Sandman: Season of Mists

Issue 21 of The Sandman was the first Neil Gaiman written comic I purchased. It was during art school, fellow student and frequent collaborator had discovered the series, probably over holiday break, and shared his excitement for the story in the sort of conversational review comic creators (and fans) have always spent time on. Kind of like what I’m doing now. He also lent me his copies of The Sandman issues 22 through to 24, published by D.C. comics, many moons ago. I read those comics and almost immediately made my way to the nearest comic shop to find any of the other comic issues surrounding this story. The only other issues on the comic-rack I hadn’t just read was number 21, the prologue to The Season of Mists. That storyline would run from issue 21 (December 1990) through to the Summer of 1991 and I’d include every subsequent issue in my comic purchases. I also hunted down every back issue stopping only at issue #1 balking at the $40(ish) dollar asking price – Ha.

I bring all this up as prologue to episode 1 of season 2 of Netflix’s adaptation. I wonder if I’m the only one who’s amused by the numerical symmetry of Episode 2.1 being a direct adaptation of issue 21. Has something like that been done before? 

A quirky perk of serialized media perhaps.

I had the good fortune of being invited to an advanced screening of the episode; one that also included a Q&A with the show-runner Alan Heinberg and actors Tom Sturridge (Dream), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Death). A write-up based on that Q&A will be featured in my July MUSEletter so make sure you’re subscribed before its arrival on July 10th. Maybe you’ll even be caught up with the series by then and we can discuss in-depth? 

But first there’s this pale white spectral elephant in the room which must be addressed, especially if one is not already in the know – 

Regarding the creator of this particular comic series, internationally recognized author Neil Gaiman: you see, we all thought he was the king of dreams (same hair and everything – character inserts were a thing at the time) but it turns out he was The Corinthian all along – metaphorically speaking, Of Course. 

Among the consequences of these revelations is the consolidation of what was meant to be an ongoing series into a single sequel season. Again, we return to the question of separating the art from the artist, a dilemma we each ought to answer for ourselves the moment we engage in a work of art, but capitalism adds further complexity to the whole equation. This is why we can’t have nice things.

So, if you read the comics but don’t plan to watch the series (or even if you do) let me share some impressions.

It’s a vibe. Few are the shows that can devote a whole episode to dinner conversation – yet no eating. It’s a beautifully faithful adaptation of that particular issue. The heavy shadows and scene blocking are drawn from the Zack Snyder school of page to screen while leaving plenty of room for baroque set and costume design. There are choices to down play some of the horror elements in favor of gothic, but it’s clear those responsible kept the source material fully in mind.

Mike Dringenberg was at the top of his game for the issue. He’d been the series inker for initial penciler Sam Kieth but switched to pencilling when Kieth left after issue 5. Dringenberg co-created the iconic character Death and ultimately drew eleven issues, with one exception, they were all intern inked by Malcolm Jones III. 

According to show runner Alan Heinberg, costume designer Sarah Arthur had printouts of the comic book pages all over the walls. The comic books were always present in the fitting rooms, serving as a reference points for costume design and character looks. That gothic aesthetic which defined so much of the appeal of The Sandman comic has evolved significantly since publication date and that works to the show’s benefit.   

Other Thoughts

• A handful of season one characters return.
• Mark Hamill as Merv; of course. 
• The flashback sequence = more visual candy

Ultimately, an episode intriguing enough to play-next-episode.