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aceinit's review against another edition
5.0
The penultimate volume in the Lucifer collection brings us the grand climax we’ve all been waiting for, as the angelic host, the Lilim, and the army of Hell war for the Silver City in an attempt to (depending on whose side you’re on) destroy or save the whole of two creations.
Fenris, Lilith and Christopher Rudd have their reasons for wanting to see Heaven fall, an event that now seems inevitable since God’s abdication from his realm began the slow unraveling of the cosmos atom by atom. Michael’s death at the base of the World Tree has hastened this destruction. Lilith seeks the annihilation of the Silver City, which she and her children helped build back when our world was still young. Christopher Rudd seeks war on Heaven in effort to redeem the sufferings of the damned, and change the way things are done in both Heaven and Hell. The Host is just trying to survive and make sense of their rapidly changing world, now devoid of both their creator and his two most favored angels.
Amid all this chaos, Lucifer and Elaine seek a way to survive and, if possible, to flourish. But Lucifer has a very specific plan in mind to save three separate creations, and it’s one he’s kept very carefully hidden from Elaine—who is the lynchpin in his design.
This is the biggest of the moments Carey and company have been building up to, and it does not disappoint. This is a battle that spans across multiple issues without ever feeling like it’s dragging, and which brings all the major plotlines together in a way that ensures out world—all our worlds—will never be the same again.
I like this book not for its climactic battle scenes, but for its theology. When your title character is Lucifer and you’re plotting with and illustrating the major players of Heaven and Hell, there’s always going to be theology involved. But bringing Yahweh back to render a final judgment on his creation was a step Carey didn’t have to take in order to further the plot—events would have reached the same conclusion regardless of his reappearance. Still, the conversation with Elaine and the mock trial which follows makes for some of the most interesting dialogue in the series, without ever sounding preachy. Combined with Rudd’s earlier views on why the status quo in Heaven and Hell must change, it makes for fascinating reading.
My only real complaint with this issue is a rare timing misstep which seems to have been overlooked. In the one-shot featuring Gaudium, Serpa and the summoner, they arrive at Hell to find it empty, and promptly take up residence in the angelic tower. However, in the final issue, Elaine plucks Jill out of the same tower—where she had presumably been left since her arrival with Lucifer. Why didn’t Gaudium, Serpa and the summoner encounter her during their stay? Perhaps I’m missing something here, but it’s always irked me.
On to the final volume…
Fenris, Lilith and Christopher Rudd have their reasons for wanting to see Heaven fall, an event that now seems inevitable since God’s abdication from his realm began the slow unraveling of the cosmos atom by atom. Michael’s death at the base of the World Tree has hastened this destruction. Lilith seeks the annihilation of the Silver City, which she and her children helped build back when our world was still young. Christopher Rudd seeks war on Heaven in effort to redeem the sufferings of the damned, and change the way things are done in both Heaven and Hell. The Host is just trying to survive and make sense of their rapidly changing world, now devoid of both their creator and his two most favored angels.
Amid all this chaos, Lucifer and Elaine seek a way to survive and, if possible, to flourish. But Lucifer has a very specific plan in mind to save three separate creations, and it’s one he’s kept very carefully hidden from Elaine—who is the lynchpin in his design.
This is the biggest of the moments Carey and company have been building up to, and it does not disappoint. This is a battle that spans across multiple issues without ever feeling like it’s dragging, and which brings all the major plotlines together in a way that ensures out world—all our worlds—will never be the same again.
I like this book not for its climactic battle scenes, but for its theology. When your title character is Lucifer and you’re plotting with and illustrating the major players of Heaven and Hell, there’s always going to be theology involved. But bringing Yahweh back to render a final judgment on his creation was a step Carey didn’t have to take in order to further the plot—events would have reached the same conclusion regardless of his reappearance. Still, the conversation with Elaine and the mock trial which follows makes for some of the most interesting dialogue in the series, without ever sounding preachy. Combined with Rudd’s earlier views on why the status quo in Heaven and Hell must change, it makes for fascinating reading.
My only real complaint with this issue is a rare timing misstep which seems to have been overlooked. In the one-shot featuring Gaudium, Serpa and the summoner, they arrive at Hell to find it empty, and promptly take up residence in the angelic tower. However, in the final issue, Elaine plucks Jill out of the same tower—where she had presumably been left since her arrival with Lucifer. Why didn’t Gaudium, Serpa and the summoner encounter her during their stay? Perhaps I’m missing something here, but it’s always irked me.
On to the final volume…
jayspa65's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ecclesiastes 7:8
Well, in this case Ecclesiastes is half right, anyway.
Mike Carey’s sprawling tale of Heaven and Hell draws towards its close in Morningstar, the tenth volume in a series whose one constant is that its titular character refuses to take crap (or direction) from anybody. Having reached the finale, with Lilith’s armies massed outside the gates of Heaven and the entirety of Creation hanging in the balance, Lucifer battles and bleeds but never, ever bows to our expectations or to that of his Creator.
Not surprisingly, this volume is full of familiar faces – Elaine Belloc, Jill Presto, Christopher Rudd, Solomon and Meleos all have roles to play. There’s even time devoted to tying up smaller loose ends, like the story of Karl and Jayesh, which kicked off the series. (As it was in the beginning, right?) However, as charming as it was to see Gaudium again, I can’t help feeling that the arc he features in (Interlude: The Beast Can’t Take Your Call Right Now) is a bit of a waste. It must have been frustrating enough reading it as a single issue; appearing here as it does 3/4 of the way through the volume it sidetracks the narrative, derailing the steadily building tension of the story’s climax for a mediocre gag and absolutely no payoff.
Even with that glaring flaw Morningstar is glorious to behold. Beautiful and brazen, it’s everything you want in a fallen angel.
mhshokuhi's review against another edition
5.0
چقدر سریع این جلد رو خوندم! همینطور شماره پشت شماره از بس همه چیز جالب و جدی شده بود :)
بالاخره یهوه اومد مستقیم توی داستان و کاملاً راضی بودم از همه چیزش. لوسیفر چقدر خوب بود! چه کارهایی کرد! آخرش چه میدل فینگر غیرمستقیمی به یهوه نشون داد
بالاخره یهوه اومد مستقیم توی داستان و کاملاً راضی بودم از همه چیزش. لوسیفر چقدر خوب بود! چه کارهایی کرد! آخرش چه میدل فینگر غیرمستقیمی به یهوه نشون داد
psykobilliethekid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
mjthomas43's review against another edition
3.0
Story of a war between heaven and hell that's not as simple as that makes it sound, caused by the absence of God and resolved by the presence of a new creator. Fun read and although it wraps up with an interesting concept (God's inherent injustice in creating and managing Hell, and the subtleties in 'good vs. evil'), the story feels lacking in depth. Perhaps I missed something but a fun read nonetheless.
matt4hire's review against another edition
5.0
There should've been more issues of King Solomon, Private Detective. Just saying.
lannnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaa's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0