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- Devil in the gateway -
- The Morningstar option - (drawing, inking and setting colors of Scott Hampton) Lucifer (yes, the fallen angel, the former head of the underworld) keep a piano bar named "Lux" in Los Angeles. One evening, the angel comes Amenadiel find him to propose a mission, sent by God himself, in exchange for payment of his choice. This is about who likes to grant luck favors liberally, to humans. This mission is related to Rachel Begai, and his brother Paul (a vegetable from birth).
To fully grasp the situation of Lucifer in this series, you better have read the Volume 4 of the series Sandman Season of mists. The Sandman player had already learned that Lucifer had chosen to become the owner of a piano bar in [[ASIN: 1563892057 The kindly ones].
For this first story, Mike Carey therefore follows the direction given by Neil Gaiman: Lucifer is an independent individual whose experience and honesty make him an operator with valuable skills. For this first story he has to tell a complete story, since the possibility of a monthly series coming was subject to sales figures of the first miniseries.
Carey plays the game (while laying the foundation for still coming intrigues, especially the payment to Lucifer by God) and offers a mystery (Who distributes beneficial luck so liberally?), With very minor characters humans. With remarkable tact, he can generate immediate empathy for Rachel and her father, who care for Paul, for different reasons of their own. He interweaves a handful of mythological characters with dexterity without becoming the main interest of narrative exoticism of these creatures.
The survey of Lucifer leads him to team up with Rachel, and results in a form of mystical journey. For a first story, Carey tastefully accommodates the various components. It is possible to be surprised at a couple of occasions the powers of Lucifer arriving particularly timely, or find some spiritual reflection simple.
Scott Hampton is a regular setting comic images, through watercolors. For example, he illustrated the excellent [[ASIN: 1563890593 Batman: Night Cree]], with a screenplay Archie Goodwin. It represents individuals naturalistically. He is more interested in the characters of the backgrounds. However, he draws with a due sense of the main detail when the script requires. The fact that he himself performs the color setting through watercolors allows him to establish an atmosphere in each sequence, and so overcome the chronic lack of decorations. The look a little ethereal some cases strengthens the spiritual dimension of this story.
This first story of Lucifer takes the reader in an investigation of a particular kind, fed by the actual culture without being intrusive of the author. The use images and colors to avoid cliches own superhero stories, providing greater consistency and nuances to this intriguing story. 4 stars.
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- Episode 1-3 (drawings by Chris Weston, inking James Hodgkins) in the Underworld, Susano (son of Izanami) comes with Remiel haggle to get the wings of Lucifer. On Earth, the latter went to Hamburg (with Mazikeen) to meet Meleos Weiss, so he uses his tarot to indicate the different options open to him. But the forces that inhabit this tarot escaped its creator and influence the behavior of many people.
The passage of a complete story in a monthly series changes the shape of the narrative and allows Mike Carey to begin a narrative of greater magnitude. But for this first story he chooses to tell a complete story and self-sufficient. It is a confrontation against an enemy capable of influencing human beings negatively. Again Mike Carey feeds are extended account of his culture. It does not do the same way that Neil Gaiman. His references are incorporated less elegant and more first degree. But they avoid that Lucifer became a person like any other, or worse it becomes a wicked operetta (or, worse, a supercriminel).
Carey is helped by Chris Weston (The filth of the designer of Grant Morrison, for example), which conducts detailed drawings full of realistic details. As Carey scenario is not based primarily on supernatural manifestations or magic spells, Weston drawings embody the characters, places and accessories, anchoring the story in a very real world, very palpable. Given the effects of the influence of these powers and actions of the characters, the realistic approach shows both ordinary humanity of individuals and the consequences of the horrors just as ordinary (the beating of a young homosexual).
In contrast to a narrative resting pyrotechnics magic or supernatural beings (angels or demons), that of Mike Carey puts individuals forward with their personality, their history, their motives, their role in society interactions. Carey has already managed to free itself from the opposition good / evil, for more views, blending societal problem and supernatural elements, with natural emotions.
