful. It was reported in September 2010 that [[Warner Bros. Television]] was licensing the rights to produce a TV series, and that ''[[Supernatural (U.S. TV series)|Supernatural]]'' creator [[Eric Kripke]] was their preferred candidate to adapt the saga. In March 2011, it was announced via Neil Gaiman's web blog that while he and DC liked Eric Kripke and his approach, it did not feel quite right. The author hoped to launch the series in another form but plans for a television adaptation are on hold as production moves forward on the film.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/comic-icon-sandman-tv-series-54387| last= Hibberd|first= James|title= Comic icon ''The Sandman'' TV series in works|work= The Hollywood Reporter|date= November 30, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140610112205/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/comic-icon-sandman-tv-series-54387|archive-date= June 10, 2014|url-status= live|access-date= April 20, 2011}}</ref> As the film adaptation of Morpheus's story was being planned, DC and [[21st Century Fox|Fox]] discussed a possible TV series based on the ''Sandman'' character Lucifer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/09/lucifer-show-pilot-dc-comics-fox-834452/|title=Fox Nabs DC Entertainment 'Lucifer' Drama From Tom Kapinos As Put Pilot|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=September 16, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141021194108/http://deadline.com/2014/09/lucifer-show-pilot-dc-comics-fox-834452/|archive-date= October 21, 2014|url-status= live|access-date=September 16, 2014}}
</ref>

[[Netflix]] announced in June 2019 that it had completed a deal with Warner Bros. to develop ''Sandman'' into a live-action television series run by [[Allan Heinberg]], with Gaiman and Goyer serving as executive producers.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sandman-tv-series-neil-gaiman-david-goyer-a-go-at-netflix-1220761 | title = 'Sandman' TV Series From Neil Gaiman, David Goyer – With Huge Price Tag – a Go at Netflix |first = Lesley | last =Goldburg | date = June 30, 2019 | access-date = June 30, 2019 | work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] }}</ref> The cast, including [[Tom Sturridge]] as the title character, was announced in January and May 2021.<!--Not necessary to list details here – we have an entire article for that--><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/the-sandman-tom-sturridge-gwendoline-christie-vivienne-acheampong-boyd-holbrook-charles-dance-asim-chaudhry-sanjeev-bhaskar-netflix-neil-gaiman-1234681995/|title=Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman' Casts Tom Sturridge, Gwendoline Christie, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook, Charles Dance, Asim Chaudhry And Sanjeev Bhaskar|work=Deadline Hollywood|first=Dino-Ray|last=Ramos|date=January 28, 2021|access-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Del Rosario|first=Alexandra|date=2021-05-26|title='The Sandman': Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park & Donna Preston Among 12 Added To Netflix Series|url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/the-sandman-netflix-series-kirby-howell-baptiste-mason-alexander-park-donna-preston-12-cast-1234764168/|access-date=2021-05-27|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}</ref>

The first season premiered on August 5, 2022, and adapts ''[[The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes|Preludes & Nocturnes]]'', ''[[The Sandman: The Doll's House|The Doll's House]]'', and ''[[The Sandman: Dream Country|Dream Country]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2022/06/06/the-sandman-release-date-netflix-the-corinthian-teaser-video/|title=''The Sandman'' Sets Summer Release Date at Netflix – Watch New Trailer|work=TVline|first=Kimberly|last=Roots|date=June 6, 2022|access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref> A second season was confirmed in November 2022;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=November 2, 2022 |title='The Sandman' Renewed For Season 2 At Netflix |url=https://deadline.com/2022/11/the-sandman-season-two-netflix-dc-comics-1235161722/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122142342/https://deadline.com/2022/11/the-sandman-season-two-netflix-dc-comics-1235161722/ |archive-date=January 22, 2023 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> it was announced in January 2025 that the season would be the series' final.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/the-sandman-ending-no-season-3-netflix-neil-gaiman-1236274717/|title='The Sandman' Ending With Season 2 At Netflix|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=January 31, 2025|access-date=January 31, 2025|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250131232809/https://deadline.com/2025/01/the-sandman-ending-no-season-3-netflix-neil-gaiman-1236274717/|archive-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref> The second and final season was released in two parts,<ref name="Season2GeekedWeek">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/the-sandman-season-2-first-look-loki-thor-odin-the-endless-1236151398/ |title='The Sandman' First Look at Season 2 Reveals Loki, Thor and Odin, and the Endless' 'Family Dinner' |work=Variety |first=Adam B. |last=Vary |date=September 20, 2024 |accessdate=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref name="SandmanS2Dates">{{cite web|last=Rice|first=Lynette|date=April 17, 2025|title=''The Sandman'': Netflix Reveals Return Date, Teaser For Second & Final Season|url=https://deadline.com/2025/04/the-sandman-season-2-return-date-netflix-1236370458/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=April 17, 2025}}</ref> across July 3 and 24, 2025, concluding with a bonus episode on July 31.<ref name="SandmanS2Dates"/><ref name="Season2EpisodeDetails">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/sandman-season-2-bonus-episode-titles-netflix-1236416749/|title='The Sandman' Season 2 Reveals Surprise Bonus Episode and All 12 Episode Titles|work=Variety|first=Joe|last=Otterson|date=June 3, 2025|access-date=June 3, 2025}}</ref>

