Audible, out July 15

When Death’s brother, Morpheus, the King of Dreams, is released from his realm and imprisoned on Earth, he seeks to recover three tools that will restore his power.

Make no mistake, this audio version of Neil Gaiman’s classic series of comic books is a big deal, and I’m delighted to confirm that it’s an unqualified success.

When Gaiman’s frequent radio adaptation collaborator Dirk Maggs revealed that he had adapted the first 20 issues of the 75-issue comic book series as a fully-dramatised release for Audible, the fan community was delighted and concerned in equal measures. Maggs already had great form in adapting Gaiman’s work (notably Neverwhere, Anansi Boys and the Terry Pratchett co-written Good Omens), but the 1989-96 DC Vertigo run of comics is rightly regarded as the jewel in the author’s crown. Would it work without the stunning visuals? Could a comic book translate to audio? Would it be the same? Yes, Yes and, No – just different.

As a fan of the comics, I’m already pre-disposed towards the material, and yet I’m likely be a harsher critic about its treatment. I needn’t have worried, because Maggs’ adaptation offers just the right amount of reverence towards the source material, faithfully taking the story from panel to microphone, adding to the narrative where the story needs more room to breathe.

If the series had come to fruition as one of the many attempts to make it a feature film, one imagines that whole swathes would have been chopped out, but instead each issue gets on average 30 minutes to tell its tale. The opener, Sleep of the Just, understandably comes in at an hour, needing that extra run time to establish the world building. It’s a full-on 61 minutes, with Neil Gaiman’s voice as the narrator subliminally reassuring us that this is the real deal, an author-approved project.

James McAvoy leads a cast to die for (or should that be ‘sleep for’?) as the eponymous Sandman, Morpheus, his calm and deliberate delivery making every word count, captured in the audio equivalent of white text in a spiky black bubble. Elsewhere, take your pick from a who’s who of talent, including Michael Sheen (Lucifer), Taron Egerton (John Constantine), Kat Dennings (Death) and Riz Ahmed (The Corinthian). As you’ve come to expect from Maggs’ productions, sound design and soundtrack are also excellent, frequently underscoring some pretty vile and squelchy characters and environments.

The first 20 issues of the comic series (released as three trade paperback collections: Preludes and Nocturnes: 1-8, The Doll’s House: 9-16, Dream Country: 17-20) include some of the run’s strongest issues, notably the World Fantasy Award-winning A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which benefits here from a longer run time and Arthur Darvill as William Shakespeare. A Hope in Hell is also a personal favourite, where Morpheus must pass the gates of hell to reclaim his missing helm, meeting the Satanic Triumvirate and Choronzon – here realised by some very game talent, enjoying the chance to externalise their inner demons.

Verdict: An absolute treat for existing fans or total newcomers to Neil Gaiman’s sleep realm. My advice is to savour each instalment rather than binge the lot in a box-set frenzy. A quality production that befits a quality classic of its genre – please can we have the remaining 55 issues, Mr Maggs? 10/10

Nick Joy

Click here to pre-order from Audible