DC Comics and Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods #1 Spoilers and Review follows.
Teasing Dawn Of DC’s Aquaman, Doomsday / Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Shazam!
What To Expect.
LAZARUS PLANET: WE ONCE WERE GODS #1
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL, DAN WATTERS, PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON, and JOSIE CAMPBELL
Art by FRANCIS MANAPUL, MAX DUNBAR, JACK HERBERT, and CAITLIN YARSKY
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ and ALEJANDRO SÁNCHEZ
Variant covers by DAVE JOHNSON, FRANCESCO MATTINA, and RAFAEL SARMENTO
1:25 variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
1:50 foil variant cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
and ALEJANDRO SÁNCHEZ
$4.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 1/24/23As the Lazarus rain beats down upon planet Earth, human beings are only a fraction of those affected by this transformative upheaval—enter: We Once Were Gods. This series of vignettes explores Lazarus Planet’s effects across the many extraordinary locations and creatures in the DC Universe, and like their human counterparts, these beings are in for some big changes. Can Themyscira survive the resurrection of every invading army that ever graced its shores? Will Martian Manhunter survive a psychic link to a Doomsday nest? What happens when the monsters from the Trench gain the ability to breathe air? And look out, Shazam Family…the Rock of Eternity is about to get rocked.
In addition the main cover and solicitation above the title has a few variant covers below.
Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods #1 Spoilers and Review.
The first story features Aquaman lore with several people washed up on the shore.
They are taken in by some friendly strangers, but these people found in the water appear violent and startled by their appearance.
Aquaman joins the fray once the story escalates and these strange people are threatened.
It would appear that the Lazarus Volcano eruptions and ensuing Lazarus Rains have transformed the monstrous Trench into Atlanteans?!
The next story is a Martian Manhunter story.
He wants to help Raphael Arce by exorcising his Doomsday memories so the beast does not reform.
However, Doomsday is seduced by the possibilities of Martian Manhunter’s body.
That leaves Raphael Arce to reclaim the Doomsday memories, but they are transformed into crystal to neutralize their threat.
Wonder Woman and her Amazon allies next deal with the zombie hordes of Herakles.
Queen Nubia brings reinforcements to the battle.
We learn how its possible these zombies exist.
As the story is set to continue in Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #1 (of 4) which hits shelves on March 14, 2023.
The book’s final tale involves the Shazam family including Black Adam’s new protege White Adam Bolt.
They travel to the Rock of Eternity.
There they find her brother Billy who is the modern Shazam, but who is tethered to the Rock of Eternity quite literally.
He is freed and reunited with his family.
However, the Wizard Shazam, the being who gave Black Adam and Billy Batson their powers initially does not think any of the children are worthy of the Power of the Shazam.
This tale also continues in March 14, 2023’s Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #1 (of 4).
Next Up.
The Lazarus Planet Checklist notes what’s next for this event.
There’s also this version of the checklist against a map of Earth so readers learn where the various titles occur.
The Pulse.
This was an ok issue that seemed to be more of a preview book about Dawn of DC titles to come or, for 1/2 the book, more Lazarus Planet books. Compelling stores mostly, but they felt brief and stifled despite solid art on all. 6 out of 10.
