Greg Rucka

Michael Lark

The Barrets, a Waste family, pursue the chance for a better life five hundred miles away in Denver, where they hope the Carlyle family will lift them to Serf status.

Lazarus

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 is struggling 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.

Maggie Gordon

Despite there being a way going on, Poison feels slow compared to previous volumes. We see some politicking now that Daddy Carlyle is out of commission, and Forever goes to kick some ass, but might also have gotten herself killed. And baby Forever? Well, we get an interesting surprise about those flashbacks we've been watching... Still an intriguing series, but I hope it ups the character development next volume.

Sarah Escorsa

My name is Sarah and I am naught but a harebrained nitwit. Why? Because I almost gave up on this most wondrous series after reading this instalment. I thought it was disappointing. And kinda sorta meh. And kinda sorta boring. So I wasn't exactly excited and enthusiastic and thrilled at the prospect of reading the next volume in the series.



Yep, that's right. I'm a complete and total simpletonish lamebrain. Because had I given up on this most astounding series, I wouldn't have read Conclave. And Conclave is shrimping awesome. Hence, I am naught but a moronic imbecile. QED and stuff.

The end. 

Damn, I'm getting real good at this whole Crap Cutting Business Thingie (CCBT™)!! Go me and stuff!!

Chronological Reading Order:
· Volume 1: Family ★★★★
· Volume 2: Lift ★★★
· Volume 3: Conclave ★★★★
· Volume 4: Poison ★★★★
· Volume 5: Cull ★★★★★
· Lazarus X+66 (side stories about supporting characters) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 1 (issue #27, digital format only) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 2 (issue #28, digital format only) ★★★★
· Volume 6: Fracture I ★★

· Sourcebook Collection Vol One ★★★★

Actual rating: 4.82 stars. And a half.

This series =



YES. So much of it. It keeps getting better. And more intense. And bloodier. With lots of delicious scheming and backstabbing and stuff. YUM.

Okay, so I can't really say anything about this scrumptious volume because spoiler spoiler spoiler and stuff, but I can tell you this:

 ① It's war. And it's glorious.




② Much blood and gore and slaughterish action in this instalment there was. 

How delightfully exquisite indeed.






③ Forever Carlyle kicks much delicious ass.

Ruthless sword-wielding, machine gun-totting badass chicks are so beautifully hot. Especially when they chop chop chop and slice slice slice their way through enemy lines. 




④ Fierce superwomen abound.








⑤ Forever's Family is the loveliest bunch ever.

Conniving bitches and useless wimps. What an enchanting combination.





⑮ All hail the Bloody Shrimping Holy Cliffhanger of a Plot Twist (BSHCoaPT™).

(view spoiler)[Spoiler spoiler spoiler (view spoiler)[

 (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)].

» And the moral of this I want to be a Lazarus when I Grow Up so I can Legally Chop Little Heads Off Crappy Non Review (IWtbaLWIGUsIcLCLHOCNR™) is: I may not be a huge fan of the colors and graphics here, but Mother Mary of Anabolic Grace (view spoiler)[*waves at Sirantha Jax*  (hide spoiler)], I bloody fishing luuuuuurves this series to the Marianas Trench and back. 

Chronological Reading Order:
· Volume 1: Family ★★★★
· Volume 2: Lift ★★★
· Volume 3: Conclave ★★★★
· Volume 4: Poison ★★★★
· Volume 5: Cull ★★★★★
· Lazarus X+66 (side stories about supporting characters) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 1 (issue #27, digital format only) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 2 (issue #28, digital format only) ★★★★
· Volume 6: Fracture I ★★

· Sourcebook Collection Vol One ★★★★



[Pre-review nonsense]

Just reread this one because Cull coming up and stuff. 

Soooooo goooooood. Why? Because hot sword-wielding chicks + glorious slaughter + wondrous scheming =

 

» Full Forever Carlyle I Love Thee So Much I Might Give You an Extra Star When I Finally Write this Crappy Non Review Crappy Non Review (FCILTSMIMGYaEXWIFWtCNRCNR™) to come.

"FRACTURE: PRELUDE," CONCLUSION Jonah Carlyle is dead, and Jonah Ker has made a new life for himself on the edges of Bittner Territory. But as much as Jonah may have escaped his Family, he cannot escape the world his Family has made.

Lazarus #28

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. 

So…Part II in the “What the fish happened to Jonah Carlyle after he went for a refreshing swim” side-story/interlude/prelude/whatever/choose all that apply. Well I’ll say, that was pretty damn shrimping cool! Because much more action. Much more Crucial Stuff happening. And most importantly, much more Fun Stuff like this:



And like this:



So YAY, I say. (Yes, I’m a poet, I know.) 

Ultimately, what makes this issue much better than the previous one is that it features a whole bunch of Gloriously Gut-Punching, Heart-Wrenching Stuff (GGPHWT™). And that is very slightly delicious indeed, if you ask me. Oh, and by the way, the Burn It All Down Shenanigans (BIADS™) are particularly titillating. Just so you know.

 

And of course, the art is as yummilicious as ever.





