Death: The Time of Your Life
Encyclopedia
Death: The Time of Your Life is a three-issue American comic book
mini-series
written by Neil Gaiman
, one of many spinoffs from his series The Sandman. It was illustrated by Chris Bachalo
and Mark Buckingham
, and features an introduction by Claire Danes
. The series ran from April to July 1996
and has been collected into a single volume
.
This story brings back characters Donna Cavanagh (who prefers to go by the name of Foxglove
) and her lesbian
partner Hazel McNamara from a previous Sandman series of stories, A Game of You.
dress, shows up to take him, Hazel makes a promise in desperation
. The promise is that either Hazel or Fox will take Alvie's place when Death returns, if only she will let Alvie live for a while longer. The story touches upon the pressures of living private and public lives, as well as fidelity
, love, and duty.
Fan Award for Favorite Limited Series for 1997.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
written by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, one of many spinoffs from his series The Sandman. It was illustrated by Chris Bachalo
Chris Bachalo
Chris Bachalo is an American comic book illustrator known for his quirky, cartoon-like style. He became well known for stints on DC Comics’ Shade, the Changing Man and Neil Gaiman's two Death series...
and Mark Buckingham
Mark Buckingham
Mark Buckingham is a British comic book artist. He is better known for his work on Marvelman and Fables.-Biography:Born as Mark John Buckingham May 23, 1966 in Clevedon, United Kingdom...
, and features an introduction by Claire Danes
Claire Danes
Claire Catherine Danes is an American actress of television, stage and film. She has appeared in roles as diverse as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as Yvaine in Stardust and as Temple Grandin in...
. The series ran from April to July 1996
1996 in comics
-Year overall:* Malcolm Jones III commits suicide at circa age 37.* Boody Rogers, creator of Sparky Watts, dies at c. age 92-January:* January 19: Bernard Baily, co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman, dies at age 79.* January 28:...
and has been collected into a single volume
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
.
This story brings back characters Donna Cavanagh (who prefers to go by the name of Foxglove
Foxglove (DC Comics)
Foxglove is a fictional character from the Sandman graphic novels, written by Neil Gaiman. She first appears in Sandman #32 , though she is first mentioned by her real name in Sandman #6 ....
) and her lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
partner Hazel McNamara from a previous Sandman series of stories, A Game of You.
Plot
As the story opens, Foxglove is a very successful singer-songwriter currently on a very important tour. Her relationship with Hazel is slowly unravelling, due mainly to the building pressures of her newfound fame. One night, Hazel's son, Alvie (an accidental result of Hazel's one and only heterosexual encounter), dies. When Death, personified as a teenage girl in a gothGothic fashion
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, black lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths wear dark eyeliner and dark fingernails. Styles are...
dress, shows up to take him, Hazel makes a promise in desperation
Desperation
Desperation is a horror novel by Stephen King. It was published in 1996 at the same time as its "mirror" novel, The Regulators. It was made into a TV film starring Ron Perlman, Tom Skeritt, and Steven Weber in 2006....
. The promise is that either Hazel or Fox will take Alvie's place when Death returns, if only she will let Alvie live for a while longer. The story touches upon the pressures of living private and public lives, as well as fidelity
Fidelity
"Fidelity" is the quality of being faithful or loyal. Its original meaning regarded duty to a lord or a king, in a broader sense than the related concept of fealty. Both derive from the Latin word fidēlis, meaning "faithful or loyal"....
, love, and duty.
Awards
The original miniseries was a top vote-getter for the Comics Buyer's GuideComics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
Fan Award for Favorite Limited Series for 1997.
Other Sandman spin-offs
- Death: The High Cost of LivingDeath: The High Cost of LivingDeath: The High Cost of Living is an American comic book miniseries, written by Neil Gaiman with art by Chris Bachalo and Mark Buckingham. It is a spin-off from Gaiman's best-selling Vertigo Comics series The Sandman, featuring the Sandman 's elder sister, Death of the Endless in a self-contained...
- Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths ForetoldDestiny: A Chronicle of Deaths ForetoldDestiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold is a 1996 comic book mini-series published by Vertigo, written by Alisa Kwitney and with art by Kent Williams, Michael Zulli, Scott Hampton and Rebecca Guay...