Lucifer #15 – Dan Watters, Writer; Fernando Blanco, Artist; Dee Cunniffe, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Dan Watters has been allowed to go darker and bleaker than any other book in the Sandman Universe line. After all, when you’re writing Satan, it kind of goes with the territory.
Since Lucifer’s status quo was upended at the end of the first year, he’s developed a new motivation and a new supporting cast. Now in Lucifer #15, he’s taken up residence in the British north in an abandoned mansion, and is consorting with John Constantine as he attempts to survive the Wild Hunt.
The addition of ancient Gods like Odin and demigods like Achilles, set up at the end of the last arc, adds a new level of stakes because these beings do not fear Lucifer and may be able to do serious damage to him. That’s why Lucifer is acting more satanic than usual, presiding over a creepy mansion full of the recently and long-time dead seeking another chance at life. After all, what’s the devil going to do but tempt people?
The house of horrors is one of the most intriguing settings of the series, and the art by Fernando Blanco in Lucifer #15 brings the ghosts to creepy “life”. There’s a WW1 German pilot who expresses proto-Nazi sentiments (and is subject to hilarious revenge by Constantine, who hates Nazis), a Japanese ghost with violent instincts, and the poor unfortunate shopkeeper murdered last issue.
As the issue goes on, it becomes clear that they’ve been drafted into a supernatural mission by Lucifer who has ways to make them comply with his plan for them. This series often gets overly dense, but this issue has a strong, horror-focused concept with just the right bursts of supernatural violence to drive home how dangerous these players are. The presence of Constantine, moving from series to series, has given this title a lot of new energy, although it’s still too early to tell if this will be as entertaining long-term as Lucifer’s war on heaven.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
