Sandman: Brief Lives (Volume VII)

Posted: Wednesday, June 2, 2004
By: Filip Vukcevic

collecting issues #41 to #49 of the DC/Vertigo series

Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artists: Jill Thompson(p), Vince Locke(i)

Publisher: DC (Softcover ISBN: 1-56389-138-7)

Plot:
The unlikely pair of Dream and Delirium go searching for their missing brother in this arc-driven tale. Over the course of the story certain members of the Endless family teach things to one another, and perhaps at the end, are not the same people (beings?) they were at the beginning.

Comments:
Gaiman is a really awesome writer. To the max. This guy just oozes coolness, mystery, and that 'deep' sort of literature you were always looking for in English class but never seemed to find. Our story begins by taking us to the current day location of Morpheus' son, Orpheus, or what's left of him anyways. (For the full deal, check out 'The Song of Orpheus' in Vol. VI, Fables and Reflections) We see Orpheus several times throughout, and he comes to play an important role in the story. Also, by the end, the relationship between Morpheus and his son finally moves ahead and is resolved. Interestingly we learn that the resolution is one that leads to some serious contemplation from Morpheus, something that he may not have bothered with earlier in his life. The theme of family is an important one in this story and in this volume we really get the feeling that while they may have their differences coughDesirecough, the seven Endless are still a family and families care for each other.

One day, Delirium decides that she needs a 'change' - a subtle theme of the story and of the series as a whole. She goes to visit some of her siblings and in a moment of frustration and fear recalls the kindness of her older brother, Destruction. But wait! Destruction has been missing for three hundred years - time to go to work. Somewhat uncharacteristic of her, Delirium comes up with a plan and manages to stick to it. Well, it isn't as much of a plan as it is just her going around and asking her siblings for help, but hey, for Delirium, that's quite an accomplishment. It probably does not come as a surprise that nobody wants to help her in her mission, and it probably will come as a surprise that she ends up convincing Dream to help her. The two of them form an unlikely pair; Dream, very serious and morose, is constantly trying to contain the flowery Delirium who just can't stop conjuring up colorful frogs, butterflies, and puffs of smoke, when she isn't asking for synonyms for words that don't even exist. It leads to some funny situations, but the point is that the character contrast of the serious Dream and the crazy Delirium causes both characters to change over the course of their journey.

By the end of the story we find out what Destruction has been up to and more importantly why. We learn that Despair and Desire have something to be afraid of, and most important of all, we learn that Dream has changed; and perhaps is still changing. We can also suspect that Dream's actions in this story will have serious repercussions in the rest of the Sandman saga.

The art is done by Jill Thompson and Vince Locke, oddly enough, for each and every one of the issues in the TPB. No complaints at that, it's just that usually Sandman books have as many artists as they have issues. The art is pretty good, if a little lacking in detail. It's not all wacky and rough like some past issues, but it could have used a bit more depth. The consistent team does lend a nice feel to the book and helps it stand out as the arc-driven volume that it is, as opposed to some of the earlier volumes that contain stand-alone stories.

Final Word:
Brief Lives is a great entry in the saga of the Sandman. It gives you lots to think about, it's a long and entertaining story, it advances the overall plot of the series, and it has some good artwork. While it may not be as good as volumes III or IV, Brief Lives is a great tale, and definitely one of the better Sandman volumes.