Lazarus Order #1 Review

Overview

Writer: Sloane M. Siegel

Artist: Juan Doe

Cover Artist: Georges Jeanty

Lazarus Order #1 is what happens when medieval horror, supernatural detective drama, and the world’s most dysfunctional plague-doctor buddy duo collide—and honestly, it is pretty cool!

In a world where disease doesn’t just kill you but can transform you into vampires, werewolves, undead horrors, or plague-born creatures, the Lazarus Order is humanity’s final line of defense. Its devout doctors swear away their freedom in exchange for supernatural abilities, but every use of those powers consumes a little more of them. Save enough lives, and eventually there may be nothing left of you to save.

Enter Doctor Damien: meek, middle-aged, and so devoted to protocol that he probably alphabetizes his medical nightmares. He’s paired with Edward Talis, an older, charming veteran who’s resourceful, opportunistic, and considerably more comfortable bending the rules. Their wonderfully mismatched partnership begins with a seemingly routine call from a desperate woman whose husband has been behaving strangely after protecting his family from a rat infestation.

Naturally, this is no ordinary case of medieval pest control.

Writing

Sloane M. Siegel is an impressive young man of around 26 years with a laundry list of accomplishments already. He’s a voice actor, he’s been cast in television shows and independent films, he’s written a couple of television episodes and he’s a musician. Today, Siegel adds published comic book creator/writer to his resume with Lazarus Order #1. First impressions are everything and Lazarus Order is… fine. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with fine! I don’t think the writing was bad, I just wish that the story had a better flow. The Doctors, Edward and Damien are great and I love the odd couple dynamic between them. Their abilities are cool and the way that each use brings them closer to death emphasizes their selfless heroism. But there are times where the story plays like a scratched DVD. You are reading along and get to a panel that makes you think you missed something. But you didn’t miss anything, it just wasn’t there. With a little effort, the gaps are easy enough to fill, but it does take away from the experience. There is actually a point in the story where it moves away from the Doctors and to a group of characters that do not appear to have any connection to anything I read for the first 3/4 of the book. But it still had that cool factor and it was still interesting. I chalk it up to Siegel adjusting to writing for comics as opposed to television where those kinds of jump cuts and unexplained epilogues work a lot better.

Art

Juan Doe does a really nice job with this book. His art and character design is a big part of what makes the book so damned cool! Great movement and energy in the fight scenes. I am a huge fan of dissonant color schemes so this book was one long continuous dopamine rush that peaked every time the doctors used their abilities. Their was one panel that wasn’t immediately informative but rendering an ice sculpture with a hole in it would be a challenge for anybody.

Final Thoughts

Lazarus Order #1 is a good introduction to a story that feels like it has a ton of potential to be special. I fully expect that as it progresses, the writing will tighten up and Siegel will hit his stride. Even with all it’s blemishes, the book is a fun ride with some interesting characters, cool powers and very strong artwork. It’s definitely worth picking up!

Overall Grade

7/10