His narrative is dense and erudite. It lacks a more natural integration between the different components for this account goes into the category of essential. Indeed, the tragedies suffered by the characters are more examples of the influence of these powers released, rather than a thematic organically connected to Lucifer (at least at this stage of the story).
Mike Carey and Chris Weston propose a second story of Lucifer, for overhead superhero, and the affiliation with the "Sandman" series. The narrative is dense and involved, both of the pictorial point of view and from the point of view of the plot. The reader, however, have the feeling that Lucifer remains in the background, both as a character and as a theme. 4 stars.
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- Episode 4 (layout Warren Pleece, finishes Dean Ormston) Elaine (a young girl of twelve years) has the ability to see some dead. Thus it sometimes communicates with her ancestors and with Mona, her best friend, who died crushed because someone pushed under a truck. Mona at his side, Elaine decides to investigate to discover the identity of the murderer.
Three quarters of this episode are reminiscent of another series derived from Sandman: Dead Boy Detectives Ed Brubaker and Bryan Talbot. Indeed, Mona Elaine and conduct their investigation (one having died), without intervening or even Lucifer appears. The reader is intrigued by the mystery of who wanted to Mona the point of wanting to kill her.
Mike Carey found the right tone for the mode of expression of two young girls, their approach to the investigation and the way they see life. The designs are less realistic than those of Weston, with more expressionist traits. Inking is a little fatter, the forms are somewhat simplified. This graphical approach provides an additional vitality to the movement, and is in line with the spirit of these two ladies.
Mike Carey reveals the identity and motives of the murderer at the end of the story. At the conclusion the reader is both pleased to see Lucifer appear (as it is in his series, though), and a little disappointed because Carey had managed to take him along with Elaine and Mona who existed by themselves, without the need to return to the state of the secondary characters in this series. 5 stars for a short story, sensitive and intelligent.
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- Children and monsters: episodes 5-13, originally published in 2000/2001 -
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- Episodes 5-8 House of windowless rooms (drawings by Peter Gross, inking Gross and Ryan Kelly) Lucifer began crossing a desert for nine days to reach the palace of Izanami. He was received by Susano-O-No-Mikoto who explains that his mother is indisposed at the moment, and who offered him hospitality of doubtful sincerity. During that time on Earth Mazikeen (with the help of Beatrice Wechsler) must defend the reward that God has given to Lucifer, because many people are interested and creatures, especially Cesti and Saul. In heaven, Amenadiel (archangel) reckons the desiderata of God. Finally Jill Presto is looking Lucifer.
For this first story, Mike Carey plunges Lucifer naked and unarmed into another realm of the underworld to a limited extent as hell Lucifer. He draws in Japanese mythology to create an opponent of Lucifer. At almost exactly, it might as well be a story of John Constantine. Lucifer thwarts the traps set by its guests using his intelligence, rusant and intimidating.
The reader follows the tribulations of Lucifer with fun, without being really worried because he knows he is the main character of the series for many other episodes yet. The issue that brought Lucifer in the palace of Izanami is clear, for against the player does not discern the consequences of any failure on the part of Lucifer.
On Earth, the situation Mazikeen is almost more interesting than that of Lucifer, because that's a character whose player ignores almost everything, and he does not know the real capabilities. It must repel the assault of two minor deities without scruple, to protect the reward given by God. In addition, Mike Carey introduced a human character (Beatrice Wechsler) to give an anchor point to the reader.
For this part, Peter Gross (assisted by Ryan Kelly) sticks to figurative drawings, without playing on expressionism. The reader can therefore contemplate the naked form of Lucifer (especially from the back), the Japanese devils depicted in the style of Noh theater actors. The locations are represented with a very good level of detail in terms of form. By cons, it does not use shading to give the feel of textures.
Daniel Vozzo uses a color palette rather naturalist, without the exaggerations of bright colors specific to superhero comics. It inserts slight gradients to emphasize the volumes and occasionally light sources. As against it is not using computer graphics (perhaps not impressive enough at the time) to insert textures.
