Books.

[dsrtao]

_Lucifer: Devil in the Gateway_
_Lucifer: Children and Monsters_ written by Mike Carey.

These are volumes one and two of the collected comics about Lucifer, quondam Prince of Hell. Gaiman more-or-less invented this version of the character (I think) and encouraged Carey to take him on as a series.

Volume one is mediocre. If I hadn't had volume two in front of me, I wouldn't have continued. That would have been a mistake, because the writing really picks up. Think of it as Gaiman-lite.

Comments

[baron-saturday.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess it takes both kinds, because I thought the book was never as strong as it was in those first several issues. The characterization is sparkling, the plot is engaging, the art is phenomenal.

That first one and "A Dalliance Among the Damned" are my favorites of the whole series.

If you keep reading, I'll be interested in hearing more of your thoughts.

[dsrtao]

Three, four and five (including Dalliance) are on their way, so I'll presumably have more to say in a while.

I did like the first few issues, which is why I finished the first volume -- but I thought it had become incoherent before the fourth issue. And it seems to have recovered nicely shortly thereafter.

Needham's library, incidentally, thinks they're young-adult material.

[jducoeur]

Whereas for me, the payoff was what it was all about. At the beginning, I didn't have as much sensation of reading a single coherent story, which is what I so love. Indeed, it wasn't until about 2/3 of the way through, as the final battle begins to take shape, that it all began to really pull together for me, and I *loved* the denouement, that last six months or so.

Then again, Elaine is my favorite character of the story, and her role builds steadily over the course of things. My fondness of parts of the overall arc is closely related to her place in it...