====''Lucifer''====
{{Main|Lucifer (TV series)}}
On September 16, 2014, ''Deadline'' reported that DC and Fox were developing a television series based on the ''Sandman'' character [[Lucifer (DC Comics)|Lucifer]] created by Neil Gaiman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/09/lucifer-show-pilot-dc-comics-fox-834452/|title=Fox Nabs DC Entertainment ''Lucifer'' Drama From Tom Kapinos As Put Pilot|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date= September 16, 2014|access-date=September 16, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151108212026/http://deadline.com/2014/09/lucifer-show-pilot-dc-comics-fox-834452/|archive-date= November 8, 2015|url-status= live}}</ref> On February 19, 2015, the official pilot order was given.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/02/lucifer-pilot-order-len-wiseman-director-jerry-bruckheimer-producer-fox-1201376635/|title=''Lucifer'' Gets Pilot Order At Fox, Len Wiseman Directing, Jerry Bruckheimer EP|website=Deadline Hollywood|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=February 19, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150907222309/http://deadline.com/2015/02/lucifer-pilot-order-len-wiseman-director-jerry-bruckheimer-producer-fox-1201376635/|archive-date= September 7, 2015|url-status= live}}</ref> According to the premise reported by ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', the potential series would greatly differ from the comic book version of the character featured in ''The Sandman'' and his own solo comic book series. Lucifer was  featured in a ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|CSI]]''-like or ''[[Elementary (TV series)|Elementary]]'' style television show with supernatural elements.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/db-woodside-joins-foxs-lucifer-781120|title= D.B. Woodside Joins Fox's ''Lucifer''|first1= Bryn Elise|last1= Sandberg|first2= Lesley|last2= Goldberg|date= March 12, 2015|work= The Hollywood Reporter|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150315045729/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/db-woodside-joins-foxs-lucifer-781120|archive-date= March 15, 2015|url-status= live|quote= The show stars Tom Ellis (''Rush'') as Lucifer, the bored and unhappy Lord of Hell who decides to resign his throne for the beauty of Los Angeles. He gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals.}}</ref> The show began airing on January 25, 2016, and concluded on September 10, 2021

====''Dead Boy Detectives''====
{{Main|Dead Boy Detectives (TV series)}}

[[Sebastian Croft]] and [[Ty Tennant]] portrayed Payne and Rowland in the third season of the ''[[Doom Patrol (TV series)|Doom Patrol]]'' TV series. The series also features their medium companion Crystal Palace, portrayed by Madalyn Horcher.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-22 |title=The Dead Boy Detectives Are Coming to Doom Patrol |url=https://www.dc.com/blog/2021/04/22/the-dead-boy-detectives-are-coming-to-doom-patrol |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=DC |language=en}}</ref>

