Death: The High Cost of Living
Death: The High Cost of Living is a graphic novel miniseries by Neil Gaiman (text writer) , Chris Bachalo (illustrator), Mark Buckingham (illustrator) and Todd Klein (letterer). It is a spin-off of the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman. The series consists of three parts, which first appeared in 1993 on DC Comics and became the top-selling comic of the Vertigo label . Today it is available as an anthology with a foreword by Tori Amos .
action
To the sixteen year old Sexton Furnival his life seems meaningless. He is suicidal when he meets the gothic girl Didi of the same age . Didi claims to be the one day mortal incarnation of Death . Sexton thinks she is crazy, but still accompanies her to a rock concert.
After a while, Theo, a classmate of Sexton's, appears at the concert and persuades Didi to come with him. Sexton reluctantly follows. Theo leads them to his teacher, a kind of magician who calls himself a "hermit" and locks Didi and Sexton in a warehouse. In doing so, he hopes to bring death under his control.
After a few hours Didi and Sexton are released from the warehouse. They have breakfast together and go for a walk in the park. There Didi says goodbye to Sexton and falls dead. In retrospect, Sexton learns from Didi's neighbor that she had a heart defect and that she had to reckon with her imminent death from early childhood.
After these experiences, Sexton gives up his intention to commit suicide.
particularities
At the end of the anthology there is an educational comic in which Death discusses the topic of AIDS and gives practical tips with the help of John Constantine .