This is collection of comic books for mature readers that starts here in the year 2000 and the series recently ended a couple months ago so you know it's modern and current. Lucifer first appeared in the critically acclaimed Sandman series, and like its source, is very racey for a comic book featuring nudity and swearing, right up my alley for someone who prefers R rated horror films if only out of curiosity and familiarity with the R rated- 18 and over. This is very similar to Vertigo's source The Sandman for those reasons, only in here Lucifer appears as a sympathetic character, a hero who appears like an angel- a blonde man with wings. I was surprised this was not very scary at all, as Lucifer is the hero does no mad deeds. Now, these are not your typical virgin 12 year old kiddie comics, DC published the Vertigo imprint for mature readers to suit a variety of literary tastes. After buying 3 or four issues and then finding Lucifer comic number one for cheap at local stores, I found the series to be addicting. The swearing and nudity became predictable as did the dark, brooding atmosphere, made me want to come back for more only if for the same thing. I think that it takes balls for a mainstream comic publisher like DC to make comics that bo beyond your basic super hero in soandex saves the day.

It takes some arrogance, worthy of the Prince of Lies himself, to claim, as this book does, that the book is based on characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg. I would think that, at the very least, John Milton might have some prior claim on the creation of Lucifer, the fallen angel, but in the legal shenanigans of the comic world, what that claim is actually revealing is that this graphic novel is a spin-off from Gaiman's incredibly popular Sandman series. As such, it shares a lot in common with Gaiman's re-envisioning of mythology. In Sandman: Seasons of Mist, Lucifer resigned from his post in Hell, had his wings cut off by Dream, and "retired" to host a nightclub called Lux in a distorted reflection of Rick's from Casablanca, although in Lux, Lucifer plays his own piano. This book and series picks up where that left off, opening with a visit from an angel of the host to Lucifer to offer him a job for whatever price Lucifer will name. Thus begins the wheels-within-wheels that is the hallmark of this series.

In his introduction, Gaiman states that whenever another comic writer would ask him what he thought should spin-off from Sandman, he always told them "Lucifer," which is likely not what any of them wanted to hear, instead hoping for dream assignments (pun intentional) like Death, Desire or Destiny. But, as in most things relating to his comic, Gaiman was spot on. He had already covered the possibilities with the Endless, while Lucifer was the perfect protagonist: extremely flawed yet ultimately intriguing, charming and deadly, full of pride but also hubris. Lucifer is the character you don't want to like, but you can't help yourself from doing so because, unlike the throne of Heaven, Lucifer is much more like us. The Bible may say that man was created in God's image, but our personalities were grafted from Lucifer.

This collection has three main story arcs: "The Morningstar Option," where Lucifer fulfills a job for Heaven, and shows that he's a right bastard to any who doubted; "A Six Card Spread," in which Lucifer attempts to discover if his payment from Heaven has any strings attached that he wasn't aware of; and "Born with the DEAD," which seems ancilliary to the ongoing story, as it's about a young girl who tries to figure out how and why her best friend died with Lucifer showing up near the denounement to provide a favor which will put the girl in debt to him. There's a thread of story that weaves through these three, but, as in Gaiman's Sandman, it will take at least another three or four collections before you start to see the resulting weave that begins here.

Each arc has a different team of artists. I appreciated Scott Hampton's work on "The Morningstar Option" the most, because his art is both exact and yet abstract, almost dreamlike in its openness. The art by Weston and Hodgkins for "A Six Card Spread" is too realistic for a horror/fantasy comic, which works in this case by making some of the uglier parts of the story even uglier. "Born with the DEAD's" Pleece and Ormston ply a middle ground between realistic representation and a Marc Hempel-style abstraction. Their's is the kind of art that I don't like for its own sake, but works extremely well with the story.

"I admit, I'm not well versed in Gaiman's work." Boy, that's true, since Neil Gaiman didn't write this.! You seem to be unable to grasp the obvious. As for the comic, it's above average but not fantastic. The artwork is great but the story is only average. Still, it's a very promising idea and can't wait to see what is don with it in future installments.

I admit, I'm not well versed in Gaiman's work. Apart from reading 2 TPB's of the Sandman several years ago which I had borrowed from a friend, I am mostly clueless about the world his stories revolve around.

