Tony Black reviews Lucas Stand #5…
Lucas puts himself and Cyd in danger when he kills an agent of Hell he wasn’t assigned in 1947 Hollywood.
We’re racing toward conclusion now for Kurt Sutter & Catrin Kittridge’s limited run series Lucas Stand, which has been as dark and nihilistic as you might expect from Sutter given his previous works. The choice of time periods for temporal interloper Stand, the most unlikely time travelling anti-hero you can imagine, have been pretty inspired and landing him in post-war Hollywood, 1947, very much fits that model; this is a world of egomaniacal Hollywood movie moguls, casual violence, sharp suits, big stars, glamorous women and a slick sadism behind the glitz. Sutter & Kittridge manage to capture that without indulging too heavily, or letting it get in the way of a story which really begins clarifying Lucas’ dark, self-observant journey. The end is nigh.
That’s in general, by the way, not just when it comes to Lucas’ story or the series. A darker evil than the demons he’s been hunting, the Tempters, is lurking like a gloomy void of coldness and Lucas here begins to understand the depth of the enemy he’s been facing, and how close to home it’s always been. Lucas retains that sparky yet cold repartee with partner of sorts Alicia, while Dedham’s return after the series’ high point in the Old West provides a level of mentor relationship and friendship Lucas so desperately needs. This issue is perhaps less openly violent and brutal but it’s packed with horror in many instances and is more about adding the science-fiction element Sutter has skirted throughout but not really hit on. Come the end, as Lucas has begun to realise the depth of the mission he’s facing and the real sinister machinations of
This issue is perhaps less openly violent and brutal but it’s packed with horror in many instances and is more about adding the science-fiction element Sutter has skirted throughout but not really hit on. Come the end, as Lucas has begun to realise the depth of the mission he’s facing and the real sinister machinations of Gadriel, the final part is set up to take Lucas where he never would have imagined, and which opens up the possibilities for some exciting artwork and visual conception which may throw some commentary on us in the modern day for the bargain.
The conclusion of Lucas Stand could well top off what has been an exciting, dark, grim but thought provoking, adult series which really deserves to be adapted into a TV series. It’s as uncompromising and pulpy as you might expect from Kurt Sutter and all the better for it. Another strong issue with the promise of a grand finish to come.
Rating: 8/10
Tony Black
Originally published November 14, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
