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From the pages of Newbery Medal winner Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN comes fan-favorite character Death in a new deluxe hardcover edition collecting her solo adventures!The first story introduces the young, pale, perky, and genuinely likable Death. One day in every century, Death walks the Earth to better understand those to whom she will be the final visitor. Today is that day. As a young mortal girl named Didi, Death befriends a teenager and helps a 250-year old homeless woman find her missing heart. What follows is a sincere musing on love, life and (of course) death.
In the second story, a rising star of the music world wrestles with revealing her true sexual orientation just as her lover is lured into the realm of Death that Death herself should make an appearance. A practical, honest, and intelligent story that illuminates "the miracle of death."
This new hardcover collects the DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING and DEATH: THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE miniseries, a must have for any fan.
In the second story, a rising star of the music world wrestles with revealing her true sexual orientation just as her lover is lured into the realm of Death that Death herself should make an appearance. A practical, honest, and intelligent story that illuminates "the miracle of death."
This new hardcover collects the DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING and DEATH: THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE miniseries, a must have for any fan.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 676 reviews
June 11, 2022
Ok, I didn't actually make it all the way through the Sandman series. It just wasn't my cuppa, but I loved Death and thought the character was brilliant.
So, for people like myself who don't enjoy the gloomy weirdness of some of the source material, this is the perfect way to enjoy a portion of what all the cool kids rave about.
In this, Death isn't evil, scary, or something to be feared. And why should she be? It's the next part of Life and we all do it eventually. Now, I'm not religious, but I think there's something after this.
Not because I have any proof, I just prefer to think that. In fact, my secret hope is that we all get superpowers like the X-Men or something and then spend eternity going on adventures and righting wrongs in the afterlife. <--hey, it's not any crazier than any other version out there, so let me dream.
Speaking of Dream, (nice segue there, huh?) he pops up in the first issue and mopes around for a few minutes, which should make all the Sandman fans squee a little bit.
I guess the main thing I love about this one is the overall tone of the stories. As in, death is natural and there's no reason to be terrified of our inevitable ends, but at the same time, there's no reason to rush towards it.
There's a good moral of the story in this without a lot of what I've come to think of as Gaiman's hallucinogenic ramblings.
Recommended.
So, for people like myself who don't enjoy the gloomy weirdness of some of the source material, this is the perfect way to enjoy a portion of what all the cool kids rave about.
In this, Death isn't evil, scary, or something to be feared. And why should she be? It's the next part of Life and we all do it eventually. Now, I'm not religious, but I think there's something after this.
Not because I have any proof, I just prefer to think that. In fact, my secret hope is that we all get superpowers like the X-Men or something and then spend eternity going on adventures and righting wrongs in the afterlife. <--hey, it's not any crazier than any other version out there, so let me dream.
Speaking of Dream, (nice segue there, huh?) he pops up in the first issue and mopes around for a few minutes, which should make all the Sandman fans squee a little bit.
I guess the main thing I love about this one is the overall tone of the stories. As in, death is natural and there's no reason to be terrified of our inevitable ends, but at the same time, there's no reason to rush towards it.
There's a good moral of the story in this without a lot of what I've come to think of as Gaiman's hallucinogenic ramblings.
Recommended.
July 30, 2018
This is the ultimate death collection!
Death is my favourite character from The Sandman series and quite possibly my favourite comic book character of all time. I just think she’s brilliant and this book here is a celebration of her. It collects all the issues she’s present in The Sandman along with her own individual stories. There’s so much fantastic artwork in here too. It’s just a great collection.
Death The High Cost of Living
Gaiman’s Sandman is such a brilliant and creative series; yet, for all that Dream does not have much personality. Death is a far better character.
“It's no harder to be nice than it is to be creepy. And it's much more fun.”
I love what Gaiman has done with her. Death is the end, but she is also something we will all have to accept with open arms. There’s no escaping her and perhaps that’s why she is so welcoming here. It is fate that we will one day meet her. And she’s so likable; she has a big smile and an even bigger heart. The people she meets cannot resist her charm and easy going manner. They like her.
They want to be around her and one day they will be forevermore.
In these issues a young boy wishes for her. He is a typical teenager, broody, moody and full of self-loathing. He hates his life and he wants it all to end. Death appears. Instead of taking him she makes him realise that life is, in fact, worth living. His attitude was wrong. He failed to see beyond his own situation and understand that others were far more unfortunate than him. Death taught him a lesson: she taught him that life must come first.
"It always ends. That’s what gives it value."
Death The Time of Your Life
I have a bit of a thing for Death. I really like the concept behind the character so much, and, well, I think she’s rather lovely.
Rather than death becoming an idea associated with negativity; it is something to be embraced and accepted. It is a natural part of life; thus, she is relaxed and very mellow. She does not need to give those at their end much coercion to go with her. Her calming presence is all they need. She’s also rather wise:
“People don’t bore me, I like people.”
“Really? All of them”
“All of them.”
“Even the creepy ones?”
“Nobody’s creepy from the inside, Hazel. Some of them are sad, and some of them hurt, and some of them think they’re the only real thing in the whole world. But they’re not creepy.”
And then there's this:
As great as she is, she took a back-seat in this story and did not feel very present like she did in the previous volume. It felt like she was appearing in someone else’s story rather than her own. This needed far more of her for it to truly belong to her.
Final Thoughts
So you’ve probably gathered that I like these comics, a lot. There’ve been a good break from The Sandman series which I will be picking up again soon to finally finish it off. That being said though, I’d love to see Gaiman write more Death comics in the future. One can live (and die) in hope.
Death is my favourite character from The Sandman series and quite possibly my favourite comic book character of all time. I just think she’s brilliant and this book here is a celebration of her. It collects all the issues she’s present in The Sandman along with her own individual stories. There’s so much fantastic artwork in here too. It’s just a great collection.
Death The High Cost of Living
Gaiman’s Sandman is such a brilliant and creative series; yet, for all that Dream does not have much personality. Death is a far better character.
“It's no harder to be nice than it is to be creepy. And it's much more fun.”
I love what Gaiman has done with her. Death is the end, but she is also something we will all have to accept with open arms. There’s no escaping her and perhaps that’s why she is so welcoming here. It is fate that we will one day meet her. And she’s so likable; she has a big smile and an even bigger heart. The people she meets cannot resist her charm and easy going manner. They like her.
They want to be around her and one day they will be forevermore.
In these issues a young boy wishes for her. He is a typical teenager, broody, moody and full of self-loathing. He hates his life and he wants it all to end. Death appears. Instead of taking him she makes him realise that life is, in fact, worth living. His attitude was wrong. He failed to see beyond his own situation and understand that others were far more unfortunate than him. Death taught him a lesson: she taught him that life must come first.
"It always ends. That’s what gives it value."
Death The Time of Your Life
I have a bit of a thing for Death. I really like the concept behind the character so much, and, well, I think she’s rather lovely.
Rather than death becoming an idea associated with negativity; it is something to be embraced and accepted. It is a natural part of life; thus, she is relaxed and very mellow. She does not need to give those at their end much coercion to go with her. Her calming presence is all they need. She’s also rather wise:
“People don’t bore me, I like people.”
“Really? All of them”
“All of them.”
“Even the creepy ones?”
“Nobody’s creepy from the inside, Hazel. Some of them are sad, and some of them hurt, and some of them think they’re the only real thing in the whole world. But they’re not creepy.”
And then there's this:
As great as she is, she took a back-seat in this story and did not feel very present like she did in the previous volume. It felt like she was appearing in someone else’s story rather than her own. This needed far more of her for it to truly belong to her.
