By: Mike Carey Publisher: Vertigo Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Vertigo Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 168 Publication Date: February 01, 2004 Release Date: February 01, 2004
Devil in the Flameway. Mike Carey, Lucifer: Inferno (Vertigo, 2003)
The battle between Lucifer and Amanadiel is finally here, but, of course, nothing is what it seems. Lucifer's power is still tied up in the feathers held by Susanoo-no-Mikoto. Makizeen and the Lilim are off hunting for Susanoo, but there are more than enough enemies-- and allies-- in Hell to make Lucifer wonder if their power will be necessary. Wheels within wheels within wheels, as usual, and Carey pulls it off with aplomb. ****
Basanos' mega saga is pure genius With the four part story arc titled Inferno, ends one of the most ambitious and extraordinary dark fantasy sagas of modern fantasy. Comprising of about thirty two numbers that began on the first trade The Devil in the Gateway, Carey's epic of power and ambition ranks among the best theological/urban/dark fantasies ever written. Carey is a master of continuity, allusion, indirectness and oblique multilayered narrative, metaphor and arcane religious symbolism. Like the majority of comic book writers, Carey's visual imagination(sometimes disturbingly surreal) and plotting are strong, unlike them his attention for style, characterization, tone and atmosphere is remarkable.He is a literate who chose the comic book medium to express his vison about power, arrogance and ambition. It's the many levels of significance that puts Lucifer apart of other comics books. I wouldn`t do the book justice if I didn`t mention the excellent artwork and coloring of the artistic team.Regular artists Peter Gross (story arcs) and Dean Ormston (single issues)did an excellent job; the equally excellent artist Chris Weston left the book early. Gross` drawings on the first issues seems to me rather crude and sketchy but in later issues gets much better.Ormston's disturbingly creepy gothic drawings gives the perfect mood for the single issues, I love his work.The colour pallete is rich; sometimes dark and moddy, sometimes bright and colourful. For the true conoissieurs Lucifer is an indipensable comic book.
The Duel, The Wings, The Loan Inferno marks the conclusion of a major story arc: whatever happened to those blasted wings of Lucifer? Last seen in the possession of Susano-O-No-Mikoto, they left the battlefields as the Basanos committed suicide, apparently into the mists of time (or whatever passes for cryptic walking- off- into- the- sunset in Lucifer's world anyway.)
Lucifer duels with Amenadiel - that duel promised in Lucifer #2, Children And Monsters (p.196), but sends his deputy to deal with the wings. Along the way, she meets... someone from her past. A Lilum like herself, which would technically make the union incest, but hey, this is 'Lucifer', after all, and there are no taboos.
The duel fought and won (sort of, on a technicality), Lucifer ends the book by taking on a loan from Loki, setting the stage for Lucifer #6: Mansions of the Silence.
As usual, there's a kooky laugh-at-it story within this collection as well: look out in particular for the bizarre-bittersweet "Bearing Gifts", with Dean Ormston's distinctive art.
End of a great story arc This is the end of the first big story arc that has been foreshadowed in the divination of the Tarot deck in part one. And, please note, this part one is not 'Sandman presents: Lucifer' but 'Lucifer: Devil in the gateway'. (That's why the first review by millernw was not helpful, although I fully support his message.)
Well, almost all that has been foreshadowed. Except the divination of the 'innocence' card where Lucifer has been told that he'll have to repay the favour of Elaine Belloc. The last two-parter 'Come to judgement' that nicely ties up loose ends such as the fate of Cestis starts Lucifer's quest to do exactly that.
In the main story arc I particularly liked the re-telling of the old Venus-Vulcanus-Mars story. (The ugly engineer and his pretty wife ...) I know that the originals are Greek gods, not Roman gods, but few readers would know 'Hephaistos' would they?
Also very impressive how the whole story is told by the Duke of Gly. His comments show that Carey has not lost one bit of his ability to surprise the reader with a sentence that you may think about for a long time afterwards. (As you may do about the last words of the inspector at the very end of this book.)
What a story! Man, I just stumbled onto this series after getting turned on to the Sandman library, Lucifer is a science fiction fan's dream come true-
Incredible plots, great art, it's the best thing I've seen since, well, Sandman.
I sure hope this series runs for a long time, I'm amazed at the creativity that has gone into this title!
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