Therefore, I evidently did not grasp the level of wonderfulness which apparently abounds within this book, according to my fellow reviewers.

For me, the road to purchasing this book began at the Vertigo site. There I viewed some preview pages, and I was enchanted by the fabulous artwork of Scott Hampton. The characterrs seemed flawed and appealing; real and human, something that I thought would allow me begin investing some emotion in the story, assuming they would be recurring characters. Add in Lucifer (at this point simply my assumed concept of Lucifer as a character) for a bit of the old supernatural kook, and we would have our book. Something which I would enjoy reading. Sadly, this magical vision of how the book would be, did not pan out.

Most of the first story within the book held my interest firmly within its grip. Unfortunately, Carey for some reason decided half way through to begin rushing us through scenes treating the characters with seemingly no regard! Nor any regard for the reader who is not well-versed in Gaiman's world of literature. Should there be a warning label on this book for clueless comic store browers so that they fork out for however many Sandman books there are (15 or so?) to get a grip before continuing onto this series?

After the disapointing detriment of the first story due to Carey's rushed conclusion and bizarre treatment of characters, we are suddenly plunged into "A Six Card Spread", a confusing mix of germans speaking english while demanding that other english-speaking germans speak german, and horrible art (compared to the artistry of Hapton's painted panels). From this point on, artistically and storywise it's a major downhill spiral. It eventually hits rock bottom. "Six Card Spread" felt like the 'difficult second album'.

Luckily, Dean Ormston comes in to save the day with his simple dark style of art, and picks up the ending of the book for a relatively ok Carey story (at least in comparison to the previous one) leaving the whole book evening out for a slightly below average 2 stars out of 5.

My suggestion : DO NOT PICK UP THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU ARE A DIEHARD GAIMAN FAN. Or unless you are one of those fat 40 year olds business men who can spend all their money at the comic shop because they have a cushy job and no children. Unemployed non-Gaiman literate humans beware.

I am not even sure if diehard Carey fans will get a kick out of this. I've read some of Carey's work on Hellblazer, and I have found it far superior to his work here. Lucifer is perhaps the least likable protagonist I have come across in a book or comic. Nothing in the way he behaves, the way he speaks (not to mention his bizarre and offputting penislessness (?!) makes for a remotely likable character. His inhumanity, his lack of want and need, his dry and to-the-point dialogue which spills out when necessary (usually it seems to tell people he has "no time for them" or that he wants something) with occasional flares of horrid 'sassiness' don't make him endearing as I'm assuming Carey meant for him to be. Generally to make a 'bad' character likable they need an ounce of 'cool'. Lucifer is a void of cool.

So far from what I have read, the characterisation is vapid and bordering on non-existant for the rest of the cast too. This may come down to not understanding Gaiman's world, and there's things going on deep within the characters that I'm not privvy to at this point in the story. It is nice when there is something on the surface of a character though. As far as likable characters, Rachel Bagai was as it close as it came to likable for my money. Everyone else just seems to be moving through their motions unrealisticly and with zero sense of humanity, depth or motivation. Mind-numbing. (And hell, even Arseface is easier to understand than whatever Mazikeen is going on about whenever she starts mumbing.)

Also, the tone of the books just feels too watered down for my liking. Perhaps it's keeping in line with the feel of Gaiman's work, but for me, this book could have really shot to some great heights based on the core material of it. Which I think is what is most disapointing. Conceptually quite nice, but it gets beaten to death in the execution.

So in conclusion. If this book (and 'Children And Monsters' which I am currently half-way through) are any indication, this series will be a very average, monotonous and not remotely challenging or fun read, with zero character development, zero likable characters, and zero challenge for our protagonist as he goes through the motions of setting up whatever he has planned while rarely giving us glimspes into whats going on, and framing everything with a seemingly random series of substandard artists doing visuals.

And who really wants to waste money getting the start of a story they never want to finish. Save yourself the trouble and avoid this book. Simply not worth reading unless you're a Gaimanophile and desire anything at all which may mention Dream and Death! Ooooh. And they don't even INCLUDE THE COVERS IN THE BOOK. You jarringly just slam from one story to another without any seperation or cover art. Poor work by whoever put together the collection.

Final words : Go read Preacher. You'll have a MUCH better time.