Death: At Death's Door

Rating:
Summary: I hate to rate this so poorly but....
Review: I looked forward to this. But it really didn't live up to expectations. Artistically, to place the Sandman series in a stylized format such as Manga immediately catches you as not being on target. The series itself never used American stylization that you would see from Marvel, Image or DC illustrators, so seeing it in what is the same format with a different cultural bend goes against the rawer illustration that were always used (although Vess can't be considered raw) to depict the saga. And the use of the most childish of the Manga genre with large eyes and title emotions was a poor choice. Something in line with Lone Wolf and Cub wouldn't have been as bad as this.

Now as for the story, Jill Thompson built a solid foundation for the story as to what happened to everyone released from Hell when Lucifer closed up shop (something that I think was quite a smart idea) and she did an excellent job of building her story into that now famous arc. However the details were poor. The story was much longer than necessary. Death was discarded time and time again for the uniteresting goings on in her realm. And it just came off as pure camp. This series is too great to ever treat it campy.

Despair was underutilized and should have beem more of a force in dealing with the multitudes of people that came from her domain. Delirium who was actually the main focal point of the story was not handled as subtely as Gaiman had done. Her outbursts are all outlandish and she lacks that strand of sanity that was brought to the table by Gaiman. In Brief Lives, she has one moment of lucidity that makes you realize that she is only slighty less powerful than Death. And you never look at her the same way again despite her eccentricities. Jill does not underly her with this lucidity and makes the character seem like a crazed Scrappy Doo.

As for Death, she is possibily the best character ever created in any format. So she should not be left to just anyone. Jill is up and down with her, writing her to expectation sometimes and making a mockery of her at others. She would never jump up and down and yell at her brother. Had she ever done so in the series, she may have never become the icon she has become today. If you are a Death fan, this will not go over well with you. Perhaps only Gaiman should be allowed to write her.

Rating:
Summary: I hate to rate this so poorly but....
Review: I looked forward to this. But it really didn't live up to expectations. Artistically, to place the Sandman series in a stylized format such as Manga immediately catches you as not being on target. The series itself never used American stylization that you would see from Marvel, Image or DC illustrators, so seeing it in what is the same format with a different cultural bend goes against the rawer illustration that were always used (although Vess can't be considered raw) to depict the saga. And the use of the most childish of the Manga genre with large eyes and title emotions was a poor choice. Something in line with Lone Wolf and Cub wouldn't have been as bad as this.

Now as for the story, Jill Thompson built a solid foundation for the story as to what happened to everyone released from Hell when Lucifer closed up shop (something that I think was quite a smart idea) and she did an excellent job of building her story into that now famous arc. However the details were poor. The story was much longer than necessary. Death was discarded time and time again for the uniteresting goings on in her realm. And it just came off as pure camp. This series is too great to ever treat it campy.

Despair was underutilized and should have beem more of a force in dealing with the multitudes of people that came from her domain. Delirium who was actually the main focal point of the story was not handled as subtely as Gaiman had done. Her outbursts are all outlandish and she lacks that strand of sanity that was brought to the table by Gaiman. In Brief Lives, she has one moment of lucidity that makes you realize that she is only slighty less powerful than Death. And you never look at her the same way again despite her eccentricities. Jill does not underly her with this lucidity and makes the character seem like a crazed Scrappy Doo.

As for Death, she is possibily the best character ever created in any format. So she should not be left to just anyone. Jill is up and down with her, writing her to expectation sometimes and making a mockery of her at others. She would never jump up and down and yell at her brother. Had she ever done so in the series, she may have never become the icon she has become today. If you are a Death fan, this will not go over well with you. Perhaps only Gaiman should be allowed to write her.

Rating:
Summary: A strong stomach, and a streak of masochism.
Review: I'm not a big fan of manga, per se. I have read a few and found them enjoyable. I am a huge fan of Gaiman and Sandman, however, which is the only reason why I picked up this book. So I can't comment of whether this is a "good" Americanized version of manga. I can however say that the style perfectly suits the story. It's a fun retake on the "Seasons of Mists" Sandman storyline, from Death's point of view. The art is breezy and fun and comical at points. I can't emphasize FUN enough. Revisiting these old characters and themes are fun for the reader (though, maybe not for the characters), and I think that it's that essence that Jill Thompson was trying to capture. In my opinion, she did a magnificent job.

Also, in response to those that say that this isn't a good intro, I'm letting a friend borrow both this and my "Seasons of Mist" hardcover as a way to get introduced to the Sandman world. I figure that the little red book is whimsical enough and a quick enough read to give a general idea of what it's about, and then Seasons can really grab them.

