If I had to pick just one word to describe this self-contained issue of Lucifer, it would probably be: cute. Which sounds like an unusual word to describe a book that is sort of gothic horror in tone and about the Biblical Devil, I know, but as always, Carey's playful side seems to emerge when he's writing these one-issue interstitial tales between the big storylines. This one is a payoff for a couple of characters who have been long-suffering in this series, and it's both sweet and funny, a side-story as far as the overall Lucifer story is told but a great example of both tying up loose ends and changing gears very effectively for a one-off tale. The art is by well-regarded indie creator David (Private Beach) Hahn, and it has a nice Phil Bond/Mike Allred feel to it that works well for the tone of the story.
Though I love the epic story that Carey is telling in these pages, I really always look forward to the single-issue tales that interrupt the multi-part arcs. In these stories he tends to focus in on the side characters or side plots, exploring the smaller aftershocks of Lucifer's rather large actions, and these aftershocks help to give the main story context and meaning. This issue, the focus falls on deceased angel Elaine Belloc and her friend Mona, the former of whom has been very helpful to Lucifer and who is a likable and intelligent character anyway, and who has paid for her kindness with tragedy.
Despite her tragic past, the feeling of this issue is an upbeat one, one of rebirth and youth. A big part of that is down to Mona, the relatively normal teenage girl who uses her second chance to go shoplifting and whose clever method of escaping the law would be horrifying if we didn't know the whole story and couldn't see the humor in it. Elaine's story is not as light as that of Mona's, exploring what has happened to the life she left behind, but there's still some sweetness in her getting to say goodbye to her friends or getting to twist the knife a little in her would-be assassin, who has earned an ironic punishment.
Like many of the best stories in this book, Lucifer is actually absent for much of the tale, his presence felt more by the events that he set in motion than by actual intervention. But he does get to shine a bit in his arrogance and playful nature at the end, and it's a lot of fun as always to see him interact with someone who isn't afraid of him or angry with him. Elaine's unusual request was one I didn't see coming, and it's a neat way to write the character out with a happy ending, as well as further expanding on the world that Lucifer is building.
Lucifer has several artists on its regular team, but the editors do occasionally bring in guest talent, and this was a perfect occasion for it. Hahn's work is less focused on the details of backgrounds and fantastic elements than on making the characters believable, and that's a perfect choice for this story. His take on the ghostly Mona and Elaine brings across their youth, and several of the sequences which require us to figure out what the characters are thinking are very clear thanks to Hahn's storytelling abilities. In fact, his art style in general has a youthful quality to it, and while I don't think it would fit the book on a regular basis, it's a good fit for this particular issue.
