Lucifer #6
Christina Hamlet
Recap
Lucifer and Sycorax vs. Jack’s mob of the disgruntled damned inside the prison of Sycorax’s skull. John Decker’s quest comes to an end as has his sanity and sense of self. In a last ditch effort to make sense of everything that has happened to him, Decker lashes out giving Lucifer an opportunity to escape the hell of his own making.
But that is only half of his quest, he also needs to bring Sycorax with him. To convince her Lucifer recounts the narrative of her life and their meeting. We learn her backstory and how she came to have Caliban. As everything falls apart, someone jumps, someone else falls, and yet another takes Death by the hand. The end of this issue sees Lucifer freed from his cage and several lives changed or ended. But things aren’t quite over, as the aftermath of Lucifer’s actions arrive with gilded wings…..
Review
This issue wraps up the first arc and the story of Lucifer’s imprisonment. Whether he is truly free is yet to be seen, and where he will go from here is also uncertain. There was a lot of action in the beginning as things frantically come to a head, then things pause as we wander through the narrative of Sycorax’s life. It’s told much like a fairy tale, which is a stark contrast to the harshness of the mob of the damned lashing out at Lucifer. The tale wanders through Syrocax’s life before Lucifer and weaves through how she and Caliban come to be on Prospero’s island as told in Shakespeare’s Tempest.
Lucifer’s evolution from broken man to prideful angel seems to have come full circle. Right now, it seems as though he’s come through his ordeal unscathed, as arrogant and self-assured as ever, but I suspect the subsequent issues will delve into the effects of his experience. The core of Lucifer is his pride, so it can be hard to peer into the center of a character like that without narrative omniscience. I think it will take some time to process his journey and externally manifest to the reader.
The stories here are rife with literary and historical references, some that I catch, many that I don’t, which is part of what makes these issues so much fun. Sometimes it’s a hint of a story, a wink or a nod to a historical reference, or a full-on tie in such as in the case of the Tempest. The narrative a gold mine of easter eggs and references of stories that are wonderful and fascinating in their own right all woven together with this common thread of Lucifer tying it all into one story of his life. The art changes its mood from dreamy and airy to stark and scorching as needed, with a fluidity that makes it all move along at a terrific pace.
The genius of this book is that it delves deep into a lot of lore, but it keeps the story self-contained so that it never feels like it’s overly pretentious nor does it feel like a facade, so that any level of interest in supernatural stories can find satisfaction.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed this issue, particularly the tale of Sycorax. This series continues to combine creativity with established literature in a way that is just pure joy to read.
Lucifer #6: The Great Escape
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
