Lucifer, Vol. 2: The Divine Tragedy

Lucifer (2018)

by Dan Watters, Max Fiumara (Illustrator), Sebastian Fiumara (Illustrator)

God is angry. Lucifer has committed an unthinkable act of sacrilege, and now the forces of Heaven have left him with nowhere to turn but the lands of the dead.

Much has changed since Lucifer's last visit to his former kingdom. Meanwhile: a cherub appears in a motel room, a witch queen walks the Earth for the first time in millennia, and Mazikeen gets to break a finger or two. Plus, things in Hell are heating up with too many potential leaders as Mazikeen prepares to fend off a usurper with assistance from an unexpected ally. But with Heaven and Hell so engrossed in their own affairs, who's keeping track of what's happening on Earth?

Collects Lucifer #7-12.

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

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2020

About the author

Dan Watters is a UK based comic book writer. His first book, LIMBO, was released through Image Comics in 2016. He has since written THE SHADOW at Dynamite Comics, and ASSASSIN’S CREED and WOLFENSTEIN for Titan Comics.

Currently he is writing the relaunch of LUCIFER for Vertigo’s Sandman Universe, as well as DEEP ROOTS for Vault Comics. Deeply rooted in London Town, and firmly of the Devil's party.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was impressed with how much better this was over the first volume. Mainly because things happen in it. The story is OK. Lucifer goes through the underworlds of different deities looking for a place for Sycorax to go now that God has declared she'll die in three days. Their son Caliban tags along with Lucifer as well. The best issue was the interlude telling a story from Caliban's past where he ate a demon. It's great. The problem with this book though is every time I pick it up I just want to go back and read the Mike Carey and Peter Gross series instead, because they did it much better.

The art is pretty good. I find the colors too drab though. They look like a renaissance painting. I do wonder why the Fiumara's draw Lucifer to look like Klarion the Witch Boy though. He's even drawn with a blue face in a lot of this.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic plot: Lucifer hunts for an afterlife for Sycorax, not knowing a dark plot works behind his back.

This was a slow build of a story, which makes the beginning drag a bit. But there's a dramatic payoff at the end. I just wish there was a bit more movement to the story earlier on. The humor helps, though, and seeing all of the different locales that Lucifer visits is definitely interesting. The art is consistent in style. A bit more abstract than I usually like, but it really works for this series. I like the twists of the plot, even though this volume leaves us on more than a bit of a cliffhanger.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, this book's good. Actually, I doubt Lucifer'd approve of that sentiment, let me try again. Satan, this book's good.

This second arc dovetails straight out of the first, with Lucifer trying to deal with Caliban and the resurrected Sycorax, who has only 3 days to live before she must spend eternity in the afterlife. But no one specified which afterlife, and Lucifer takes it upon himself to try and find her a more appropriate one than the one the Silver City has in mind. This leads us on a merry tour across many different afterlives (which feels appropriate given that I just reviewed Jane Foster: Valkyrie), while a myriad of other subplots, including a new coven, a second war on Heaven, and the ultimate fate of Mazikeen, all bubble away in the background before ending with a flourish as the story comes to a close. It's another superbly plotted saga that shows Dan Watters as a master storyteller, ably assisted by the Fiumaras on art once again, bringing their scratchy pencils and colours to the multitude of worlds Lucifer traverses.

There's also an interlude issue, appropriately named The Gastronomy Lesson, which focuses on Caliban and an adventure of his in a secluded mansion. With art by the horrific Kelley Jones, this issue invokes the Anatomy Lesson that it is named for but twists it all in a horrible way to give a truly chilling story, and one of my favourites of the already impressive run.

I've said it already, but I think it bears repeating - Satan, this book is good.

[Adam Nowicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucifer Volume 2: The Divine Tragedy is an immediate improvement over the first volume. The icing issues seem to have been worked out, though I still cannot help but think that the last few pages of the first volume could have been shifted to the beginning of this volume, which would have greatly improved the ending of the first and not at all affected the beginning of the second.

