With Lucifer the TV show on hiatus right now, it seems like a good time to talk about Lucifer the comic.
I came to this book without having read any Lucifer previously. I enjoy the show, and while waiting for season two to start, I figured I’d see how the current run is. I picked up its first volume, and I enjoyed it. If you’re coming to the series from the same place, you should know that the setup is different, at least on its surface.
Lucifer is living on Earth, and he does have a bar (in this case, called Ex Lux). Most of the TV show’s characters aren’t in the comic—instead, the denizens of heaven and hell comprise its cast. There is a good deal more history to his relationship with his father. That makes sense, because this is a continuation of his story. While this volume does not require knowledge of past events, previous Lucifer readers will be a few pages ahead of newcomers sometimes.
This run does, however, center around a series of mysteries. Given its larger celestial cast and reduced focus on terrestrial drama, Lucifer’s own idiosyncrasies, like his penchant for denial, take a back seat to cosmic machinations. Holly Black’s Lucifer is plot-driven, with specific character beats interspersed. This is especially true in “Father Lucifer” which splits time between multiple pairs or groups of characters spread across heaven, hell, and Earth. Their paths cross sometimes and run parallel at others. But Black is skillful in managing these moving parts and showing enough of what is going on to always keep the plot moving forward without becoming confusing.
I dig Lee Garbett’s thick, inky lines. His work is smooth, clean, and a bit angular. Demons range from goofy looking imps to gruesome spike-headed leather daddies. It’s almost whimsical—even hell is eerily beautiful in Fabella and Gandini’s deep, bold colors. Lucifer thrives on contradictions, and that extends even to its art. Pretty and monstrous are not mutually exclusive here.
Whether you’re coming to this volume of Lucifer as a previous reader, after watching the TV show, or without any familiarity, I think you’ll dig it. The experience will vary depending on what, if any, history you have with the character, but I don’t think any one approach is better than another. It’s well written. Its art is gorgeous and otherworldly. And the twists and turns of its mysteries are fun. I definitely recommend picking it up.
Collected in
- Lucifer, Vol. 2: Father Lucifer (#7-12)
Credits
Writer: Holly Black | Artist: Lee Garbett | Colorists: Antonio Fabella (7-12), Veronica Gandini (10) | Letterer: Todd Klein | Cover Artists: Lee Garbett (7), Dave Johnson (8-12)