Sandman: The ‘unfilmable’ Neil Gaiman masterpiece that made comics cool again

A Netflix adaptation of the 1980s graphic novel – which united hardcore geeks and first-timers alike – is on the cards after several false starts. A dream come true, says David Barnett, but it won’t be an easy task

‘For there was nothing in his eyes but the black night and the cold stars’ (Vertigo/DC Comics)

At a time when comic book movies rule the box office, it makes sense that one of the most beloved series in recent years gets an adaptation, courtesy of Netflix.

When it’s a comic that was written by Neil Gaiman, the man behind book-to-TV hits American Gods and (co-authored with Terry Pratchett) Good Omens, it seems even more of a no-brainer.

But while the comic in question, Sandman, holds a special place in the hearts of readers of both the hardcore geek variety and those who would never class themselves as comic nerds, its journey to the screen has been a troubled one and for many years the series was dismissed as simply unfilmable.