Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn #1 is published by DC Comics and features stories written by Alex Segura, Alex Paknadel, Greg Pak and Dennis Culver. Artists include Clayton Henry, Christopher Mitten, Minkyu Jung and Jesus Merino. Colourists are Marcelo Maiolo, Romulo Farjado Jr. and Sunny Gho. Letters are by Pat Brosseau, Troy Peteri, Wes Abbott and Dave Sharpe. Main cover art (left) is by Vasco Georgiev.
Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn #1 is available now in print and on digital where all good comics book are sold.
Synopsis
NEW FRIENDS…NEW FOES…NEW LEGENDS! 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? Not if Harley Quinn has anything to say about it!
Review
The DC Universe sits on the edge of a precipice. Lazarus Island has exploded in a volcanic eruption which has blanketed with the Earth with magical green rain. In the pages of the Lazarus Planet: Alpha we see many of the remaining heroes pulling together to tackle the rising threats. But what about some of the heroes who didn’t appear in that book?
Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn picks up with a handful of characters who are on the ground dealing with the fallout of the global storm. In Gotham we find The Question (aka Renee Montoya), Nightwing and brand new character City Boy. Elsewhere Raven, Beastboy and Firestorm are dealing with their own dilemmas.
Like today’s One Minute War Special, each of the stories in Legends Reborn features a different art team. Unlike that Flash special however, it also has a different writer behind each of the four stories. Each one brings their own flavour which really helps break up the chapters with an individual flavour and style.
First up is Commissioner Montoya, also doubling as The Question, as two of her rookie cops attempt to deal with a potential serial killer loose on the streets of Gotham. Montoya is far more fixated on the wider threat of the storm, chastising her cops for their focus on the unsolved murders. Alex Segura writes Montoya as a single-minded, driven individual who simply can’t see the fine detail in the bigger picture. The fate of her city is at stake and much like Jim Gordon, she will do whatever it takes to save it.
Segura explores Montoya’s duality brilliantly. As Police Commissioner that focus on the bigger picture is all she has. But as The Question she can turn her attentions elsewhere which leads her to being instrumental in assisting her officers to solve the case.
The narrative thread of giving everything for your city rolls in to the third story which features both Nightwing and City Boy. The mysterious new character arrives in Gotham, drawn by some unknown force but unfortunately finding himself arriving as the Lazarus Island storm fills the skies. Through his character we’re exposed to more of the uncertainty and fear experienced by non-heroes in the DCU, an angle which is often forgotten in this kind huge scale action.
City Boy’s misadventure encapsulates the character’s commitment to helping those in need and this puts him in the crosshairs of Nightwing. The two only share a brief interaction but Greg Pak’s excellent characterisation makes their relationship instantly energetic and exciting. A tease that the character will return later this year certainly builds anticipation for what is to come.
But before we step back to Gotham there’s a side quest with Raven and Beastboy. In a heavily magic manipulated area the two search for three supposed siblings which Raven was previously unaware of. Alex Paknadel’s short story leans in much more heavily to the magical and demonic aspects of the Lazarus Planet storyline, weaving in Raven’s illustrious father, Trigon.
With all the aspects in play, Paknadel’s story could have been epic. But rather than pit hero against villain in a huge magical fight to the death, instead the writer focuses on the underlying emotional uncertainty of the characters. Raven, as always, is challenged by trying to not become her father. A seemingly kind gesture gives Paknadel a moment to really explore Raven’s state of mind, exposing her conscious decision making to act out of seeming kindness.
The book culminates in an emotional tale which ends with the fate of Firestorm hanging in the balance. After a dramatic battle with a demonic radioactive creature, Firestorm’s powers are once again thrown out of balance, putting the fate of Dr. Ramirez in grave doubt. Dennis Culver packs a lot in to only ten pages. The fight itself takes up much of the story, leaving the emotional gut punch to come right at the very end. It leave Legends Reborn on a huge cliffhanger and simply the words “only the beginning…”
Verdict
A scintillating mix of stories and perspectives from across DC’s Lazarus Planet event. With many of the major players off the board, this mix of characters excellently broadens the scope of the DC Universe.
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