Lucifer’s arc is fantastic. As someone who has always enjoyed mythology modern interpretations of mythology, it’s awesome to take Lucifer through different afterworlds to find a resting place for the mother of his child. I wouldn’t call her his love interest, which is also a great aspect of this story. I enjoy the duty-bound true to his word character, instead of some doe-eyed vapid story motivated only by love. Love is tired. Let’s look at different things. As always, Lucifer’s contempt toward the Angels and Heaven, in general, is fun to see from his angle. Overall his arc is such a pleasure to read.

Caliban, the son of Lucifer, is a bit more one-note. It’s a conventional abandoned child narrative trying to get some reconciliation from his parent. It’s fun to see this story through the lens of demons and myth, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a bit rote. There is one issue dedicated strictly to Caliban to dives into his journey to get to Hell and find Lucifer, which is the best Caliban is in this volume, it’s just a bummer that his best is in a side story within the greater narrative. The reconciliation with Lucifer is more a journey about identity than anything else. Caliban has always questioned who he was, which was brought on by his abandonment, and his conclusion is a nice way to tie that up. We get a bit of an epilogue with him, but otherwise, it would have been cool to spend more time with Caliban and Caliban instead of Caliban the questioner.

Sycorax is alright. She’s given a time limit to exist and spends most of it being pissy at Lucifer. I’m not sure what we are supposed to get out of her arc honestly. Other than an affirmation that she has always been decidedly herself even when associating with powerful others, she arrives, then she goes, and that’s what we get. Maybe I’m missing something, but her and Caliban’s arc seems to strictly be a way to catch Lucifer up. The conclusion of the volume alludes to the fact that Lucifer is now free from familial bonds, which in the Sandman Universe can be deadly. If that’s the summation of Sycorax, then it’s a disappointing use of a strong female character.

One of the joys of this volume for fans of the Sandman Universe is all the little throwbacks. We see a cameo (maybe?) by Despair. Bast makes an appearance in the Duat and an appearance by Duma and Remiel in Hell. Personally, the coolest returning cameo is Thessaly as a top-tier witch at the Sycorax Sabbath.

Other story notes, I guess that the Detective Decker story is wrapped up. I enjoyed it in the first volume, but it ended really quickly. The little Cherub that bounces around the plot is fun. Personally, I love the interplay between Lucifer and the Angels. Lucifer's blatant disregard for the Angels is so much fun.

Art-wise, the majority of the volume is brilliant. The Witch Sabbath is so much fun, especially when they fight against the Angel. All the various mythological underworlds that Lucifer visits have distinct styles that really pop. The single issue that deviates artists is the Caliban-focused issue, and I enjoyed the artistic change of pace for the single issues, but if I had to choose between the styles, I would go with what is the majority of the volume.

This is a 4/5. It’s a marked improvement, but some of the characters and their journey are a bit one-note for me. In a comic called Lucifer, the storylines should change Lucifer in some way, and I don’t see that. I love that Lucifer is committed to his word, but he has been committed to his word since his first Sandman appearance. I hope the future volumes can test his word as his bond. The conclusion of this volume seemed like a way to free Lucifer from some of his previous arrangements, but we never see why he made those arrangements in the first place. Perhaps he has a greater plan in store that required his word to be fulfilled before he starts his plans, but it is really not hinted at in this volume, or if it is, it’s going to require the context of the next volumes to explain it. All in all an improvement from the first volume.

[Alex Sarll]

Of all the Sandman Universe books, this was the one which seemed least necessary ahead of time – but it's now the first where I've felt it worth getting the second volume. The Morningstar is much diminished in power here, but still very good at stirring, which inevitably reminded me of John Constantine, particularly when combined with the incessant smoking – in turn calling to mind when people used to ask Mike Carey, writing both at the time, whether he'd cross the two characters over, and him saying it would be a bad idea because nobody would want to see either of the great manipulators come off worse in the exchange. Visually, the Bowie resemblance is stronger than ever – though now, appropriately, it's his most ravaged yet also prettiest incarnation, the Thin White Duke. And much is made here of these as being characters with multiple avatars surrounding an unknowable central essence – a handy way to emphasise that, for all there's an obvious debt to the original Lucifer series, Sandman and more, a straitjacket of continuity and 'But in 1991's issue umpteen it was clearly shown that...' would be entirely counterproductive in terms of having any chance to match the mood and impact of those comics.

