The conclusion of Purgatorio is as good as Lucifer gets, encompassing strange politics, epic warfare and moral compromises along with gorgeous artwork to move Carey's tapestry of stories forward. Despite Carey having laid out the motivations and dealings of the various forces along the way, and providing a logical consistency to their actions, there are still plenty of surprises in this concluding issue. And despite a satisfying conclusion, there are still a couple of questions left as to what happens next, keeping me as interested in seeing the next issue as I was satisfied with this one.
One of my favorite aspects of this series has been the political aspect, best exemplified by the "Dalliance with the Damned" story but also in full force in this arc. The politics of war, and shifting alliances, are depicted very well in this issue, as Lucifer manipulates former enemies into being allies, turns embittered friends back to his side and uses one of the Basanos's strengths against them. In addition, there are fascinating hints about the politics of Heaven, every bit as interesting and deadly as those of Hell, which makes an interesting point about the Vertigo cosmology.
There are some stunning visuals in this issue. The charge of the Lilim needed to be truly impressive to make the moment in the story work, and Gross and Kelly and Vozzo delivered an amazing picture of a demonic force charging into battle against an implacable foe. They were also challenged to depict Michael speaking with God in a way that was effective and awe-inspiring without being overly specific about God's appearance, and they had to show off the Basanos' anger and frustration as they realized that Lucifer had played them.
Like the best series, Lucifer has a constantly changing status quo. The death of a major character, revealed more fully in this issue, came as something of a surprise to me, although I'm not certain that Carey is done with the character just yet. And the movement of old enemies and obligations against Lucifer, the long-term plotting that is obviously going on with the series, is also one of the big selling point of the series for me.
This issue, like this series, has a bit of everything: Great dialogue, beautiful artwork, epic combat and fascinating character interaction. Those looking for a jumping-on point might be better off waiting for the next issue or looking into the trade collections, but for regular readers, this is another great payoff for another great story arc.
