Lucifer, Vol. 6: Mansions of the Silence

Lucifer (2000) (Old Trades)

by Mike Carey, Peter Gross (Illustrator), Ryan Kelley (Illustrator)

The sixth collection of the hit series from the world of THE SANDMAN, reprinting issues #36-41. The strange crew of Lucifer Morningstar voyages on a ship made of dead men's nails in search of the soul of Elaine Belloc, the daughter of the Archangel Michael and the girl who gave her life to save Lucifer's.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.

Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.

Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.

Reviews

[Dev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume might not have as much going on as previous volumes, but I still think it's a really good time. There's really only one plot going on with the whole Mansions of the Silence thing, and even though Michael and Lucifer are doing their own thing for awhile, it's still a lot more tightly tied together than the different story lines in previous volumes. Despite the relative shortness and overall simplicity, it's still definitely a 5 star read for me though. I love all the characters on the Naglfar and it's great to see them all interacting together. The last issue is really great too both because I love Elaine and also because I'm so excited for what is about to happen next!

Some highlights:


true lol



I just like Lucifer blowing up things / setting things on fire


SMACK! Also Michael joining Death in pointing how Lucifer and Yahweh are similar




mmhmmm


I like bitter!Michael


[snort] #ass


I think this was the only mention of will in this volume


:)))

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, it seemed that this was a fairly plot centric volume: find Elaine. Talk to God the Father.

And then wham.

Surprise visit of Holy-Shit-They-Actually-Went-There.

Yes. That is a literary term.

Meet Jill Presto: mother to be of a magical baby because the tarot people raped her and impregnated her with it. Throughout the course of the story, the boy has become corporeal and is trying to cozy up to mother dearest, declaring his love for her and trying to convince her that she must love him too. But she doesn't react in the way he expects her to.

She tells him, in no uncertain terms, to stop mind controlling her to love him and that if he does it again there will be pain. Lots of pain. And then topped with death.

Then he becomes injured in the course of the story as he steps in to protect his vessel/mother. Lucifer says he'll save him if Jill wants him too -- but then she decides to leave him to die, concluding with these final words:

"I got what I wanted, I'm not complaining. But it was a hell of a long way to come for an abortion."

Excuse me while I have a holy-shit moment.

Perhaps this doesn't seem so significant if viewed in a bubble -- but consider:

Take Fringe for example. Where "abortion" is never even mentioned as an option (even when it's later revealed that the pregnancy would probably kill both mother and child).

Then there's another show called Invasion -- it's about aliens, but what's the first symptom that aliens have been fiddling with the humans? When women stop acting like mothers. So -- you have a mother abandoning her kid (side character played by the chick that plays Peggy on Mad Men, btw). Then you have another primary character who's a doctor. She doesn't seem to be Off because she stops being such a good job. Oh no. Something's wrong because she stops being a good mom. She doesn't call her kids and tell them that she's going to be late after a big ass hurricane.

It's the Monstrous Mothers trope -- women so far perverted that they reject the very fiber of their being -- their motherhood -- and thus become irredeemable monsters.

And here this is being subverted in a glorious fashion.

Jill doesn't want to be a mother. She wants to have a career and have good sex. She is furious when someone tries to tell/force her that she needs to love this child. I really appreciate how they position love as a choice, as an action springing forth from someone's agency, instead of something natural.

It's self-validating. Individuality first, role second.

But the volume wasn't just about motherhood -- it was about fatherhood too. Because God the Father is abandoning the Silver City and randomness/chaos is about to ensue. Gabriel feels betrayed, Lucifer is hardly surprised. Though perhaps my favorite line so far in regards to Lucifer and God the Father is this:

FOR YOU ARE THE KING OF CONTRIVANCE AND MANIPULATION, MY SAMAEL, BUT IN THAT, AS IN ALL THINGS -- YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR FATHER.


Slytherins! The lot of them. And I fucking love it. I'm hoping the fatherhood theme will play out more in further episodes, but I just find the juxtaposition of a masculine character and a feminine character abandoning certain roles society has thrust upon them to be fascinating.

