I'm too close to it to tell for sure at this point, but I wonder if it's possible to jump onto Lucifer this late in the game. There are a lot of characters and history in this story, most of whom have been built up over a year or two of story. However, while the story is not always completely clear right at the moment, Carey has a gift for unveiling the plan in reverse, a staple of stories featuring a schemer like Lucifer, and I'm completely entranced by the story both in this issue and the larger story that it is a part of. In addition, I continue to enjoy the strong storytelling and imagery of artists Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly.
Carey does not think small. His story structure is such that each small arc and one-shot plays into the larger story, which is Lucifer continuing to try and find independence from God's control. And this story contains such ideas as a duel between Heaven and Hell with all of Hell's demons in attendance, a hole drilled into the mind of God, a mad mechanic demon who has built automatons to serve him and a cherubic angel turned assassin trying to corrupt Lucifer. This story has the epic scope and big ideas that made Sandman such a hit, and while Carey's writing style is different from Gaiman's, his version of Lucifer is very true to what I think Gaiman would have done with the character.
Then again, this book is so far from a Sandman spin-off at this point that it hardly seems fair to compare it to Sandman at all. Lucifer is more directed, an epic war of God vs. The Devil in an unexpected way that makes no moral judgments about good and evil. While Lucifer can be selfish and cruel, he has style and charisma that makes him easy to root for, and his enemies are often so arrogant or evil that we root for him as the lesser of two evils. Carey has also provided sympathetic and unusual supporting characters, including the damned soul and new Duke of Hell Christopher Rudd, the laconic and deadly Mazikeen and the honorable but evil Susano, god of storms.
Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly continue to excel on the artwork in this book. The opening splash is mind-boggling in its attention to detail, and the strength of expression to be found in the faces throughout is very strong, particularly in the confrontations between Rudd and Lys. I also appreciate his desolate view of Hell, steering clear of the typical fire and brimstone but still making it plainly not a nice place to be.
There are elements of this issue that aren't completely clear to me, such as how Lucifer conquers the cherub assassin within him or what Rudd has delivered to Arux, but I suspect that they will become clearer later when all is revealed. As per usual, however, I find myself enjoying the current issue of Lucifer and very much looking forward to the conclusion of the story, to find out how the next chapter in the larger story closes.
