Lazarus #22 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka / Artist: Michael Lark / Image Comics Welcome back. Welcome Back. WELCOME BACK. After the hiatus, Lazarus, this editor’s favorite comic book, returns to continue the story of the remade world and the trials and tribulations of the Carlyle Family. So many things happened in issue #21, many of which I couldn’t spoil in that review, but things pick up rather quickly from there. The world and specifically, the Carlyle and Hock families, are still at war, despite Forever’s victory last issue. Forever herself is gravely wounded, her secret replacement is becoming less and less of a secret and Johanna is still calling the shots while he father recovers from a near-fatal poisoning. Rucka and Lark do a great job of placing us right back in the muck by showing boots on the ground from the onset, intermingled with the political maneuverings in the background. No plot thread from the “Poison” story arc is left unattended in this issue, showing how they will continue to impact the overall plot. There are still no other creators that do storytelling like this.

[divider type=”space_thin”] Lark on the pencils is, as always, amazing. The opening showing the troops descend into hostile territory is tactical and technically perfect in its execution. He is so versatile in how he handles characters and posturing, be it conversations or action. Everything fits together well and gives us some good surprises and revelations as the comic moves into its closing pages.

Lazarus is …