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LUCIFER #19
"A Dalliance With The Damned Part 3 of 3"
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Mike Carey
Pencils: Peter Gross
Inks: Ryan Kelly
Colors: Daniel Vozzo & Jamison
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Shelly Bond
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
The "Dalliance with the Damned" arc has definitely gotten my attention back on this book. Rather than simply exploring Lucifer and Mazikeen, Carey has expanded the scope to look at the politics of Hell, and thus given the book a lot more territory to explore. His vision of Hell, as visualized by Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly, is horrible and arcane, even as it is easy enough to relate to given its basis on human fashion and society. The stories running here all come together nicely, whether it's the larger issue of a plot against a powerful demon or the personal story of a damned soul who has been made a player in Hell's politics. With this arc, Carey has sealed Lucifer in my mind as more than just another Sandman spin-off, and
proven that the Eisner nominations earned for this series were no fluke.
Christopher Rudd, former
fencing instructor and murderer, has certainly become a pivotal and interesting
character. It is clear from this issue that his gifts lie not only in fencing,
but in quick learning, as he picks up the politics of Hell quite quickly. His
manipulation of Lys is quite impressive, and his role in the revolt against the
Duke puts him in a position that will allow us to revisit him later on in the
series, I'm sure.
Since this is Lucifer's
series, I suppose it was inevitable he'd show up at some point, and Carey does a
nice job with introducing him into the ongoing story without it feeling out of
place. I particularly liked the work that Gross did with Mazikeen, portraying
her as unwilling to adapt to the silly customs that Hell had adopted. Her
unwillingness to put up with petty politics or little slights makes her a
perfect counterpart to Lucifer, who is all about games and manipulation.
The conclusion of the arc,
the attempted revolution, is carried off with skill and perfect timing. Gross
and Kelly do a convincing depiction of a ball in Hell, with quick glimpses of
the various players involved in the plot to get us warmed up. When the attack
finally comes, the reader cannot be sure how it is going to play out, who Rudd
is playing for and how it will all affect Lucifer. This uncertainty makes it
exciting, even though the end result, if you stop to think of it, could be
simply replacing one demon with another.
This was an enjoyable standalone story in three parts, a mini-series within the Lucifer series. However, since it is part of an ongoing, that means that we may yet see more of the characters introduced in this story. I would definitely love to see more of Lys, Rudd, Arux and the others, but whether we do or not, I've become convinced that Lucifer is not merely a good comic, but one of the best
on the stands.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
