The Sandman is one of the most venerable comic series of all time. The Netflix adaptation has brought a whole new generation of fans to the property, but they’re just the latest in a long line of people who discovered the magic of this story. The Sandman helped change comics in the ’90s, and has cast a wide net when it comes to readers. It was the cool comic, a book that borrowed from mythology and the real world, something the Netflix series captured beautifully. Many people think The Sandman is some kind of singular works, that it’s an anachronism in the comic industry, but it’s not. In fact, in the ensuing years, we’ve gotten some amazing comics that tread similar ground to The Sandman, mature readers classics that are in many ways better than The Sandman.
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Comics are often looked down upon by the general audience, even those that watch a lot of comic adaptations. The Sandman has always been able to sidestep that disdain, but there are plenty of amazing comics that can stand next to it. If you enjoyed the Netflix adaptation of The Sandman, read the comics, and want more, these seven comics are the place go, brilliant stories that will scratch a certain itch.
7) The Invisibles
The Sandman is a quintessentially ’90s comic, but it’s far from the only great comic of that decade. DC’s Vertigo imprint was full of brilliant comics, and one of the best (and in my opinion one of the greatest comics of all time) is The Invisibles. The Invisibles is basically the personification of the ’90s in comic form, written by comics wunderkind Grant Morrison. The book follows the Invisibles, a secret society of anarchists, soldiers, and magic users, against the Outer Church, the secret Lovecraftian power behind the governments of the world.
The Invisibles is ’90s insanity, full of sex, drugs, and EDM, as well as some brutal violence and ideas that will blow your mind. Morrison was ahead of the curve with this book. While some of the language is outdated in regards to the LGBTQ+ community, it’s a book that shines a positive light on multiple aspects of that community. It’s a brilliant story, with some of the best artists in the history of the comic medium joining with Morrison — Jill Thompson (who drew The Sandman‘s “Brief Lives”), Chris Weston, Phil Jimenez, Steve Yeowell, Frank Quitely, and many more. It’s a bit more down and dirty than The Sandman, but it’s nothing less than brilliant.
6) The Unwritten
The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, is one of the classics of the latter years of Vertigo. Vertigo was built on the backs of books like The Sandman, Swamp Thing, Animal Man, and Doom Patrol, a mature readers imprint published by DC Comics that allowed its creators to actually own their works, giving readers a variety of amazing books. The Unwritten is a very interesting book, one that deals with the costs of fame and celebrity and the relationship between fiction and reality. It follows Tom Taylor, who was the inspiration for a Harry Potter style series of books.
When the world realizes that Tom Taylor may actually be a wizard, his entire life is turned upside down, as a mysterious group of beings hunt Tom down. Carey wrote the book based on the life of Christopher Milne, the son of the A.A. Milne, who was the inspiration for Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh. The Unwritten deals with similar themes to The Sandman, and will definitely appeal to fans of the show and the comic.
5) Rare Flavours
Ram V and Filipe Andrade are one of the best teams working in the comic industry right now, and they have two different books on this list. Rare Flavours was their second masterpiece, a book that takes readers on a trip through India, using food as its touchstone. The book follows Rubin Baksh, an Indian demon known as a Rakshasa. Rubin decides that he wants to be the next Anthony Bourdain, and finds a young filmmaker named Mo. The two of them begin a culinary tour of India, with Rubin trying to impress upon Mo the beauty of mortal life through food. Meanwhile, a demon-hunting duo is on Rubin and Mo’s trail, one that is easy to follow, as some of Rubin’s culinary habits are fatal for those that Rubin and Mo meet. Rare Flavours might seem like a story that you’ve seen before — a demon using a mortal, and the whole thing will end up bad for the mortal — but it’s honestly nothing like that.
There’s a magic to the story as it takes you through India with food as its focus. The book incorporates recipes into its story, so you can even try to cook the delicious food that Rubin and Mo eat throughout the story, as each recipe says something about the history of India and its people. It’s a glorious tale, and you’ll want to read it again immediately after going through it the first time. V is one of the greatest writers working in comics right now, and this book really shows why. He takes a story that could have gone in predictable directions and takes it to beautiful places. Andrade’s art is amazing. His style isn’t exactly a common one, but it works for this unique story. Rare Flavours is amazing, and like a good meal it will leave you satisfied but ready for a second helping.
