|
LUCIFER #22
"Paradiso Part 2 of 3"
Recommended (8/10)
|
DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: Peter Gross & Ryan Kelly
Colors: Daniel Vozzo
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Shelly Bond
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
The second part of "Paradiso" reminds me why I decided to start waiting for trade paperbacks of Lucifer, as Carey's story assumes a lot of memory on the part of readers, both of the first part of the story and previous Lucifer tales. However, for those who have
been following the over-arcing mythology of this series, the story continues to
get bigger and more impressive. Forces from various quarters begin to align
themselves against Lucifer or his creation, and it would seem that the politics
of this title are about to turn more to open warfare instead.
Carey really does assume a lot of knowledge on the part of his readers. Elements of story here refer back to early issues with Elaine Belloc, the House of Windowless Rooms, the Lilim, the Basanos, the Jin En Mok and other characters and factors that have been introduced as far back as two years ago. While the characters stand on their own to some degree, I can't imagine that anyone reading this without reading the rest of the Lucifer series wouldn't feel a little
lost. However, the upside to this is that Carey has crafted a grand tapestry
that really feels epic. There's a sense of a lot of powerful forces getting
ready to move, and I'm anxious to see the conflicts that will result.
There are a lot of really great characters in Lucifer as well. Leaving aside
Carey's masterful take on Lucifer himself, we have the funny and streetwise
Gaudium, poor Jill Presto who has gotten in way over her head, the immensely
likable Elaine Belloc and the deliciously wicked Jin En Mok and Lilim. Though
these characters are unworldly, their characterization is easy to relate to.
Part of what makes the epic
feel work, and for that matter, the strength of characterization, is the
stunning artwork by Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly. Their take on the futuristic
city in Lucifer's creation is quite impressive. The violence and gore of the Jin
En Mok's pursuit of Elaine gives a real sense of danger and excitement. And the
Basanos are properly distant and creepy, with the use of a ghostly young girl as
their frequent spokesman a particularly impressive choice.
Lucifer is not an easy book to get into, and it's
probably a really good thing that DC is printing trades to keep new potential
readers in the loop. However, it is a book that rewards long-time readers, and
I'm quite impressed at the way it combines mythology, fantasy and politics into
a compelling read, month after month.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