The drawings thus have an appearance that is both precise and both slightly simplified, marrying a good density of visual information, with a somewhat harmless. This is more than a tale of sensory reality.
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- Episode 9 (drawings and inking Dean Ormston) In Chaldeans Erishad was a priestess of the gods. Having disobeyed the laws applying to priestesses, she was condemned by the gods to immortality (an award which becomes clear in the horror story of course). Having felt the reward of God made Lucifer, she will find it for begging.
As in the previous volume (episode 4), Mike Carey has enough confidence in his narration to devote an episode to another character that Lucifer (even if it appears in two sequences). He imagined a cruel tale wish that reveals its flavor gradually regarding the true horror of the situation of Erishad. Taking a step back, the reader becomes aware that the behavior of Erishad evolves and is approaching that of Lucifer, in that it eventually refuse to submit to the rules imposed by gods Chaldean (as Lucifer refused to submit to the rules of God).
Compared Gross and Kelly, Dean Ormston uses less regular features to crop shapes, and inking longer forced to emphasize an emotion or feeling. This way of designing better reflects the supernatural dimension of Erishad, and allows better communicating the magical manifestations. Ormston produces boxes with a level of detail lower than Gross, prompting the reader to focus more on the characters and their state of mind.
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- Episodes 10-13 Children and monsters (drawings by Peter Gross, inking Gross and Ryan Kelly, with some comic pages Ormston for 12) The grandmothers are trying to evoke with his real parents Elaine Belloc who refuses to discuss. David Easterman is looking for Elaine. Heaven, Amenadiel believes it is time to launch a massive offensive against Lucifer. In the Kingdom of Dreams, Lucien told Mervyn Pumpkinhead someone sent him an invitation a bit coarse.
In his narration, Mike Carey follows in the footsteps of Neil Gaiman in that he permits himself to tell a story in which the main character is absent the two thirds of the time. The reader therefore follows alternately Elaine Belloc accompanied by David Easterman and Amenadiel with his cohort of angels.
Mike Carey depicts Lucifer as a determined individual, dry, lofty and condescending, very conscious of its nature (= an angel, the first to have refused to defer to the authority of God). It appears as a complex character, with long-term goals, especially attached to his personal interest. However, this self-interest has little to do with that of the common man, as evidenced by the end of this story.
Opposite Carey portrays the forces of Heaven less nuanced. He explained in the introduction why he chose not to reveal the son of God. It does not appear either. This leaves the angels and cherubim. Carey yields to ease by showing Amenadiel (archangel) as a soldier experiencing no qualms about using force to achieve its ends. This interpretation militaristic angels is very useful to feed conflict and give them a physical dimension, against it has very little to do with supporters of the Catholic faith of the New Testament. It remains to be seen whether Carey will qualify his vision of Heaven thereafter.
Drawings by Peter Gross and Ryan Kelly have the same characteristics as in the first part. This makes it even harder to believe in these angels that seem mere extras in a theater costume, with medieval armor pieces nickname. On the other hand certain boxes evoke the naive approach of medieval representations, referring to a fairly literal translation of sacred texts in everyday reality.
Again the right level of detail helps to anchor each sequence in a concrete and specific location. Despite missing textures drawings, representation of Elaine Belloc transcribed both his actual age girl, her posture, her facial expressions.
With this second volume, Mike Carey and Peter Gross build gradually a specific environment for Lucifer, with issues arising from the nature of the character (as opposed to generic adventures), secondary characters all have a personal story. The narrative plays down certain sequences used by drawings sometimes look a little cute or too literal or too basic interpretation of the kingdom of Heaven. At the end of his reading, the reader wants to know more about the personality of Lucifer, and what he is preparing for the future, the goal he has set to achieve (with a very intriguing clue in solving the last story). The story continues in Book Two Lucifer (episodes 14 to 28, and special issue "Nirvana").
