The Wolf Beneath the Tree (2005)
Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / P. Craig Russell / Ted Naifeh | Page Count: 160
"To read aloud from the book makes the book an element in the story it tells."
Volume 08 of 11 in the Lucifer series opens with the 50th issue, pencilled by P. Craig Russell. He did The Sandman 50th issue, so it's pleasing that he got to do Lucifer, too. The art is of his usual high standard, full of open splendour or intimate moments when needed.
It's titled Lilith. If you've followed the series from the beginning, you may be able to guess how that ties in with events thus far and what it means for one or more of the supporting characters. But what we weren't told previously is how large a part it played in other events.
A gathering puts the Lightbringer face to face with the embodiment of the thing that he despises most.
Readers who've been paying attention to what they've been reading up to now will notice that it's the very thing that the former ruler of Hell has spent the previous seven books trying to escape.
Carey lets the character's arrogance come to the fore as a defence mechanism. Strength gained from vulnerability is a theme seen before, but it's handled differently this time; I enjoyed that.
The consequence of Lucifer's actions has caused all sorts of vile things to surface from their lairs. Similarly, Fenris, the Asgardian wolf of Norse mythology, feels the time is right for him to bring on Ragnarok, as was foretold. If that happens, it could put a giant Yggdrasil sized splinter in Lucifer's plans. Make sure you have Volume 09 because there's another cliff-hanger ending.
The book collects together Lucifer issues 45, and 50 – 54.
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