Ms. Smartarse's Reviews > The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives

Dream is moping in the wake of his latest break-up, but is willing to temporarily put things aside to accompany his sister in searching for their lost brother Destruction. While our sulky protagonist is convinced that Delirium would soon lose interest in her quest, the increasing number of tragic accidents they encounter on the way, makes him suspicious.



After my numerous grumblings about Dream taking the backseat in the last few volumes, I was delighted to have him center stage once again. Having a family member in tow and more backstory, was just the icing on the cake. Yes, I could now see the merit of Orpheus' story taking up so much space in the previous volume. Not that it makes it any less boring...

There's a whole lot of character development to be had, and not just for Dream, who's once again confronted with how much of an arsehole he is. His siblings Delirium and Destruction, and to a lesser degree Despair, also get some rather interesting portrayals. The job responsibility motive is revisited again, this time from a more taboo point of view.



The art style is consistently improving, getting more and more appealing and detailed. I especially enjoyed discovering the various eternal siblings' realms, and finding meaning in their choice of decoration.

Score: 4.4/5 stars

For all my raving about the content, characterization and art, I found the actual reading process a bit tedious. There's a whole lot of world building and self-reflection squeezed into this volume, which at times made things seem a bit overwhelming and had me pause for quite a while after each chapter. Though perhaps that's not such a bad thing...



Like most fantasy lovers, I've also tuned in to watch the recent Netflix adaptation. While I was basking in my withdrawal symptoms, I realized that I didn't in fact need to succumb to them, seeing as I own all volumes of the comic books, and could thus make progress at my own pace. And boy did I love this one! Bring in the next installment!

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Review of volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
Review of volume 2: The Doll's House
Review of volume 3: Dream Country
Review of volume 4: Season of Mists
Review of volume 5: A Game of You
Review of volume 6: Fables & Reflections
Review of volume 8: World's End