Two of the most beloved stories inspired by DC‘s The Sandman, featuring the Endless in the style of a children’s book, are coming back to charm a new audience.
Per DC (via Screen Rant), The Little Endless Storybook and Delirium’s Party: A Little Endless Storybook are being reprinted in a special hardcover box set, which is set for release on June 4, 2024. Both tales are written and illustrated by Jill Thompson, who first portrayed the Little Endless versions of Death and Dream in a canon issue of The Sandman’s main series.
The Little Endless Storybook Box Set
- Release Date: June 4 2024
- Writer: Jill Thompson
- Artist: Jill Thompson
- Cover Artist: Jill Thompson
- From the pages of The Sandman #40 comes award-winning author/artist Jill Thompson’s adorable versions of the Endless family in two grand adventures! In Delirium’s Party: A Little Endless Storybook, Delirium decides to throw her sister Despair a party. Can the merriest member of the Endless succeed in cheering up her gloomy sibling? And in the follow-up tale, The Little Endless Storybook, Delirium has gone missing! Now her puppy and protector, Barnabas, must travel to the strange realms of each of the Endless to see if any of her siblings have seen their sister.
When did The Sandman introduce the Little Endless?
The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, is a dark fantasy comic of DC’s Vertigo label which was first published in 1989 and completed in 1996. Although the series is intended for an adult audience and known for its mature and macabre themes, it took a lighthearted turn in Issue #40 with a story told by one of the characters, the Biblical figure Abel. As Abel recounts his history of being killed by his brother, the art changes into a cute and bright style to match his child-friendly filter on events, resulting in a very different look at the Endless siblings Dream and Death.
Thompson’s portrayal of these characters in the issue was so popular that in 2004 she completed an entire comic book in that style, telling an original story that aptly centered on the youngest of the Endless, Delirium. Each of her siblings make an appearance as she becomes separated from her faithful dog Barnabas and he searches across the realms of the Endless until they’re reunited.
In 2011, the special was followed up by a second Little Endless story titled Delirium’s Party, in which Delirium attempts to cheer up her sister Despair by throwing her a party.
Interest in The Sandman has surged since its adaptation into a live-action Netflix TV series, which aired its first season in 2021. A second season is in the works, with several new members of the Endless promised to make their debut.