And, of course, I like the subversion of the typical concept of God so prevalent in Judeo-Christian societies. I mean, I don't think that "contrivance" and "manipulations" would be the first adjectives the average person would use to describe "god."

[Airiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this one is not on par with the previous volumes, but it’s definitely a fascinating read. It’s still chuck-full of interwoven mythologies—Norse, Japanese, Judeo-Christian—and it teems with life, with characters blown up to sheer fullness through good storytelling.

The main backbone of The Mansions of Silence is the quest to find the soul of Elaine Belloc, God’s granddaughter (through Michael Demiurgos). In the previous volumes, we see how Elaine unwittingly sacrifices her own life just so Lucifer Morningstar will be able to live again, and the Lightbringer wants to return the favor now in the best possible way. Lucifer borrows the Naglfar, the trickster god Loki’s warship that was made from dead man’s nails, and assembles a crew that he trusts to return successfully. The Naglfar is to voyage to the Mansions of Silence, where apparently Elaine’s soul is in torment in the hands of a character keen on taking revenge on the Morningstar…

Good premise and all, but the threads of the plot fell short of the mark I expected it to hit. Perhaps this is because it’s the beginning of a new storyline; after all, the stuff concerning Lucifer’s wings are already tied to a close in Inferno. The characters shine through though, especially Mazikeen. I like it when Maz and Lucifer are together—they complement each other, Maz being all brawn and brutality while Lucifer is all mind and manipulation. But I liked it more when Mazikeen is not standing as the Morningstar’s shadow, because she proves to be a butt-kicking soldier worthy of having storylines of her own. As for Loki’s half-brother Bergelmir, he is somewhat likable, which is a break for him because all this time he’s wearing this beware-of-me-I-may-betray-you veil. In fact he’s the only character onboard who has the guts to tell Lucifer how outraged he is to what the Lightbringer has done to the Mansions of Silence, making himself a subwoofer of conscience in a place where he is not likely to be heard. The fallen cherubim duo of Gaudium and Sera and the cuteness of their banters are reminiscent of Gaiman’s Matthew from The Sandman graphic novels. It’s always nice to have someone to stand as a comic relief to a story that’s all despair and fighting. The duo’s existence lies in stark juxtaposition with the nature of the whole story, and it’s magnificently successful in its balance.

In this volume, Lucifer and his twin Michael are forced to act in concert because of Elaine. They trek to the place where Mazikeen’s ex-husband has built some kind of alchemical machinery containing God’s thoughts. I think it’s the epicenter of this tome’s letdown—the engine is deus ex machina in every sense of the word. If I were Carey, I would have saved these bits of storyline about the heart-to-heart talk between God and his twins, but I can feel that Carey has something more up his sleeve. That’s what I’m going to wait for.

As I’ve said, this one’s an enchanting read.

[OmniBen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review)
Volume one off to a slow start, but ever since that, it's been little short of amazing. Going from strength to strength in both the narrative and art. It's disappointing to have to say this is easily e weakest volume since the initial offering. The opening three issues could easily have been two, which would have dramatically improved the pacing. The final two issues of the main arc were really good and restored my initial score of three back up to a four, only to have the final one shot issue go and drag this one back down again. I'm not sure what necessitated the decision to go with that artist and break the Gross/Kelly/Ormiston art team that we got, but it took what appears to be the final farewell to a beloved character and tarnished it so completely as to make me dead certain of skipping it on a future re-read. That said it was far from Carey's best work either, but god damn that art was terrible. That said, I'm not sure why they went from Ormiston doing the opening issue / tie in and Gross/Kelly doing the main four arcs to all three collaborating on each issue? I certainly hope that isn't going to keep reoccurring going forward. Here's to volume seven getting things back on track. 3/5


OmniBen.

