Season of Mists

[jazzfish]

In which Morpheus goes to Hell to free his lover, and receives an unexpected gift.

• Harlan Ellison's introduction adds nothing. Oh well.
  
• Okay, it looks like I just don't like anyone's Morpheus-faces except for Sam Kieth, and sometimes Mike Dringenberg (honorable exception for Charles Vess). I can accept that. *checks wiki* I'll just spend the rest of the series grumbling that Morpheus looks wrong.
  
• This just overall feels like a Sandman story. P&N has a quest narrative that doesn't fit with the general mood, and Doll's House... it's good but it flails around a lot. Season of Mists has a coherent narrative and an appropriately mythic scope, and the telling of it feels complete and tight. Like the loose ends are deliberate choices rather than everything getting out of hand. I appreciate that a lot.
  
• I think this is the first time I've really noticed the lettering. I mean, Morpheus's white-on-black is blatant enough that you can't miss it, and Matthew the raven's caws fit him so well I hardly saw them. Here, with all the deities and entities in one place, with their varied fonts... it's a lovely effect.
  
• The various resolutions are, I think, perfectly done. The disposition of Hell, the reunion with Nala, Loki... and as I recall, Nuala the fae remains a minor character, which is nice.
  
• I wonder if Loki turns up again? I don't remember him doing so but that means very little.
  
• Now I want to reread Lucifer. Unfortunately, those trades were Emily's.