Neil Gaiman again decided to take the bait a troll was offering on Twitter and fired back about the renewal of The Sandman, a hit Netflix show inspired by his works.
Gaiman, who enjoys toying with online trolls, has been putting up with them for decades.
This particular one represented the very vocal minority of folks who aren't enjoying the "woke"—angry mostly heteronormative cisgender White male speak for casting anyone who isn't a heteronormative cisgender White male—nature of the casting and plot for the Sandman Netflix series, pointing out specifically the battle between Lucifer and Death, later on in the series.
The troll predicted the show would be canceled.
Gaiman, well, had a mic to drop on that one.
\u201cI'm sorry. I drifted off. Did Sandman get cancelled, then?\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
As Sandman has recently been renewed for a second season, it only serves to highlight how rightly snarky Gaiman's response is.
As Gaiman tends to attract a snarky and word-loving audience, the reactions to his response to the troll were quick to come.
First, people took the opportunity to celebrate in the dunking that Gaiman did on the troll, or just do so some more themselves.
\u201c@neilhimself\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself @Demosthenes_666 if it's go woke go broke then why does @neilhimself @Disney and the rest of Hollywood have more money than you? Also when's the last time you saw a conservative film bank in the box office? It's been awhile since Birth of a Nation dropped.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself :o you can't be having political themes in your fiction, that'd be unheard of in the whole of art history\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
Many others commented on the fight between Lucifer and Sandman that apparently got the troll so annoyed, praising the scene.
\u201c@neilhimself Dude, battle between Morpheus and Lucifer is literally the most original and beautiful battle I\u2019ve seen in years. But of course you have to use your brain to appreciate a dialectical battle which I understand is really hard when you live in a toxic masculinity bubble.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself Lucifer/Sandman was taken almost verbatim from the comic. So...tell us you haven't read the source without telling us.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself The battle between Lucifer & Morpheus was one of my favourite parts of the entire season.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself The battle between Lucifer and Sandman was creative and not cookie cutter like every other show.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
Others just took the opportunity to revel in Gaiman's signature brand of petty saltiness.
\u201c@cursedfandomacc @neilhimself The fact that he went back to a month old thread just to rub it in the troll's face is just so hilarious :D. He must have bookmarked the tweet just so he can go back to it when the renewal gets official :D. Neil Gaiman, the king of petty, my beloved \ud83d\ude06\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself I'm sorry Neil, but Sandman got so cancelled they gave it a season 2. I know this is going to be hard to take, but please keep your chin up.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@KingWolfInk @neilhimself Cancelled so hard it did a full 360 and got another season.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself Receipts: \u2714\ufe0f\n\nMaking racist trolls turn purple with rage: \u2714\ufe0f \u2714\ufe0f\n\nHaving one of your masterpieces beautifully realized on screen and getting its much deserved renewal: \u2714\ufe0f \u2714\ufe0f \u2714\ufe0f\n\nIt's a great time to be Neil Gaiman and a well-fed fan of his work.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
\u201c@neilhimself I love salty Neil.\u201d— Neil Gaiman (@Neil Gaiman) 1667518453
Sandman has been renewed for a second season, so probably this isn't the last of Gaiman's responses to trolls.
@ceoofhoesmad/TikTok
@showmeurmoomoo/TikTok
@cablehoe/TikTok
@samanthagibson46/TikTok
@ikranamoktoyu/TikTok
@hopeyoufindyourdad/TikTok
@lexytheactress/TikTok
@athenasworld95/TikTok
@kelsibell24/TikTok
@sydneywynder/TikTok
@vickbash/TikTok
@xp.etros/TikTok
@horselaugh/Bluesky
@itsafronomics/Bluesky
@SageAmenti/X
Glen Powell/NBC
Glen Powell/NBC
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@nbcsnl/Instagram
@roaminginflipflops/TikTok
@momentswithaaron/TikTok
@ryanrybre/TikTok
@braendynweyr/TikTok
@cruzical47/TikTok
@rainbowess/TikTok
@katbeth86/TikTok
@pocket.heathen/TikTok
@boq1939/TikTok
@snoozealarmmom/TikTok
@redheadwriting/TikTok
@roninjoey/TikTok
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social