Final Thoughts
So you’ve probably gathered that I like these comics, a lot. There’ve been a good break from The Sandman series which I will be picking up again soon to finally finish it off. That being said though, I’d love to see Gaiman write more Death comics in the future. One can live (and die) in hope.
October 14, 2022
Here, where the darkness closes over me, like canal water or the grave, I tell this story.
Death ~~ Neil Gaiman
This was a a buddy read with my amazing friend, Aesaan
I loved occupying the world of Morpheus when I read the Sandman Saga. I've revisited it often ~~ loving every return visit. It was wonderful to return once more to this world, and to experience this world from Death's perspective.
My introduction to Death was in Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. I fell in with her instantly. Neil Gaiman went on to say of Death, It's hard not to love her. She loves you, after all. That perfectly explains what makes Gaiman's vision of Death so appealing. She has a charming, upbeat personality, an appealing smile, and shows endless compassion. Gaiman's Death is the complete opposite of everything we've ever been taught about Śmierć. Aside from Morpheus himself, Death remains the most popular and enduring character to come out of the epic Sandman Saga.
There is a lot packed into Death, The Deluxe Edition. The quality of the stories is uneven ~~ some of the pieces are good, some are great. But all things considered, this is a real treasure for Sandman fans.
Death, The Deluxe Edition contains two mini-series, The High Cost of Living, and The Time of Your Life as well as a shorter tale, Death and Venice. There are also two very short pieces, A Winter's Tale and The Wheel as well two reprints from the original Sandman Saga: The Sound of Her Wings and Façade.
The best piece of writing here is Death and Venice. It ranks as one of the best pieces of writing in all of Gaiman's Sandman Saga. In this piece, Death has seemingly been defeated when an Italian nobleman finds a way to cheat fate and keep his loyal subjects alive to continuously revel and party another day. Death finds a new male admirer who just might be able to help her set things right. As with all of the pieces contained in Death, The Deluxe Edition, Death is less of a presence than the story's protagonist. This remarkable story is a meditation on the loss of innocence and one man's willingness to accept death. In addition to being a great piece of writing, the artwork in Death and Venice is beautifully rendered.
What I most love about the adventures of Death is how positive they are. These stories are all about living to the fullest. The tales in Death, The Deluxe Edition serve as a reminder that life is a gift. Or, as my friend, Aesaan, says: This book is all about life.
Death ~~ Neil Gaiman
This was a a buddy read with my amazing friend, Aesaan
I loved occupying the world of Morpheus when I read the Sandman Saga. I've revisited it often ~~ loving every return visit. It was wonderful to return once more to this world, and to experience this world from Death's perspective.
My introduction to Death was in Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. I fell in with her instantly. Neil Gaiman went on to say of Death, It's hard not to love her. She loves you, after all. That perfectly explains what makes Gaiman's vision of Death so appealing. She has a charming, upbeat personality, an appealing smile, and shows endless compassion. Gaiman's Death is the complete opposite of everything we've ever been taught about Śmierć. Aside from Morpheus himself, Death remains the most popular and enduring character to come out of the epic Sandman Saga.
There is a lot packed into Death, The Deluxe Edition. The quality of the stories is uneven ~~ some of the pieces are good, some are great. But all things considered, this is a real treasure for Sandman fans.
Death, The Deluxe Edition contains two mini-series, The High Cost of Living, and The Time of Your Life as well as a shorter tale, Death and Venice. There are also two very short pieces, A Winter's Tale and The Wheel as well two reprints from the original Sandman Saga: The Sound of Her Wings and Façade.
The best piece of writing here is Death and Venice. It ranks as one of the best pieces of writing in all of Gaiman's Sandman Saga. In this piece, Death has seemingly been defeated when an Italian nobleman finds a way to cheat fate and keep his loyal subjects alive to continuously revel and party another day. Death finds a new male admirer who just might be able to help her set things right. As with all of the pieces contained in Death, The Deluxe Edition, Death is less of a presence than the story's protagonist. This remarkable story is a meditation on the loss of innocence and one man's willingness to accept death. In addition to being a great piece of writing, the artwork in Death and Venice is beautifully rendered.
What I most love about the adventures of Death is how positive they are. These stories are all about living to the fullest. The tales in Death, The Deluxe Edition serve as a reminder that life is a gift. Or, as my friend, Aesaan, says: This book is all about life.
December 30, 2021
This book is all about life.
Gorgeous artworks!
Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, no doubt. He captures the concept of life and death exceptionally with these stories.
I loved the second book a tad bit more, mainly because it includes my favourite story of the series - of Foxglove and Hazel. It's brilliant and heartbreaking!
P.S. this has been a buddy read with my good friend, Kenny.
Gorgeous artworks!
Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, no doubt. He captures the concept of life and death exceptionally with these stories.
I loved the second book a tad bit more, mainly because it includes my favourite story of the series - of Foxglove and Hazel. It's brilliant and heartbreaking!
P.S. this has been a buddy read with my good friend, Kenny.
May 29, 2011
You don't need this book. It's absolutely unnecessary. That said, unnecessary things can often be extraordinary. The book collects together the various stories of Death, older sister of Dream, and frequent player in Gaiman's classic Sandman series. The physical book, as with the four volumes of Absolute Sandman, is a glorious thing - hardcovered in a slipcase, oversized, stunningly designed. Unlike the Sandman books though, the contents are on the slender side. The first two stories about Death already appear in the Absolute Sandman books, and what's left are a couple of slender graphic novels, and single strips. To bulk the book out, there's a massive collection of art, and other miscellany. It's a completist's piece. If you stumped up for the Absolute Sandman, this is a fine way to bookend that collection.The stories themselves are lovely things, quite different from Sandman. It's in the name. Dream is a massive, extraordinary concept, around which anything can happen. Death is a more private, lonely thing, and these tales reflect that. They're personal, intimate vignettes in some ways, crafted together with Gaiman's flair for blending language, storytelling, humour, and the macabre. I loved them, and thankfully most are available in cheaper editions elsewhere. Personally, I like beautiful unnecessary things, and this edition makes me very happy.
June 6, 2021
Like pretty much everyone else who reads The Sandman, Death is one of my favourite characters, not just in the series, but in an overall sense. She's brilliant. I had hoping that this one would be as enjoyable as I had wanted it to be. It was. I had only wondered because part of what her so wonderful in the main is that she is never overused. Every time she appears she feels more potent because she isn't there all the time. In this one they've pretty much kept that going. She's here more of course, but, especially in the second story, the focus is on other characters as much as it is on her. Of course in way she is everywhere, because she is Death and is inevitable, but I liked that she didn't have to be on every page. I loved getting more about Hazel and Foxglove as I have a great deal of fondness for them.
I love Death's take on life and the world, and how she exudes such genuine goodness and yet she never irritating, which is impressive! The entirety of The Sandman has deeply impressed me so far, but I am particularly awed by how well this character was captured. I can see why she is so loved and why she means so much to so many people. I'm really looking forward to seeing the TV show (although it'll be a while before it's released I think) for lots of reasons, but especially because I want to see Death portrayed on screen. Until then though, I'll keep reading the series, finding more and more moments that I hope make it to Netflix.
I love Death's take on life and the world, and how she exudes such genuine goodness and yet she never irritating, which is impressive! The entirety of The Sandman has deeply impressed me so far, but I am particularly awed by how well this character was captured. I can see why she is so loved and why she means so much to so many people. I'm really looking forward to seeing the TV show (although it'll be a while before it's released I think) for lots of reasons, but especially because I want to see Death portrayed on screen. Until then though, I'll keep reading the series, finding more and more moments that I hope make it to Netflix.
