 |
| Comic trade paperback, 189 pages Published 2006 (contents: 2005-06) Borrowed from the library Read March 2012 |
Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly, Colleen Doran, Michael Wm. Kaluta
Colorist: Daniel Vozzo
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
The structural similarities between The Sandman and Lucifer continue: the climax of Lucifer comes in its second-last volume. Most of this volume is given over to the epic story "Morningstar," where everything comes to a head. Lucifer decides to save the universe from Fenris, and in doing so, must return to Hell to convince the new ruler of Hell, Christopher Rudd, to side with the Silver City and not against it. The story has its moments (Lucifer, Mazikeen, and Elaine Belloc are all badass), but too much of it is again generic fantasy without much in the way of apparent rules.
It all picks up when Elaine sits on the Primum Mobile, placing herself at the highest point in creation, and making contact with God, who is outside it. The conversation between Elaine, Lilith, and God over the fate of the universe is great, as is Elaine's journey into Lucifer's universe to save all three creations from destruction. The end of the book, as Elaine sits in ascendancy over the remaining combined universe, is fantastic. (I also amazed when Elaine reverted to the age she held at the beginning of the series when she sat on the Primum Mobile. I hadn't realized how much she'd aged since then; the artists have done it very gradually, which is quite clever.)
Despite the epic events of this volume, Carey still finds time for two side stories. The first, "The Wheels of God," is another featuring Solomon, and I didn't see the point of it, besides wrapping up the fates of some of the random side characters I'd long forgotten about. It still has its moments, though. The second is "The Beast Can't Take Your Call Right Now," which tells what happens when a magician summons the most powerful demon in Hell... only Rudd's taken them all out and so only Gaudium and Spera are left. Hilarity ensues (except that though Michael Kaluta's art is good, it took me too long to figure out who Gaudium actually was).
It all picks up when Elaine sits on the Primum Mobile, placing herself at the highest point in creation, and making contact with God, who is outside it. The conversation between Elaine, Lilith, and God over the fate of the universe is great, as is Elaine's journey into Lucifer's universe to save all three creations from destruction. The end of the book, as Elaine sits in ascendancy over the remaining combined universe, is fantastic. (I also amazed when Elaine reverted to the age she held at the beginning of the series when she sat on the Primum Mobile. I hadn't realized how much she'd aged since then; the artists have done it very gradually, which is quite clever.)
Despite the epic events of this volume, Carey still finds time for two side stories. The first, "The Wheels of God," is another featuring Solomon, and I didn't see the point of it, besides wrapping up the fates of some of the random side characters I'd long forgotten about. It still has its moments, though. The second is "The Beast Can't Take Your Call Right Now," which tells what happens when a magician summons the most powerful demon in Hell... only Rudd's taken them all out and so only Gaudium and Spera are left. Hilarity ensues (except that though Michael Kaluta's art is good, it took me too long to figure out who Gaudium actually was).
No comments:
Post a Comment