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Death : The Time of Your Life (Death)

Death : The Time of Your Life (Death)

List Price: $12.95
Your Price: $9.71
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not bad, but not true to character
Review: (Warning: contains major plot spoilers)

I have to admit, this story disappointed me. It's OK, but just not as good as I've come to expect from Neil Gaiman. In 'Sandman' and 'Death: The High Cost Of Living' he managed to create a character who was at once very likeable and yet utterly convincing. She loves _everybody_, no matter who they are, and when their time is up she comes for them - that's who and what she is. The Endless may look and even act human now and then, but they're not. She's not 'Death Girl'; she _is_ death.

But in 'The Time Of Your Life', Gaiman tries to make her more human. When Alvin dies, she takes pity on Hazel and gives him a few more months of life; later, she allows someone else to die in his place. This is not how death works in the real world, and up until now it's not how Death has worked in Gaiman's world either. It's not true to the character we know, and the change just isn't convincing. Gaiman has engineered a 'happy ending' of sorts, but the credibility of his character has suffered.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Live each day as though it were your last.
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A bit about the Lady Death..
Review: 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.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not as cool as Sandman, but definitely worthwhile.
Review: Despite the title, Death isn't the central character in this graphic novel; but that's fine with me, as I find Hazel and Foxglove equally interesting. I don't know what people are talking about--I *like* the art. It's not like Sandman art, it's very slick and airbrushed-looking. But still cool, especially the scenes with the neat checkered borders. You should probably know that you're unlikely to get the version you can see a photo of on this website--the black-and-white cover with Death drinking coffee. My version has quite a different cover--some person who doesn't look like Death. Still, it should be the same story.

I liked this just as much as The High Cost of Living, maybe more. Death is less bubbly, more subdued...still not as cool she is in _Sandman_, but fine. This is more human and moving, I think, than THCOL. I love Death's "Nobody's creepy from the inside..." speech. I think the reason she's so melancholy in this book is because...well, this is just after The Kindly Ones and The Wake, right? You know what I'm talking about, if you've read them.

Like High Cost of Living, this isn't quite up to the standards of Sandman, but quite worthwhile. If you want my opinion, it's best to read both _Death_ series one after the other, between A Game of You and Fables and Reflections. Earlier, you wouldn't recognize certain of the characters; later, you won't appreciate the _Death_ books so much because they can't come close to the beauty of the later issues of Sandman.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Death pales a bit with this series.
Review: Having just wrote a glowing review of the first Death series, The High Cost of Living, I must now relate my rather deep dissapointment with this second series. While the first was a jaunty tale of Death's adventures in Manhattan, this series rapidly becomes a plodding study of quick fame and the subsequent relationship fallout.

For the lead characters, Neil Gaiman takes two minor players from the first series, who were much more interesting there in two pages than three whole comics here. Foxglove (a name that somehow grated at me as I read it) is a wildly successful folk (???) singer, and Hazel is her lesbian lover who has struck a deal with Death. This same-sex dynamic is the only really interesting aspect of these character's lives, but while their feelings for each other is the supposed crux of the story, the relationship is never fully fleshed-out. And normally chipper Death is relegated to sitting on rocks in purgatory, sullenly listening to Hazel's droning story of life as a kept woman.

