Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix show The Sandman and the comics it’s based on and discussions of suicide and sexual assault.
Netflix’s The Sandman premiered to critical acclaim earlier this year, in large part thanks to its faithful adaptation of the source material. The legendary comic books by Neil Gaiman are brought to life by the series, with each episode based on individual issues.
Two of the most disturbing storylines or issues from the comics, 24 Hours and Calliope, have already been portrayed with chilling accuracy. Fans know that there are a lot more unsettling arcs from the comic books, including Façade and Cerements, which will hopefully be depicted in potential future seasons.
24 Hours (Issue #6)
Viewers who have already seen its portrayal in the Netflix series may be shocked to find out that the comic book counterpart of 24 Hours is even more gruesome and brutal. The storyline plays out like a horror movie, with Doctor Destiny’s actions in the diner only causing the horrific events to escalate.
It’s almost too painful to read some panels in the issue, with some graphic depictions of violence serving as evidence of how powerful the ruby really is. While the camera in the show rightly pans away from the goriest moments, these scenes are unflinchingly shown in the comics, all the way to its spine-chilling ending.
Collectors (Issue #14)
Another issue that has already been adapted for the Netflix series is Collectors, which is centered on the events that happen in the Cereal Convention. It’s unnerving to see real-life serial killers in one location, but the storyline takes even darker turns as the day progresses.
These include the way the Corinthian teams up with other killers to murder an intruder, as well as some disconcerting panels showing other murderers’ victims. Perhaps the most disturbing thing that happens is understandably changed in the show, as in the comics, Fun Land stalks and then assaults Rose Walker in her hotel room – this is thankfully stopped by Morpheus before it’s too late.
Calliope (Issue #17)
The bonus episode of the Netflix series tells the story of the muse, Calliope, whose depiction in the comics is far more horrifying. There are comic panels that actually show her being raped by the writer, not to mention the fact that she’s completely naked for the majority of the events in the issue.
These scenes are rightly excluded from the show, as Calliope’s desperate pleas to the Three are more frustrating to hear when she’s depicted in her most vulnerable state. That said, the way Dream punishes Richard Madoc in the comics is thankfully more terrifying than what happens on the show, bringing a sort of justice for what Calliope had to endure for years.
Façade (Issue #20)
Rainie Blackwell, better known as Element Girl, is at the center of a storyline that proves Death is the best character in the comics. She’s introduced as a loner who avoids others because of the way she looks. When she ventures out one day to meet an old friend, she’s embarrassed by the perturbing moment her fake face falls onto her plate of pasta.
Element Girl’s detailed description of the many ways she has tried to die by suicide makes it easy to feel bad for her. She wants to end things, but her powers won’t let her. The upsetting issue thankfully has a bittersweet ending, with Death teaching Element Girl how to properly get what she wants.
Season Of Mists Chapter 4 (Issue #25)
After Lucifer Morningstar leaves Hell, the souls of the dead come back to the waking world, wreaking havoc among the living. One of these living characters is Charles Rowland, who is unfortunately stuck in a school full of dead bullies and teachers with outdated ideas of discipline.
There’s an uncomfortable moment where Charles discusses the possibility of his death with Edwin Paine, who describes what dying was like for him. It’s saddening to see such young kids contemplate their mortalities in a school full of dead children, which would be interesting to see on the show eventually.
Three Septembers And A January (Issue #31)
Fans know that the younger Endless siblings like to play games with their elders, with Despair’s turn being depicted in a storyline about Norton I. Despair challenges Dream to take the despondent businessman from her realm, which he does with little effort.
The disturbing part of the entire story is how the Endless choose a seemingly random person to toy with, as even Desire and Delirium both appear to join the game. Despite Death’s insistence that the Endless are there to serve humans, they can also torment them and make them believe in lies at a whim.
Over The Sea To Sky (Issue #36)
The Cuckoo is a villain from the comics that’s built up over a number of issues in A Game of You. Barbie’s journey leading up to their first meeting is already unsettling enough, as the anthropomorphic versions of her childhood toys brutally die one by one before she reaches the antagonist.
Their actual meeting is eerie and unpleasant, as Barbie is disoriented and confused by the fact that she’s in her own home from her childhood. The Cuckoo reveals that everything is a pointless figment of Barbie’s imagination, which further convinces the likable Sandman character that she should just destroy everything like the Cuckoo wants.
A Tale Of Two Cities (Issue #51)
The first story to be told in the World’s End Inn is a spine-chilling tale about a character who mistakenly enters an alternate version of his city. There, everything looks and feels like a shadow of its real self and seems to be constantly changing.
The eerie location is confusing and haunting, which is only made worse by the fact that there seems to be no one around. The city dweller finally gets some idea of what’s happening when an old man appears and explains that they’re in the city’s dream. He does manage to get out after years of being trapped and recounts this tale, but he’s obviously still affected by the experience, as he’s deathly afraid of one day ending up there again.
Cerements (Issue #55)
There are numerous comic panels in Cerements that are pure nightmare fuel, which isn’t surprising considering it’s centered on the Necropolis Litharge. Situated in another plane of existence, the city is full of workers who specialize in all the ways to dress, prepare, and mourn the dead, even if they are one of the Endless.
There’s no shortage of graphic depictions of what they do to the hundreds of dead bodies sent there every single day. The experts or masters teach the younger residents about these rituals, which sometimes even involve eating with their dirtied hands from fixing the corpses.
An Epilogue, Sunday Mourning (Issue #73)
Death’s final meeting with Hob Gadling is disturbing in a thought-provoking way, as their conversation will likely give any reader an existential crisis. Hob is visibly disturbed by Death’s confirmation of the fact that his good friend Dream has passed away, which makes Hob think about the fact that he has just lost one of the few constants in his unnaturally long life.
The most profound and tear-jerking part takes place when Hob discusses what he thinks death really is to the being herself, before admitting that he’s not really ready to go. For a moment, though, it seems as if Hob would have willingly walked into Death’s arms after hundreds of years of existence.