I haven’t read Sandman yet. Wasn’t on DCU back when I had an account and before that I just never really dove into that corner of comics (Vertigo was never really my thing). It’s on my list but before that I have access to season 1 of the show now. Should I watch it or skip it or wait to watch it until after the comic? Probably won’t get the comic or access for at least another month if not much longer. I’ll make a poll but am more interested in justification.
0 voters
Quit focusing on what you should do. Focus on what you want to do.
Deep. Unhelpful. But deep.
I don’t know what I want to do because I don’t know anything about it.
I went with waiting until you have read at least the first two story arcs of the comic before you watch the show.
Admittedly I haven’t watched the show yet, but reading the source material 1st just generally feels like the better move
The book is good. The show is good. There’s no wrong answer.
I enjoy reading the source material first - at least the arcs covered in the show. Both because I like seeing where the adaptation jumps off from and also because the voices of the characters and the tone of the world feel like they have more impact that way.
I would say that the graphic novels are worth reading, but it’s a long set of books, 11 in total if you read the collected editions. And it’s definitely totally unnecessary to read them all just to watch the first season.
I also have had a reluctance to read a certain amount of Vertigo because much of it around this time frame was horror based, which really doesn’t interest me at all. So, with that mind, there’s absolutely no reason to read the books at all, particularly as there is a reasonable possibility that the entire set of books may never get fully adapted. As with other adaptations, there are things they have cut so far and things that they will likely cut in the future, and - it is fully possible that Netflix may not continue to pay for seasons past S2.
If you do end up deciding to read the books, just the first two collections will do and it may add to your enjoyment of S1 but I know plenty of people who simply enjoy fantasy who had no problems enjoying and understanding Sandman without even knowing it was based on a printed comic series.
All that said, I voted skip.
I watched before I read it. And the show did some things differently from the comic. But it was very faithful. But I enjoyed having the knowledge from the show when I read the comic. (At least the arcs in covered in the season.) And I’m sure it is good the other way around too.
But, honestly, there is no wrong answer. Do what makes you happy. Both are great and are worth watching and reading.