Jonah Dear, if you keep looking this hot—no no no, this pun intended was not. I think—I might have to lock you up in my High Security Harem with your sister and her potential boyfriend. That’s what is called “keeping it in the family,” I believe? Right. Just what I thought. 

The one thing that has me slightly perplexed is why the Hologram Chick looks just like Catherine Deneuve:





Looks to me like someone has a crush on a certain French actress 👋 inconspicuously waves at Mr Lark 👋

Oh, I almost forgot. Those headache-inducing, annoying as fish bilingual speech balloons/squares/whatever I complained about in my review for issue #27? See the Hologram Chick panel up there ↑↑ I rest in my case and stuff.

👋 To be continued and stuff.

Chronological Reading Order:
· Volume 1: Family ★★★★
· Volume 2: Lift ★★★
· Volume 3: Conclave ★★★★
· Volume 4: Poison ★★★★
· Volume 5: Cull ★★★★★
· Lazarus X+66 (side stories about supporting characters) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 1 (issue #27, digital format only) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 2 (issue #28, digital format only) ★★★★
· Volume 6: Fracture I ★★

· Sourcebook Collection Vol One ★★★★

Two years have passed since Forever Carlyle was betrayed on the battlefield, and now the Carlyle Family finds itself surrounded on all sides, running out of both time and options, as the Conclave War claims friends and allies alike in an ongoing war of attrition. With time running out for her Family, Johanna goes on the attack with a strategy that relies on the Carlyle Lazarus--Forever--standing fast at her side. And while the war takes its toll as Lazarus fights Lazarus, the next Forever Carlyle--the 14-year-old known as "Eight" who is being groomed for service--finds herself in a life-or-death struggle of a different kind. The secrets are taking their toll, and when they come out, the results will be shattering. Collects LAZARUS: RISEN #1-3

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.

What the fish, Greg Rucka?! How did you manage to go from the scrumpalicious awesomess that is Cull to this?! Not sure if it’s the new format (only 3 issues), or just that nothing bloody shrimping happens in this volume. Well nothing but endless blah blah blah, anyway. “How about the series arc,” you kindly ask? “Any progression on that front,” you politely enquire? 



All we get in this volume is:

1) The usual Traitorous Family Shenanigans (TFS™). (Getting a little old, that.) 

2) My girlfriend Forever being her deliciously slaughterous—and springy—self. (Which I obviously 💕lurves💕, but glorious bloodshed—albeit aplenty—does not a plot make and stuff). 





3) My girlfriend Forever being uncharacteristically and most exasperatingly mopy as fish. 



🙄 Eyerolls her little self to death 🙄

Oh, and did you notice the new horrible haircut? To think that Forever used to look hot as fish. Well, some might argue that Forever’s haircuts have always been a little problematic, what with her mutant Lego-click on hair tendencies and all that, but I’ve always thought she looked well, um, you know, hot as fish and stuff.



See what I mean?

The problem with the new hairdo isn’t only the ugly thing itself, it’s that it makes her look exactly like another character in the series, Marisol. They look like twins, for shrimp’s sake! So much so that you end up not knowing who the bloody shrimping hell is who!

That’s Forever (or is it Marisol?):



And this is Marisol (or is it Forever?):



My ever-decaying little grey cells being ever-decaying and thus easily confused (also, I’ve only got two of them, which probably doesn’t help), I’d appreciate it if you’d let my girlfriend’s hair grow again, Mr. Lark. It would help quite a lot and stuff. And if you don’t want to let it grow, you could just, I don’t know, have her dye it pink or something. Okay, so it might possibly ruin her lethally ruthless and ruthlessly lethal Lazarus rep, but at least I’d be able to recognize her and stuff. Which is well-worth thoroughly destroying her badass notoriety, if you ask me.

➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): All in all, you could maybe perhaps say that this isn’t my favorite volume in this series so far. Mayhap. But hey, at least it offers recently extracted eyeballs as door openers, so I guess I can’t complain and stuff.



Ooooh, yummy!

👋 To be continued and stuff.

Chronological Reading Order:
· Volume 1: Family ★★★★
· Volume 2: Lift ★★★
· Volume 3: Conclave ★★★★
· Volume 4: Poison ★★★★
· Volume 5: Cull ★★★★★
· Lazarus X+66 (side stories about supporting characters) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 1 (issue #27, digital format only 🙄) ★★★★
· Fracture: Prelude 2 (issue #28, digital format only 🙄) ★★★★
· Volume 6: Fracture I ★★

· Sourcebook Collection Vol One ★★★★



[Pre-review nonsense]

What the bloody shrimping hell of the stinking fish is this?! 



Full We Are Not Nefariously Amused Review (WANNAR™) to come and stuff.

Laura Dobie

Character development and set up for the dystopian world in the first volume.

Immersive and addictive. Awaiting the next volume...

This prestige hardcover collects the first two Lazarus story arcs; "Family," which introduces Forever Carlyle and her Family as they are brought to the brink of war in a future of economic collapse; and "Lift," where Forever uncovers a terrorist plot against her Family while another family altogether, the Barrets, take desperate measures to escape their life of poverty.

Lazarus

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