The comic medium and superhero genre have undoubtedly maintained their place in the highest echelons of pop culture thanks to their efforts in film and television, and there have certainly been many great shows vying for viewer subscription dollars in the TV streaming space. The Disney and Marvel Studios MCU has taken the live-action TV genre to new heights – for better and for worse – by pumping Disney+ with several original shows in recent years.
While Marvel has had standout productions on occasion, it’s arguably Netflix and HBO Max that have had the best comic book adaptations of the year The Sandman and peacemaker, respectively. Though vastly different in tone and theme, both shows shared the same refreshing dose of creative ingenuity that made them hugely entertaining.
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The Sandman: Successfully adapting the “unadaptable”.
In the comic book world, Neil Gaiman is a respected name. He has provided some of the medium’s best work and lent his talent to various well-known characters such as the Fantastic Four. The Sandman is generally regarded as his major work, but he also wrote Batman, showing his versatility in both original works and long-running IPs.
When it comes to The Sandman, many have long thought this comic book masterclass of a story challenging, if not impossible, to adapt to another medium. Much of this series is defined by abstract and surreal imagery, in addition to the nuanced stories and character arcs.
Gaiman had been working to get an adaptation off the ground for many years now, despite the massive expectations behind the source material.
And while it’s undoubtedly a big name in the “streaming wars,” Netflix hasn’t exactly inspired confidence that quality and fidelity are a guarantee for something as multifaceted as The Sandman, but – mercifully – that’s what the final product ended up delivering. Of course, it probably helps that Gaiman himself made sure his property was treated with respect.
The Sandman has achieved what was once thought impossible and brought to the screen a world that is as visually imaginative as the comic series that inspired it. Even though some episodes lagged a bit towards the end of the first season compared to the larger storylines that came before it, it was enticing to see Dream travel to different places and meet with characters in an anthology-style narrative structure .
This episodic formula did well to show corners of that corner of the DC world in a way that served those isolated stories while also feeding into larger themes and the character journey of Dream itself. The Sandman is a poignant story of how to learn to adapt with the times and be willing to embrace growth within yourself.
Among the lead actors, performances were outstanding, with Tom Sturridge being a highlight in adapting a character so ethereal and larger than life, while also rooting in the protagonist’s burgeoning sense of humanity. You can also see how much fun the behind-the-scenes creative team had shooting these characters, as other members of the Endless like Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s death and villains like Gwendoline Christie’s Lucifer delivered some of the series’ most compelling episodes thanks to their respective charms.
It’s been a rollercoaster of waiting to see if Netflix will give the show the season 2 extension it deserves or if it will end it early as well, but it’s great to see the show continue with this passion project.
Peacemaker: The Show Nobody Knew They Wanted
The soon-to-be DCU under co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran is currently undergoing a major makeover, especially with the recent news that Henry Cavill has been dropped as Superman, but Gunn has already shown – in Marvel and DC – in an awe of it Source material and a knack for character work.
After the critically panned 2016 suicide squad Film, Gunn was brought on board to helm a loose-fitting sequel that maintains the same overall continuity while serving as a fresh starting point for newcomers. The film was well received and was essentially what Gunn achieved with his Guardians of the Galaxy films in the MCU: a comedic action-adventure about a group of unlikely protagonists and misfits.
It was everything it needed to be but the most surprising aspect of The Suicide Squad Thus was born a TV spinoff series starring John Cena’s seemingly unfortunate anti-hero, Peacemaker. The show’s first eight-episode season received critical acclaim and showcased Cena’s unexpected dramedy as an actor.
peacemaker, and perhaps the television format in general, questionably getting the best of Gunn, as the salacious humor and candid character dynamics were all there but felt even bolder in terms of social commentary than his successful theatrical ventures. Cena’s protagonist is portrayed as a hypocritical menace early on, but the show develops brilliantly into a story of meaningful introspection.
The rest of his supporting cast and equally unlikely team members also stood out peacemaker told an effective and rewarding isolated story within the vast DC Multiverse that didn’t bother to be a commercial for someone else’s show – nor did it separate itself from the wider universe.
It’s the “superhero” show no one saw coming and the show no one knew they wanted, and we’ll look forward to seeing Season 2 continue with the satisfying character arcs peacemakerThe debut season of has been fleshed out.
Stand above the rest
Even outside of the superhero genre, it’s easy to look at the IP TV shows of the last few years and get cynical. Some of the MCU Phase 4 series felt either stuffed, undercut, or just plain unnecessary, and the same goes for some of Lucasfilm’s corner of Disney+ with the Star Wars mega-franchise.
However what The Sandman and peacemaker The importance of the medium, at least for comic book adaptations, is that there is still room for inventiveness in this genre, even on the small screen.
These two shows are very different in tone and concept, but they’re examples of how wonderfully weird these kinds of stories can be on their own.
You can stream The Sandman on Netflix while peacemaker is currently streaming on HBO Max.
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