STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: COMICS/GRAPHIC NOVELS - “Death: A Winter’s Tale”
Most of the stories I cover tend to take more than an hour to read, watch, or play. However, today’s topic is going to be a quick read… mostly because my knowledge of the character is small, and based on what I’ve heard about this series, it’s better to start small.
Written by Neil Gaiman and art by Jeff Jones, Death: A Winter’s Tale is a 5-page somewhat origin story of Death, a character from Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novel series.
In A Winter’s Tale, Death narrates that at one point in her life, she was tired of her job because of the recently deceased not wanting to be taken.
The story is essentially a monologue piece that very well could be performed on stage if done right. I have to be vague about how she solves her dilemma (don’t worry, it’s nothing profound) so, sorry about that.
The paperback collection I have, Death, contains this short story, and because I’ve seen other artists’ portrayal of Death, this one I’m not too big a fan of. I prefer to like seeing clearly the characters I’m looking at.
That being said, the art is effective with this type of story, giving a blurry look at what Death goes through, possibly like what Death is going through right now in this situation or moment.
I came across this collection having vaguely familiar with Sandman thanks to some friends who cosplayed some of the characters. I thought maybe reading about a character from the series would help me get into it.
Sadly, it did not, but that shouldn’t stop you guys from seeking it out yourself.
If it DOES sound interesting to you, then walk through the snow, and check it out.
