Neil Gaiman
This was the last of my Sandman extras. Well, for now at least. To start off, this thing is huge–not just huge as in double the size of a normal book, but also massively heavy. It was such a pain in the butt to keep on the shelf, and don’t even mention what happens when you try to transport it anywhere. Just bringing it home from the library was an ordeal. Despite all this, the book itself is beautiful (and worth about one hundred dollars), so if you’re looking to buy a Sandman collectible that won’t be lugged around, then this is the purchase for you. This is a “sit on a shelf forever” kind of book.
The inside contains all the issues involving Death. Since I read the Sandman series as well as her little extra volume, I had already seen most of this collector’s edition. There were a few issues I had never seen before, so even though I nearly broke my back dragging this tome home, there was still a few surprises between its leather covers. The storyline involving Hazel and Foxglove warmed my heart because I felt that we finally got to see the conclusion to their lives. In a way, if was fitting for me to feel like they were finally done in a book devoted to Death. Also, I really liked the bit when Death explains that she loves everyone very much. That brought me great comfort.
At the end of this dictionary-sized volume are several dozen color pictures of Death in various outfits. Since her fashion is one of my favorite aspects of her character, I was quite pleased to flip through all the collected illustrations. If you happen to just casually read the Sandman books, then I wouldn’t bother snapping your arms off trying to bring this home. However, if you are a huge fan of the series, then I think checking this out would make your day. Just make sure to go to your local library for it–it’s way too expensive to buy(in my opinion).