Lucifer #13 - A Review

This festive week brings us a rare gift - a Christmas comic starring The Devil himself! Lucifer #13 features two different stories by two different creative teams. Both are set during the holiday season and concern themselves with the themes of Justice and gift-giving. Of course The Devil will have his due...


Krampusnacht centers upon two thieves who steal more than they bargained for, using the annual Running Of The Krampuses in Los Angeles as cover for their robbery. The story by Holly Black is engaging and Marco Rudy's artwork is simply gorgeous. It suffers slightly, however, in that Lucifer is a mere observer of the action in this case and The Lightbringer is always at his best as an active character. Taken on its own terms, however, it is solid enough and quite enjoyable regardless.


Secret Santa has Lucifer firmly set in the center stage, stuck with the rare dilemma of having to retrieve a gift at the last minute as part of his bar's Secret Santa gift exchange and the less rare dilemma of someone trying to raise a little Hell in his bar. Richard Kadrey's script delivers a wonderful mix of action and dark comedy. The art of Ben Templesmith proves a perfect pairing to this hilarious holiday story.

Lucifer #12 - A Review

Faced with a darker, more sinster Yahweh, Lucifer is ready to do the unthinkable. Before confronting his father, Lucifer will release the power of The Basanos - a sentient Tarot Deck that can alter reality - through the heir to its power, Noema Presto.

Mere words cannot express my love of this book. Every issue is a love-letter to a shared Vertigo universe I thought long dead. Like Lucifer himself, however, this series never fails to surprise me even as I recoil in horror at what it does.


If all you know of Lucifer is from the Fox TV series, prepare yourself for a magnificent treat. I still suggest starting with Neil Gaiman's Sandman and working through Mike Carey's Lucifer for full effect. Still, one can begin with the first volume of this series well-enough as Holly Black does a fine job of drawing upon the mythology and explaining it for newcomers. And every panel by Lee Garbett and Antonio Fabela looks fantastic.

Lucifer #11 - A Review

There is much to admire about this issue, but - if asked to choose only one page to hook you all as I have been hooked - I would have to choose the image below. In it, The Guardian of Hedgehogs explains the history of Lucifer's life. I should perhaps mention that one of the characters in this series is a goddess whose only job is watching out over hedgehogs. If that fact doesn't make you want to read this book, I don't know what will.


I'm increasingly afraid that I won't be able to review Lucifer. It's a shame because I love this book. Holly Black has continued the original stories by Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey perfectly and the artwork by Lee Garbet and Antonio Fabela is some of the best to come out of Vertigo Comics in years.

So why can't I review it?  Because the enormity of this series is so grand and intricate that my simple reviews cannot do them justice. There is no way for me to easily much less eloquently summarize the multiple subplots and story-lines this series contains.  Lucifer is no more comic book - this is a legend.

Lucifer #10 - A Review

The battle for control of Hell has been postponed by the arrival of a new God. Yes, God is back. And he is pissed, to put it mildly. And the first thing up on the chopping block for the universe is any sense of choice or self.



It's hard for me to discuss this issue in any detail. Indeed, that seems to be the case with most of the new Lucifer series. There is just so much backstory and history involved that it defies easy summation. It also doesn't help that the cover gives away what I believe was meant to be a surprise at the end of the issue.

I can say this much. Holly Black, Lee Garbett, Antonio Fabela and Veronica Gandini have crafted a worthy successor to the legacy of The Sandman and the first Lucifer series. This is a great book and it is one you should be reading.

Lucifer #9 - A Review

The duel for ruler-ship of Hell is nigh! And Lucifer has accepted the invitation to watch his former lover and current Queen of Hell Mazikeen fight his son by the death goddess Izanmi-No-Mikoto. Yet there is more to the duel than meets the eye and more than even Lucifer could have predicted occurring at the same time in Heaven...


This series continues to be an exciting and surprising continuation of the saga first started by Neil Gaiman and continued by Mike Carey. In a relatively scant number of issues, Holly Black has utilized one of the richest mythologies in modern literature to excellent effect and made her own mark upon it. And the artwork by Lee Garbett and Antonio Fabela is some of the finest to come out of Vertigo Comics in recent memory.

Lucifer #8 - A Review

Medjine - on the run from her foster family and hiding in her brother's closet - has begun to see demons in the world around her. More importantly, she has made a new friend - another girl (with the unlikely name of Noema Presto) who also sees demons . And as a battle over who will rule Hell begins to brew, Lucifer entertains a most amusing confession from the angel Raphael.


With every issue of this series Holly Black finds new ways to surprise me. I had not expected to find Jill Presto from the original Lucifer series getting a nod nor did I expect to see her daughter making an appearance. Such is the beauty of Black's scripts that she builds upon that which came before in a way that acknowledges the past without making that history inaccessible to new readers.


The artwork continues to match Black's amazing scripts. Lee Garbett's artwork astounds on every level and the colors by Antonio Fabela perfectly complete his pencils and inks. If you aren't reading this series, you're missing out on one of the best books Vertigo has published in years.