September 12, 2023
I wasn't expecting the like this as much as I did. I read this around the same time I last read Sandman (over 10 years ago... so basically another lifetime at this point).
It collects Death: The High Cost of Living and Death: The Time of Your Life both drawn mostly by Chris Bachalo. Also Sandman 8, 20 and 3 short stories. The P. Craig Russell-illustrated "Death and Venice" from The Sandman: Endless Nights, "A Winter's Tale" by Jeff Jones (where she does her own lettering! Perhaps the only time I've spotted a Sandman story not lettered by Todd Klein). The Wheel also drawn by Bachalo.
Death: The High Cost of Living
fantastic spin-off of the Sandman stories. Really this could have just been apart of the Sandman comics - I mean a good chunk of those don't have Morpheus featured at all.
This shows Death spending one day as a human. She's in the body of a 16 year old girl Didi who goes on an adventure with a suicidal teenage boy. "You can't commit suicide just because of ennui", Didi says to him. They help the Mad Hettie find her heart and get in trouble as two people attempt to steal Death's power by robbing her of her silver Ankh, reminiscent of Sandman being robbed of his Ruby.
I really enjoyed Gaiman's musings on life, death and the human condition. It never comes across as didactic or preachy, which is impressive.
Death: The Time of Your Life
A bit more complicated a story than the first Death miniseries.
Death incarnate, as defined by master storyteller Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN), is a genuinely likeable young girl with a fondness for ankhs who truly cares about people. It's small wonder then that when a rising star of the music world wrestles with revealing her true sexual orientation just as her lover is lured into the realm of Death that Death herself should make an appearance. A practical, honest, and intelligent story that illuminates "the miracle of death."
Here we follow two characters from A Dream of You: Donna Foxglove and her partner Hazel McNamara. Hazel was pregnant last we saw her but they had the baby (Alvie) and are still in a relationship. In the first Death miniseries our protagonist helped Donna get a music contract - and now she's a famous popstar! Unfortunately her public persona has her as a heartthrob and she's kept her relationship (and sexual orientation) secret.
The pressure of fame threatens the relationship.
Plus Alvie dies! But Hazel makes a deal with Death to save him for now. Everything comes to ahead as Foxglove joined by her fake boyfriend and manager journey to Death's realm to help Hazel and Alvie.
Chris Bachalo and Mark Buckingham's artwork here is way more clean and crisp than it was in the first miniseries. I wonder what changed, if you didn't know any better you couldn't be blamed for thinking this was a different art team.
The Wheel
Chris Bachalo and Mark Buckingham return for a short story about a boy considering suicide. Destruction and Death both show up.
"A Winter's Tale" by Jeff Jones
The only Sandman tale with lettering not by Todd Klein! It feels weird, Jones letters herself here. It's another tale that doesn't really need to be in the Sandman universe. The art is nice.
"Death and Venice" by P. Craig Russell
A fantastic tale that is pulled from The Sandman: Endless Nights. My big complain about this Absolute edition is how much of it is in the other Absolute Sandman editions! I mean, are people really buying just this volume and not the others? I think a better way to have done this would have just been to stick the 2 miniseries inside the Sandman Absolutes in whatever publication order makes sense. They're only 3 issues each.
But anyways!
This is a fantastic tale. I love all of Russell's contributions to the Sandman universe. None of his stories really impact the Morpheus storyline but they all add a ton of depth to the mythos. Here we see a city living outside of time (and therefor Death). Death is trying to get into the city to put a stop to it all and eventually gets help from a young man vacationing in present day Venice.
Russell's artwork is even better than the work in Ramadan (Sandman 50).
It collects Death: The High Cost of Living and Death: The Time of Your Life both drawn mostly by Chris Bachalo. Also Sandman 8, 20 and 3 short stories. The P. Craig Russell-illustrated "Death and Venice" from The Sandman: Endless Nights, "A Winter's Tale" by Jeff Jones (where she does her own lettering! Perhaps the only time I've spotted a Sandman story not lettered by Todd Klein). The Wheel also drawn by Bachalo.
Death: The High Cost of Living
fantastic spin-off of the Sandman stories. Really this could have just been apart of the Sandman comics - I mean a good chunk of those don't have Morpheus featured at all.
This shows Death spending one day as a human. She's in the body of a 16 year old girl Didi who goes on an adventure with a suicidal teenage boy. "You can't commit suicide just because of ennui", Didi says to him. They help the Mad Hettie find her heart and get in trouble as two people attempt to steal Death's power by robbing her of her silver Ankh, reminiscent of Sandman being robbed of his Ruby.
I really enjoyed Gaiman's musings on life, death and the human condition. It never comes across as didactic or preachy, which is impressive.
Death: The Time of Your Life
A bit more complicated a story than the first Death miniseries.
Death incarnate, as defined by master storyteller Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN), is a genuinely likeable young girl with a fondness for ankhs who truly cares about people. It's small wonder then that when a rising star of the music world wrestles with revealing her true sexual orientation just as her lover is lured into the realm of Death that Death herself should make an appearance. A practical, honest, and intelligent story that illuminates "the miracle of death."
Here we follow two characters from A Dream of You: Donna Foxglove and her partner Hazel McNamara. Hazel was pregnant last we saw her but they had the baby (Alvie) and are still in a relationship. In the first Death miniseries our protagonist helped Donna get a music contract - and now she's a famous popstar! Unfortunately her public persona has her as a heartthrob and she's kept her relationship (and sexual orientation) secret.
The pressure of fame threatens the relationship.
Plus Alvie dies! But Hazel makes a deal with Death to save him for now. Everything comes to ahead as Foxglove joined by her fake boyfriend and manager journey to Death's realm to help Hazel and Alvie.
Chris Bachalo and Mark Buckingham's artwork here is way more clean and crisp than it was in the first miniseries. I wonder what changed, if you didn't know any better you couldn't be blamed for thinking this was a different art team.
The Wheel
Chris Bachalo and Mark Buckingham return for a short story about a boy considering suicide. Destruction and Death both show up.
"A Winter's Tale" by Jeff Jones
The only Sandman tale with lettering not by Todd Klein! It feels weird, Jones letters herself here. It's another tale that doesn't really need to be in the Sandman universe. The art is nice.
"Death and Venice" by P. Craig Russell
A fantastic tale that is pulled from The Sandman: Endless Nights. My big complain about this Absolute edition is how much of it is in the other Absolute Sandman editions! I mean, are people really buying just this volume and not the others? I think a better way to have done this would have just been to stick the 2 miniseries inside the Sandman Absolutes in whatever publication order makes sense. They're only 3 issues each.
But anyways!
This is a fantastic tale. I love all of Russell's contributions to the Sandman universe. None of his stories really impact the Morpheus storyline but they all add a ton of depth to the mythos. Here we see a city living outside of time (and therefor Death). Death is trying to get into the city to put a stop to it all and eventually gets help from a young man vacationing in present day Venice.
Russell's artwork is even better than the work in Ramadan (Sandman 50).
January 2, 2023
I’ve had the Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman on my mental TBR for a while so when I came across this collection from that universe centered around Death I was excited, and I figured this would be a decent place to start. I thought the stories were overall pretty good although a couple were a lot better than others. I really liked the storyline that had Sexton in it (not that he was a stellar character) but I liked the idea of Death getting to live as human for one day and experience the simple pleasures humans get to experience. I really loved the art and the conceptualization of Death as a young woman. She was a great manifestation and one I would like to see more of.
November 24, 2019
This series is EVERYTHING I have ever wanted from a graphic novel series and more. I first fell in love with Death when we met her in Sandman Preludes and Nocturnes and I was thrilled to discover this whole series was about her. The story is absolutely fascinating and I fell in more in love with Death, she is absolutely fascinating and such an amazing character. Special mention goes out to all the artists who were a part of this series as well because the art here is absolutely STUNNING. I’ve never seen anything like it or enjoyed artwork more, it is seriously BEYOND amazing!
