The Sandman: Brief Lives


With The Sandman: Fables & Reflections (Canada, USA, Europe) ending up being such a letdown, I was hoping that this seventh omnibus, The Sandman: Brief Lives, would be a return to form. The last couple of installments had been great, and I had heard a lot of positive things about this story arc.

Well, I'm glad to report that The Sandman: Brief Lives is my favorite omnibus thus far! In the past, I have complained that the plotlines are often all over the place, without any sort of continuity, that many of the stories appear to be vignettes that have little or nothing to do with one another. Yet the great thing about this story arc is that it does tie a lot of what seemed to be loose ends together. The Sandman: Brief Lives unveils connections between various plotlines which, at face value, did not appear to be linked.

Here's the blurb:

From Neil Gaiman's award-winning Sandman series comes the longest story arc in Gaiman's extraordinary saga of the Endless. This is the story of the search for the Sandman's long missing brother, Destruction, and of the consequences of that endeavour. The great quest begins when Delirium, the youngest of the Endless family, prevails upon her brother Dream (the Sandman), to help her find her missing sibling. Their travels take them through the world of the waking until a final confrontation with the missing member of the Endless and the resolution of The Sandman's painful relationship with his son, Orpheus, change the Endless forever.



The presence of Delirium helped with the overall characterization. Like Death, she brings out another side of Dream that shows a more human side to the character. It was a delight to follow their adventure as they wander in search of Destruction. This story arc also reveals more information about the Endless and how they interact with one another.

This omnibus was illustrated by Jill Thompson and Vince Locke, and it features some of the best artwork in the series. And since, for once, the various chapters have not been produced by a panoply of disparate artists, there is a much appreciated visual continuity as well.

The Sandman: Brief Lives is comprised of nine chapters. It also contains an afterword by bestselling author Peter Straub.

Though the series momentum is at times crooked, I really think Neil Gaiman fans should give the Sandman a try, if only to discover where the author's genius first manifested itself! Check them out: The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes (Canada, USA, Europe), The Sandman: The Doll's House (Canada, USA, Europe), The Sandman: Dream Country (Canada, USA, Europe), The Sandman: Season of Mists (Canada, USA, Europe), The Sandman: A Game of You (Canada, USA, Europe), and The Sandman: Fables & Reflections (Canada, USA, Europe).

Onward to the 8th omnibus, The Sandman: World's End!

For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe

*** Please remember that anything purchased via the Amazon links (used or new) throughout December will help raise funds for Breast Cancer Research.

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