In mainstream comics, significant control over stories is rarely given to the writer. Instead, the writer can be tightly constrained by the company, which views its characters as valuable properties to be protected at all costs. Gaiman's prestige as a writer gave him the leverage to buck this trend. The idea of making a comic series finite is not entirely unheard of. Most notably, Gaiman's friend, Dave Sim, has planned for years to end his self-published comic Cerebus at issue 300, sometime in the next millennium.
Real stories work their way to an ending, and then they end.
That Gaiman would choose to end a comic of such fame was a public move away from the product-driven mentality of mainstream comics. Beyond highlighting the importance of the individual author, the success of Sandman paved the way for more sophisticated fantasy and horror comics. Its success convinced D.C. to launch Vertigo, a new line of comics whose titles have ranged from the gleefully vulgar Preacher to the positively psychedelic Doom Patrol. Success also brought imitation from other companies, says Smith, citing attempts by Marvel Comics, which is better known for their X-Men books, to copy the Vertigo format. They don't understand that the writing behind Sandman is really good, and that's the important thing, not the setting that the writing takes place in.