Good news everyone! Immortal Alexander is joining us today with a full series review about a graphic novel I’m dying to dig my claws into.

Lucifer

Post Author: Immortal Alexander

Series Title: Lucifer

Author: Mike Carey

Artists: Scott Hampton, Chris Weston, James Hodgkins, Warren Pleece, Dean Ormston, Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly, Dean Ormston, Craig Hamilton, David Hahn, P. Craig Russell, Ted Naifeh, Marc Hempel, Ronald Wimberly, Colleen Doran, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Zander Cannon

Genre: Horror, Adventure, Supernatural

2 Sentence Synopsis: The lord of hell Lucifer Morningstar chooses to leave his post as the ruler of the damned to pursue his own interests, and become free of God and all of his creation.

Longer Description:

From the pages of THE SANDMAN, Lucifer Morningstar, the former Lord of Hell, is unexpectedly called back into action when he receives a mission from Heaven. Given free reign to use any means necessary, Lucifer is promised a prize of his own choosing if he fulfills this holy request.

But once he completes his mission, the Prince of Darkness’ demand shakes the foundation of Heaven and Hell. Now as his enemies unite to stop his reemergence, Lucifer gathers his forces as he prepares to launch his new revolution.

Thoughts

My absolute favorite graphic novel series of all time is The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. It should come as no surprise then that I absolutely loved the Lucifer graphic novel series as well which was written by Mike Carey. The Lucifer series was spawned from the pages of The Sandman series when the Sandman is forced to go to hell to retrieve his dream crafting tools from a demon.

I do have to admit at the start of this review that I had fallen away from reading Lucifer for many years after volume 7 of the series. Not because I was no longer interested in the it, but because of life. It was a very dark time for me. For a while I stopped enjoying a lot of things. I won’t go into great detail but I am happy to say that my life is much improved by the current company I keep, and that I finally returned to finish reading this most excellent graphic novel series.

Now that I have aired out my stinky laundry I hope to give you a glimpse into the world of Lucifer and why I love it so very much.

In the beginning there was a fallen angel who was given charge to the throne of what was initially nothing, but eventually took up the name and form of what we now know as hell. Lucifer Morningstar was tricked into taking charge of something that he hand no real control over. A false sense of purpose given to him by his father, God. This angered him and he simply, left. This one simple act started a whole chain of events, a journey if you will into the unknown.

At first Lucifer simply goes to LA and opens a bar called the Lux with his warrior confidant Mazikeen whose skills with a sword are unmatched in all of creation. Lucifer is content to simply be Lucifer and not the ruler of hell.

 

This act of defiance and independence angers demons and angels alike as they have never abandoned their duties, ever! Jealous deities come out of the woodwork to spite Lucifer Morningstar, but he has other plans. He decides to create his own destiny and along the way he hunts ancient creatures, fights in hell tournaments, and traveling to worlds old, new, and terrifying.

The beauty of these books are that you never know what is going to happen next. I challenge the most prolific writers and readers to try and predict any major plot points while enjoying this series. It is impossible because the writer did not plan every small detail. Mike Carey who wrote this series allowed Lucifer to surprise even him as he scribed his journey.  

We, the readers, are taken by the hand by the devil himself. A frightening being who was imbued with the longing that we all have within us. The longing to be your own self, and not be constantly compared to our makers. To define yourself by your own rules and the constructs by which you form your own destiny.

Sorry to get a little philosophical just then. Force of habit after finally finishing reading this series.

The Artwork

Lucifer is a beautifully drawn graphic novel, and a wonderful story that is not always linear, but it is always very very entertaining.

It is both thoughtful, and childish, evil and loving, harsh and intriguing. It is all things and it is nothing at all. While reading this series you may even get a deeper understanding of yourself and how you feel about the world.

There are cool characters like Mazikeen the warrior, and Gaudium the gargoyle like ex-cherub  who is a brash and unapologetic little bugger (and I love him for it). There are gentle yet powerful angels like Duma, and there are even child like gods of which I won’t speak of directly as to not spoil the story.

I don’t want to get too long winded so I will stop here and leave you with a couple of sample scenes to whet your apatite.

 

Overall

I can not sing the praises of this series in a way that truly does it justice.

If you have ever questioned the validity of religion or your own personal beliefs, then I know you will enjoy this series. These graphic novels are not some kind of an affront to religion. Quite the opposite. They do not rebuke the existence of God.  What lies in these pages is an idea that believing in something will not bring you any closer to truth or clarity. You can define your own destiny if you only take that first step in the opposite direction. These stories only present possibilities. They are only stories after all, and isn’t that what great stories were created for in the first place?

Verdict

I give this series 5 out of 5 Blood spattered stars. This series can be described as similar in tone to Sandman but wholly its own animal. Much like other graphic novels it takes up the personality of its protagonist. In this case the Devil Lucifer Morningstar who is equal parts charming, vicious, and introspective. Watching Lucifer play is like watching a master at his craft perform before your very eyes, and a wolf observing his prey.

Find a Copy

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Titles: Devil in the Gateway, Children and Monsters, A Dalliance with the Damned, The Divine Comedy, Inferno, Mansions of the Silence, Exodus, The Wolf Beneath the Tree, Crux, Morningstar, Evensong