HBO Max has ordered a pilot for a potential ''Dead Boy Detectives'' series in September 2021. The pilot was written by [[Steve Yockey]], also acting as an executive producer alongside [[Jeremy Carver]]. The pilot also features [[Greg Berlanti]], [[Sarah Schechter (producer)|Sarah Schechter]], and [[David Madden (executive)|David Madden]] as executive producers under [[Berlanti Productions]]. The main cast for the pilot, as announced in November 2021, includes<!--Has been shot, so not future tense--> Jayden Revri as Edwin Payne, George Rexstrew as Charles Rowland, and [[Kassius Nelson]] as Crystal Palace. The series was picked up by HBO Max for an eight-episode first season in April 2022, but transferred to Netflix in February 2023. Additional cast members include [[Briana Cuoco]] as Jenny the Butcher, Yuyu Kitamura as Niko, [[Jenn Lyon]] as Esther, and [[Ruth Connell]] reprising her ''[[Doom Patrol (TV series)|Doom Patrol]]'' role of Night Nurse.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Otterson |first1=Joe |date=2021-11-22 |title='Dead Boy Detectives' HBO Max Pilot Sets Main Cast (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/dead-boy-detectives-hbo-max-pilot-cast-1235116122/ |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Audio===
{{main|The Sandman (audio drama)}}
On July 15, 2020, [[Audible (service)|Audible]] released an adaptation of the comic book series as a multi-part audio drama directed by [[Dirk Maggs]] with music by [[James Hannigan]], adapting ''[[The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes|Preludes & Nocturnes]]'', ''[[The Sandman: The Doll's House|The Doll's House]]'', and ''[[The Sandman: Dream Country|Dream Country]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.audible.com/about/newsroom/the-sandman-by-neil-gaiman-to-become-an-audible-original/|title='The Sandman' by Neil Gaiman to Become an Audible Original|publisher=Audible|date=March 4, 2020|access-date=May 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/james-mcavoy-lead-sandman-audible-drama-1294222|title=James McAvoy to Lead 'Sandman' Audible Drama (Exclusive)|last=Couch|first=Aaron|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 13, 2020|access-date=May 14, 2020}}</ref> The voice cast included Gaiman as the Narrator, [[James McAvoy]] as [[Dream (character)|Dream]], [[Kat Dennings]] as [[Death (DC Comics)|Death]], [[Taron Egerton]] as [[John Constantine]], [[Michael Sheen]] as [[Lucifer (DC Comics)|Lucifer]], [[Riz Ahmed]] as the [[Corinthian (comics)|Corinthian]], [[Andy Serkis]] as [[Matthew Cable|Matthew the Raven]], [[Samantha Morton]] as [[Element Girl|Urania Blackwell]], [[Bebe Neuwirth]] as the Siamese Cat, [[Arthur Darvill]] as [[William Shakespeare]], [[Justin Vivian Bond]] as [[Endless (comics)|Desire]], and [[Miriam Margolyes]] as [[Endless (comics)|Despair]].

''The Sandman: Act II'' was released on September 22, 2021, and featured most of the original cast, adapting ''[[The Sandman: Season of Mists|Season of Mists]]'', ''[[The Sandman: A Game of You|A Game of You]]'', and seven stories of ''[[The Sandman: Fables & Reflections|Fables & Reflections]]''. New additions to the cast included: [[Regé-Jean Page]] as [[Orpheus]], [[Jeffrey Wright]] as [[Endless (comics)|Destiny]], [[Brian Cox (actor)|Brian Cox]] as Augustus, [[Emma Corrin]] as Thessaly, [[John Lithgow]] as [[Joshua Norton]], [[David Tennant]] as [[Loki]], [[Bill Nighy]] as [[Odin]], [[Kristen Schaal]] as [[Endless (comics)|Delirium]], [[Kevin Smith]] as [[Merv Pumpkinhead]], and [[Niamh Walsh]] as Nuala. Neuwirth also returned, but portrayed [[Bast (DC Comics)|Bast]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/sandman-act-ii-audible-premiere-date-james-mcavoy-returns-cast-1235024922/|title = 'The Sandman: Act II' on Audible Premiere Date Set, James McAvoy Returns to Lead Star-Studded Cast|date = July 22, 2021}}</ref>

''The Sandman: Act III'' was released on September 28, 2022, without a prior announcement, and featured most of the cast from the first two acts, adapting ''[[The Sandman: Brief Lives|Brief Lives]]'', and ''[[The Sandman: Worlds' End|Worlds' End]]''. New additions to the cast included: [[David Harewood]] as Destruction, [[Wil Wheaton]] as Brant Tucker, and [[K.J. Apa]] as Prez.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/books/the-sandman-act-3-audible-adaptation-surprise/ |title=Surprise, The Sandman fans! Audible just released Act III of their audiobook adaptation |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Christian |last=Holub |date=September 28, 2022 |accessdate=October 3, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==

* ''[[Sandman: 24 Hour Diner]]'', fan film
* [[Sandman (Wesley Dodds)|Sandman]], the Golden Age DC character
* [[Sandman (DC Comics)|Sandman (Garrett Sanford/Hector Hall)]], the Bronze Age DC character

