As has become tradition, this is the one-issue story in between the larger arcs, and it features artwork by Dean Ormston rather than the regular team of Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly. It's another good sampler for those who haven't tried Lucifer already, and a nice sorbet for regular readers between the epic story that Carey is spinning. Ormston's artwork isn't perfect for conveying the somewhat humorous tone of the script and the two lead characters, but it is very well-suited to the spooky setting of the tale, and Vozzo's grays and browns really help to bring the dinghy setting to life as well.
Ever since his introduction, I've been fond of Gaudium, who seems reminiscent of a stereotypical foul-mouthed New York cabbie, which is all the more entertaining since that persona inhabits a fallen cherub's form. Although Gaudium seems like the type who would rather do nothing, his devotion to Michael and affection for Elaine have been effective ways to both make him more likable to the reader and prod him into action. The introduction of his equally sarcastic sister Spera was another nice touch.
While Lucifer has had elements of humor before, this is one of the funniest issues that I've read. Spera and Guadium come across like a demented Martin and Lewis, and though their journeys are through a Hell dimension rather than the desert or Las Vegas, the tone in this book is definitely one of light humor for the most part. The betrayal of the arrogant faerie merchant, played out with perfect comedic timing, is an excellent example of this tone. Of course, Carey can't resist slipping a little story in here, forwarding the subplot about Michael and Elaine and delivering a sad but simultaneously uplifting ending.
Ormston's work on the title is a little too indistinct for my tastes, especially given the more realistic approach that Gross and Kelly take, but I can't deny that he does a fantastic job on the unearthly settings and creatures of the story. The sense of scale is there, whether it's the enormous cliff or the gigantic house of the sleeper, and the look of the creature that confronts Gaudium inside is appropriately disgusting and disturbing. It's a tribute to Ormston's storytelling and Carey's dialogue that the humorous tone comes across despite the somewhat dire and dark tone of the artwork in general.
Lucifer is a story that I'm enjoying in trade paperback forms, but I must applaud the creators for making the story work in serial format as well. These single-issue breaks provide good jumping-on points for new readers as well as a break from the large scale of the epic, letting the readers and creators alike catch their breath before diving back into the tapestry that Carey and his co-creators have been weaving.