January 30, 2023
The Universe is Over, its my job to put it all in order, now, and lock the place behind me as i leave.
This was my favorite Portrait of death from the end of this book, By John J Muth, she looks so real.
The Sound of her wings Review
Facade Review
The High cost of living Review
The time of your life Review
I really enjoyed the small stories in the middle, i also applaud their placement, because in the chronological order of things, these stories, explained some things about the stories after them.
Only down side for me was the chapter from Endless nights, like that's already has been collected why is it here, but whatever, i guess they just wanted to cram everything about Death in this book.
I also enjoyed the art Gallery about Death in the end.
Imagine Death can smile but dream can't!
I don't remember Dream ever smiling honestly.
I also liked the small story about Sexual health in the end, Specially the part About HIV, which everyone should really read, specially the idiots with their stereotypes about everything.
August 29, 2018
This book represents the collected stories of Death - the Sandman's sister and one of the seven endless. The character was first introduced in the Sandman stories and eventually got to star in her own stories (she has appeared elsewhere including another Sandman spin off series Lucifer).
These stories range from short one off stories to quite an involved and multi-threaded story about Foxglove (no spoilers as you no doubt realise).
The stories I think are very sensitively handled - after all here you have a persona which has a job to do collecting the dead and yet is both sympathetic and gentle. In fact there is quite a point made that every 100 years she becomes human to walk among us to remind herself what it is like to be human.
So on one hand you have as I say one of the endless and on the other you have someone who is willing to engage with us and talk to us. I think there is an amusing comment in one of the stories where she introduces herself - and the come back is that they thought death was taller, thinner and enjoyed playing chess with Scandinavians.
I will admit that I think that there is only so much you could do with a character like this - after all the dead would still be needed to be collected however what you have here is a fascinating new take on a old character.
These stories range from short one off stories to quite an involved and multi-threaded story about Foxglove (no spoilers as you no doubt realise).
The stories I think are very sensitively handled - after all here you have a persona which has a job to do collecting the dead and yet is both sympathetic and gentle. In fact there is quite a point made that every 100 years she becomes human to walk among us to remind herself what it is like to be human.
So on one hand you have as I say one of the endless and on the other you have someone who is willing to engage with us and talk to us. I think there is an amusing comment in one of the stories where she introduces herself - and the come back is that they thought death was taller, thinner and enjoyed playing chess with Scandinavians.
I will admit that I think that there is only so much you could do with a character like this - after all the dead would still be needed to be collected however what you have here is a fascinating new take on a old character.
September 4, 2016
Death: The Deluxe Edition: That perky goth-punk girl named Death
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
I’ve loved rediscovering the world of mature comics thanks to one of its most beloved and well-respected series, Neil Gaiman’s 75-volume SANDMAN epic. What to do when done, though? When I first picked up Sandman: Overture in Deluxe Hardcover last Christmas, I noticed an understated volume next to it simply called Death. Sounds fairly grim, I thought. But the cover artwork (by Dave McKean) was intriguing, muted colors, a dark-haired women in profile, with the hint of a dark wing behind her, some blue roses superimposed, and other unidentifiable but haunting images. On the back it simply said “You’ll See Her Again,” with a white ankh symbol floating in darkness. Since there was a 3-for-2 sale going on, I grabbed this just to make 3 (the other one was Alan Moore’s Watchmen), knowing only that Gaiman wrote it and guessing it had some relation to the SANDMAN series.
I’m really glad I got it. It turns out to be a collection of stories that focus on perhaps the most popular member of the Endless other than Dream. Normally people think Grim Reaper, black cloak and hood, skeleton face, and sickle in hand. Well, hand it to Gaiman to come up with something more original, and much more fun. After all, Death is generally a serious subject and we shouldn’t be flippant about it. Most people don’t want to think about or confront death, other than the cheap thrills of horror films or the guilty relief that we feel hearing news reports of car accidents, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. How tragic, we think. How terrible for the victims’ friends and families. And thank goodness it wasn’t us or anyone we know. That last thought is rarely vocalized, but I think it’s generally there.
In any case, Death of the Endless is hardly what any of us expect to meet when our time comes. First off, she is a woman. Second, she is young, spiky-haired, attractive in a punk/goth way, and has a knowing and wistful smile. Initially those she encounters try to pretend they don’t recognize her, but they know. And despite having an extremely busy schedule, she doesn’t seem to be rushing at all. Just a gentle insistence, given with a glance, that your time is up, as you look at your prone body, and her outstretched hand. She will listen to the usual questions, like “Why now?”, “Can’t I have more time?”, “What Happens Next?”, “Am I going to Heaven or Hell?”, etc. But don’t expect a detailed answer. You have to punch your ticket to find that out, folks.
This collection contains a number of well-known stories about Death that have previously appeared in the main SANDMAN series, such as “The Sound of Her Wings” (from Volume One: Preludes and Nocturnes), “Facade” (from Volume Four: Dream Country), and “Death and Venice” (from Sandman: Endless Nights). But it also includes two major independent story arcs, “The High Cost of Living” and “The Time of Your Life” that feature characters from SANDMAN. They are definitely of interest to anyone who is a fan of either Death or SANDMAN. It even contains a very extensive gallery of different artists’ renditions of Death — she sure is popular! And last but not least, a little sex education from Death with a cameo by Constantine. A bit awkward, but better safe than sorry!
Read as a whole, our cute goth-punk goddess represents a very different philosophical view of Death. After all, all living things die at some point, and most of us do not control the timing or circumstances of our death. But Gaiman is keen to explore the varied responses of people, both mortal and slightly more, when their number is called. Some are upset, some accepting, most anxious and uncertain, but what unites them all is that, deep down, although they think they know what is coming, actually they don’t.
Sure, all the religions of the world claim to know about the afterlife (if there is one), and generally teach that your behavior and beliefs during life will determine if you get a deluxe room for eternity or perhaps something a bit less comfy. Some people live their lives in trepidation of this, many millions have been terrorized with images of burning hell-fires and tortures for the sinners and damned. Others believe they will re-enter the cycle of reincarnation, with karma from the most recent life determining your position in the next. And yet others think that’s end of the line. Finito. Done.
I don’t pretend to have the faintest idea, but I certainly wouldn’t have pictured such a sweet and understanding escort to the Sunless Lands. Because it seems that Lady Death is mainly in charge of coming to fetch you and escorting you there, but after that it’s still a big question mark. The 60 million dollar question. And the answer is probably not 42, I’m afraid. You’ll have to read this volume to draw your own conclusions, but all I will say is that maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Instead of worrying about death and what happens afterward, perhaps we should spend more time thinking about living a meaningful life instead. I’m just sayin’.
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
I’ve loved rediscovering the world of mature comics thanks to one of its most beloved and well-respected series, Neil Gaiman’s 75-volume SANDMAN epic. What to do when done, though? When I first picked up Sandman: Overture in Deluxe Hardcover last Christmas, I noticed an understated volume next to it simply called Death. Sounds fairly grim, I thought. But the cover artwork (by Dave McKean) was intriguing, muted colors, a dark-haired women in profile, with the hint of a dark wing behind her, some blue roses superimposed, and other unidentifiable but haunting images. On the back it simply said “You’ll See Her Again,” with a white ankh symbol floating in darkness. Since there was a 3-for-2 sale going on, I grabbed this just to make 3 (the other one was Alan Moore’s Watchmen), knowing only that Gaiman wrote it and guessing it had some relation to the SANDMAN series.