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite journal |last1=Brisbin |first1=Ally |last2=Booth |first2=Paul |title=The Sand/wo/man: The Unstable Worlds of Gender in Neil Gaiman's Sandman Series |journal=[[The Journal of Popular Culture]] |date=February 2013 |volume= 46 |issue=1 |pages=20–37 |doi=10.1111/jpcu.12014}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Castaldo |first=Annalisa |title=No More Yielding than a Dream: The Construction of Shakespeare in 'The Sandman' |journal=College Literature |date=Fall 2004 |volume= 31 |issue=4 |pages=94–110 |doi=10.1353/lit.2004.0052|s2cid=170277969 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Elder |first=Robert K. |author-link=Robert K. Elder |chapter=Gods and Other Monsters: A Sandman Exit Interview and Philosophical Omnibus | title=The Neil Gaiman Reader: Essays and Explorations | editor-first=Darrell | editor-last=Schweitzer |editor-link=Darrell Schweitzer | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-8095-5625-0 | location=Holicong, PA | publisher= [[Wildside Press]]|title-link=The Neil Gaiman Reader }}
* {{Cite book | title=The Sandman Papers: An Exploration of the Sandman Mythology | editor-first=Joe | editor-last=Sanders | contribution=Preface | first=Neil | last=Gaiman | year=2006 | isbn=1-56097-748-5 | location=Seattle, WA | publisher= [[Fantagraphics Books]]}}
* {{Cite book | last=Parker | first=Sabadino | year=2007 | title=Dream's Odyssey: A Jungian Analysis of Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' | publisher=[[Trinity College, Hartford|Trinity College]] | location=Hartford, CT}}
* {{Cite book | first=Stephen | last=Rauch | title=Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and Joseph Campbell: In Search of the Modern Myth | year=2003 | location= Holicong, PA | publisher=Wildside Press| isbn=1-58715-789-6 }} (HC). {{ISBN|1-59224-212-X}} (TPB).
* {{Cite book |last=Rawlik |first=Peter S. |chapter=The King Forsakes His Throne: Campbellian Hero Icons in Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' | title=The Neil Gaiman Reader: Essays and Explorations | editor-first=Darrell | editor-last=Schweitzer |editor-link=Darrell Schweitzer | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-8095-5625-0 | location=Holicong, PA | publisher= Wildside Press|title-link=The Neil Gaiman Reader }}
* {{Cite book |last=Saxton |first=Julie Myers |chapter=Dreams and Fairy Tales: The Theme of Rationality in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'The Sandman' | title=The Neil Gaiman Reader: Essays and Explorations | editor-first=Darrell | editor-last=Schweitzer |editor-link=Darrell Schweitzer | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-8095-5625-0 | location=Holicong, PA | publisher= Wildside Press|title-link=The Neil Gaiman Reader }}
* [https://qatar-weill.cornell.edu/aboutUs/fa/bios/sharkeyRodney.html Sharkey, Rodney] (2008). "'[http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/archives/v4_1/sharkey/ Being' Decentered in Sandman: History, Dreams, Gender, and the 'Prince of Metaphor and Allusion].{{'"}} ''[http://www.english.ufl.edu/imagetext/ ImageText: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies]'' 4 (1).

==External links==
{{sister project links|display=''The Sandman''|d=Q827099|q=The Sandman|c=Category:Sandman (DC Comics)|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no}}
* {{Official website}}

{{The Sandman|state=expanded}}
{{Neil Gaiman}}
{{Vertigo Comics Ongoing Series}}
{{Sandman navbox}}
{{Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandman, The}}
[[Category:The Sandman (comic book)| ]]
[[Category:1989 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1996 comics endings]]
[[Category:Comics adapted into television series]]
[[Category:Fiction about the Devil]]
[[Category:Comics about dreams]]
[[Category:Eisner Award winners for Best Continuing Series]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners for Best Continuing or Limited Series]]
[[Category:Fantasy comics]]
[[Category:Gothic comics]]
[[Category:Horror comics]]
[[Category:Comics about personifications of death]]
[[Category:Vertigo Comics graphic novels]]
[[Category:Vertigo Comics titles]]
[[Category:Mythology in comics]]
[[Category:Sandman]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Superhero horror comics]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=The Sandman (comic book)|access_date=2026-03-07}}