Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn #1 Review -

Writer: Various (See Below)

Art: Various (See Below)

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 31st, 2023

Ancient and dangerous power has been awakened following the eruption of the Lazarus Volcano, and this surge of fantastical power will affect the DC Universe forevermore! In Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn, we’ll explore corners of the planet newly awakened and primed to restore some heroes and villains long forgotten! With the help of Nightwing, can new hero City Boy hope to commune with Gotham in time to save it? Who are the mysterious trio claiming to be resurrected siblings of Raven? How far would the Question go to chase a lead across a transformed Gotham City? And will the flame of Firestorm burn out yet another horrific host? Let’s dive in and check out Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn #1.

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: Legends Reborn #1 Review.

THE DISPATCH

Writer: Alex Segura

Art: Clayton Henry, Marcelo Maiolo, Pat Brosseau, Vasco Georgiev

We open with a Question story. And oh boy, it’s been way too long. Segura offers up a long and wordy introduction to set the stage but he does so convincingly with the page count provided. Segura quickly morphs this story into a mystery that hangs on a few mutated deformities before all is said and done. Ultimately, it’s a quick installment showcasing Renee’s Question that shows this Lazarus Storm causing deformities in regular humans as well. So, this green rain is super transformative to many and kind of reminds me now of the series Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin.

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Art: Christopher Mitton, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Troy Peteri

This story focuses on Raven confronting some more changed humans that appear to look like demons from the Lazarus Storm. It turns out these new demons are somehow related to Raven and Trigon. It’s all a bit of a stretch if you ask me. Moreover, the story just kind of plops you into the middle of it as if it’s been ongoing without much explanation.

Additionally, the illustrations are blurry and the colors are a bit muddy. In many of the panels, the demons look rushed and lack detail. Even if I could get past aspects of the story that didn’t make much sense, I’d have a difficult time overlooking the illustrations that come across more like a children’s book than anything else. Nevertheless, just like the first mini-story, this Raven installment reminds this reviewer of the negative effects of Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin.

Writer: Greg Pak

Art: Minkyu Jung, Sunny Gho, and Wes Abbott

Readers get their first real taste of a brand new character co-created by Greg Pak and Minkyu Jung named City Boy. For those connected to the Wildstorm Universe, this new character appears to be very similar to Jack Hawksmoor. The power set seems very similar in that he… connects to a city and just “knows” things about the city, Truthfully, it’s a weird power set that kind of has been seen before which appears to be promoted by the Lazarus Storm. Ultimately, fans get a first, very confusing taste of City Boy. Pak and Jung dangle this first story out there in an almost reckless way with no background or prior knowledge. Due to the setup and lack of clarity, it was extremely difficult to find my footing within this mini.

Writer: Dennis Culver

Art: Jesús Merino, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Dave Sharpe

In this final installment, fans get their first taste of Firestorm in… gosh I don’t know how long. Nevertheless, it’s a short, small taste until we focus on the two separate people who make up Firestorm due to the Lazarus Storm. Yet, what exactly happened to separate them as well as what happened to Dr. Stein is left open-ended and (just like many of these vignettes) confusing. Additionally, because it’s been so long since anyone has seen Firestorm separated, it’s hard to even tell through the illustrations who these individuals are walking around the story. They have no distinguishing characteristics whatsoever making them no different than any other character. Heck, you don’t even know if the one character is Dr. Stein until the story is almost over and they try to reconnect.

Truthfully, there is one distinct line that calls this new person Dr. Ramirez within the story. But you wpipsnt know him from any other guy. So, finally, as this mini-story ends and we watch this extremely forced dialogue of Firestorm to imply that it’s now Ronnie and Dr. Ramirez that formed together, we understand that none of these characters are actually Stein. Furthermore, when was Firestorm able to connect to just anyone all Willy-nilly? As this mini comes to a close, readers get the full story about Stein and what’s happened. Nevertheless, readers are left open and confused until the last page.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn #1 has no rhyme or reason for its machinations. The characters aren’t Legends nor are they reborn. One of the characters is brand new while the others are mostly B-Listers taking the focus. Does anyone want to know what’s happening to The Question, City Boy, or even Firestorm who we haven’t heard from in years? No! We want some background on the main story. What’s going on with Damian? Batman? The Devil Nehza? Guess what, we get it! The Lazarus Storm is affecting humans, metahumans, and magicians. So, can we get back to the main idea of the story now?

Additionally, not only are these mini’s becoming more and more pointless and confusing, but the storytelling is getting weaker and more forced. Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1 was fantastic. It was strong and had some ridiculously amazing art. Batman Vs. Robin was equally as exciting and set up a great story. So, what happened? Why have we spent three weeks introducing this nonsense that appears to be ripping off Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin? Sadly, readers, it takes a lot for me to not recommend something. However, there just isn’t anything here to draw anyone in. The stories are too quick, the narration and dialogue are forced, and a majority of the illustrations are mild at best all centered around characters very few people enjoy. Heck, the best story and art combo was probably the one about the Question. Truthfully, I’d stay clear of any of these tie-ins as they are actually making me less and less interested in the actual Lazarus Planet story entirely. 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!