Mild Mannered Reviews - Specials Comic Books

Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1

Scheduled to arrive in stores: January 10, 2023
Cover date: March 2023

"Lazarus Planet: Alpha"

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Riccardo Federici
Cover: David Marquez and Alejandro Sánchez

Reviewed by: JP Rocha

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"Lazarus Planet" is an event that spins out of two Mark Waid books "Batman/Superman: World's Finest" and "Batman vs. Robin", and Gene Luen Yang's "Monkey Prince". "Lazarus Planet: Alpha" serves as the setup issue for the event while "Batman vs. Robin #4" served as a prologue for the event. "Lazarus Planet" is an action packed magic based event lead by Robin. As of now the big bad is King Fire Bull, a magical character from the Monkey Prince book.

Robin creates three teams with three agendas. The first team, Shazam (Mary Marvel), Zatanna, and Power Girl along with Cyborg and Blue Beetle endeavored to retrieve magical items stolen by the Devil Nezha who drained their power and discarded them in the Tower of Fate.

The second, Batman, Talia, Blue Devil, and Supergirl who are tasked with finding the Devil Nezha before King Fire Bull does. While Robin and Monkey Prince stayed with Black Alice to mobilize any other heroes they could recruit.

Story - 4: "Lazarus Planet" is Earth, as the Lazarus pit on Lazarus Island from the recent Robin series becomes an erupting volcano spewing the power of the Lazarus pits across the Earth. The result is natural disasters across the planet, affecting all life on the Earth. If you are enjoying "World's Finest", Waid and Yang are setting up an interesting event that is supposed to have Universe changes that will roll out throughout the next year of DC publishing.

Art - 4: This issue is a Riccardo Federici book so of course the art is great. And now we know why Federici was not able to finish the "Warworld" arc.

Cover Art - 4: This David Marquez and Alejandro Sánchez cover, though not dynamic, is great.

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Mild Mannered Reviews

2023

Note: Except for digital first releases, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2023

• The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special
• Superman: Son of Kal-El #17
• Action Comics #1049
• Superman: Kal-El Returns Special #1 (One Shot)
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #9
• Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6
• Dark Crisis: Young Justice #6
• DC vs. Vampires #11
• Multiversity: Teen Justice #6
• Dark Knights of Steel #8
• DC: Mech #5
• Young Justice: Targets #5
  
  

February 2023

• Superman: Son of Kal-El #18
• Action Comics #1050
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #10
• Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7
• DC vs. Vampires #12
• DC: Mech #6
• Young Justice: Targets #6
  
  

March 2023

• Action Comics #1051
• Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1 (One Shot)
• Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 (One Shot)
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #11
• Dark Knights of Steel #9
  
  

April 2023

• Superman #1
• Action Comics #1052
• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1
• Superman: Lost #1
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #12
• Superman: Space Age #3 [Final Issue]
  
  

May 2023

• Superman #2
• Action Comics #1053
• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2
• Superman: Lost #2
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #13
• Dark Knights of Steel #10
  
  

June 2023

• Superman #3
• Action Comics #1054
• Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #1
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #14
• DC Silent Tales #1
  
  

July 2023

• Superman #4
• Action Comics #1055
• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #3
• Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #2
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #15
• Superman: Lost #3
• Batman: The Brave and The Bold #1
• Power Girl Special #1
  
  

August 2023

• Superman #5
• Action Comics #1056
• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #4
• Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #3
• Steelworks #1
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #16
• Superman: Lost #4
• Batman: The Brave and The Bold #2
• Dark Knights of Steel #11
  
  

September 2023

• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #5
• Steelworks #2
• Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 (One Shot)
• Knight Terrors #1
• Knight Terrors: Superman #1 [of 2]
• Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 [of 2]
• Knight Terrors #2
• Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #4
• Superman: Lost #5
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #17
• Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1
• Batman: The Brave and The Bold #3
• Superman vs. Meshi #1
  
  

October 2023

• Superman Annual 2023 #1
• Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1
• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6
• Steelworks #3
• Knight Terrors #3
• Knight Terrors #4
• Knight Terrors: Superman #2 [of 2]
• Knight Terrors: Action Comics #2 [of 2]
• Knight Terrors: Night's End #1 (One Shot)
• Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #5
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #18
• Dark Knights of Steel #12
  
  

November 2023

• Superman #6
• Action Comics #1057
• Steelworks #4
• Superman: Lost #6
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #19
• Superman: The Harvests of Youth
  
  

December 2023

• Superman #7/#850
• Action Comics #1058
• Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #6
• Steelworks #5
• The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1 (One Shot)
• Supergirl Special #1 (One Shot)
• Superman: Lost #7
• Batman/Superman: World's Finest #20
• Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1 [of 7]
  
  

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Check out the Comic Index Lists for the complete list of Superman-related comics published in 2023.