So: much to the distaste of an angelic horde certain he's up to something, but unable to prove quite what, Lucifer has wangled a resurrection for his ex-lover Sycorax* – but only for three days. Unwilling for her to be damned to the Hell he long ago left behind him, he sets out to find a more congenial afterlife to take her, but mainly serves to leave chaos in his wake because he is, after all, still the Devil. Fiumara and the guest artists lend the journey through otherworlds in decline a suitably Symbolist grandeur, while also getting the Earthly scenes across in a more grounded yet still suitably magical fashion. The cast list is hefty (there's even a shovel who needs keeping track of as a character, which makes a lot more sense than you might expect), but one never loses track of who's doing what and why; it may help, of course, that the majority of them have at least decades of comics, if not millennia of myth, to help keep them fixed in the reader's mind. And this story has the scope and scale almost always to make these borrowings feel justified, rather than an attempt to gain grandeur by association. Well, maybe with one exception; calling an episode 'A Second, Rather Impromptu, War On Heaven' is brilliant, but 'The Gastronomy Lesson' for what's essentially a side-quest is pushing it (even if the latter does have fabulously horrible fill-in art from Kelley Jones).

Of course, this being modern DC, they had to fuck it up somehow, but let us give thanks that this time it was only on the blurb, which refers to Lucifer as the First of the Fallen, an entirely different Vertigo depiction of the Devil. Slow handclap.

*As ever, the effort to recast Sycorax as any kind of progressive heroine feels to me like a stretch, when she was herself at least as much a torturer and colonialist as Prospero, just slightly earlier. But even with this admittedly niche objection, it really didn't get in the way of the story much.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow. Muy fan de Dan Watters desde ya. Pedazo de segundo arco para la serie de Lucifer, de verdad. Como me ha recordado a los mejores momentos de la serie que en su día escribió Mike Carey con el Portador de Luz como protagonista, qué bien me lo he pasado.

La Divina Tragedia continúa directamente donde terminó La Comedia Infernal: con el regreso de Lucifer desde el pasaje mental de Sycorax y el regreso de la bruja, que resucita para formar parte de una familia disfuncional junto a Lucifer y Caliban. Pero el regreso de Sycorax alerta a los ángeles, dirigidos por Raguel, la cólera de Dios (o sea, el Espectro de DC de toda la vida), y considerando que con la resurrección de Sycorax Lucifer se está burlando de la resurrección del propio Hijo de Dios, se determina que la bruja vivirá tres días antes de morir. Y durante La Divina Tragedia, vamos a asistir a las consecuencias derivadas de esta decisión. Sycorax, decidida a rendirse a su anunciada muerte, se retira a la isla escondida de los ojos de Dios donde transcurre el texto de La Tempestad, de Shakespeare, lo que hace que Raguel tema alguna que la bruja esté planificando junto a Lucifer alguna maldad contra el Cielo. Y aunque los ángeles no son capaces de encontrarla, sí lo hacen las brujas, que acuden junto a Sycorax para realizar un gran sabbat en el que recuperamos a otro de los grandes personajes de Sandman, la hechicera Thessaly. Por otro lado, Calibán oscila entre su madre, su padre y el conocimiento de sí mismo, de su propio horror y de sus aspectos divinos e infernales. Y Lucifer decide recorrer los diversos reinos infernales para buscar un lugar en el que Sycorax sea acogida después de su muerte, y así le vemos regresar al Infierno, que continúa regido por Remiel y Duma; y visitar el Amenti egipcio, el Naraka hindú, el Hades griego...