4) Preacher
After The Sandman, Preacher was the next big Vertigo comic that everyone read. Written by The Boys co-creator Garth Ennis with art by the late, great Steve Dillon, Preacher follows Jesse Custer. Jesse was forced to become a preacher and hates his life. During a sermon, he is possessed by Genesis, a half demon/half angel force that God himself is afraid of. After accidentally killing his entire congregation, he panics and meets up with ex-girlfriend Tulip and Irish vampire Cassidy. Genesis has given Jesse the power of the Word, which allows him to make anyone do anything he says, including God Himself. The three of them learn that God has left Heaven because of Genesis, and they decide to hunt him down. What follows is one of the most violent, profane, funny, and poignant tales you’ve ever read.
Ennis’s reputation for pushing things to their utmost limits is on display here, but there’s a heart to this book that will stay with you long after you put it down. Preacher is full colorful characters, ones you’ll love and hate. Preacher was also ahead of its time with its portrayal of toxic masculinity and how it ruins the lives of everyone it touches. Preacher was unlike anything I had ever read as a ’90s teen, and it still is one of my favorites. Like The Invisibles, a lot of the language is outdated — if you offend easily, this book isn’t for you — but even with that, it doesn’t portray those types of behaviors as good. Preacher is excellent, and if you like The Sandman, you’ll love it.
3) DIE
DIE is a brilliant story about the power of roleplaying games. Back in 1991, a gaming group — Ash, Sol, Angela, Isabelle, Matt, and Chuck — started a new game created by Sol, who found a set of special dice, and were pulled into another world. They spent several years there before coming back to the real world, with Sol left behind. As adults, they’re sent their die again by Sol, and have to journey back to the world they left all those years ago to finally bring their friend back. What follows is a journey of discovery, as they explore a world they left decades ago, all while coming to terms with the curveballs life has thrown them in the last few decades.
Written by Kieron Gillen (a name you’ll be seeing again on this list) with art by Stephanie Han, the story is as much about how roleplaying games help us find who we are as anything else. The world of DIE is amazing, the perfect fantasy world for a TTRPG (and you can actually buy RPG sourcebooks that Gillen made based on the comic). All of the characters are amazing, each of them dealing with the wreckage of their lives in their 40s. Han’s art is legitimately perfect, her style fitting well with the fantastic world of DIE. It’s a book that is casually brilliant that will enthrall you from the first page. Plus, a sequel is forthcoming, so reading this will give you a leg up when DIE Loaded starts. DIE is one of the most unique comics I’ve ever read, and it’s perfect for people who want to lose themselves in a sumptuously created world.
2) The Many Deaths of Laila Starr
Ram V and Filipe Andrade return to this list for one of the best comics I’ve read in the last twenty years. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is all about about the Hindu goddess of death, who is let go from her job because humanity is about to create immortality. She’s made into a human, the titular Laila Starr, and decides to kill the man who is going to create immortality. What follows is a story about life in the face of death, and what makes our mortal lives so beautiful. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is the kind of book that has the same kind of vibe that The Sandman or the works of Alan Moore have, but it does things in its own unique way.
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is the kind of comic that doesn’t come along often, a story that uses the divine to talk about the mundane and why our lives are what they are. V is known for bringing in aspects of Indian culture into his book (his Detective Comics run does the same thing and it’s brilliant; “Gotham Nocturne” is one of the greatest Batman comics you’ll ever read), and that’s on full display in this book. We don’t often get an Indian perspective in Western comics — if we get anything Asian at all, it’s usually Japanese, maybe Chinese — and that’s just one of the great parts of this comic. V and Andrade are amazing together and The Many Deaths of Laila Starr will give you everything you’ve ever wanted and then some.
1) The Wicked + The Divine
The Wicked + The Divine, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie is one of the best Image Comics ever, full stop. Every 90 years, twelve young people are given the power of the gods. They are loved, they are hated, and in two years they are all dead. The book opens up in the early months of the 21st century Recurrence, with the Pantheon, as they are called, enjoying the fruits of their powers. Pantheon fan girl Laura is pulled into their world, meeting Cassandra, a documentary filmmaker investigating the Pantheon, and the two of them have their lives changed forever as they plumb the depths of the mystery of the Pantheon.
The Wicked + The Divine is about life, death, art, and the costs of fame. Gillen creates a group of characters that will hook you, their lives and loves feeling as real as possible. The book takes us from the present day to the distant past, telling its story in the most amazing way you can imagine. McKelvie’s art is sensational; you’ve never seen beauty until you’ve seen his art. The series of one-shots telling the stories of past Pantheons are all drawn by different artists, their unique styles making each story that much better. The Wicked + The Divine is an astounding work, and it will move you in ways that you’ve never imagined.
What comics do you think are great for fans of Netflix’s The Sandman? Sound off in the comments below.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