I’m really glad I got it. It turns out to be a collection of stories that focus on perhaps the most popular member of the Endless other than Dream. Normally people think Grim Reaper, black cloak and hood, skeleton face, and sickle in hand. Well, hand it to Gaiman to come up with something more original, and much more fun. After all, Death is generally a serious subject and we shouldn’t be flippant about it. Most people don’t want to think about or confront death, other than the cheap thrills of horror films or the guilty relief that we feel hearing news reports of car accidents, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. How tragic, we think. How terrible for the victims’ friends and families. And thank goodness it wasn’t us or anyone we know. That last thought is rarely vocalized, but I think it’s generally there.
In any case, Death of the Endless is hardly what any of us expect to meet when our time comes. First off, she is a woman. Second, she is young, spiky-haired, attractive in a punk/goth way, and has a knowing and wistful smile. Initially those she encounters try to pretend they don’t recognize her, but they know. And despite having an extremely busy schedule, she doesn’t seem to be rushing at all. Just a gentle insistence, given with a glance, that your time is up, as you look at your prone body, and her outstretched hand. She will listen to the usual questions, like “Why now?”, “Can’t I have more time?”, “What Happens Next?”, “Am I going to Heaven or Hell?”, etc. But don’t expect a detailed answer. You have to punch your ticket to find that out, folks.
This collection contains a number of well-known stories about Death that have previously appeared in the main SANDMAN series, such as “The Sound of Her Wings” (from Volume One: Preludes and Nocturnes), “Facade” (from Volume Four: Dream Country), and “Death and Venice” (from Sandman: Endless Nights). But it also includes two major independent story arcs, “The High Cost of Living” and “The Time of Your Life” that feature characters from SANDMAN. They are definitely of interest to anyone who is a fan of either Death or SANDMAN. It even contains a very extensive gallery of different artists’ renditions of Death — she sure is popular! And last but not least, a little sex education from Death with a cameo by Constantine. A bit awkward, but better safe than sorry!
Read as a whole, our cute goth-punk goddess represents a very different philosophical view of Death. After all, all living things die at some point, and most of us do not control the timing or circumstances of our death. But Gaiman is keen to explore the varied responses of people, both mortal and slightly more, when their number is called. Some are upset, some accepting, most anxious and uncertain, but what unites them all is that, deep down, although they think they know what is coming, actually they don’t.
Sure, all the religions of the world claim to know about the afterlife (if there is one), and generally teach that your behavior and beliefs during life will determine if you get a deluxe room for eternity or perhaps something a bit less comfy. Some people live their lives in trepidation of this, many millions have been terrorized with images of burning hell-fires and tortures for the sinners and damned. Others believe they will re-enter the cycle of reincarnation, with karma from the most recent life determining your position in the next. And yet others think that’s end of the line. Finito. Done.
I don’t pretend to have the faintest idea, but I certainly wouldn’t have pictured such a sweet and understanding escort to the Sunless Lands. Because it seems that Lady Death is mainly in charge of coming to fetch you and escorting you there, but after that it’s still a big question mark. The 60 million dollar question. And the answer is probably not 42, I’m afraid. You’ll have to read this volume to draw your own conclusions, but all I will say is that maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Instead of worrying about death and what happens afterward, perhaps we should spend more time thinking about living a meaningful life instead. I’m just sayin’.
November 12, 2023
I've read Sandman all the way through four or five times at this point but somehow I'd never read the two Death miniseries. After nabbing it on Shopgoodwill, now I have.
No two ways about it, this is great shit. In the first miniseries, Death becomes human for a day and winds up looking for Aunt Hattie's missing heart. In the second, there's trouble brewing with Hazel and Foxglove.
Death is one of the more interesting members of the Endless family and Gaiman writes the shit out of her here, although the focus is more on Hazel and Foxglove in the second tale. it's interesting seeing how much Chris Bachallo's art changes between the first miniseries and the second. Two Sandman issues are also collected with this along with some odds and ends like the Death story from Winter's Tale and the Death AIDS special.
Well, I wasn't planning on rereading the Sandman this year but it's starting to feel like things are heading in that direction. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
No two ways about it, this is great shit. In the first miniseries, Death becomes human for a day and winds up looking for Aunt Hattie's missing heart. In the second, there's trouble brewing with Hazel and Foxglove.
Death is one of the more interesting members of the Endless family and Gaiman writes the shit out of her here, although the focus is more on Hazel and Foxglove in the second tale. it's interesting seeing how much Chris Bachallo's art changes between the first miniseries and the second. Two Sandman issues are also collected with this along with some odds and ends like the Death story from Winter's Tale and the Death AIDS special.
Well, I wasn't planning on rereading the Sandman this year but it's starting to feel like things are heading in that direction. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
November 9, 2017
Well that was just a tiny bit wonderful :)
Who am I kidding? It was brilliant!
Death: The Deluxe Edition is an accompaniment of the Sandman series by master storyteller Neil Gaiman. I loved Death in the original Sandman series - how just and fair she was and of course her depiction (in most artwork she is stunning) so when I found out that he was bringing out a volume entirely dedicated to her, I knew I had to read it.
This volume did not disappoint! I was a fan of most of the artwork and the Death gallery at the end was superb! To actually see how so many other talented illustrators depicted her was a feast for the eyes.
The two longest stories in this collection were The Time of Your Life and The Cost of Living. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these and whilst they were not exactly action-packed, I appreciated them for what they were: well-written, poetic and quite beautiful pieces. Gaiman has a real flair for language, for sentiment and feeling and this is evident in all of his work but especially in the Sandman.
The shorter works I had already read before but it was lovely to re-read them again and fall in love with Death and Gaiman's style.
Simply put, a must for Sandman fans. 5 stars.
Who am I kidding? It was brilliant!
Death: The Deluxe Edition is an accompaniment of the Sandman series by master storyteller Neil Gaiman. I loved Death in the original Sandman series - how just and fair she was and of course her depiction (in most artwork she is stunning) so when I found out that he was bringing out a volume entirely dedicated to her, I knew I had to read it.
This volume did not disappoint! I was a fan of most of the artwork and the Death gallery at the end was superb! To actually see how so many other talented illustrators depicted her was a feast for the eyes.
The two longest stories in this collection were The Time of Your Life and The Cost of Living. I thoroughly enjoyed both of these and whilst they were not exactly action-packed, I appreciated them for what they were: well-written, poetic and quite beautiful pieces. Gaiman has a real flair for language, for sentiment and feeling and this is evident in all of his work but especially in the Sandman.
The shorter works I had already read before but it was lovely to re-read them again and fall in love with Death and Gaiman's style.
Simply put, a must for Sandman fans. 5 stars.
May 27, 2019
I know some will hate me for this but I gave up on Sandman. It’s not necessarily horrible or anything, I read the first absolute collection and liked it but the second one went downhill IMO. However I was still interested in Death. I mean, who the hell wouldn’t be interested in a cute, sweet but sometimes snarky grim reaper (and before anyone has questions, yes I’m literally attracted to Death)? So yeah I still decided to read this and am really glad I did.
What’s it about?
This book collects miscellaneous adventures of the Sandman universe’s personification of Death.
Pros:
The story is pretty interesting. It’s very fun but morbid at the same time which is pretty cool IMO. It’s also very creative at times.
The art is very well done throughout by multiple different artists. It seems to mostly stick to that cartoony but not SUPER cartoony style that a lot of 80s and 90s comics have but I like that art style so it works for me.
The characters are interesting. The most interesting is obviously Death IMO but some of the others are interesting too.
