Lucifer Volume 1

by Dan Watters

One of four books expanding Neil Gaiman s acclaimed Sandman Universe. The onetime ruler of Hell has gone missing. Lucifer is MIA. He finds himself imprisoned and crippled by mysterious forces who seek to torment him for their own terrible ends. He also happens to have no idea how he got there. This is the one true tale of what befell the Prince of Lies, the Bringer of Light Lucifer. The blind, destitute old man, who lives in a small boarding house in a quiet little town, where nothing is quite what it seems and no one can leave. He s trapped, you see? Trapped in a bizarre prison with no memory of how he got there or why. He has no recollection of setting out to find his offspring. He also does not remember that if he does not find him it could be the end of all things. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, a cop who may have brain cancer is tasked with a mission. Find and Kill Lucifer. From crime and mystery author Dan Watters (The Shadow, Deep Roots) with art from Max Fiumara and Sebastian Fiumara (Abe Sapien, The Amazing Spider-Man, All-Star Batman) bring us the next chapter in the story everyone s favorite son of God. The Sandman Universe is a new series of books curated by Neil Gaiman for DC Vertigo. Conjuring epic storytelling and immersing readers into the evolving world of the Dreaming, The Sandman Universe begins anew with four new ongoing series, existing in a shared universe, building upon Gaiman s New York Times best-selling series that lyrically weaved together stories of dreams and magic. Collects Lucifer #1-6 and Sandman Universe Special #1.

• ISBN10: 1401291333
• ISBN13: 9781401291334
• Publish Date: 25 June 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 22 December 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: DC Comics
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 200
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781401291334

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Lucifer Vol. 1: The Infernal Comedy is a graphic novel collection of The Sandman Universe Special #1 and the first 6 issues of Lucifer. Published 25th June 2019 from Vertigo, it's 200 pages and available in paperback and ebook (comiXology) formats. All four of the graphic novel collections in this 30th anniversary story montage in the Sandman universe include the Sandman Universe Special issue #1 (so there's approximately 20% page overlap in the graphic novels- I was confused at first).

The pencils by Max and Sebastian Fiumara are dark, gritty, and bleak, and fit the story very well. It's always a little bit nerve-wracking when other people are writing storylines in worlds which are dear to me, but in this case, Dan Watters shows once again that he is a masterful storyteller. These issues felt seamless and I loved the tie-in cameos. I don't know how much direct input Neil Gaiman had on the story arc (apart from curating the 4 books which make up these tie-ins), but they fit so well in the Sandman universe. I continue to be very impressed.

As most (all?) of the Vertigo titles are for more mature readers, there is a large amount of violence, supernatural themes, gore, etc etc.

The graphic novel includes extra content such as alternate cover art and tantalizing sketchbook glimpses. I really loved the perspective character pencil sketches at the back of the book. Lightly colored. Beautiful work.

I literally grew up in a comic/fandom family and Sandman was the comic 'soundtrack' of my early adulthood. I've loved it deeply for decades and this series is a worthy bearer of the franchise name.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.