The Sandman - Issue 23 - Season of Mists - Chapter Two

RECAP: If the build-up of the previous issue had readers waiting for a knock-down-drag-out fight between Morpheus and Lucifer, then Issue 23 will surely disappoint. Instead, we get a masterclass in subverting expectations from our esteemed author. Chapter Two challenges what we know about the Devil and Hell and delivers a fascinating insight into Lucifer's relationship with God. It also asks some intriguing questions about guilt and punishment.

The Issue begins with Morpheus at the edge of Hell's territory, debating whether to go any further. Constant Readers like ourselves know the Lord Shaper well enough by now to see he's just procrastinating. Even though he is afraid, Morpheus is, above all else, a creature of duty. He'll walk into complete disaster on principle, and his growing guilt for Nada's imprisonment makes this brief moment of doubt a moot point.

Morpheus enters Hell, presented in a haunting tableau of color, space and beautiful minimalism. Fully expecting to fight through the gates, Morpheus is rather surprised to find the gates of Hell are unlocked, almost in anticipation of his arrival. He enters Hell cautiously and makes his way to the cliffs circling Weep Not, remembering the harshness of the place and Nada's suffering these last ten thousand years. The lack of opposition from Hell's denizens puzzles him, but at this point, Morpheus is more focused on reaching Nada. However, upon arriving at her cell, he finds it empty. Nada is gone.

At first, Morpheus is enraged, believing that Nada has been stolen away from him, but when he really starts to pay attention, he notices there is more going on than just her absence. Hell itself doesn't feel right. Reaching out with his mind, Morpheus discovers to his shock, that it isn't just Nada missing but everyone inhabiting this null space. No sinners, no demons, nothing.

Hell is empty.

Of course, only one person could have the power to affect such a seismic change in Hell, and that is Lucifer. Morpheus calls out the king of Hell, demanding to know what game the fallen angel is playing. Lucifer, who has been waiting for Morpheus, shows himself at last. The Dream King wastes no time. He wants to know where Nada is. Lucifer, however, refuses to engage until Morpheus removes his helm. When he sees Morpheus's fear, Lucifer promises no harm will come to the Lord Shaper in the bounds of Hell. Morpheus acquiesces, putting away his helm. Once they face each other again, Lucifer answers Morpheus' question about what is happening in Hell.

He's quit.

Morpheus takes this news with astonishment, as do the rest of the reading audience of the time, I can tell you. At first, he thinks this is a ploy by Lucifer, but Lucifer quickly ends this theory. Lucifer isn't playing any game or stratagem. He's simply quit. Inviting Morpheus to join him in an 'end of lease' check of Hell, Lucifer explains that he needs to deal with a few holdouts.

They reach a scab of rock in the middle of Hell's empty plains to find Breschau of Livonia, a sinner who's chained so torturously to his boulder that one wonders if Pinhead is lurking somewhere close by. Despite being freed from Hell, Breschau refuses to go and recites the litany of crimes he's committed (quite heinous and sadistic), insisting his punishment must continue.

Lucifer counters the argument with the reality that no one remembers Breschau's crimes anymore, Livonia no longer exists, and he's punished himself for 1100 years. It's time for him to go. Before Breschau can repeat the list of his sins, Lucifers sends him to parts unknown. When Morpheus asks where Breschau has been sent, Lucifer doesn't know or care. He just wants everyone in Hell gone.

But Breschau isn't the only entity left in Hell. A few demons remain, refusing to leave because they cannot believe the Lord of Hell would shirk his duty to torment souls and abandon the war against Heaven. I'm going to say Ketele the demon is still one of the freakiest demons I've ever seen, and I say this as someone one who loves xenomorphs. Hats off to Kelly Jones for the astonishing artwork in this issue. Lucifer has no patience with these little demons and quickly dispatches them from the only home they've ever known, leaving him and Morpheus the only ones left in Hell.

