The Sandman - Issue 21 - Season of Mists - A Prologue

An epic tale awaits us like none before, beginning in the gardens of Destiny, seeded by the Creator and maintained by Time, the meticulous record keeper of all infinite possibilities.

Forgive my ramble; it's just the effect this issue and this arc has on me. For instance, I can recall several books that influenced my writing, Stephen King's IT. For all its flaws, I came away from the ending feeling like Bill Denborough, mourning the friends he no longer remembered. I felt that way about the Losers. Thanks to that book, creating characters that readers loved became vital in how I write anything.

Season of Mists is another literary landmark for me.

When I feel I've hit a wall with a story, re-reading Season of Mists always shifts something in my brain and gives me the jump start I need to keep going. Of all the Sandman volumes, this one isn't just a favourite; it's a bible. It's a piece of work that gives me faith that great stories exist and can come from anything. Also preconceived ideas can always be challenged to be shaped beautifully in the retelling. Season of Mists is this and a whole lot more for me.

So without further ado, let's take a walk.

Issue 21, titled Seasons of Mists - A Prologue (or what I like to call Who's Coming to Dinner), begins with our introduction to Destiny. As mentioned before, we didn't actually see the firstborn of the Endless until this issue. We find Destiny in his garden of manicured lawns, mazes and meandering paths. I imagine it's modelled after the stately gardens of the Victorian era, complete with Greco/Roman columns and fountains.

Neil gives us a sublime explanation of this realm and Destiny's function. It's two pages of beautiful prose that once again promises us we're about to read a literary masterpiece.

Destiny's daily walk through his gardens is interrupted by the arrival of The Fates, or, as he calls them, the Grey Ladies. Enigmatic as ever, Destiny isn't immune to the Three's prophecy and is puzzled when told that his garden is the beginning of a significant shift in the order of things. Naturally, Destiny is sceptical because while the garden charts all possibilities, it does not originate them. Only after being challenged to look at the book of Destiny, where all things are recorded he realizes the ladies are correct. He needs to call a family meeting.

Destiny goes to his gallery and stands before the portraits of his siblings, all clad in 17th-century English fashions and summons them. The first, of course, is Death, who appears in her trademark goth clothing to the disapproval of her older brother. He's a traditionalist, and jeans are not formal dinner wear. To appease him, she dresses up (I love her outfit) and waits while he summons Dream next. Morpheus arrives wearing the same clothes as his portrait, complete with a tricorn hat. He notes that Death has dressed for the occasion and teases her. Death reacts to this as well as you can imagine, with her tongue stuck out.

Next comes Desire, who is wearing their own clothes and not about to change for anybody, and Despair, who wears nothing at all. When Despair remarks that only two of them are left to appear, Destiny reminds them one of their number will not be attending, having made his feelings clear long ago. Instead, he goes to the portrait of a young girl looking innocent and pristine before summoning Delirium, whom Sandman readers haven't encountered before.

Delirium arrives looking nothing like her picture but what one imagines a drugged-out punk teenager might resemble. She's a mess, but that's the point. She's uncertain of herself, revealing how fragmented her life is, how her thoughts are shifting constantly like a kaleidescope. Being a good big sister, Death immediately welcomes her as Destiny leads the group to the Refectory. On our way there, we get a brief description of the Endless, expanding on who they are and how they are perceived by those whose lives they play such a big part. Only Death is denied any elaboration, but she doesn't need it. She's an open book, and we love her for it.

Once the family is in the Refectory, another room that perfectly fits Destiny's stoic personality, refreshments are called. Destiny bids his guests to sit so he can explain why he has summoned them. He reveals the visit by the Three Sisters and the result of their cryptic riddle to him. As challenged by them, Destiny consulted his book to learn something tumultuous is about to take place, and it has its origins in the meeting he has just convened.

Morpheus impatiently insists on knowing why they had to be summoned here, and Destiny can no more elaborate except to tell him that he was required to call a meeting of his siblings. What happens after that is up to them. It has been centuries since they all gathered together like this and should have something to say to each other. The answer doesn't satisfy Morpheus, who is irritated at being away from the Dreaming when he still has much work to do. His impatience isn't helped by the fact that no one other than Delirium has anything to say. He almost leaves until Death, ever the mediator, coaxes him into staying, hilariously offering him a grape.

Desire, always the antagonist, suggests they can make Morpheus want a grape, which gets the rise they expected from their older brother. Then Desire launches into a rather mean-spirited explanation of their function, driving the butterflies created by Delerium into the flame of the candles. Delirium is visibly upset even though Death is there to greet them after their passing. While Despair makes some effort to calm everyone down, Destiny watches out of habit, I'm assuming, as his family tries to engage in civil discourse. Not an easy thing to do when Desire takes every opportunity to needle their siblings. Calling Delirium Delight sets their youngest member off until Destiny speaks to us.

Morpheus sees no point in this, repeating that they have nothing to discuss. Desire turns their attention to him and brings up Morpheus's unsuccessful love life, mocking Calliope, Killalla (I think) and then finally, Nada. Desire continues to hammer the point, reminding Morpheus how much Nada loved him and rightly calling out how badly he treated her by sentencing her to hell for ten millennia. This results in an explosive outburst from Morpheus that almost comes to blows until big brother Destiny stops it. Morpheus, admonished retreats from the room to calm down.

Like the cat that ate the canary, Desire revels in their direct hit until a scathing rebuke from Death silences them instantly. Once again, Death is not someone I want to see pissed off.

Meanwhile, Morpheus has retreated to the balcony overlooking the gardens, recovering from Desire's very deep cut, only to have Death intrude on his brooding. Like any good sister, she's come to see if he's okay. Morpheus, yet to expel the anger at the incident, rants about how wounded he was by Desire's comments and how violently he would have reacted if not for Destiny. Worse yet, none of his siblings spoke up in his defence when they knew how much he loved Nada and the effect of her rejection on him.

If Morpheus was expecting sympathy from Death, he's soon disappointed.

Death is not on board with how he treated Nada, and before Morpheus can further accuse her of siding with Desire, she forces him to hear her out. Death explains that Nada really did love him, even if Desire might have had something to do with it. Furthermore, Nada was right; it's not wise for the Endless to become involved with mortals. It always ends badly. Morpheus states he would have made Nada a goddess. Nada might not have wanted that, Death counters. And because of her rejection, she was sentenced to Hell. It's cruel and unfair.

Death's honesty makes Morpheus realize his sins. He's a grown-ass entity who should have worked this out centuries ago, but I digress. Morpheus, finally seeing his crime, decides he must make amends. Although he's reluctant to face Lucifer Morningstar after the events of Hope in Hell, he has no choice. He has done wrong, and he needs to put things right. After stating his intention to return to the Dreaming to get his affairs in order, Morpheus asks Death to apologize to the others and bids her farewell. Death warns him not to do anything stupid, but Morpheus says it's too late for that. If his mission fails, he'll see her one last time.

Death returns to the Refectory and tenders Morpheus's apology for leaving the meeting early. Destiny tells her there is no need; the meeting is over. The purpose of it has been achieved.

Morpheus is returning to Hell.

And that's it for this recap! Hope you enjoyed it

Next - Issue 22 - Chapter One

Previous - Issue 20 - Facade