Pero mientras todo esto ocurre y en un golpe maestro de genialidad, Watters organiza una trama inquietante que tiene que ver con una pala que Lucifer ha portado desde el tomo anterior, tallada con madera del bosque de los suicidas en el Infierno y que susurra "Dueeeeele" Y es que varios personajes que entran en contacto con la pala, reciben astillas de esta y comienzan a repetir una y otra vez esa misma palabra, mientras una nueva guerra entre el Cielo y el Infierno parece estar cada vez más cerca.

Es una obra brillante, absolutamente genial y visualmente poética, donde repiten los lápices de Max y Sebastian Fiumara, y que le van como un guante a la historia que está contando. Una narración tensa, un final impactante... Muchas ganas de seguir adelante con esta historia, de verdad.

[Cale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume of this series is a seed - it's tough to crack, and not much to look at, and left me uninspired. But I'm a Sandman fan, so I gave it another shot, and I am SO glad I did. This volume is the seed blossoming into a beautiful flower. Many of the plot threads from the first book get their payoff here, as Lucifer tries to find an afterlife for Sycorax, with Caliban tagging along reluctantly. There's a lot of grousing and sullenness in that plot, while Mazikeen and Sycorax end up hosting a Witch's Sabbat on the island invisible to angels. But nothing is as it seems; Lucifer's journey has ulterior motives (of course), a sentient shovel causes a massive amount of trouble, and a second war between Lucifer and the angels is brought on, to a surprising resolution. It doesn't sound like it should work, but I was blown away at just how well things came together - this took every criticism I had of the first volume and subverted them for its own use, often in intriguing ways. We get more characters from the past who are well utilized (I've always had a soft spot for Thessaly), some beautiful art and scenes, hat-tips to the DC Universe's more esoteric corners, a sequence dealing with Hindu gods that made me realize just how sorely lacking their presence has been in this Universe, Lucifer truly being Lucifer, and a 'filler' issue about Caliban and a hunter and an unfortunate meal that really gave Caliban a chance to shine. This volume makes the first one worth reading, and that's something I never thought I would say. While it may not quite hit the highs of Gaiman or Carey's best with the character, it is absolutely in the neighborhood. Definitely recommended.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of this comic feels like a strangely small story, as Lucifer MacGuffins about, looking for an appropriate afterlife for his former lover. But, somehow it gains weight over the course of the volume. The characters gain complexity, the plot gains density, and I start to be able to understand Mazikeen. (Mommas, don't let you babies grow up to write dialect.) The ending is terrific.

So, this volume of Lucifer definitely redeems its predecessor and makes me want to see what in the world comes next.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vejam só que curioso, no encadernado anterior de Lúcifer por Dan Watters e os irmãos Fiumara eu só não havia dado a ele uma nota máxima, porque ele demorava a engrenar, com a narrativa mais lenta de início e com uma incrível acelerada nos movimentos e reações dos personagens mais para o final. E não é que isso acaba acontecendo também neste segundo encadernado? A primeira parte é uma narrativa pouco interessante, mas depois que temos a história em que Kelley Jones é o desenhista convidado, o ritmo de aquisição da leitura se torna outro. Neste encadernado, Lúcifer está tentando encontrar um novo lar para a recém-ressuscitada rainha das bruxas Sycorax, antes que ela feneça em três dias. Também precisa encontrar um destino para o filho dos dois, Calibã, que está enlouquecendo. E, acreditem ou não, o vilão - se é que podemos chamar disso numa história do diabo - é uma pá de madeira que espalha suas farpas modificando os pensamentos das pessoas e entidades. O roteiro tem toques de crueldade e empatia que são ótimos e os desenhos melhoram a olhos vistos a cada edição. Lúcifer sempre rende boas histórias e este encadernado não foge à regra.

