Audiobook Review: 'The Sandman: Act I' by Neil Gaiman & Dirk Maggs

I've often cited 'The Sandman' as one of the comic series that got me into reading and collecting comics, way back in the 1990s. The surreal cover art by Dave McKean, the darkly fantastical stories inside by Neil Gaiman, and the interior art from various artists over the course of the original 75 issue comic run, hooked me in from the first issue I read.

Flashforward to 2020, and Dirk Maggs' adaptation for Audible. Wow! It had been a long while since I read the comics, but listening to this full cast recording brought the memories back, and it was great to be back in The Sandman universe again.

Beginning at the beginning, the Audible Original Drama starts with issue #1; 'Sleep Of The Just', with Roderick Burgess, magician and occultist, attempting to gain immortality by capturing and imprisoning the embodiment of Death. But instead, he binds Death's brother, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, instead. After many decades, he eventually escapes his confinement and seeks to restore his power that has waned during his years of imprisonment, and reclaim his possessions that were stolen from him. This task takes him into hell to face Lucifer, chasing downrogue nightmares, visit a serial killer convention and crosses paths with characters from the DC comics universe, as well as from ancient myths, and real-world history.

Covering volumes 1-3 ('Preludes and Nocturnes', 'The Doll's House', and 'Dream Country'), and running for around 11 hours, 'The Sandman: Act I' features a stellar cast that elevates this into a must listen. James McAvoy is Dream, Kat Dennings is Death, Taron Egerton is John Constantine, Riz Ahmed is The Corinthian, with Michael Sheen, Andy Serkis, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Arthur Darvill, and more, plus Neil Gaiman as the narrator, and a musical score by James Hannigan, the adaptation is brought to life and into your ears and imagination!

Listening to the 20 episodes, I had forgotten how dark, disturbing and horrific some of the issues were. Like '24 Hours', where the whole episode is set in a diner where the patrons go mad over the course of a day; the whole 'Doll's House' storyline, where Rose Walker searches for her younger brother and somehow ends up at a convention for serial killers; and 'Calliope', where one of the nymphs from Greek mythology has been captured, imprisoned and abused, while her presence provides the inspiration for an author's successful novels, before she is passed on to another frustrated writer until Dream intervenes.

But with the darkness, there is also light and hope, like 'The Sound Of Her Wings' where we're first introduced to Dream's sibling Death, where she persuades her brother to explore the world to get him out of his post-imprisonment depression as she's doing her rounds; 'A Dream Of A Thousand Cats', where a Siamese cat tells a story of the time she met the Dream Lord; and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' which depicts the premiere of Will Shakespeare's play in front of an unusual audience.

'The Sandman: Act I' is an immersive trip into the dark fantasy universe of Neil Gaiman's original comics, superbly adapted by Dirk Maggs (who has also adapted several of Gaiman's books into audio format, which are also all worth checking out), boasting top drawer voice cast and production values, it's all too easy to lose yourself in the stories. Recommended!

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