Neil Gaiman talks The Sandman episode count, pacing, aesthetics, more

The Sandman is a comic that transcends space and time, myth and legend. It covers a little of everything, so much that for decades the comic was deemed “unfilmable.” However, Netflix has spent a lot of money bringing the story to the small screen. Naturally, fans have a lot of questions. As always, creator Neil Gaiman is here to clear things up.

The Sandman is a pretty hard comic to explain because the concepts weaved into the plot are so ambitious. The story follows Dream of the Endless — the literal personification of dreams — as he deals with the various trials that come with being the ruler of the place we go when we fall asleep. Here’s the official synopsis courtesy of Netflix:

"A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he’s made during his vast existence."

How many episodes are in The Sandman season 1?

Firstly, let’s begin with one of the most common questions asked about the show: how many episodes are in season 1, and how much of the comic will it cover? From Gaiman himself on Twitter, “The first ten episodes take you to the end of ‘The Doll’s House.” That leaves eight volumes and plenty of other comic material for future seasons.

Gaiman also addressed a concern from a fan who wondered if 10 episodes would be enough to cover the first two volumes in the series. However, as Gaiman points out, Act I of Audible’s The Sandman audio dramatization covered the same amount of story in a similar amount of time, and had no pacing issues.

Will Sandman Overture be adapted?

Back in 2015, Neil Gaiman returned to the world of Sandman to tell one more story: a prequel, Sandman Overture, which tells us how Dream was weakened and therefore captured by Roderick Burgess in issue #1. Don’t expect it to be included in the series, but there is a nod to it in the premiere. “One piece of information that you only get in Overture is given to you early in episode 1, but apart from that, it’s all in its proper place,” the author wrote.

What’s the deal with Joanna Constantine replacing John Constantine?

Now, about the much-discussed role of Johanna Constantine, played by Jenna Coleman. We should all know by now that John Constantine’s small arc will be taken over by Coleman’s Johanna Constantine. And also, Coleman will play Johanna’s ancestor in the show, too. As Gaimain laid it out:

"You get her as a modern woman and you get her as the one in the 1790s. Both."

Confused yet?

The many looks of Dream

And finally, for those out there who are very keen to see Dream appear in his various guises throughout the series, you won’t be disappointed. During the show’s panel at Netflix’s Geeked Week, Tom Sturridge was asked if he got to wear an assortment of different costumes like Dream does in the comic, to which he joyfully answered, “OMG, yeah!”

Gaiman elaborated with this tweet: “There are many Dream hairstyles in your future.”

The Sandman arrives on August 5 on Netflix. Seeing the story in live-action is no longer a dream…

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