[Ina Korsgaard Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I prefer the "old" blonde Lucifer to this ginger one. This third round of the Lucifer-series has been the least interesting one so far. It's like the writers pull a lot of cool stuff from the previous series without making an interesting plot out of it, so you're left with the cool stuff you know and like, but nothing much really happening.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reprieve for his 'family'. A whirlwind tour of the underworlds. A bittersweet ending.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars
Lucifer is such an interesting character, not just in The Sandman Universe, but in general, and I'm quite a fan of stories that portray the character as something more than just an ultimate prince of darkness, but one with true nuance who might actually have a point in his ongoing feud with God. This has always been what DC has done with this version of the character, originally developed by Neil Gaiman, then further developed by Mike Carey, and now written by Dan Watters. As evidenced by the previous volume, Watters has an excellent grasp on what makes Lucifer a compelling character - imbuing this version with lots of vulnerabilities to go along with his massive amounts of power. In this volume, we get a direct continuation of the previous volume, furthering the story of the Morningstar and his newly-discovered family. It's a great continuation of that storyline and a really great comic in its own right.

Lucifer: The Divine Tragedy is really the second half of a 13-issue storyline that began in the first volume, The Infernal Comedy, and concludes by the end of the 13th issue. This volume of Watters' ongoing Lucifer title picks up directly where the previous ended, with Lucifer, Caliban (his son), Sycorax (Caliban's mother), and Mazikeen (his faithful assistant) are facing down an army of angels who are super pissed that Lucifer has resurrected Sycorax. Their leader, Raguel, gives Lucifer a respite: Sycorax can stay alive for three days before being sent to her ultimate, and permanent death. Of course, Lucifer has no intention of allowing this to occur, so he sets out to find a way of stopping the angels from pulling this off. Meanwhile, Caliban continues his search for information about his identity and the reasons his parents abandoned him while Mazikeen is tasked with keeping Sycorax safe from the angels.

Dan Watters continues to provide some excellent writing here. This time around, the narrative is far more linear than the previous volume but no less intriguing. Watters expertly jumps around from subplot-to-subplot, giving each plenty of room to breathe and plenty of time to shine. It's always pretty clear what's going on, even when you don't yet understand the ultimate motivations of the characters - since Lucifer always seems to be at least one step ahead of the rest of the group. Watters clearly has a grip on what makes these characters tick as he continues to write them with a lot of nuance and depth; none of them are perfect and each of them has a fairly compelling arc to track. A lot of Watters' work with Caliban in this volume really lands as we're able to truly feel what he's feeling as he searches for a place to fit in within a world that doesn't want him and parents who seem ashamed of him. It's also a lot of fun seeing Sycorax interact with some other witches - including one who appeared pretty prominently in The Sandman.

The plot unfolds at a fairly quick pace, always keeping you on your toes but giving you plenty of time to let a dramatic moment sit for a second. Watters does an excellent job of ensuring the plotlines and the character arcs all intertwine and feed off of each other. We learn new things about the characters as we watch them react to the events they're going through. We see Sycorax slowly soften toward Caliban just as we see him grow harder and colder to the rest of the world. We get to see Lucifer slowly regain his power and his swagger as he goes on this mission to try and protect his family - or at least prevent God and his angels from tearing it apart. Every major reveal happens at just the right time and it feels like exactly the arc has exactly the number of issues it needs to tell the whole story. As I said, this is definitely the second half of an arc that began in the previous volume, but because of that, there's a lot of payoffs here. It's some really strong writing. If I had one complaint, though, it's that the ninth issue really doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the story being told; it's just kind of there. On its own, it's a really solid story, but it comes in between a pretty big cliffhanger getting established (in issue 8) and resolved (in issue 10) and it just feels a bit out of place, though I do understand its purpose within the greater story. Just felt like a bit of odd placement, that's all.

