I hadn’t reached my graphic novel quota on the last day of May so I delved into my Humble Bundle hodgepodge of comics for something quick and pulled out the first volume of Lazarus, story by Greg Rucka and art by Michael Lark. It contains the first four issues and a “short” although it seemed to be a very short volume compared to others I’ve read. By the time I got into it, it was over and I felt a bit disappointed.
The world-building isn’t handed to you on a plate, which is fine (and usually good) but it did mean I didn’t quite get all the references. In a near-future, the world is run by “families”. It was unclear to me if they’re actual families or constructed. Forever is part of the Carlyle family, who don’t seem all that nice yet she fawns over her father, assumingly the head of the family.
What makes Forever different is that she’s a Lazarus. She cannot be killed and therefore she is used to handle the family’s dirty work. Yet the other members of her family don’t appear to want her around.
I don’t feel I read enough to get a good feeling of the series, which is something I would expect from a bind-up volume. I thought it had potential… yet I would worry that Forever’s daddy issues might grate, but they could do something interesting with it.
If you fancy this series, then I would be inclined to suggest getting more than one volume to start off. I might pick up volume two at some point, but a few weeks on from finishing, I’m not as tempted to buy another as I was when I was in the midst of reading. If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether it’s worth continuing!
Goodreads | Amazon | Waterstones | Hive | Wordery | Image Comics
Book Source: Purchased
