FolioSwami
Gaiman is good. I can't speak of the adaptation, as I could not be bothered to check out the comics. But, by current standards, the story is very good. It has holes, but overall the story goes smooth. I can see the roots of American Gods in The Sandman.
The casting is good. The acting is smooth. The designs are beautiful, and I guess the merit goes to the artist that drew the comics.
Most writers today just go one more. Like the mobster in Casino, if you attack the character with a knife, the character will bring a gun. Nothing special. Gaiman goes some place else. So bad he has given up writing. Take for example the fight in Episode 4. I have never seen something like that. I'm not saying it wasn't done, but it's different by current writing standards.