The artwork in Lucifer: The Divine Tragedy continues to be as gorgeous as it was in The Infernal Comedy. Max and Sebastian Fiumara trade-off on who does the art for which issue, occasionally doing the artwork for an issue together. In this volume, they get a chance to play with a lot of cool realms that they didn't get the chance to play with during the previous installment as Lucifer visits various afterlives in search of a suitable one for Sycorax. Each of those afterlives has a distinct look and feeling and it's rather impressive how well the Fiumaras keep them straight. Then there's their truly superb design for the angels; they looked sort of how Lucifer looks in his prime, but more angelic (pardon the pun). I just remain impressed by their work in this series. Also, a special shoutout to Kelley Jones, who did the artwork for the ninth issue. While I wasn't in love with the issue's placement in the story, it did allow for this guest artist to be brought into the world, offering their unique point of view and really creating an issue that has its own visual identity. I enjoy it when ongoing series bring in guest artists for an issue, and Jones' stint here is something memorable.

All in all, Lucifer: The Divine Tragedy is a delightful read from stop to finish. Packed with beautiful artwork, an engaging storyline, and more of Watters' excellent insight into the character of Lucifer, it's a great addition to The Sandman Universe and a great story in its own right. It's a lot of fun seeing a more powerful Lucifer than we saw in the first volume of this title and it's nice getting to see the storyline that began all the way back in The Sandman Universe #1 come to a conclusion here. I really enjoy Watters' work on this title, along with the artwork from the Fiumara brothers, and I hope they stay on this title for a good, long while as they're doing some truly excellent work. If you're interested in picking up this revamp of Lucifer, I'd suggest you start with the first volume of this run, The Infernal Comedy, as this volume is a direct continuation of that one and the two combine to tell a single, epic 13-part story. If you've never read a Lucifer comic, these are definitely the ones to start with.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Album zawiera zeszyty z serii Lucifer (2018) #7-12.

Poprzedni tom już nosił znamiona dzieła niemalże kompletnego, wciągającego, a jednocześnie kreatywnego w swojej makabrze. W tomie drugim wszystko jest "bardziej". Wskrzeszenie Sycorax, dawnej kochanki Lucyfera, matki Kalibana, niesie ze sobą gniew zastępów niebieskich, które widzą w tym czynie bluźnierstwo względem Chrystusa. Bóg bywa przewrotny i poprzez anioła zemsty, Raguela, oferuje parze 3 dni życia dla kobiety. Tyle przecież spoczywał Nazarejczyk w swoim grobie zanim zmartwychwstał.

Zaczyna się więc gra z czasem. I potężnymi siłami, aby odnaleźć bezpieczną przystań dla ex Lucyfera. Dawny władca piekieł rusza więc w podróż po wszystkich zaświatach, aby zapewnić bezpieczeństwo matce swojego dziecka. Dzięki takiem zagraniu możemy przyjrzeć się różnym wierzeniom. Mamy tu bogów egipskich, hinduskie zaświaty oraz wiele, wiele innych miejsca pozagrobowych całej gamy wierzeń i to jest szalenie kreatywne.

Jednocześnie z drugiej strony sam Sycorax też nie zasypują gruszek w popiele i gromadzi własne siły. Szkopuł w tym, że boskie siły też nie czekają, prowadząc własną grę, w którą próbują wciągnąć Kalibana, tak aby ten zdradził ojca i jego plan... A jest jeszcze pewna łopata, która ma własny plan na całe zamieszanie. Czeka nas całkiem epickie zakończenia, jak na tak krótką historię. W dodatku takie słodko-gorzkie, bo mamy tu kilka pożegnań.

Lucyfer w wersji Fiumary jest zwyczajnie boski, a plansze wyglądają jak płótna obrazów z czasów impresjonistycznych. Sylwetki postaci bywają nieco rozmyte, ale to tylko podkręca atrakcyjność kreski. W zasadzie nie mam zarzutów co do tego tytułu. Budzące niepokój arty, czasami pełne makabry, wkraczające we właściwość koszmaru sennego. Coś fenomenalnego.

[Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

7: A Slight Detour To Hell
Lucifer "Brother of Mine ... I AM further blasphemies."