The pace works well. What I mean is that this is not as action filled as most of the stuff I’m into, it’s a bit slower of a story however it didn’t bore me, it works well for the kind of story that it is.
The comic relief is good. It is typically slightly dark humor but then again I like dark humor very much (just look at the fucked up memes I upvote on Reddit... or the comedy I watch... or the fact I laugh at deaths in movies that the rest of the audience gets terrified by) so yeah...
There’s a surprisingly fun, informative and nice PSA bit about STDs. Normally PSA kinda things in comics annoy the shit out of me but it’s so fun and well written here.
The social commentary in this book works well. It’s not forced (hell some may not even notice) and it feels natural to the story.
Cons:
The dialogue is sorta iffy. It’s not bad but some of it doesn’t seem relevant and it’s just more wordy than it really needs to be.
The stories are pretty predictable.
The cursive in the last story chapter is annoying. In all fairness I have a problem with cursive. I am capable of mostly reading it but it does strain my eyes a little and it can occasionally be hard to make out what certain words are meant to be so I don’t like heavy amounts of it.
The ending of the final story is a bit unsatisfying.
Overall:
I enjoyed this book. It gave me a mostly satisfactory final adventure with this adorable little personification of Death (Is it weird that I called Death adorable multiple times in this review? Perhaps but look at who’s review it is and the fact that I’m talking about a Vertigo comic written by Neil Gaiman). It’s a fun, creative story with great art, an interesting character, some slightly dark comic relief and more. Sure, I had a few minor issues but this book is still a hell of a good time. Recommended for sure.
4/5
What’s it about?
This book collects miscellaneous adventures of the Sandman universe’s personification of Death.
Pros:
The story is pretty interesting. It’s very fun but morbid at the same time which is pretty cool IMO. It’s also very creative at times.
The art is very well done throughout by multiple different artists. It seems to mostly stick to that cartoony but not SUPER cartoony style that a lot of 80s and 90s comics have but I like that art style so it works for me.
The characters are interesting. The most interesting is obviously Death IMO but some of the others are interesting too.
The pace works well. What I mean is that this is not as action filled as most of the stuff I’m into, it’s a bit slower of a story however it didn’t bore me, it works well for the kind of story that it is.
The comic relief is good. It is typically slightly dark humor but then again I like dark humor very much (just look at the fucked up memes I upvote on Reddit... or the comedy I watch... or the fact I laugh at deaths in movies that the rest of the audience gets terrified by) so yeah...
There’s a surprisingly fun, informative and nice PSA bit about STDs. Normally PSA kinda things in comics annoy the shit out of me but it’s so fun and well written here.
The social commentary in this book works well. It’s not forced (hell some may not even notice) and it feels natural to the story.
Cons:
The dialogue is sorta iffy. It’s not bad but some of it doesn’t seem relevant and it’s just more wordy than it really needs to be.
The stories are pretty predictable.
The cursive in the last story chapter is annoying. In all fairness I have a problem with cursive. I am capable of mostly reading it but it does strain my eyes a little and it can occasionally be hard to make out what certain words are meant to be so I don’t like heavy amounts of it.
The ending of the final story is a bit unsatisfying.
Overall:
I enjoyed this book. It gave me a mostly satisfactory final adventure with this adorable little personification of Death (Is it weird that I called Death adorable multiple times in this review? Perhaps but look at who’s review it is and the fact that I’m talking about a Vertigo comic written by Neil Gaiman). It’s a fun, creative story with great art, an interesting character, some slightly dark comic relief and more. Sure, I had a few minor issues but this book is still a hell of a good time. Recommended for sure.
4/5
February 7, 2014
So, this is standalone stuff taken fro The Sandman that focus on this totally interesting female character, Death, and eventually drawn and colored by a variety of artists, some better than others, but the basic idea of taking a character out and looking at her solo contribution is not just a moneymaking idea, though it surely someone's idea for that, but it lets you see her stories for what they are, in themselves. I liked them a lot and the package is gorgeous and there's a huge gallery of covers/portraits of Death, too. Thoughtful, funny, edgy.
October 18, 2016
Story: 2.5 Stars
Images: 3.5 Stars
Images: 3.5 Stars
February 12, 2022
Overall -- 4 stars, though the two new stories are easily 5 stars
Though there are a few older stories taken from the original Sandman series and elsewhere, the bulk of this volume is made up of two brand new stories focusing on Death: "The High Cost of Living," and "The Time of Your Life". Both are wonderfully done, and I particularly love the continuation of Hazel and Foxglove's story in the latter one. A gallery Death, her portraits done by various artists, is also a highlight. I do wish there had been more new stories, rather than so many repeated scenes.
Though there are a few older stories taken from the original Sandman series and elsewhere, the bulk of this volume is made up of two brand new stories focusing on Death: "The High Cost of Living," and "The Time of Your Life". Both are wonderfully done, and I particularly love the continuation of Hazel and Foxglove's story in the latter one. A gallery Death, her portraits done by various artists, is also a highlight. I do wish there had been more new stories, rather than so many repeated scenes.
June 29, 2017
Death:The Deluxe Edition contains Death: The High Cost of Living; Death: Time of your Life; as well as individual issues from his Sandman series. Obviously, these have to do with Dream's sister- Death.
This was a good series of stories. Neil Gaiman has created a very cool and very understanding avatar of Death. His Death is merciless, but not cruel. She is as much a part of man as is life. She is everywhere, all at once, and a part of nearly everything.
These short stories are uniformly good. Some are excellent. The High Cost of Living is excellent. As were many of the short stories. IMHO The Time of Your Life was the weakest story in the collection. It is likely the only one I did not care for. There is also a big offering of different artists interpretation of Death. All in all this is a collector's edition of the Sandman's Death character. As someone who has always viewed her with fondness, I appreciated this volume. But many of these stories have already been published in previous works. If you've read all the Sandman stories-then there is nothing here for you. If you've missed any of the Death side stories-then you will truly enjoy this collection.
The only reason this was not a 5 star rating is because these stories have already been published. There is nothing new here-only a collection of Death stories. If you are a fan of Death (who isn't?) then you will love this series. If you are a fan of the Sandman series, then you will like this series. Those are really the people who would be best served by this volume. Everyone else? I suggest reading Sandman in order versus looking at this collection of Death stories. Gaiman's Sandman series is a brilliant series-these snippets don't truly do it justice. But this isn't about Dream..this is about Death. That is something this volume does well.
This was a good series of stories. Neil Gaiman has created a very cool and very understanding avatar of Death. His Death is merciless, but not cruel. She is as much a part of man as is life. She is everywhere, all at once, and a part of nearly everything.
These short stories are uniformly good. Some are excellent. The High Cost of Living is excellent. As were many of the short stories. IMHO The Time of Your Life was the weakest story in the collection. It is likely the only one I did not care for. There is also a big offering of different artists interpretation of Death. All in all this is a collector's edition of the Sandman's Death character. As someone who has always viewed her with fondness, I appreciated this volume. But many of these stories have already been published in previous works. If you've read all the Sandman stories-then there is nothing here for you. If you've missed any of the Death side stories-then you will truly enjoy this collection.
The only reason this was not a 5 star rating is because these stories have already been published. There is nothing new here-only a collection of Death stories. If you are a fan of Death (who isn't?) then you will love this series. If you are a fan of the Sandman series, then you will like this series. Those are really the people who would be best served by this volume. Everyone else? I suggest reading Sandman in order versus looking at this collection of Death stories. Gaiman's Sandman series is a brilliant series-these snippets don't truly do it justice. But this isn't about Dream..this is about Death. That is something this volume does well.
September 12, 2018
Very good compilation of Neil Gaiman's character, Death.
