Review – Lucifer #3 (DC Vertigo)

Publisher: DC Vertigo
Writer: Dan Watters
Artwork: Max Fiumara, Sebastian Fiumara
Colours: Dave McCaig
Letters: Steve Wands
Release Date: 19th December 2018

Lucifer continues to astound me with every new issue, revealing new insights into the title character while continuing to tease me with the fresh mystery of how he once again fell from the great heights he occupied when we last saw him. This issue sees the injured and blinded Lucifer once again trying to dig his way out of this weird reality he finds himself in. However this time he has some help, in the form of great English poet William Blake.

While this is going on, series writer Dan Watters jumps between flashbacks of Blake and the ever more revealing and strange connection Detective Decker has with whatever happened to Morningstar. And, as an added bonus, this issue also brings back a familiar half-faced demoness who old fans will certainly recognise.

This is a comic that seems to be taking great pleasure in teasing us with answers, but at the same time it’s an absolutely beautiful read. The artwork from Max Fiumara, Sebastian Fiumara and Dave McCaig continues to be amazing, providing a darker depiction of Lucifer that we’ve never seen before in the amazing recreation of Blake’s image of the great red dragon, whilst also showing him as the Bowie-inspired trickster he once was.

It’s a unique piece of storytelling, delivered in a way that you’d struggle to see replicated in any other comic, jumping seamlessly between historic poetry, mystery and philosophical musings on free will and determinism. I recently reread the revamped Lucifer from a few years back, which was interesting in its own way but never felt like that much of a continuation of the original series. It was too flashy for my liking, with too many jokes and not enough depth or class. These last few issues however have really managed to capture that distinctive feel and intrigue of the first run and this series just keeps getting better and better.

Rating: 5/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK]