Death: The Time of Your Life

If you're a fan of the Sandman or you love his sister Death, this is probably a pretty sure thing for you. You probably aren't reading this; you already have a copy, have read it, have reviewed it and moved on. If you enjoyed _Death: The High Cost of Living_ (the other Sandman spin-off based on Death), I can't promise anything. Unlike _High Cost_, this novel focueses more on a lesbian couple (who appeared in _High Cost_) and the death of their child than Death herself. The mother makes a bargain with Death who appears during that part of the story and at the end, but she is not the focal point. Nonetheless, the story is well-written, as is typical of Neil Gaiman. It is the story of a couple and the struggles they go through when one becomes famous and is on tour and hiding her sexuality (I gueess this was pre-Melissa Etheridge, Indigo Girls, K.D. Lang, etc). When the child dies, early in the sotry, Death steps in and things get weird. I know, that's not descriptive, but I don't want to ruin it for you!I'm not sure but I heard this graphic novel recieved an award from GLADD for its accurate and compassionate portrayal of a lesbian couple and their child.

A spin-of from DC/Vertigo Comics wildly sucessful "Sandman" books about the kind of dreams, this is one of two paperback collections featuring Death of the Endless, the Sandman's sister, a the deceptively youthful looking personification of Death in the form of a young woman.Reminescent of the old adage, "live each day as though it was your last", herein Death comes to take a young child, but instead allows a young mother to make a deal for extra time, and the young mother's companion is forced to decide whether to continue pursuing a lucrative but draining and ultimately unsatisfying career as a pop star or, well that would be giving away too much. Like it's predecessor, "Death: the High Cost of Living", this is a mildly cautionary tale about the necessity of figuring out what's most important in your life and pursuing it in the time you have. Recommended.

This collection of Gaiman oeuvre again features the witty and charming Goth-girl, uniquely a people person, called Death. We also revisit Foxglove and Hazel, the rock star and chef lesbian couple introduced in prior Death tales, and their son, Alvie. Indeed, toddling Alvie dies in this series, but Hazel persuades Death to give him back to her. Characterization, ever a Gaiman forte, is no less so here. The principles all far exceed expectations and by tale's end, seem like folksyou know and would like to know better. A relatively minor character, Vito is humorously, yet poignantly portrayed as an underwear model and, while serving as Foxglove's "beard," as she struggles between a desire to publicly come out and the supportive, but cautious advice of her management, he too is shown in the fullness of humanity. There are the usual Gaimanesque plot contortions, which never seem forced or contrived, but merely the natural evocations of the quirky lives thecharacters realistically live. DC Comics clearly marks this collection as "suggested for mature readers;" while it certainly isn't for children, there is much here for older teens and young adults and the sophisticated plot and characterization will not fail to nail seasoned readers.

Neil Gaiman continues to impress with his sharp attention to creating a wholly developed world of characters. _Death: The Time of Your Life_ is a welcome spotlight on two characters that have traveled through several "Sandman" novels, as well as Death's previous novel, _The High Cost of Living._ While their appearance was brief in _The High Cost of Living_ (Foxglove taking center stage for one song, then fading into the background with a second) both the songs and the characters have a far deeper lineage within the Sandman series. Indeed, if you begin to trace the origins of Foxglove and Hazel, you will be treated to one of the richest, most complex story lines in the Sandman universe.Begin with _A Game of You,_ and you will learn what Foxglove meant when she said, near the end of _The Time of Your Life,_ "We'd had a bad night once, in Manhattan, years ago. Bad dreams, people died." You will also discover the origin of the song "George's tongue." You will meet the friend, Wanda, to whom Foxglove refers when introducing her second song, back in _The High Cost of Living._ So many details. Keep looking and you will find more.Follow the story arc backwards to _The Doll's House,_ where Foxglove's "small world" is perhaps at its tightest. You will meet someone who knows Donna Cavanaugh, before she turns into Foxglove. You will meet someone who will later share an apartment building with Foxglove and Hazel. You will find several allusions to, and a newspaper clipping of, a defining moment in Foxglove's life. "24 Hours," perhaps the single most riveting story in the Sandman series, can be found in _Preludes and Nocturnes._ Foxglove sings about this event ("My name is Judy and I died/on a bad day in eighty-nine") in her debut. This story is like a rock thrown into a pond, waves rippling in all directions. Shortly afterward, same novel, "The Sound of Her Wings" will be Death's first appearance. _Death: The Time of Your Life_ is, on it's own, a terrific short novel. It should also server to punctuate Mr. Gaiman's tremendous abilities as a storyteller. This story is woven into his existing tapestry with care, subtlety, and expert craftsmanship.

Death is not who she seems - she's beautiful in an inside-to-outside, blue velvet way. It doesn't matter if you've never read a comic before - you'll enjoy this.