Bloody brilliant.

End of the review.

Unless you want to know more, that is. Mike Carey’s “Lucifer” is a spin-off of “The Sandman” by Neil Gaiman. Its six-year run comprises 75 issues collected in two omnibuses, totaling over 2000 pages of excellent writing, stunning art, and fantastic characters on fascinating journeys.

Mike Carey knows his craft, and his portrayal of Lucifer awed me. So much so, that I would rank it among my Top 10 comics/graphic novels ever. The story here is complex, following the exploits of the Devil after he renounces the throne of Hell and settles in Los Angeles.

At a certain point in the series, Lucifer “launches” his own Creation, and from there, all hell breaks loose ;) I’d describe the series as a cosmic epic with strong horror underpinnings, skillfully combining myths from various cultures (Christian, Norse, Indigenous). It involves a sentient Tarot pack (Basanos), portals to multiple worlds, Japanese gods, a supernatural war, and much more.

Lucifer Morningstar is a brilliant lead—he cares nothing about people’s opinions of him; he’s confident, goal-oriented, and gifted with unshakable will. He regards most of creation as tools or obstacles to reaching his goals. Interestingly, he rarely deliberately sets out to harm anyone, and he has no interest in human souls. He also doesn’t lie. It’s fascinating, and sometimes terrifying, to watch how he affects those who cross his path.

I confess I felt an uneasy sympathy for the devil. Lucifer has very human motivations (he wants to be free), but he’s also ruthless and selfish. He doesn’t exactly change, but his character arc is still one of the best I’ve ever read. Lucifer wants absolute freedom, and he can never have it; like most of creation, he’s a part of the divine plan and can’t escape that fate, no matter what he does. Or can he?

The beginning of the series contains many character vignettes that, while connected through subplots, move at a slower pace than the rest of the story. Just stick with it and have a little faith in Carey finding his voice. Because when he does, “Lucifer” becomes unputdownable.

The overall tone of the series is hard to define. It combines epic and mythic storylines with one-off horror stories on a very human scale. The two elements work brilliantly together—readers get the sense of cosmic dread and an unfriendly universe, but also a sense of the meaning that we may add to the universe by living in it.

The series is full of thematic layers and appealing character studies. Because it’s so long, we’ll find plenty of various themes, but the most significant ones focus on the idea of fighting temptation, establishing one’s identity, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and forging one’s own path. What makes the series work is its focus on human concerns and their place in cosmic conflict.

The review is already too long, but I’ll add that Peter Gross’s art is simply stunning. It’s so good that other artists’ guest appearances in certain storylines irked me. I just wanted to see the events through his lens. But you can’t always have what you want :)

One more thing - horror elements. It's a horror story. It does get brutal at times, but you can't expect otherwise. Like, Carey takes us to literal hell which isn't exactly a revitalizing stay at the sanatorium. For me, the violence that appear on page is justified and logical at the level of the scene, characterization or broader setting. But it's there, so if you're squeamish, think twice before cracking the first omnibus open.

“Lucifer” is a brilliant graphic novel that perfectly balances human-scale events with cosmic epic. It’s probably more accessible than “The Sandman” and more exciting in terms of action and pacing. It gets my highest recommendation and gets a well-deserved place on my “All-Time-Favorites” list.