rants_n_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

trilbynorton's review against another edition

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5.0

For the longest time I avoided the various spin-offs of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics, which, as it turns out, was stupid, because Mike Carey's Lucifer is actually excellent. Not as good as The Sandman, but I can't really hold that against it, because what is as good as The Sandman? Plus, Lucifer is sufficiently its own beast to ward off close comparison, even when it directly references its progenitor (which it wisely does only rarely).

Picking up from where we last saw the erstwhile ruler of Hell, the series sees the Morningstar playing everyone against everyone else in a universe(s)-spanning feat of self-determination. Carey's Lucifer is a manipulative bastard, always steps ahead of his own adversaries; whenever it looks like they've got him beat, it turns out he was playing a different game all along. That might make it sound like the series lacks jeopardy, but like Gaiman's Dream, Carey's Lucifer is often depicted at the periphery of other, less Machiavellian characters' stories, including his demon lover, a stage magician possessed by cosmic Tarot cards, and a girl who speaks to ghosts.

cstaude's review against another edition

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4.0

Wow! As graphic novels go, this was one wild ride! Definitely intrigued by this genre. Anyone who calls them merely comic books is missing the point. There is definitely some incredible plot layering in this series!

liinaps's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

jeoonwoo's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.0

ogreart's review against another edition

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4.0

This was an interesting read. The characters were often surprising and never quite what I expected. I could see from a long way off there were a lot of threads that would need to be woven together, and darn if Carey didn't manage to get it done. The artwork was well done.

maybay's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny medium-paced

4.25

michael_benavidez's review against another edition

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5.0

Going back and rereading these graphic novels (well rereading Sandman which led to Lucifer, while simultaneously reading Hellblazer and Private Eye) I'm beginning to realize why these had just a great effect on me.
First off, the art is always great, but the fact that the art tends to add emphasis on certain things, helps to give the air of the story, and just create a world that words alone cannot do. But it's the fact that there is no dependency on the art. It's the story that pulls it all to life, the story and in turn the characters. And that's what Lucifer is.
A spin-off of the character Neil Gaiman created in Sandman, this is very much like but not like Sandman. Sandman was about the characters, to me at least. The characters and their motives pulled the story to life, and moved the plot.
In Lucifer, the characters are very much the pinpoint of the story, and yet they're not. The characters all play out like chess pieces, some knowing they're chess pieces ready to be played, or others refusing to acknowledge it, or too arrogant to. However, where Morpheus was the pinnacle of the stories, here it's Lucifer (derr).
And I love it. You get everyone's story, everyone's personality, except Lucifer's. Despite being the title character, he's left to the side, as that force that is calculating but never gives away what he's calculating, not even to the writer.
And he's ALWAYS calculating. The story starts off that way. He has a plan and sets it into full effect, and from there things roll forward. There is no break from the main story line, although we get a few side things going on, they all lead back to the same thing, and Lucifer in his ever cunning ways, has seen it coming. It's really brilliant, especially as a reread with all this knowing of what's to come.
As far as the art goes, it's great. This volume has three different styles, the first style, then the two that trade off every issue/chapter. The first style is pretty good, but doesn't add or take away from the story. The next two however, for some reason, help the flow more. Maybe because they stay throughout the series, I had a chance to get used to it? Where as the first style was done before I could get a feeling for it? I'm not sure. But it's not off putting.
So yeah, it's a great beginning, very linear, brilliant, and yet always guessing where the hell this is going next

golden_lily's review against another edition

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3.0

It's not often a book makes me feel this stupid. I need a religious scholar, a full history of Gaiman's work, and a refresher on Constantine before attempting book 2.

muhrrynn's review against another edition

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5.0

Still a favorite. Mike Carey turns a grand tale with a prime amoral hero. As the witch in Into the Woods says, he's not good, he's not nice, he's just right.