[محمدحسین · Rating 5 out of 5]

جلد ششم شامل کامیک‌های ۳۶ تا ۴۱ میشه.
شروع خوبی بود، این جلد ۱ آرک بیشتر نداره و یه شماره بعد از اون و تموم میشه. این آرک که شامل ۵ شماره کامیک هست هم طراحی و هم رنگ‌آمیزی رو دوست داشتم، افتی که توی جلد قبلی داشت الان برطرف شده بود و به شدت جذاب‌تر بود از لحاظ بصری. البته یکم حیف شد، امیدوار بودم خود لوسیفر وارد ماجرا بشه اما خب، انگار نمیشه، به همین خاطر کارهای لوسیفرش کمتر بود، اما به جاش چیزهای بهتر و فاندامنتال‌تر با لوسیفر و مایکل داشت. یه چیز جالب دیگه این بود که توی شماره دوم آرک دقیقاً این موضوع نبودن لوسیفر و احساس مخاطب به صورت طنز توسط دوتا از شخصیت‌ها بیان میشه که از درک خالق اثر میاد و درود بهش. یهوه خر رو هم داشت که ادویه به غذا بود.
کلا آرک و جلد خیلی خوبی بود، هرچی تموم میشه فکر می‌کنی بهتر از این نمی‌تونه باشه، آرک بعدی میاد و میبینی به به، چقدر خوبه این جدیده :دی

شماره آخر و خارج از آرک حالا مشخصاً طراح متفاوت بود، بازم خیلی دوستش نداشتم، اما طرح‌های خود آرک خیلی خوب بودن.

از طرح‌های روی شماره‌ها رو هم که گفتم، به خصوص ۳۹ و ۴۰ رو خیلی دوست داشتم توی این جلد.

[Tsumi Tsunami · Rating 4 out of 5]

sALE lOKI <3
ME ENCANTAN LOS VIAJES EN BARCO Y LOS ERIZOS

[Jay Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another epic installment of Mike Careys Lucifer series. Again the book showcases Mike Careys sheer imagination & creativity with a mixture of themes spanning Christianity, Norse and Japanese mythology. Peter Gross art is also iconic and excellent...

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read through Lucifer Vols. 1-5 in short order a few months back. Now, getting into Vol. 6, I feel a bit disoriented. There’s so much going on in this series!

In this one, Lucifer assembles a team of allies and sends them upon the ship Naglfar (a flying ship made of dead men’s nails) to the Mansions of Silence to find the soul of Elaine (who sacrificed herself for Lucifer in the previous volume).

I’m a sucker for nautical stories, so I enjoyed this one, even though it had a quite different vibe from the others. Again, the series mixes Japanese, Norse, and Judeo-Christian mythologies in a really interesting way.

[Štěpán · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it but not really liked it

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucifer Morningstar traffics in debts and favors, but until now he's always been the owed and not the owing. That changed when Elaine Belloc, God's granddaughter, sacrificed her life to save his, and now the Devil's out to settle that score (and maybe further his own machinations) by bringing Elaine back from the half-world where he soul is trapped. And so Lucifer gathers a rag-tag band of what he refers to as loose-ends, packs them off on a ship borrowed from Loki, and sends them on their questing way while he deals with other matters.

With almost the entirety of this book taken up with the quest narrative, Mansions of the Silence is a much more straight-forward tale than most of the other volumes in Carey's series. I found that refreshing, though I can see how others might feel like there's not a whole lot going on here (and, comparatively, there's not). But how can you be disappointed in a story wherein a Japanese god makes paper lanterns out of the souls of small children? Or where you find out that, in service to his goals, Lucifer is just as willing to destroy worlds as build them?

Mansions offers both a breather and a reset for the coming conflict with the Almighty, who does indeed seem to have a plan for his fallen son - maybe even one the Master Artificer himself won't see coming.

[Aldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm trying to pace myself. It's not really working.

Loving the Naglfar trip, although Bergelmir now seems sleazier than I remembered. Gaudium and Spera win at everything. Yahwe is a pompous prick and his "everything you do, you do because it is part of My Plan" bullshit needs a hard smackdown. Aaaand it's about time Michael got angry.

I love Elaine and Mona's friendship, and I love this - temporary - solution for them. "You're in charge of hedgehogs. You're in charge of everything else." <33333333333333333

[Vitek Novy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucifer nerad někomu něco dluží, a tak dá dohromady posádku a na lodi Nagelfar, postavené z nehtů mrtvých, se vydá do Domů ticha, aby zachránil duši Elaine Bellockové. A celý příběh se zase posunul o krůček dál, zajímavě se to vyvíjí...