In this confusing issue Lucifer wants to fight God's decree, but ... things in Hell are not what they used to be. Or should be. Or ... small Rant: This undoes everything in the original Lucifer series where Elaine took over and merged both Heaven and Hell after you know who's sacrifice and request. This is only rescued from ignominy by Lucifer knocking on the gates of a very popular and well recognized God!

#8: A Fine Day For A Black Mass
"There are many gates that must be passed to enter the Egyptian Underworld. But this underworld has long been bled for worship."

This was sad, the Egyptian Gods starving as they blame the loss of worship to God's act of sending them plagues. They play a desperate game, while Sycorax seethes at being confined to an island. Great writing, couldn't even help feeling depressed for the pitiful Egyptian gods.

#9: The Gastronomy Lesson
Caliban "In order to learn about this being -- and of the one I seek -- I have had to become monstrous. If you would know, too, you must become complicit in my monstrosity."

This ... was a terribly unappetizing chapter, full of grisly gore. Deserves some accolades for being first rate macabre horror.

#10: The Problem With Old Blood Magic
Thoth "Your father is CRUELER than you know"
Caliban "So, I've learned, are most gods, moon god."
Thoth "True enough."

Lucifer exacts a small measure of revenge on Osiris and heads to the Hindu afterlife. Some plot enables Raguel to locate Sycorax only to be repulsed. Interesting storytelling, but no payoff.

#11: Meditations On Nothing At All
Lucifer "Whatever else I may be, I am ALWAYS Lucifer."

Lucifer resists the void, and another Underworld is found unsuitable. This issue featured many philosophical discussions between various characters and deities, which makes for very interesting reading.

#12: And He Said Stay Thy Hand
Samson "He helped me achieve a good death, and to smite his enemies with myself. But it was a suicide nonetheless, and suicides are punished in Hell. I had suffered my entire life for the LORD .. I had died for him. And now I learned I was to suffer for all eternity."

Sycorax learns of Samson's revenge plot, and frees Thessaly from his thrall only to be saved by God, who Lawfully above all else, adhering to his deal. Lucifer's search for an afterlife for Sycorax is harder than finding a cheap apartment in Manhattan, but he does come out of that with favors he can call in. There's a HUGE twist at the end, which is fabulous, making this the best issue yet.

[João Pedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ainda impressionado em como essa história é boa!

Lúcifer, não mais o guardião do inferno, mas ainda o portador da luz, corre para encontrar um submundo para a mãe de seu filho, a rainha das bruxas, Sycoraxx.
E assim a trama se inicia, com essa jornada por entre submundo dos mais distintos e interessante, atiçando nossa curiosidade para ver como lúcifer iria interagir com os deuses egípcios, indianos e etc...
Em outra vertente, temos o filho de lúcifer, Calibã, por muitos chamado de personificação da blasfêmia, mas que, apesar de sua natureza grotesca, ainda divide os lados demônio e anjo de seu pai, além do humano de sua mãe, o tornando um ser totalmente complexo, e interesse.
Os céus acredita tratar-se de um complô contra a Oste Sagrada, e daí se inicia uma luta de busca e fuga dos personagens.
Eu simplesmente me amarrei com a criatividade do autor e espero continuar a série!

[Alecia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begun in Lucifer, Vol. 1: The Infernal Comedy come to a satisfying conclusion. So much of Lucifer's story is about family ties and defining your own personhood. That theme draws a throughline to the original comics run but Lucifer finds himself in a completely unique situation- he is grappling with his roles as a father to his son and a former lover (but still beloved) of his son's mother. His time away from hell has changed him, bit by bit, but not enough to avoid a tragic ending. The story wisely draws on mythology as well as Biblical lore to round out Lucifer's world. This was a compelling read for sure.

[Robby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The highlight of this volume is the standalone(ish) flashback story "The Gastronomy Lesson," in which Caliban chows down on some demon flesh with a murderous eighteenth century nobleman. With art by Batman/Sandman veteran Kelley Jones, this feast for the eyes truly lives up to Gaiman's legacy.
The rest of the story is a bit messy, with some clever ideas and excellent artwork rendering the numerous gods and their afterlifes, but also some extraneous characters whose motivations are unclear. This seems to be a common issue with the writers playing in this wave of Sandman stories: the focus is so much on jamming as much mythology into the tale as possible that it loses cohesion.

