Written by: Greg Rucka
Art by: Michael Lark & Santi Arcas
Publisher: Image Comics
It’s nice to have Lazarus back. It wasn’t even gone for all that long, and yet, I missed it dearly. I looked forward to this week immensely, and this was easily my most anticipated book of the week. Even among all of the new Rebirth books that I looked forward to, Lazarus #22 was the book I really could not wait to get to. That’s a high standard to set for a comic before it even comes out.
Fortunately, the creative team did not disappoint in the slightest. The book immediately returns to the high quality I’ve come to expect of the series. Though the war is still very much in full swing, this issue is tasked with kicking off a series of new plot lines. They’ve all been seeded throughout the last five or six issues, but this is where they all get started in earnest. What that means is that this is a very dialogue heavy issue, by the series’ standards. As per usual, Rucka writes characters that I would love to read more of, so the amount of dialogue is certainly not a complaint.
Even despite the amount of dialogue, Rucka knows when to step back and let the art take over. It’s something that has always been exceptional about the series – where dialogue isn’t necessary, there isn’t any. The result is full pages of storytelling that are left to Michael Lark, and he does not disappoint, as per usual. When it comes to the few action scenes, he portrays the visceral nature of the violence in the book perfectly. And in more subdued panels, he conveys powerful emotions in a way that few artists are capable of.
Despite the issue setting up a lot of what is to come, the plot does not remain stagnant. Rather than taking an entire issue off to dump exposition on the reader, Rucka injects moments of plot development throughout the issue. This is essential to the issue’s success, as it prevents the issue from having serious pacing issues. There are things happening in the world of Lazarus, and so the issue moves along at a rather brisk pace.
Lazarus #22 has me excited for things to come in future issues. Then again, that’s how I feel when I finish pretty much every issue of the book- when will I be able to read more? Fortunately, there won’t be as long a wait for the next issue. Really, there’s not much else to say at this point. Lazarus is still one of, if not the, best comics being published right now. It’s a perfect example of an excellent creative team firing on all cylinders, and crafting a book that will likely be remembered as their masterpiece.
