There are those comics you read once, acknowledge it's good then put it away and forget about it. Then there are those that really makes you think. Sandman is one of them.

Season of Mists is in bottom a pretty easy and straight-going story but at the same time pretty complicated…
    Morpheus, or Dream of the Endless, prepares for a trip to Hell in order to free a soul. A soul he once condemned to Hell himself. Though he is not sure of the outcome of his trip, he expects the worse. Probably not as he expected he ends up with the key to an empty Hell as Lucifer leaves him with the words: "Perhaps I ought to have given it to you with my best wishes. I could have told you that I hoped it would bring you happiness. But somehow… somehow I doubt it will."
    And it doesn't. As other — demons and gods — find out about this treasure, which Morpheus is in possession of they all bring their offer to him. Morpheus finds himself in a dilemma. It's not easy to choose.

Season of Mists is a fascinating story. It's a story mostly about gods and creatures of higher things as such, but yet they all have their human weaknesses. Morpheus who feels he's acted wrong decides to go back to Hell to free the woman he himself once condemned there. Lucifer, the fallen angel, who rebelled against his master and got punished by never being able to come back to where he belonged. All the other gods and creatures from different mythologies and tales who all have their reasons for wanting the key to Hell.

After reading Seson of Mists I came to think about a quote by Edwin Paine on the first page, in the very beginning of the comic: "You don't have to stay anywhere for ever." And I remember Lucifer who's gotten tired of his Hell and as he is locking all the gates for the last time he points out that none of these sinners need to stay there. He doesn't understand why they all keep comming to him asking for pain and torture or why he's always been to blame for peoples' sins. He doesn't want any souls. He doesn't even understand how somebody can own a soul. "No they belong to themselves…" he says. "…they just hate to face up to it."
    Maybe we create our own Hell. He's got a point there.