Writer: Nicole Maines, C.S. Pacat, Frank Barbiere, Leah Williams
Art: Skylar Patridge, Nick Filardi, AndWorld’s Morgan Martinez, David Marquez, Alejandro Sánchez, Scott Godlewski, Alex Guimaraes, AndWorld Design, Sami Basri, Vicente Cifuentes, Hi-Fi, Dave Sharpe, Marguerite Sauvage, Becca Carey
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 17th, 2023
With the world in chaos and Lazarus raining from the skies, the Earth’s protectors from Krypton are hit hard. In this collection of epic vignettes from in and around Lazarus Planet, we’ll see heroes transformed, secrets revealed, and power unleashed as Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 unfolds. Can Power Girl free herself from the out-of-control Omen? Will Dreamer’s visions guide our heroes to the path of victory? Can Mercy Graves survive the transformation she’s undergone? And will Jonathan Kent ever be the same again?
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 begins with a Dreamer story that has its main point to connect Dreamer into the story while simultaneously finding the Helmet of Fate. And before I begin each section, the focus of Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 is on four characters not widely touted. Now, maybe they’ll become more important down the road as the event develops. But for now, I was left scratching my head.
So, if you’re looking for Dreamer or even Doctor Fate issue, this is right up your alley. Otherwise, connecting the dots as to how and why Dreamer has entered the fold is a bit of a stretch. Simply because Dreamer can see the future, she gets involved. However, she’s been completely disconnected from DC Comics for quite some time. So why get involved now? And furthermore, when she enters the fold, she ultimately dives in like she’s always been there. It just felt a bit off. It just felt overly pushed.
The next story is about Jon Kent Superman coming into contact with the Lazarus Storm. He meets a thief and the two somehow become friends as Jon’s powers go haywire. Additionally, this thief gains some powers from the storm and the two go out together to help the Metropolis locals in trouble from the Lazarus Storm. Realistically, this is merely a teaser for the future Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent comic coming on the market. This story has practically nothing to do with Lazarus Planet, unlike the Dreamer portion before it. And truthfully, this little Jon Kent portion isn’t even enough for Jon Kent fans to want to spend this price tag to buy it.
Continuing our Kryptonian-related tales takes us to Lex as we see how the Lazarus Storms are impacting him. So far, this story seems to be the most disconnected to this point. Why? Well, the Dark Crisis is over, which he was barely a part of, and now we have a planet-wide storm. Shouldn’t he be a bit more worried than he is? Nope. Additionally, what came across at first as the same huge wolf/ dog/ beasts that were in Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1 are actually just random, juiced-up beasts running wild in LexCorp somehow. Moreover, the context in which Mercy feels compelled to help the low-level accountants is cheesy and trivial. Nevertheless, like in the Jon Kent story before it, some people are getting powers, others are having their powers go wonky, and others are becoming supercharged. By the end of this mini-story, readers discover that Mercy’s tech has evolved. Exciting…
The last mini-story focuses on Power Girl and (I guess) has the most connection to Lazarus Planet taking place with an actual character from the story, unlike the rest of these minis. Again, the focus is on her powers adapting and changing. The biggest positive of this story is the art. Marguerite Sauvage’s style is very reminiscent of Mitch Gerads but a bit more crisp and tangible. This mini definitely gets brownie points for the best art of the issue and probably makes this story the best of the bunch. However, nothing really transpires in this mini-story that’s a necessity other than realizing Power Girl’s powers have changed.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 has no really significance or connection to the Lazarus Planet event. You get a minor throwaway paragraph on a summary page (not even the actual comic itself) about how a volcanic eruption led to planetary destruction in an attempt to parallel to this Lazarus Storm. Otherwise, the only Kryptonian connection is the characters in the stories. That’s it… Nothing really connects to the event other than that some people are getting new abilities or are having their current abilities altered.
Dreamer searches for Doctor Fate’s helmet, Jon Kent gets his new comic pushed, Mercy’s tech is upgraded, and Power Girl gains telepathy. Readers, the cast of characters doesn’t really entice nor does the dynamic of Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 have anything to do with Krypton or an assault. The Superman cover is disingenuous, the volcano cover is deceptive, and the main cover involving Jon Kent is equally as misleading. Ultimately, fans get a title about related Kryptonian-ish individuals during the Lazarus Planet event. There is really no need to buy this issue nor is it required reading for Lazarus Planet. And frankly, it makes me concerned for the rest of the Lazarus Planet titles. If you have any questions on the review or are ever interested in tackling a comic review of your own, feel free to email me directly at dispatchdcu@gmail.com. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!