Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold explained

Schedule:Monthly
Limited:y
Publisher:DC Comics
Date:April 1996 – July 1996
Issues:3
Main Char Team:Destiny of the Endless
Writers:Alisa Kwitney
Artists:Kent Williams
Michael Zulli
Scott Hampton
Rebecca Guay
Colorists:Sherilyn Van Valkenburgh
Letterers:Todd Klein
Editors:Karen Berger
Joan Hilty
Tpb:Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold
Isbn:1-56389-505-6
Subcat:Vertigo Comics
Sort:Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold

Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold is a 1996 comic book mini-series published by Vertigo, written by Alisa Kwitney and with art by Kent Williams, Michael Zulli, Scott Hampton and Rebecca Guay. A spin-off from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, it features Destiny of the Endless, a character available for use by other writers because, unlike the other Endless, Gaiman had not created him.[1]

Published in prestige format, each of the three issues detailed a story of a different plague from history, with a framing sequence set in a future world decimated by a new plague. Each issue's story was illustrated by a different artist, with Zulli, Hampton and Guay painting issues one, two and three respectively; the framing story and cover art were by Williams.[2]

The title is a reference to the novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez.

Plot

In October 2009, the world's population has been decimated by the spread of new strain of the Bubonic Plague which is resistant to antibiotics. One small group of survivors, led by Ruth Knight, is visited by a stranger who claims to possess a page from the Book of Destiny that foretells the future. To prove its accuracy he tells stories from the page of the Byzantine Empire during the Plague of Justinian (issue one), a princess at the beginning of the Black Death (issue two) and an Englishwoman during the Great Plague of London (issue three). Destiny himself is involved in each of the stories. The stranger then claims the page predicts the future of the current plague as well, and offers Ruth knowledge of her own destiny.

Awards

Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold was nominated for the Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series" in 1998; the award went to .[3]

Collected editions

It was collected in 2000 as a 144-page trade paperback with a new introduction by Kwitney. It is no longer in print.[4]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Continuity Pages: The Sandman > The Dreaming Era (1996–2001) . 2008-01-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070816222159/http://www.sequart.com/sandmanPOSTGAIMAN.htm . 2007-08-16 . dead.
  2. Book: Irvine, Alex . Alexander C. Irvine . Destiny . Dougall . Alastair . The Vertigo Encyclopedia . 57 . . New York . 2008 . 978-0-7566-4122-1 . 213309015.
  3. Web site: Eisner award nominees 1998 . 2008-01-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080107103257/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner98.shtml . 2008-01-07 . dead.
  4. Web site: Trade details at DC . 2008-01-31 . 2008-10-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081007130936/http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1603 . dead .