Scan barcode
A review by aceinit
Lucifer, Vol. 6: Mansions of the Silence by Mike Carey
4.0
The Mansions of Silence isn’t one of my favorite arcs, but it is one of the series’ strongest. It is a collection largely devoid of its title character, yet full of some of Carey’s strongest storytelling and some consistently beautiful art.
After striking a deal with Loki of Norse myth, Lucifer assembles an unlikely crew and sets them off on a quest, sailing a ship made of dead men’s fingernails. The crew, (made up of Mazikeen, Jill Presto, the half-angel Cal, fallen cherubs Gaudium and Serpa, the ghost of David Easterman—the man who thought he was Elaine’s biological father—and Loki’s frost giant half brother) are tasked with retrieving Elaine from the titular Mansions of Silence, a place where angels (fallen or not) are forbidden to tread.
Despite not being one of my favorite overall collections, many of my favorite moments can be found in these pages, particularly in Issue 36 (the first one included). The panels where Lucifer declares “this is what I was named for. In case you wondered,” are probably my favorite from the entire run.
Though this is a small volume, only six issues long, Carey accomplishes much. The unlikely crew of the Nagalfar endure several trials and tribulations which affect them on personal levels, and Jill Presto comes face-to-face with a very unexpected face. And Lucifer and Michael, drawn to the pool of God’s collected thoughts, finally see the Creator’s master plan.
These issues were my introduction to Lucifer, back when the series was still being published as a monthly comic. After just finishing Gaiman’s spectacular The Sandman, I was thrilled to learn that one of its most dynamic characters had his own spinoff. I remember being disappointed by these issues as they arrived in my pull box every month. Because I didn’t know the back-story, beyond what had happened in The Sandman. But, most importantly, because I didn’t understand how much groundwork for the future is contained in what could easily be misinterpreted as a side story.
It wasn’t until the second or third re-read of the series that the full importance of The Mansions of Silence was made evident to me. It’s a sneaky little story that way. Especially that cutesy little one-shot at the end, where David Hahn’s almost cartoonish art serves as a distraction for what’s really going on behind the scenes.
After striking a deal with Loki of Norse myth, Lucifer assembles an unlikely crew and sets them off on a quest, sailing a ship made of dead men’s fingernails. The crew, (made up of Mazikeen, Jill Presto, the half-angel Cal, fallen cherubs Gaudium and Serpa, the ghost of David Easterman—the man who thought he was Elaine’s biological father—and Loki’s frost giant half brother) are tasked with retrieving Elaine from the titular Mansions of Silence, a place where angels (fallen or not) are forbidden to tread.
Despite not being one of my favorite overall collections, many of my favorite moments can be found in these pages, particularly in Issue 36 (the first one included). The panels where Lucifer declares “this is what I was named for. In case you wondered,” are probably my favorite from the entire run.
Though this is a small volume, only six issues long, Carey accomplishes much. The unlikely crew of the Nagalfar endure several trials and tribulations which affect them on personal levels, and Jill Presto comes face-to-face with a very unexpected face. And Lucifer and Michael, drawn to the pool of God’s collected thoughts, finally see the Creator’s master plan.
These issues were my introduction to Lucifer, back when the series was still being published as a monthly comic. After just finishing Gaiman’s spectacular The Sandman, I was thrilled to learn that one of its most dynamic characters had his own spinoff. I remember being disappointed by these issues as they arrived in my pull box every month. Because I didn’t know the back-story, beyond what had happened in The Sandman. But, most importantly, because I didn’t understand how much groundwork for the future is contained in what could easily be misinterpreted as a side story.
It wasn’t until the second or third re-read of the series that the full importance of The Mansions of Silence was made evident to me. It’s a sneaky little story that way. Especially that cutesy little one-shot at the end, where David Hahn’s almost cartoonish art serves as a distraction for what’s really going on behind the scenes.