It might be surprising, but I've never read anything with this character before, although I am familiar with the the popular miniseries, The High Cost of Living. So, I went into this cold. I was pleasantly surprised at the philosophical depth of the stories.
My favorite story by far was The Wheel. Lots of hope hidden in this one. My least favorite was Death in Venice, it just didn't connect for me.
It might be surprising, but I've never read anything with this character before, although I am familiar with the the popular miniseries, The High Cost of Living. So, I went into this cold. I was pleasantly surprised at the philosophical depth of the stories.
My favorite story by far was The Wheel. Lots of hope hidden in this one. My least favorite was Death in Venice, it just didn't connect for me.
November 21, 2018
Una muerte muy amable, compasiva, con final feliz, de alguna manera. Digno integrante de la saga. No es necesario la lectura de los volúmenes anteriores.
January 16, 2022
I thought this would be all new material but it was about half and half pulled from the Sandman volumes and the other chunk was new but with some familiar faces and cameos.
August 31, 2018
So, I still haven't finished all of the Sandman series, and it's still one of my goals. But, the absolute volumes are a tad cumbersome to read, and honestly, a bit overwhelming in the amount of words and sometimes, I just want something smaller.
So I pulled this off my shelf, and I'm so happy I did.
I think this goes in chronological order based on the series, because I recognized a few of the first stories, which appear in the first 2.5 absolute volumes that I've currently read. The others were new and exciting and fantastic. I'm guessing they'll appear again in the second half of the series.
Death is definitely my second favorite Endless, and that's just because I dig her emo brother just a bit more. However, it was great to get away from all of that and just read some really wonderful stories. And, by reading this, I'm more excited to continue the series than I have been.
Still hoping to have all of the OGs knocked out by the end of the year, so I can move onto the Overture and the new stories coming out in the universe too.
So I pulled this off my shelf, and I'm so happy I did.
I think this goes in chronological order based on the series, because I recognized a few of the first stories, which appear in the first 2.5 absolute volumes that I've currently read. The others were new and exciting and fantastic. I'm guessing they'll appear again in the second half of the series.
Death is definitely my second favorite Endless, and that's just because I dig her emo brother just a bit more. However, it was great to get away from all of that and just read some really wonderful stories. And, by reading this, I'm more excited to continue the series than I have been.
Still hoping to have all of the OGs knocked out by the end of the year, so I can move onto the Overture and the new stories coming out in the universe too.
April 7, 2023
John Keats admits to being half in love with easeful Death, and I confess I am too, as long as we're talking about Death of the Endless and not that silent, spooky bag of bones that Thanos has the hots for so bad.
Death may be Neil Gaiman's greatest contribution to the world, and he's given us a lot. The older sister of Dream (Morpheus the Sandman), Death generally manifests as a pale pixie-ish goth girl, the kind of sexy young woman you'd see across the room in the clubs and concert halls I where I spent a lot of time in the mid-'80s. She's got an important job to do, and she does it well, but with a good humor and a gentle kindness that transcends the way this figure is usually portrayed in art and story.
This deluxe anthology from DC collects a fascinating grab bag of odds and ends from Gaiman's work featuring Death. It's not all-inclusive because that would be nearly impossible as she cameos so often in The Sandman, but it includes a small handful of those issues, most importantly the spectacular issue #8, "The Sound of Her Wings," where Death is first introduced by Gaiman. That excellent comic has been been recently adapted into an excellent hour of television you can see in the sixth episode of Netflix's Sandman series, which also incorporates a little of the lesser known short comic called "A Winter's Tale," also collected here. The anthology features the two multi-issue storylines with Death in the spotlight, "Death: The High Cost of Living" and "Death: The Time of Your Life," and there is a fantastic gallery of portraits of Death here from the numerous artists of fame who have worked with Gaiman over the years, including Dave McKean, Jill Thompson, Michael Zulli, Chris Bachalo, Mike Dringenberg, and Colleen Doran, among many others.
There are also a couple of intriguing extras thrown in, including the AIDS awareness/safe sex short comic where Death talks about AIDS prevention and correct use of condoms, with a little help from John Constantine. (If you're too young to have lived through the '80s and '90s, you might think this is strange. But AIDS was something we really didn't understand very well, and it was a topic many people were afraid to address head on, and so Neil Gaiman performed an essential public service here.) And there's another interesting little story called "The Wheel," from the DC 9/11 anthology, where Death and her brother Destruction talk to a kid who lost his mother when the towers fell.
Death may be Neil Gaiman's greatest contribution to the world, and he's given us a lot. The older sister of Dream (Morpheus the Sandman), Death generally manifests as a pale pixie-ish goth girl, the kind of sexy young woman you'd see across the room in the clubs and concert halls I where I spent a lot of time in the mid-'80s. She's got an important job to do, and she does it well, but with a good humor and a gentle kindness that transcends the way this figure is usually portrayed in art and story.
This deluxe anthology from DC collects a fascinating grab bag of odds and ends from Gaiman's work featuring Death. It's not all-inclusive because that would be nearly impossible as she cameos so often in The Sandman, but it includes a small handful of those issues, most importantly the spectacular issue #8, "The Sound of Her Wings," where Death is first introduced by Gaiman. That excellent comic has been been recently adapted into an excellent hour of television you can see in the sixth episode of Netflix's Sandman series, which also incorporates a little of the lesser known short comic called "A Winter's Tale," also collected here. The anthology features the two multi-issue storylines with Death in the spotlight, "Death: The High Cost of Living" and "Death: The Time of Your Life," and there is a fantastic gallery of portraits of Death here from the numerous artists of fame who have worked with Gaiman over the years, including Dave McKean, Jill Thompson, Michael Zulli, Chris Bachalo, Mike Dringenberg, and Colleen Doran, among many others.
There are also a couple of intriguing extras thrown in, including the AIDS awareness/safe sex short comic where Death talks about AIDS prevention and correct use of condoms, with a little help from John Constantine. (If you're too young to have lived through the '80s and '90s, you might think this is strange. But AIDS was something we really didn't understand very well, and it was a topic many people were afraid to address head on, and so Neil Gaiman performed an essential public service here.) And there's another interesting little story called "The Wheel," from the DC 9/11 anthology, where Death and her brother Destruction talk to a kid who lost his mother when the towers fell.
April 30, 2014
I have to give this 5 stars based on content, quality of writing, and just philosophical ideas not usually attempted in a Comic Book/Graphic Novel.
The last Gaiman I read was Black Orchid, which was OK, but didn't capture me like Death did.
Death is a teen goth girl, or at least her manifestation is that.
This is a collection of a bunch of Death stories, including those that appeared in Sandman.
I would gush about this, but I'll just say, I found this very interesting, and one of the few books I was always eager to pick up again and keep reading, not like some where I'm very eager to return to the library and go run some steel wool through my brain to make it feel better...
The art is usually a pretty good accompaniment as well.
Also, Gaiman seems to be one of the few writers who does comics who can actually write LGBT characters properly, not with Pink Tutus and Buzz cuts.
In one story arc, Death hangs out with a kid named Sexton, who was planning on suicide, but then they have a crazy night in NYC, with all kinds of zany adventures and lessons to be learned and friends to be made. (OK that sounded like the TV Guide blurb, but I swear, it's GOOD!).
There's another arc about some of the peripheral characters in the first story, and their story a few years later, which seems pretty bang on as well.
At times I felt like I was actually reading a writer, as opposed to a dude who does comics. (this is a big 'well duh' moment, on account of all the um...writing Gaiman has done).
There's also a nice artwork gallery at the end with a bunch of cool Death portraits, as well as a well-meaning short piece on AIDS awareness from Death herself.
