Netflix’s Lucifer just premiered the back half of season 5, an outstanding eight episodes that go deeper into the comics book mythology this show is based on, while still focusing on the things that have made this comic-adaptation-turned-procedural work. But is Lucifer the best DC TV comic book adaptation?
The answer might just be yes. Despite most people knowing the character of Lucifer Morningstar thanks to the aptly titled show Lucifer, which aired three seasons at FOX before being canceled and subsequently saved by Netflix, the origins of the character can be found in comics. DC Comics, to be precise. Lucifer Samael Morningstar, an adaptation of Lucifer, the Biblical fallen angel, in his more recent iteration, can be traced back to Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman (vol.2) #4, which was released in 1989. Originally a secondary character, Lucifer would go on to get his own spin-off comic series.
Even though he doesn’t abandon Hell only to head to Los Angeles and work as a police consultant, the DC comics version of Lucifer does indeed abandon Hell. And heads to Los Angeles, though he spends some time in Australia first. And Lux, the nightclub Lucifer owns in the show? More or less straight from the comics, where Lucifer runs a piano bar also named Lux. The character has also appeared as a supporting character in uses of other DC universe comics. Plus, there was that one-time Superman briefly took his place as the ruler of Hell.
Comic books are often hard to explain. But Lucifer the show never really went for a straight adaptation. Instead, it took the characters created by Gaiman, the setting of the Lucifer solo series, and used those as the basis for a procedural. Yes, a police procedural, where Lucifer and his partner, police detective Chloe Decker, investigate cases, and put away bad guys. All DC TV comic book adaptations, most of them on the CW, have put their own spin on things, but Lucifer truly broke the old.
In doing so, it created something completely different from the Arrowverse, or even the newer DC shows that existed on the DC Universe, only to them migrate to HBO Max. In the comics, the story of Lucifer is all about free will. In the show, the idea of free will is expanded, explored upon, and contrasted with the notion of redemption. Lucifer’s complicated relationships with his father – God – and his celestial siblings, is explored, but the show focuses more on Lucifer as a person. On the lessons he learns, on the lives he’s changed.
Comic book adaptations are known for introducing sidekicks. Some of the DC comic shows are, by definition, ensemble shows, from Titans to Doom Patrol. Others rely heavily on the main character, but feature a strong supporting cast that, at times, gets to share in the spotlight, like Stargirl. Lucifer is more of that second kind, but it’s also – perhaps because, in five seasons, it’s gotten a chance to – the best DC TV show at telling a consistent story, with engaging character arcs, not just for the main character. If fans care about the show it’s not just because of Lucifer himself, but because of the people around him, the relationships he’s formed.
In general, the Arrowverse, for example, has struggled with this kind of commitment. Arrow – their first show – introduced a couple no one cared about and stumbled upon one that a lot of people did by mistake. The Flash has gotten to the point where the couple is the only thing that works, and they don’t take advantage of it enough. Legends of Tomorrow has never made much sense, but the ever-changing roster has made it harder and harder to commit emotionally. Newer shows like Superman and Lois at least have an established family dynamic that works, but even in Superman and Lois, it’s not every character that clicks, just the main four – and not all the time.
Lucifer is the best DC TV comics adaptation not just because it’s a coherent, well-thought-out show with a clear endgame plan. It’s the best DC TV comics adaptation because it’s balanced a message with a fun, engaging show. And it’s managed to do so while keeping the spirit of the characters it's adapting alive, without ever getting bogged down by the notion of living up to someone else’s storytelling. The show is both doing its own thing and celebrating the legacy of the character the show is built around. That’s something to be celebrated.
And most importantly, for fans, it isn’t necessary to pick one over the other. Fans can enjoy the Lucifer DC comics. They can enjoy the Netflix Lucifer show. Enjoying one won’t rob anyone of their enjoyment while pursuing the other. That’s the rarest compliment an adaptation can get, and also the measure of what truly makes this the best DC TV adaptation out there. It’s both the same, in the good ways, and different enough that it won’t make fans feel like they have to decide.