Lazarus #10 from Image Comics Review

STORY BY: Greg Rucka

ART BY: Michael Lark

COVER BY: Michael Lark

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

COVER PRICE: $3.50

REVIEW

Greg Rucka and Michael Lark continue their stunning series with a break from our regular

programming.

Rucka chooses to focus this issue away from Forever and the Carlyle domain and instead move

things to the other side of the states and an area that has only previously been eluded to, the Hock

domain. After his failed attempt at a coup in the first arc, Jonah Carlyle attempts to make a bargain

with Jakob Hock, safe to say, this has great ramifications for the Carlyle family.

I was really pleased to see that this issue focus’ on an area that we have not seen yet in the world of

Lazarus. Rucka has spent a great amount of time fleshing out the Carlyle domain, Forever and her

supporting cast but, we are still only scratching the surface of how this new world works, whom the

major players are and their motivations. We have heard of other families and seen the Morray

family briefly but, not in the level of detail that we are treated to here with Hock, what we see is

something at the other end of the spectrum from Carlyle, a totalitarian nightmare. I can’t say that

anyone is Lazarus is “good” I think that is merely a point of view in this world, but the Hock Domain

emanates and evil foreboding presence, much like what you would expect living under the Empire in

Star Wars would feel like. All of this serves to flesh out the world and the story is much better for,

especially as we are going into a new arc where we will get introduced to a lot of the major players

of this world, it is clear from this issue that battle lines are being drawn and I can’t wait to see where

it goes.

Lark’s art is as ever stunning, there isn’t anything that this guy has done that I have not loved. He is

knocking it out of the park on Lazarus, every page is gorgeous. One of the great things in this issue is

early on you really get to see the fear and realization dawn on Jonah that he is in way over his head

and he has absolutely no say in what happens to him next. You can really feel the characters fear, his

designs on the Hock family soldiers armor is also fantastic, looking every bit like near future storm

troopers. The whole book is just a wonder to behold, yes this is a very grim book with plenty and

browns and greys due to the world it inhabits but, Lark finds a way to make this interesting and not

have everything get lost in the background.

Quite simply, Lazarus is something everyone should read. The art work is stunning, the world is a

frightening realization of our own taken to one extreme, the characters are engaging and the

creators are putting out a comic that will be remembered very fondly for years to come.

5/5

By Matt Deery

Author Profile

Matt Deery

Matt Deery is an avid comic reader from the UK, relatively new to the writing scene but, enjoying being part of the Comic Crusaders team and getting to talk about some the books that I adore. Will read almost anything Marvel, with Spider-Man and Iron Man being my all time favorite comic book characters and has recently found a love for Image and Valiant books and generally anything Sci FI or Espionage related. Check out my twitter @brujah69ad if you want to stop by and talk comics, video games or movies!