[sally ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“For you are the king of contrivance and manipulation, my Samuel. But in that, as in all things—you learned from your father.”

more mazikeen pls.

[Gerardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Creo delle divinità ridicole per delegittimare il concetto di dio stesso". Poesia.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucifer ha derrotado a Amenadiel, ha afianzado su dominio sobre su creación y ha conseguido el Nafglar, el barco del Ragnarok custodiado en Nifleheim, pero tiene una deuda que saldar... y al diablo no le gusta estar en deuda con nadie. Así que Lucifer va a preparar una misión de salvación, y el objetivo es, ni más ni menos, que el alma de Elaine Belloc. Después de que ella se sacrificara (un poco manipulada por Meleos, las cosas como son) para salvar a Lucifer, el alma de Elaine fue llevado al mismo sitio donde se encontraba el alma de su amiga Mona, las llamadas Mansiones del Silencio, un lugar entre el cielo y el infierno dominado por una extraña criatura que tortura las almas convirtiéndolas en artesanía de cuero a lo Ed Gein (tiene a Elaine convertida en una especie de farolillo rústico desde la página uno, así que no es spoiler). Pero la presencia de Lucifer podría destruir las Mansiones del Silencio y todo lo que allí existe, incluidas las almas de sus habitantes, así que va a reunir a un curioso grupo para llevar a cabo está misión. Con Mazikeen al frente, Jill Presto, el gigante Bergelmir, los querubines caídos Gaudio y Spera, y el medio ángel Cal (uno de los híbridos de Sandalfón), se van a dirigir hacia las Mansiones del Silencio para rescatar a Elaine, para encontrarse con que su misterioso torturador tiene más de un tema personal que resolver con Lucifer, y es que el señor de las Mansiones no es otro que Tsuki-Yomi, uno de los hijos de Izanami.

Pero mientras la tripulación del Nafglar trata de llegar a las Mansiones, Lucifer no va a quedarse mano sobre mano, y aprovechando el descubrimiento realizado por el esposo Lilim de Mazikeen en las páginas del tomo anterior (un estanque que lleva directamente al pensamiento de Dios), la Estrella de la Mañana va a llevar al nuevo ángel caído, Miguel, a tratar de averiguar los planes del propio Creador... solo para descubrir que quizá su libre albedrío ha sido mucho menor de lo que pensaban... y que Dios aún tiene una última palabra que decir sobre el destino de absolutamente todo.

[David Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucifer Morningstar traffics in debts and favors, but until now he's always been the owed and not the owing. That changed when Elaine Belloc, God's granddaughter, sacrificed her life to save his, and now the Devil's out to settle that score (and maybe further his own machinations) by bringing Elaine back from the half-world where her soul is trapped. And so Lucifer gathers a rag-tag band of what he refers to as loose-ends, packs them off on a ship borrowed from Loki, and sends them on their questing way while he deals with other matters.

With almost the entirety of this book taken up with the quest narrative, Mansions of the Silence is a much more straight-forward tale than most of the other volumes in Carey's series. I found that refreshing, though I can see how others might feel like there's not a whole lot going on here (and, comparatively, there's not). But how can you be disappointed in a story wherein a Japanese god makes paper lanterns out of the souls of small children? Or where you find out that, in service to his goals, Lucifer is just as willing to destroy worlds as build them?

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly good volume. When I first skimmed through it, I went "ugh," because the whole thing with the Mansions of Silence and Elaine Belloc and Mona ending up there, the motley crew of the Naglfar etc. really, REALLY did not interest me. However, once I got to reading it, the journey truly was more than the destination, with interesting mythological references (and inventions by Carey), interesting dynamics and some inspiration for supernatural cosmology.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Not to mention, God finally putting in his two cents concerning Lucifer and Michael, and precipitating a massive upheaval in the Silver City.

The actual part about the Mansions and the aftermath is really of no consequence, and even the dissonant art by David Hahn made it seem like an afterthought. To me, it definitely seems like Carey was cleaning house with this one and preparing for the next story arc, killing off excess characters and loose ends (especially, as it appears, the last remaining bit of the Basanos).