I said that the first series was a meandering tale that somehow hit its targets; here the tale merely meanders, goes nowhere, and ends perfectly predictably. While there are some nice jabs at celebrity culture and a few interesting periphreal characters I was wishing would kick these whining nobodies out of the frame and take over, it's not enough to drag these comics up from mediocrity. Go read The Preacher series. They won't put you to sleep.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty good, but not enough Death
Review: I liked this book, but being one who has not read the Sandman books, I can't say how much this characteriztion of Death might differ from her Sandman persona, but I have to say that she is very cute ^_^ Check out page 32. This book deals with the lesbian couple who made an appearance in Death: The High Cost of Living. Foxglove has become famous, but her lover Hazel has begun to feel like she is being left behind, and although she is happy that her lover has found fame, she also dislikes the fact that she has to share Foxglove with the rest of the world. It starts to become weird when Hazel's child Alvie passes away one night, and Hazel strikes up a deal with death: give Alvie back and you will get someone else in return. Quite a simple plot. Not as good as the first volume, but still a fun read. Death, however, is a very minor character, she doesn't even show up until a third of the book is over. However, Death is stilla friend to all. Much nicer than the Grim Reaper would ever be.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Taste of the Infinite
Review: I strongly recommend you not read any reviews of this book until you read it yourself. Having had the fortune to read it before I knew whether anyone else _thought_ I should, and even before I knew anything about the Sandman series, I came upon it with the wonder and surprise not unlike the first view of a beautiful woman. Approach it without preconceptions, and it will reward you. Or, you can spend your time being disappointed that it doesn't meet some expectation of your own, and thereby miss it entirely. It's up to you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Tori
Review: I think Four-Stars is good. nothing is so incredibly flawless it deserves 100%, but i think that Gaiman is a beautiful writer in his perspective of life. ~Death-time of your life~ is a great book that i envy the possesion of in a friend of mine, along with any other Gaiman written works. Has good humor with deep expression, accompanies good artists work. somebody should smile and all be so simply complicated.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: At least Death isn't as dumb in this sequel
Review: I wasn't particularly impressed with "Death: The High Cost Of Living", which is the prequel to this book. The only reason I read this sequel is that I purchased both at the same time. Actually, I wound out liking this "Death" book better than the first, though it is less about Death and more about living.

Death has a little more power in this book, and is not as silly or giddy as before. Taking the side characters Foxglove and Hazel from "THCOL" and centering on them, this book continues with Foxglove's career taking off at a phenomenal pace. Hazel's baby Alvie is now born, and Hazel stays at home while Foxglove is out making appearances and records. On top of which, Foxglove has been advised by her manager not to reveal the nature of her lesbian relationship with Hazel.

But unknown to Foxglove, Hazel has made a deal with Death in her attempt to save Alvie's life. Foxglove is now not only going to have to choose between her family and her career, but also between life and death.

Three stars is still as high as I can go for this tale, and that is purely out of respect for Neil Gaimen. In all honesty, I dislike "touchy-feelie" books and this one has "syrup" written all over it, along with more cheesy song lyrics to be subjected to trying to finish the storyline. Gaimen's other works are much better, and if you like his books and his Sandman series, save these little "Death" graphic novels for last. They are not worthy of his other works and should be purchased only to fill in the holes in your collections.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: At least Death isn't as dumb in this sequel
Review: I wasn't particularly impressed with "Death: The High Cost Of Living", which is the prequel to this book. The only reason I read this sequel is that I purchased both at the same time. Actually, I wound out liking this "Death" book better than the first, though it is less about Death and more about living.

Death has a little more power in this book, and is not as silly or giddy as before. Taking the side characters Foxglove and Hazel from "THCOL" and centering on them, this book continues with Foxglove's career taking off at a phenomenal pace. Hazel's baby Alvie is now born, and Hazel stays at home while Foxglove is out making appearances and records. On top of which, Foxglove has been advised by her manager not to reveal the nature of her lesbian relationship with Hazel.

But unknown to Foxglove, Hazel has made a deal with Death in her attempt to save Alvie's life. Foxglove is now not only going to have to choose between her family and her career, but also between life and death.

Three stars is still as high as I can go for this tale, and that is purely out of respect for Neil Gaimen. In all honesty, I dislike "touchy-feelie" books and this one has "syrup" written all over it, along with more cheesy song lyrics to be subjected to trying to finish the storyline. Gaimen's other works are much better, and if you like his books and his Sandman series, save these little "Death" graphic novels for last. They are not worthy of his other works and should be purchased only to fill in the holes in your collections.


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