#CBR6 Review #07: Lucifer, Book 2 by Mike Carey

Collecting Lucifer issues #14-28, and presented in a series of 3-part tales, Lucifer, Book 2 packs just as much interest, theological imagination, grotesqueness, and creativity as the first volume in the series. This kind of thing is definitely not for everyone, and my appreciation of the illustrative qualities varied from artist to artist within the book. However, I once again thoroughly enjoyed the characterization that Mike Carey has created in Lucifer, many of the issue covers and artworks separating the different sections within this book are absolutely stunning!

The second volume of Lucifer picks up where the first book left off: with Lucifer in the process of creating his own new universe. This new realm lies within no boundaries of authority but his own, and without the presence of God or the other heavenly warriors, many different sects of spirits, demons, and other creatures all want a slice of the new world under the Morningstar’s rule. Schemes are made, and deals are laid out on the table, but Lucifer denies all, even to those close to him; the only rule that governs his realm is that no worship can exist, for God, for any other deity, or even for Lucifer himself, and yet many try to garner the favor of the Morningstar by promising their fealty to him.

Many characters from the first volume reappear, in order to either resolve or continue their stories. This includes major revelations with the spirits of the Basanos tarot deck that have inhabited the singer Jill Presto, as well as the fate of the angel Michael’s daughter, Elaine, who is coming to terms and learning more and more about her half-angelic abilities. It is definitely a good thing that I read the first volume of this series not too long ago, however, as I could see myself forgetting certain details and plotlines that found there way back into the story here; that being said, the attention to the detail and not leaving any strand untied is definitely one of the strong points of these books.

I am excited to keep reading this series, as it is definitely right up my alley. I believe the next full volume will be coming out in the second half of March (not long now!), and would love to see where Lucifer’s tale goes from here. It’s complicated and engaging, and I enjoyed book 2 as much as I did book 1. If you enjoy graphic novels, particularly those with a similar style to The Sandman or Hellblazer, then I would certainly reccommend taking a gander at the Lucifer series. 

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