All in all, an enjoyable read.

[Zec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains the arcs: Naglfar and Sisters of Mercy.

Most of this volume is spent following the various cast of characters on a journey without Lucifer accompanying them. Jill Presto has some pretty good character development in this arc, finally taking charge and making decisions, no longer the puppet of a pack of cards. Mazikeen is as awesome and badass as always. The fallen-cherubim add some humour. It is nice to meet A villain from a previous arc in his place of power. The real gem here is Lucifer and Michael having an extremely one-sided conversation with God. The implications are stunning. I liked this arc but in the same vein as the previous volume, it feels as though it is building up to something bigger.

[Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

36-40: Naglfar
God: "But it is the one thing I cannot see. The thing I break even by TOUCHING IT. Randomness."

Lucifer assembles his team to sail the Naglfar. Their mission - to find Elaine's soul. He and Michael disagree on God's plan, and he brings Michael to a place where they can see/hear God's thoughts. Many battles, real and philosophical, play out along the way. A very well written arc, only let down by somewhat clunky art.

41: Sisters of Mercy
"It was the Maker. The Maker had come in his great skyship. And he had brought the sisters to us."

Elaine and Mona have to decide what to do with themselves, now that they are free from the travails of Destiny. A realistic yet heartwarming take. Loved the art.

[Adam Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every word in this series seems necessary to guide this story to its climax. Nothing is wasted. There's no filler chapter where Carey explores part of the universe that won't be essential to following the plot. He also compacts storylines that most writers would drag out to twelve issues into just three or four without it ever feeling forced.

This is at least my third time reading this since it came out, and it's just as invigorating each time.

Certainlty don't start with this volume, you really need to read the whole thing in order (unlike The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes, which it's spun out from).

[Ilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume a bit like the last feels like tidying up after the thundering climax of the Pergatorio arc. The plot is split between the quest on the ship and Lucifer and Michael reading the thoughts of god. It's a trick employed in the previous volume as well, where Mazikeen races to restore Lucifer's powers before he has to fight a duel, and here the two strands are a little less elegantly tied up. Carey balances Lucifer's supercillious demeanour with a crop of goofy characters like Jill Presto and Gaudium, and there is fun to be had, but this might still be weakest stretch of the series yet.

[Pavel Pravda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dochází mi slova chvály. Je to boží. Je to ďábelské. Poodhalení božího plánu rozhodí i takového klidného drsňáka, jakým je archanděl Michael. Po tom, co se stalo v tomto díle, už svět nikdy nebude stejný. Jestli tedy vůbec bude. Hlavně že se má kdo starat o ježky. Náš svět má Briana Maye, Luciferův svět má Monu. Jediné, co se dá knize vytknout, je kresba Davida Hahna v poslední kapitole.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

A viking ship made of fingernails with a crew of angels, ghosts and demons on a quest through the afterlife and beyond to save the spirit of a dead girl, whose father is angel from a dead god, what's not to like.

[SaraKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment of the series. I can see why many reviewers count this one as one of the best of the series. It was rather epic and I like to see Lucifer and Michael working together. And the inclusion of their father was interesting!

[Tomáš · Rating 2 out of 5]

Za mě nejslabší díl, i když se v něm stane asi nejdůležitější věc. Je jasné, že se tu připravujeme na další dějství, ale celkově mám pocit, že je Lucifer již značně vytěžený a nepřináší nic nového. Uvidíme příště, rád bych se mýlil.

[Keeloca · Rating 4 out of 5]

But WHY is destroying the mansions of silence a bad thing? Isn't non-existence better than eternal suffering, which a lot of them seem to have, what with being sewn into lamps and what-not?

Also, go Jill. You have that abortion.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to this arc of Lucifer. The only problem I have is that the last section from beautiful but harsh artwork to slightly cartoony. Overall still a solid read and highly recommend.

[Drizztl · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

[Steven W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series but the same stories seem to be repeating over and over....

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep reading these volumes despite most of it going right over my head. This one was a bit slower paced and easier to follow but, as usual, I found myself lost a few times.