Rating:
Summary: Fun! Retelling
Review: I'm not a big fan of manga, per se. I have read a few and found them enjoyable. I am a huge fan of Gaiman and Sandman, however, which is the only reason why I picked up this book. So I can't comment of whether this is a "good" Americanized version of manga. I can however say that the style perfectly suits the story. It's a fun retake on the "Seasons of Mists" Sandman storyline, from Death's point of view. The art is breezy and fun and comical at points. I can't emphasize FUN enough. Revisiting these old characters and themes are fun for the reader (though, maybe not for the characters), and I think that it's that essence that Jill Thompson was trying to capture. In my opinion, she did a magnificent job.

Also, in response to those that say that this isn't a good intro, I'm letting a friend borrow both this and my "Seasons of Mist" hardcover as a way to get introduced to the Sandman world. I figure that the little red book is whimsical enough and a quick enough read to give a general idea of what it's about, and then Seasons can really grab them.

Rating:
Summary: "Season of Mists" behind the scenes action!
Review: Jill Thompson has applied her unique talents to this behind-the-scenes look at the events of Neil Gaiman's "Season of Mists." The story begins with Destiny's gathering af the Endless and proceeds through the release of the Damned from Hell. Then Thompson's narrative kicks in. Ever wonder what Death was up to when those souls were released? Well, apparently most of them showed up in her realm looking for something to do. Delirium and Despair have to keep the lost souls entertained to keep them from wandering off as Death goes scouting for the stragglers.

The story is pretty light and breezy with Jill Thompsons trademark wit and penchant for Macabre-Cute. The most fascinating parts are the places the story crosses over with the "Season" storyline and Gaiman's original dialogue is used. Comparing the two books side-by-side reveals Thompson's respect for the original while adding a twist to the proceedings.

If you're a Sandman fan I highly recommend this book. However, those who haven't read "Season of Mists" probably won't have a clue as to what's going on. Also, if any people are put off by Manga Style comics (and I know a lot are) this book might be a little much. It is done in a very cartoony, black-and-white, sketch Manga Style (down to the fangs and bloody noses)but comes across as very authentic. Energetic, well paced and fun!

Rating:
Summary: An American can draw manga after all!
Review: Jill Thompson is the first American artist to succeed at drawing a competent, authentic-feeling comic book in a Japanese manga style.

You don't have to know anything about the "Sandman" series to understand and enjoy this book (I know nothing about Sandman and I didn't get lost at all). All the characters and their roles are briefly introduced at the start of the story and the only piece of back story that you need is worked into the plot. The story itself is a light romp through the afterlife, a tale of what goes wrong in the world when someone opens the door to Hell and lets everyone out. It's the responsibility of the main character, Death (a cute but lethal teenage girl), to patch things up.

It's a great read with wonderful artwork. If you like macabre or manga or anything cute and bloody, definitely get this book.

Rating:
Summary: VERY Cute, but not Essential Reading
Review: Jill Thompson's illustrative work is very enjoyable, and this is truly a unique take on the Sandman story. It offers the same story as seen from another character's (Death) perspective. Without having read the "Season of Mists" Sandman storyline, the reader may not actually be confused. I thought it rehashed a bit too much of Season of Mists. On the plus side, there is a good appendix section in the back with early concept art as well as summaries of the Sandman story arcs and a profile / history of Death, the character.

I reccomend "Death: The High Cost of Living" before reading this title.

Rating:
Summary: A strong stomach, and a streak of masochism.
Review: This book, for the most part, re-uses dialogue and plot from some of the later (but not final) books in the Sandman series. If you're familiar with the series, it may interest you to see the story recreated in a cutesy manga style. The original parts of the plot are limited to Death housing those who have been expelled from hell (I'm skirting spoilers) in the time that Dream is entertaining. These original parts (involving Despair and Delerium) were occasionally amusing, and equally occasionally wretched (the phrase "girl power" came up once (only once, thank the gods.)

My reaction, upon reading this, was that Vertigo wanted to use the current surgence of interest in Anime to rekindle awareness of the incomparably excellent Sandman series--a worthy goal, and I hope it works. Perhaps instead it was merely conceived of in fun--for all the disgust I've felt for parts of the story, I *did* find the concept (and parts of its execution) interesting. Either way, I can recommend the book only to those who have a sawbuck to spare and a slight masochistic streak.

Although it IS appropriate to see Morpheus conceived as a Bishonen boy. ^^

If you're familiar with the Sandman series and are looking for a new fix of story, steel yourself and try not to expect too much. If you're looking for good manga-style comics, see above. If you're unfamiliar with Sandman, you'll thank anything that leads you to rectify the situation.