Creative Team:
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artists: Michael Lark
What They Say:
Collecting the first four issues of the Eisner-winning team of RUCKA and LARK’s critically acclaimed new series about Forever Carlyle, the Lazarus of the Carlyle Family. Included are the first four issues of story, as well as the previously released introductory four-page short “Family: Prelude.”
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Though I’ve read a lot of series by Greg Rucka over the years, I’ll admit that I don’t follow his work in a big way. I had rediscovered him in the last month or so after seeing an earlier work, Queen & Country, being pushed forward for theatrical development. While looking into that, the new title of Lazarus surfaced in my searches and I opted to throw that into an order since it has the first four issues of the new series and it came out a week after the fourth issue – a method that I’ll easily endorse as opposed to the year long wait for installments. While I’ve been more familiar with his work within established comics universes, including the excellently done Gotham Central with Ed Brubaker and a rather fun run on Checkmate a few years ago, he really excels at creating his own works and characters, which the Queen & Country book showed me recently.
Lazarus gives us a near future world where things have changed, but not much. If anything, it’s simply become more honest as the world is controlled by various Families that exist. When the story shifts between locations, we get the name of the place, which Family it belongs to, how many family members are in residence in it and then a look at the number of serfs. Some places have the listing of “waste” as well, which is basically the great unwashed masses that the Family has no real thought or care for. The world is definitely not what it once was, but those that rule it are now more open about it and more concerned about their issues with other Families. And there’s little to no real care or notice of what happens to anyone else. With this kind of mindset, it’s no surprise that they’re all flawed and disturbing individuals.
The series introduces us to the Carlyle Family, which runs a good chunk of what was the southwest section of America. It’s run by the patriarch of it, Malcolm, who has five children that he has to deal with, each with their own quirks and views of how things should be done. Jonah is intent on dislodging his father in secret with the help of his sister Johanna while Steven is a sycophant to his father, trying to curry favor but in a restrained way. Bethany is more focused on the work of the Family more than anything else, especially when it comes to their sister Forever. Forever is the crux of the book as she is the Lazarus of the family, the one that is trained in the ultimate techniques, given the best weapons and and technology to carry out what needs to be done for the Family in protecting it and advancing their goals. The twist of course is not only can she not be killed unless utterly blown to bits that can’t self-rebuild, but that she’s also not a real blood relative. And that’s a secret that the rest of the Family is keeping from here.
The opening issues do a good job of setting the foundations of the series, introducing us to the characters and working through a solid arc within it, though it’s one that will spill out into other things as well. The cast is well covered and the action is very well done with a good bit of gritty to it while not going over the top. The violence is definitely intense at times, especially in the opening chapter, but it’s largely done in service of showing what kind of person Forever is. She has some good conflicts she’s dealing with that are all given voice but we see there’s a history as well that comes across. The interactions with the Carlyle Family that come to light, some but not all in regards to her, showcases a dynamic that’s definitely fascinating to watch and engaging because it does not revolve solely around Forever as well.
The style of the series from Michael Lark is definitely the right way to go as we get something that feels like it really conveys the two different worlds, though each has an air of decay about them. The Family compounds and buildings have a rough look on the outside but show some restrained wealth on the inside, which certainly fits with the way Malcolm runs his family. Similarly, the rest of the world is just plain run down and it has a kind of grime and decay that definitely works to fit with the name of what most of the people are given in being called waste. It’s all just there, surviving. And that kind of weariness comes through in Lark’s character designs and the overall atmosphere of it. It’s a compelling look overall when paired with the dynamic of the action and the style of the characters themselves. It simply clicks in the way that’s really necessary.
In Summary:
With the release of this trade at the same time as the fourth issue, it’s easy to get in on the ground floor and support the series without having to do the singles game, which I am so very long past. Lazarus presents a familiar story setup here with a world where the corporations have taken over with the Families controlling them and it plays the whole us versus them level well, though mostly because we only see those at the upper echelons and the kind of intriguing and dangerous games being played there. This is a well realized world that we’re starting to explore and Rucka and Lark have done an excellent job of drawing you in and providing a good amount of information. You don’t feel shortchanged or being teased along to get the basics of how it works. You get it and it focuses on the story of the characters within the world. I’m definitely excited to see more and hope that the collections follow the same path as this one.
Content Grade: B+
Released By: Image Comics
Release Date: October 9th, 2013
MSRP: $9.99
