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Average Customer Review
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
If this ain't literature..., 24 Sep 2003
For me, The Sandman is the finset work of comics literature we've yet seen, and "Brief Lives" is my favourite story from the run. Let me tell you why.Neil Gaiman was once asked to summarize The Sandman in one sentance, and his reply went something like this:
"The Lord of Dreams learns that he must change or die, and he makes his decision"
Brief Lives is a road trip, and such tales are essentially about self-discovery. What Dream discovers about himself in this story, as he travels the waking world in the company of his youngest sister, the adorable, fizzy princess Delirium, is two-fold. The first thing he learns is that life and change are inseperable. Dream is travelling with Delirium, who embodies Change, in search if their absentee brother Destruction, who quit his position 300 years ago. Delirium wants to see her most beloved brother again, and find out why he left. Dream is just looking for some distraction after the end of his latest doomed romance. The answers they find say more about Dream's emotional immaturity, his inability to change and his stubborn obsession with his duties as Lord of Dreams, than he is comfortable with hearing. Which leads us to the second thing Dream learns; that his duty to his work is far less important than his duty to the ones he loves and who love him, and to his own heart. This understanding leads Dream to a course of action that is at once the finest act of kindness and mercy we have seen him perform (at a huge emotional cost to himself), but which has enormous consequences in later stories. Throughout the story, Neil Gaiman's writing shines. His grasp of character, story and dialogue has never been better. The underlying themes of his magnum opus come into focus as it turns towards the home strait, and I for one was left breathless. I can't finish this review without mentioning the artwork. Jill Thompson is one of my favourite comics artists, as well as a fine writer in her own right. Her work in this book sparkles and crackles with energy, but also has the depth to portray the many and varied moods of the tale convincingly. She is the perfect illustrator for Delirium, and my choice for top Sandman artist. Kudos also to Danny Vozzo, one of the finest colourists in the medium, who does some of his finest work here, especially the vibrant, candied palette he uses for Delirium.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Neil Gaiman at His best., 17 Dec 2000
By A Customer
This book is Focused around Delirium and Strangely Dream. It features ALL of The Endless including Destruction. Brief Lives follows Delirium and Dream's search for their brother~Destruction who left his realm 300yrs ago. Not only does it follow THEIR search it lets us see what Destruction is doing with his life, which includes a talking dog called Barnabas.It shows how Delirium shuts off her realm to the other Endless and how Destruction leaves this world.Delirium in this story is quite well... Delirius. She destroys the life of a Police Officer by making him feel invisible bugs all over his body.(That part of the story is a favourite of mine)I recommend this Sandman book because it has one of the best story lines of the Sandman Comics I have read.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Much better than just 5 stars., 7 April 2001
By A Customer
This is the best of the large story arcs in 'The Sandman'. We learn so much about Dream (The Sandman) and the other main charcaters, especially Delirium, whom everyone is charmed by. It is not a particularly happy book, especially in light of the end of the series, as it is the turning point. Dream is forced / lets himself be led into a series of actions which can eventually have only one ending. But it is brilliantly written. The illustration is beautiful, personally my favourite depiction of Dream and Delirium of all the series. It's just... right. There aren't many things which I would say that about. Like the little girl on the plane says who talks to Dream, Gaiman tells you true things.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Not the best of Sandman - but still excellent, 16 Dec 2000
By A Customer
In this story Dream and his sister Delerium (who was once Delight) go searching for their lost brother Destruction. Their search has unexpected consequences for those they meet. More of the overall Sandman arc unfolds in this story as Morpheus takes certain decisions whose consequences are some way off. Also interesting is the reason for Destruction's actions. It tells us at least as much about Dream as it does about Destruction. I found this book very disconcerting. I started off by dismissing it as a ramble, a blip in Gaiman's normally excellent record. However after a first reading, it grows on you. Its apparent aimlessness masks a deep purpose, and, in my opinion, the art by Jill Thompson is some of the best in the series. And, after all, much of the meandering way it unfolds can be explained by the fact that it prominently features Delirium, one of Gaiman's most delightful characters (pun intended, for those of you who get it).
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1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
A conventional piece of graphic literature, 16 Jan 2005
This volume of The Sandman did not turn out as good as I initially expected.If it had,I would not be writing this review,proclaiming its excellence.In this volume Delirium(previously delight)decides to try to find her once close brother Destruction,who abandoned his realm and his responsibilities as one of the endless 300 years ago,to live in 'the waking world'.She convinces her older brother Death(the Sandman)to help her.All of the disfunctional famiy-the Endless are featured in this excellent story of life and change;Destiny,Death,Dream,Destruction,Desire,Despair and Delirium.Their names reflect their personalities and nature,especially for Delirium who is of course,delirius(my favourite charachter!)I found her dramatic physical changes over short periods of time and her ignorance in the waking world very funny.The two gothic-looking characters;the attractive,pragmatic Death and her morose,older brother Dream(the sandman) are also very interesting charachters. Not only is this book full of good charachters,it is also a good piece of eye-candy.I would recommend this book to Gaiman fans and anyone else who likes good comic books!...'Farewell'.
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