I fully recommend this to my fellow Graphic Novel/Comic readers, I can't guarantee you'll all love it as much as I do, but I would like to hear what you've thought of it as well. Not often I get so satisfied, and also feel like I read something of substance at the same time when it's a comic book.
The last Gaiman I read was Black Orchid, which was OK, but didn't capture me like Death did.
Death is a teen goth girl, or at least her manifestation is that.
This is a collection of a bunch of Death stories, including those that appeared in Sandman.
I would gush about this, but I'll just say, I found this very interesting, and one of the few books I was always eager to pick up again and keep reading, not like some where I'm very eager to return to the library and go run some steel wool through my brain to make it feel better...
The art is usually a pretty good accompaniment as well.
Also, Gaiman seems to be one of the few writers who does comics who can actually write LGBT characters properly, not with Pink Tutus and Buzz cuts.
In one story arc, Death hangs out with a kid named Sexton, who was planning on suicide, but then they have a crazy night in NYC, with all kinds of zany adventures and lessons to be learned and friends to be made. (OK that sounded like the TV Guide blurb, but I swear, it's GOOD!).
There's another arc about some of the peripheral characters in the first story, and their story a few years later, which seems pretty bang on as well.
At times I felt like I was actually reading a writer, as opposed to a dude who does comics. (this is a big 'well duh' moment, on account of all the um...writing Gaiman has done).
There's also a nice artwork gallery at the end with a bunch of cool Death portraits, as well as a well-meaning short piece on AIDS awareness from Death herself.
I fully recommend this to my fellow Graphic Novel/Comic readers, I can't guarantee you'll all love it as much as I do, but I would like to hear what you've thought of it as well. Not often I get so satisfied, and also feel like I read something of substance at the same time when it's a comic book.
August 23, 2015
This fabulous book collects:
"The Sound Of Her Wings,"
"Facade,"
"A Winter's Tale,"
"The High Cost of Living,"
"The Wheel,"
"The Time Of Your Life,"
"Death and Venice."
"Death Talks About Life (about AIDS & Safe sex, really)," and A Death Gallery.
Every story here is quite haunting in its beauty, buy I have to say that The Time of Your Life is an absolute favourite for me. I love how it ties in with Death: The High Cost of Living, as a sequel of sorts. For me, The High Cost of Living left a lot of questions open and I was really interested in finding out what happened to Foxglove, her music seemed eerie enough gh to warrant intrigue. In The Time of Your Life, Foxglove's supposed to be having the time of her life, being a Rockstar and all, but she's stifled somehow, and her manager dying on her, and a magazine threatening to out her dyke status and her girlfriend Hazel nagging her, all of it overwhelms. But she's a character worthy of empathy, at least she does the right thing, couldn’t have pictured her volunteering to stay behind with Death and letting Hazel and Alvie live or even giving up on being a Rockstar. It's the simple things in life that matter, the simple things. If there's a motif that resonates through this collection, it must be that, the small wonders. As such it's no small wonder why this collection is a favourite.
"The Sound Of Her Wings,"
"Facade,"
"A Winter's Tale,"
"The High Cost of Living,"
"The Wheel,"
"The Time Of Your Life,"
"Death and Venice."
"Death Talks About Life (about AIDS & Safe sex, really)," and A Death Gallery.
Every story here is quite haunting in its beauty, buy I have to say that The Time of Your Life is an absolute favourite for me. I love how it ties in with Death: The High Cost of Living, as a sequel of sorts. For me, The High Cost of Living left a lot of questions open and I was really interested in finding out what happened to Foxglove, her music seemed eerie enough gh to warrant intrigue. In The Time of Your Life, Foxglove's supposed to be having the time of her life, being a Rockstar and all, but she's stifled somehow, and her manager dying on her, and a magazine threatening to out her dyke status and her girlfriend Hazel nagging her, all of it overwhelms. But she's a character worthy of empathy, at least she does the right thing, couldn’t have pictured her volunteering to stay behind with Death and letting Hazel and Alvie live or even giving up on being a Rockstar. It's the simple things in life that matter, the simple things. If there's a motif that resonates through this collection, it must be that, the small wonders. As such it's no small wonder why this collection is a favourite.
Read
June 27, 2016This is a good collection of stories featuring the character Death, everyone's favourite cheerful goth with on fleek make up you see in your last moments. The first story in it is NOT my favourite. It has a maybe unintentional message of it's better to be dead than different that gets under my skin. The second one is the best. Sexton becomes friends with Didi who is Death in disguise having a mortal day to better understand existence. Great story. Its sequel is fantastic and also features the lesbian couple we see in Game of You and they are also in Death the Time of Our Lives for a while. It has gorgeous art. There's a few other stories too I will not spoil all in a hardcovered book with beautiful art, smooth pages and RIBBON.
July 13, 2019
This is a very nicely produced collection, containing all the major material related to Neil Gaiman's Death. That focuses on the two core miniseries, but also includes a few shorts, two notable issues of Sandman, and more. Nice editorial work, from back when Vertigo was something.
The High Cost of Living. Neil Gaiman's first major foray into the larger world of the Endless was a miniseries about Death, and her one day of mortality each century. It's a sweet tale that makes "Didi" very real and that places her in a fun adventure with other people ... but the adventure isn't really the point, it's the living.
Besides being a great window into Death's heart, this story is also a nice continuation of a few character subplots from the Sandman. Mad Hettie gets a feature role, but she's mostly just the inciting incident to this story (and a link to the immortals who think they're hiding from Death). The new look at Foxglove and Hazel is more meaningful, and sets up Gaiman's other Death miniseries.
Reading this so many decades later, it's obvious how groundbreaking it was, as a totally different sort of comic way back in 1993, but one that has foreshadowed all the more human comics of Image, Vertigo, and others — stories about life, not just heroes and villains fighting. [5/5]
The Time of Your Life. You know, I didn't particularly like this second Death series when it first came out. I think that's primarily because Death is here as abstract concept, not character, and even then she's pretty scarce. However, what we get instead is a great story about Foxglove and Hazel, whose story threaded through Sandman and the first Death miniseries. And it's a great story (with the exception of one major plot point that's held back until late in the second issue, and acts as a big bump in the narrative when you find out). Foxglove and Hazel come across as very real people, beyond their interactions with the Endless. At various times it's distancing, heartbreaking, and touching, especially the end [4+/5].
The High Cost of Living. Neil Gaiman's first major foray into the larger world of the Endless was a miniseries about Death, and her one day of mortality each century. It's a sweet tale that makes "Didi" very real and that places her in a fun adventure with other people ... but the adventure isn't really the point, it's the living.
Besides being a great window into Death's heart, this story is also a nice continuation of a few character subplots from the Sandman. Mad Hettie gets a feature role, but she's mostly just the inciting incident to this story (and a link to the immortals who think they're hiding from Death). The new look at Foxglove and Hazel is more meaningful, and sets up Gaiman's other Death miniseries.
Reading this so many decades later, it's obvious how groundbreaking it was, as a totally different sort of comic way back in 1993, but one that has foreshadowed all the more human comics of Image, Vertigo, and others — stories about life, not just heroes and villains fighting. [5/5]
The Time of Your Life. You know, I didn't particularly like this second Death series when it first came out. I think that's primarily because Death is here as abstract concept, not character, and even then she's pretty scarce. However, what we get instead is a great story about Foxglove and Hazel, whose story threaded through Sandman and the first Death miniseries. And it's a great story (with the exception of one major plot point that's held back until late in the second issue, and acts as a big bump in the narrative when you find out). Foxglove and Hazel come across as very real people, beyond their interactions with the Endless. At various times it's distancing, heartbreaking, and touching, especially the end [4+/5].
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