The Sandman Vol. 7: Brief Lives (1994)

This seventh volume of the Sandman is one of my favourites so far; the story of Delirium and Death's search for their lost brother, Destruction.

"I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend. I can pretend things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend."

( )

OKAY here we go. This volume is awesome. Anything with all the Endless hanging out together is awesome, and Dream Delirium is my favourite duo. They're just fabulous together. Delirium dancing about making butterflies while Dream just stands perfectly still, staring at nothing. I really liked this conversational trend:

Someone: Hm, Dream, you seem like slightly less of an asshole nowadays, is it possible you've changed a bit?
Dream: Doubtful.

Aw, Dream. Adorable. I especially liked when Death was calling him out for making Delirium sad, and he was being a confused puppy about it. The relationships between the Endless are just so wonderful to watch unfold. At the beginning of the series, when we see Dream finally escaping captivity and going on his missions to get his stuff back, he seems so badass and awesome, the master of his kingdom, and then when you see him interacting with his family you get to see how haughty and stubborn he is. You can see why people who don't know him would be in awe of him, but really he can be petulant and mopey and petty.

I loved meeting Destruction, and learning some more about Despair. More backstories pleeeeeeease ( )

What is really a road trip is really a helluvalot more than just a roadtrip when Dream and Delirium search for their long lost brother of change, Destruction.

Nothing is quite as funny and quirky in these Graphic Novels like Delirium, and nobody is quite as quietly disturbing, deep down. How does one need to so completely retreat from Delight by willingly throwing oneself into deepest madness? *shiver*

I really loved this volume. Things change.

The other most memorable and thought-provoking stories are those of Ishtar and Bast and Orpheus, but honestly, I can't bring myself to pick which I liked the most. They all resonate deeply. :)

This is the Sandman I remember decades later, and it holds up as endlessly now as it did the first time I read it. :) ( )

Why does he have to be so...
The Sandman characters are so removed from life that I can never fathom why they make me feel so strongly. Or maybe because they are so removed from life, so much larger than life itself, that gives it the beauty nothing else could quite capture. ( )

In this book, we are fully back with the Endless family. Delirium wishes to see her brother Destruction who walked away from the family 300 years ago. After failing to persuade Desire and Despair to go with her, he manages to convince Dream to come with her. They start with his last named contacts, but as they visit them, these people are either killed or run away and hide. After Dream talks to one of Destruction’s former lovers, Ishtar, she performs her final furious dance at the strip club where she works. It is destroyed, and she dies too. Dream realises that as they seek Destruction, they are leaving a trail of death and destruction behind them, and decides to cease searching. Delirium withdraws into her realm, shocked and angry that they have given up. After seeing the goddess Bast, Dream is told by Death that they must continue. After visiting Destiny they are directed to Orpheus, Dream’s son, who knows the whereabouts of Destruction.

With this new information they find him and his dog in a small cabin, painting and writing. During dinner he admits that he had put safeguards in place should anyone try and locate him, and reveals why he had abandoned his realm. He decides to put himself beyond the reach of all, by disappearing into space. Dream returns to Orpheus, and as a way of thanks, permits him finally to die.

Whilst it is not as bleaks as some of the earlier books, Gaiman has taken these stories as a way of introducing us to the wider family of Dream, and the various power plays between the siblings and their strange roles that they have. Great illustrations make this such a good series to read. ( )