[Caleb Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always amazed at how much melding of history takes place in the Sandman universe. I love the retellings and the remixes. In this volume there is this overarching storyline that seems like Lucifer is trying to find a way to save Sycorax, all the while Caliban, their son, is still trying to find his place. In the end, it is a beautiful story about the love of a father, no matter how harsh he may seem, and the devotion of a son, despite having every reason to be disloyal. The ending was beautiful.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not terrible, but, unfortunately, not that great, either. There just isn't a whole lot to this story (much ado about nothing; full of sound and fury, signifying nothing; etc.). Watters so far can't even hold a candle to what Mike Carey and Peter Gross did with this character. The artwork isn't bad and at least it's largely consistent (good to have Kelley Jones back for an issue). Maybe I'll try the next volume, but I'm not rushing out to look for it.

[Macha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucifer tries to help Sycorax and Caliban find a place of their own, mostly against their will, with mixed results. this involves a great journey as he strolls through other Underworlds with a critical eye for their suitability. a really excellent and imaginative issue, with many gods, many witches, and many nods to The Tempest. also very true to the moods and sojourns of Gaiman's original Sandman series.

[Kot bard · Rating 5 out of 5]

złoto, złoto, diamenty. wyjątkowo satysfakcjonujący koniec arcu z Sycorax i Kalibanem. lucyfer jest skurwysynem, jak zwykle, ale jego ostatnie chwile z synem i Sycorax. o bracie. jedynie co, to naprawdę żałuję, że Kaliban i Sycorax nie mieli czasu się pogodzić, ani nawet pożegnać. choć może to zrobią, kiedyś, gdy spotkają się we wspólnych zaświatach. that's a wishful thinking, but i will keep to that anyway

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“So, you have proof of your faith. Does that make it faith any longer? The schism between knowing and believing has been joined. Does your worship not ring all the more hollow for it?”

“Have you ever considered that perhaps that’s why he made me the way I am? He needed shadow to give his light definition. Without elements of each other, perfect light and perfect darkness are one and the same. Bliss is the same thing as nonexistence.”

What an amazing follow-up to the first volume.

[Robert II · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Watters's brilliant and often prose-like diction is the main attraction to my favorite devil's third volume. Alongside Max and Sebastian Fiumara, Watters takes classic elements implemented by Carey and Gaiman and spruces them up with an unprecedented, but oh so, prideful move. It's ruthless, vindictive, and shares no remorse with its cutthroat takes on heaven and hell.

[Denise Estêvão · Rating 5 out of 5]

From The Sandman Universe, this is the series that's keeping me most hooked. Lucifer's character is solid, complex and deep. Throughout the fist 2 volumes, his journey is one that carries a message for the reader. While Vol.1 was the start to get us immersed in his universe and a better understanding of his story, "The Divine Tragedy" unfolds as a true Sandman revival. It's beautiful.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost as good as Mike Carey's run on Lucifer, with an excellent melding of script & art, although the interlude with Caliban & Lord Fowler "The Gastronomy Lesson" (with art by Kelley Jones) does take away from the forward momentum of the story a little...

[Lukas Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little sympathy for the devil meets the dreaming. A great series so far, and it is stops here, even better.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucifer David Bowie has family issues.

[Molly Lazer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous artwork and great character development make for another enjoyable and affecting volume of Lucifer.

[Mayu Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lucifer Vol.2:The divine tragedy", me gustó mucho más que el vol.1, me encanta el dibujo y que Lucifer sea igual a Bowie🖤, estéticamente este cómic es genial!!.

[Will Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continues to be a fascinating, slight re-imagining of Lucifer and so many characters from his past. I'm not holding my breath for the next issue, but I will definitely read it.