Lucifer is a TV show that is running on Fox at the moment. As its name states, it is based on a DC comic book series of the same name, which in turn, was a sort of spin-off from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. However, where one would expect the extensive use of fantastical elements based on the source material, Lucifer is much more focused on being a police procedural.
How Does Lucifer Compare with Its Source Material?
Lucifer has managed to secure a position for itself with viewers, as shown by the fact that Fox chose to renew it for a third season on February 13, 2017. However, it cannot compare with its source material, which is often hailed as one of the best comic book series of all time. All the more so because it was a successful spin-off that managed to strike a fine balance between respecting its source while still being capable of standing in its own right.
For that matter, it is a serious challenge to compare the TV show and the comic book series when the two share little beyond their basic premises. In brief, Lucifer becomes bored with being the ruler of Hell, with the result that he chooses to step down before starting up a bar in Los Angeles, CA called the Lux, which is Latin for “light.” He has a second-in-command named Mazikeen and he has an antagonist named Amenadiel. Otherwise, the two works are worlds apart.
For example, Lucifer has rather complicated motivations for stepping down in the comic book series. First, he is inspired to do so when he is outsmarted in a contest by Dream of the Endless, though his reasons range from being fed up with his minions to resenting the idea that he forces humans to commit evil. However, in a real sense, the entire chain of events can be said to have been influenced by Lucifer’s preoccupying concern, which is his resentment of predestination. In fact, it can be said that the core theme in the comic book series is the tension between free will and predestination, though it can be a real challenge to tell when Lucifer is exercising his free will and when he is following the course laid out for him.
Could Lucifer Be a Great Motion Picture?
Regardless, the Lucifer of the comic book series is a much grander figure than his TV screen counterpart, which is fitting when he was based on the character from Paradise Lost. As a result, his challenges are greater as well, ranging from his brother Michael Demiurgos to his rather complicated relationship with his father. In contrast, the Amenadiel of the comic book series is a poor match for Lucifer, with his brute force being less than effective when pitted against one of the most skilled manipulators but never a liar in the DC Comics setting.
As a result, while Lucifer would be less than satisfactory if adapted for the movie screen, the same cannot be said for its comic book counterpart, which would be particularly appropriate because a movie budget would mean being able to create a much more faithful adaptation than what the TV show-makers have managed so far.
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