Lucifer #7 - A Review

Lucifer is returned to his Los Angeles night club. Yet the events set in motion by his investigation into the murder of The Presence continue. And as the archangel Raphael enlists the aid of reformed drug addict Lorrin Hammon in an investigation of his own, a war for control of Hell is brewing between the current queen Mazikeen, who holds much of Lucifer's power, and Lucifer's bastard son by the Japanese death goddess Izanami-No-Mikoto, who would rule over two afterlives by proxy.


This new Lucifer series continues to impress with every passing issue. Holly Black has taken the complex mythologies crafted by Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey and expanded upon them masterfully. The artwork by Lee Garbett and Antonio Fabela proves equally astounding.

Lucifer #5 - A Review

One of the problems with being an avid reader is that occasionally a title can pass you by on a busy week. This is how I missed out on getting Lucifer #5 two months ago - something I didn't notice until picking up Issue 7 this week, when I realized I seemed to have skipped a chapter of the story. It's an oversight I'll never make again.


Holly Black's tale continues Vertigo Comics' fine tradition of supernatural thrillers and it comes to a most pleasing conclusion in this issue. The artwork by Lee Garbett and Antonio Fabela astounds throughout. Really, there's no excuse for you not to read this series apart from being an absent-minded critic with too much on his plate. ;)

Lucifer #6 - A Review

Takehiko isn't the sort to scare easy. But meeting a girlfriend's parents is always daunting, particularly when they live in one of the few Satanic communities in the world and are reportedly quite devout. Still, for Rosemary, Takehiko is willing to do just about anything. Besides, it isn't like Takehiko doesn't have his own family issues...


The script by Holly Black is hilarious. There's a lot of the same dark comedy that made the original Lucifer and The Sandman so enjoyable. More, Black manages to sneak in some information about real-world Satanism (i.e. it's not the same as devil-worship) which only serves to make the ending of the issue all the better.

The artwork by Stephanie Hans proves equally skillful. The palette is heavy on extremes, with deep blacks and rich reds offset by off-whites and pale blues. This gives the whole issue an ominous feeling, even amidst the hilarity, creating a disjointed effect that subtly informs the reader that something is off though they aren't just sure why!


If you haven't given the new Lucifer series a try, this issue is an excellent starting point. It perfectly captures the twisted humor of Mike Carey's one-off stories and the artwork by Stephanie Hans looks amazing. It is highly recommended for all fans of classic Vertigo Comics!

Lucifer #4 - A Review

Trapped in The Dreaming after their meeting with Lilith, Lucifer and Gabriel are in need of a way out. Lucifer believes he has one but it will require their journeying through a backdoor into the Japanese underworld, where Lucifer has many enemies still suffering from the last time the met him as an honored guest. And in Norman, Oklahoma, a girl named Medjine ponders the demon in a bottle that drove one woman to madness and murder as well as an escape from her abusive adoptive family.

With this issue, the seemingly unconnected subplots of this series have begun to lock together like puzzle-pieces. Holly Black has done a fine job of giving the readers just enough information to hold their interest without stretching out the mystery of this opening arc. And we get to see some old familiar faces from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman in this issue as well.



The artwork for this issue proves equally impressive. I predict Lee Garbett will one day be held in as high esteem as Peter Gross and the many artists who worked on The Sandman. And the color art by Antonio Fabela is just as skillfully done.

Lucifer #3 - A Review

The search for God's murderer leads Lucifer and Gabriel into The Dreaming. There they will seek information from Lilith, who may know something of another fallen angel capable of doing the deed. One who, even now, is causing mischief on Earth...


The artwork for this series is, in a word, amazing.  Lee Garbett's style is a perfect match for the classic Vertigo aesthetic. And the colors by Antonio Fabela are uniformly well chosen, with a good deal of visual contrast between various elements, such as the coloration for Eve and Lilith.


With this issue, Holly Black's story is beginning to take shape and we can see the edge of things to come. I commented in my review of the last issue that I wasn't quite sure what to make of the subplots set in the mortal world. I still can't guess where things are going with this series' ensemble cast but the whole affair is reminiscent of Gaiman's Sandman and Carey's Lucifer. As such, I'm content to enjoy the ride.

Lucifer #2 - A Review

God is dead and The Devil is the prime suspect. But Lucifer is not guilty and has himself been the victim of an attack with a strange weapon, the likes of which he has never seen before. To prove his lack of guilt (for Lucifer could never be said to have been innocent of anything), he will partner with his brother Gabriel and the two will journey to the one place where many may be found with motive, means and power enough to slay both God and Devil - Hell itself! Yet even now events play out on Earth that may hold even direr consequences for Lucifer...


Lucifer is a gorgeously Gothic work. Lee Garbett's utilizes a streamlined style that is light on details and heavy on the inks. There is an inherent darkness to Garbett's work that suits this series well. The colors by Antonio Fabela are mysterious and moody. And the letters by the legendary Todd Klein are as grand as one would expect.


Holly Black does not do things by halves. Within the span of two issues, she has perfectly captured the essence of the characters from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and Mike Carey's Lucifer and begun telling a tale that is familiar yet unique. It remains to be seen what may come of the subplots involving various mortals, including a school-teacher who finds a bottled demon in her parents home that may be familiar to long-time Vertigo Comics readers. All I know is I cannot wait for next month's issue!