David Smyth reviews Lazarus Vol. 4: Poison…
Collecting issues 16-21, “Poison,” the fourth arc in the critically-acclaimed New York Times best-selling series. The world is at war, and Family Carlyle must fight to defend itself. With Malcolm Carlyle hovering at death’s door, the siblings struggle to maintain control. But deception and war go hand in hand, culminating in a final revelation that will truly change everything for Forever Carlyle.
Issues 16 to 21 of Gregg Rucka’s dystopian epic are collected in volume four of Lazarus. If you are expecting some light to pierce a situation that has steadily gone from worse to unbearably bleak over the course of the previous three volumes, you will be sorely disappointed.
The Carlyle Patriarch is on his deathbed, and the Carlyle family is at war with Hoch after the events of the last story arc. The eldest son, Stephen, has taken control of family affairs. But he is ineffective at best, and his family are losing the war. The families that have allied with Carlyle have begun to question his leadership and the Carlyle’s ability to protect them from Hoch and his allies. The family Lazarus, Forever, is sent on a last ditch mission to disable the enemy’s ground support. If she fails, the war is over.
Volume four of Lazarus ignores a lot of the elements of the previous three volumes in favour of focusing on the war effort. The plight of the Waste, the terrorist movement that is gathering within its ranks, and the fate of Jonah are all largely unmentioned. Instead Rucka follows Forever and her team’s impossible mission into the heart of enemy territory, and the continually evolving political machinations of Joanna.
The horrific lives of the Waste has always lingered in the back of Lazarus, rearing its head every so often to remind us that even though The Carlyles, and in particular Forever, are the heroes of the tale, they aren’t particularly altruistic. Their absence in volume four doesn’t necessarily hurt the book, but some work will need to be done to re-establish that narrative in the next arc. If you are jumping on to Lazarus with volume four, being spared the true horror of the situation might not be beneficial.
Jumping on Lazarus with volume four will be problematic in any event. As with any Rucka book, the writing is exquisite, the story perfectly paced and the characters interesting. The problem is the plot is incredibly dense. Anyone who hasn’t read the three volumes that have come before will probably struggle to engage with the story. With at least three characters referred to as ‘Lazarus’, and a war that revolves around the complex dynamic of at least six named families, there is absolutely no chance that a newcomer to the series will finish the volume without some confusion.
Michael Lark provides the artwork for the volume, as he has done since the beginning. He is the perfect choice to render Rucka’s miserable dystopia. His gritty, scarred, realistic pencils, combined with his use of large areas of shadow, perfectly compliment the dirty hopelessness of the story. He can’t half choreograph a fight scene either.
Lazarus volume 4 continues Rucka’s celebrated grim epic in typically brilliant fashion, but it will be almost impenetrable for casual readers. If you can afford the outlay for the entire four volumes, it is absolutely worth every penny. If not, then pick up volume one and catch up gradually. Volume 4 of Lazarus is worth the wait.
Rating: 8/10
David Smyth
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Originally published February 21, 2016. Updated April 14, 2018.
