Although elements of Sandman have been translated to the contemporary DC universe - and thus, by proxy, could be considered superhero-esque - it's still very much a dark fantasy series. That should pretty much be apparent from the author alone, with Neil Gaiman having kickstarted one of the most adored and transformative comics back in the early nineties.
Together with Sam Keith, and then again with other artists, Gaiman masterminded one of the most absorbing settings for a comic book ever, and one that appealed to those outside of the medium's traditional sphere of influence. Sandman opened up a door to new readers and is fondly remembered for doing just that, while at the same time featuring some of the most emotionally driven and intelligent stories present at Vertigo back in its peak.
Focusing on Dream of the Endless, the ruler of the dreamworld, The Sandman took a horror focus and instantly stood out from the crowd, going on to influence subsequent efforts from Vertigo, and even DC's superhero books too.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
