Death: The High Cost of Living
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Death: The High Cost of Living is a comic book miniseries, written by Neil Gaiman. It is one of many spinoffs from his graphic novel series The Sandman. It was pencilled by Chris Bachalo.
In The High Cost of Living the main character is a teenage girl named Didi, who at first appears to be an eccentric, orphaned goth, but who insists that she is Death personified. She guides a young male protagonist on a journey of self discovery. Gaiman's take is a young, attractive, perky Death in this fresh interpretation of the idea that 'One day in every century, Death walks the Earth to better understand those to whom she will be the final visitor.' Didi manages to run into a number of people including the "Eremite" and a British woman named Mad Hettie who is looking for her heart.
The High Cost of Living was originally published in three issues, which have since been collected into a book. This collection included a foreword written by singer Tori Amos, as well as the hard-to-find public service comic Death Talks about Life, written by Gaiman and drawn by Dave McKean, which features a graphic depiction about AIDS, a general discussion of safe sex, and instructions on how to wear a condom, using a banana as a prop. Death Talks about Life is also notable for featuring Hellblazer protagonist John Constantine in a cameo role.
A movie based on this is in works with New Line cinema. Neil Gaiman has confirmed that this movie is in progress and that he is planning on directing it.
The mini-series won the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Limited Comic-Book Series for 1992.