Morpheus, still grappling with the enormity of Lucifer's decision, needs further clarification. Lucifer doesn't mince words. He's quit and shut down Hell. He's spent ten billion years in Hell, paying penance for his act of rebellion, and he's tired.

Time has changed them all, Morpheus included. Morpheus remembers Samael, the wise and beautiful angel so filled with passion. Lucifer hardly remembers being that person but supposes being too passionate probably led to his downfall. He wonders whether his choices were ever his own or if this was always God's plan for him. Was he created to become the King of Hell?

I'm not religious by any means, but I have to admit feeling a great deal of sympathy for Lucifer from this perspective. Lucifer's tears of anguish at realizing he's never going home again is beautifully drawn by Jones.

With all its inhabitants exiled, Lucifer continues his housekeeping, securing the gates of Hell while talking to Morpheus about his life since the fall. He admires the simplicity of the Dreaming, where Morpheus has to deal with sleepers, dreamers and stories. So unlike Hell, where souls come seeking punishment for their sins. Lucifer has no part in bringing them to Hell, merely existing as its caretaker. Same with the demons that took such relish in torturing these guilty souls. He didn't create them. A few were fallen angels, while others simply wandered in from other mythologies.

The demons considered Lucifer their king, although he was indifferent to them. Still, he found their behaviour amusing. He could have destroyed them at anytime, like a child aiming a rock at an ant colony. Instead, he watched them assume different attributes, rhyming, shapeshifting and such. Manipulating them and their petty intrigues gave Lucifer sport for a time, but ultimately, he lost interest and cared little for what they did.

Lucifer further clarifies he has no interest in the mortals who blame him for their sins, the devil on their shoulder supposedly responsible for their own malice. When they die, their heavy conscience brings them to Hell, not Lucifer. Lucifer has no interest in populating Hell with the souls of mortals, nor has he ever had occasion to collect souls as religion would have us believe. He asks the question we should all be asking. What's he going to do with souls? Humanity's sins have always been where it belongs, with the guilty.

Lucifer is perfectly aware of his crimes, but ten billion years should be enough punishment for one act of rebellion. He's done, and he's closing Hell's doors for good. Where the dead and demonkind go now is not his problem. When asked what is next by Morpheus, Lucifer doesn't know. He can't go home to the Silver City, nor can he ever be an angel again. He voices a laundry list of possibilities, including sitting on a beach and playing the piano. (In my headcanon, he's solving crimes in LA with Chloe 😀).

Lucifer then reveals he owes this decision to Morpheus. When he learned the Dream king was coming to Hell, it became the trigger to realize a decision he had made a millennia ago. Morpheus thought they would fight, but Lucifer's tired of that too. He discards his responsibilities to Hell with the locking of its gates. Hell is finally closed. Mazikeen appears, determined to remain at his side. Lucifer asks for her knife, but where he is going, she cannot follow. He gives her a farewell kiss and a touching goodbye before sending her on her way too.

Once they are alone again, Lucifer asks Morpheus to cut off his wings with Mazikeen's knife. It is the last thing left to do, and honoring his wishes, Morpheus does just that. At the same time, he asks Lucifer where Nada is. Lucifer isn't sure. He sent everyone away so she could be anywhere, drifting through the dimensions or returning to Earth. He wishes Morpheus luck finding her and tells Morpheus it's time to go back to his kingdom since he's vacating his own. Before Morpheus can leave, Lucifer reminds the Dream King of the promise to destroy Morpheus. Now that they are outside the boundaries of hell and the promise Lucifer made earlier, he can do that.

Lucifer gives Morpheus the key to Hell. It's his now.

Morpheus is now king of an empty Hell, but Lucifer doubts he'll have any reason to celebrate. Morpheus is forced to agree.

And that's chapter two! I hope you enjoyed this recap.

NEXT - Issue 24 - Chapter Three

PREVIOUS - Issue 22 - Chapter One