Barely one month after the conclusion of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the DC Universe is affected by another crisis. Writer Mark Waid teams up with Riccardo Federici, Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Nicole Maines, Skylar Patridge, Francis Manapul, Dan Watters, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Josie Campbell, and more, for the Lazarus Planet, a Magical Crisis where heroes are transformed, secrets are revealed and powers are unleashed. Here is the official synopsis:
Following the events of Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar’s Batman vs. Robin #4 this December, the Lazarus Volcano has erupted—spewing dangerous and transformative chemicals into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in chaos across the DC universe! As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos, unlike anything the DCU has experienced before!
A lot of DC characters are involved in this event, from the obvious Batman and Robin (Damian Wayne), but also Martian Manhunter, Red Canary, Jon Kent, Poison Ivy, Power Girl, but also Monkey Prince, Shazam/Billy Batson, Mary Marvel, and Yara Flor.
What to Read Before DC Universe: Lazarus Planet?
With Mark Waid behind this event, you’ll have to look at his recent stories in the Batman Universe. His first arc on Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, telling tales from a not-too-distant past, introduced us to the Devil Nezha.
- Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 1: The Devil Nezha
Collects Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1-6
Following the conclusion of his own series, Damian Wayne unearths dark forces which unleash super-charged magic across the globe in Batman Vs Robin. And as the title suggests, Batman must battle his son to save the planet and put a stop to the chaos!
- Batman Vs. Robin
Collects Batman Vs. Robin #1-5
Created by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang, Monkey Prince aka Marcus Sun is the son of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King. Marcus can change into a monkey form, with which he has a variety of powers. He’s the star of his own limited series, with the last issues tied into the Lazarus Planet event. If you want to know more about him, check out:
- Monkey Prince #1-9
Available on Kindle & Comixology- The first 6 issues are collected in Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey
- Monkey Prince #9 takes place just before Lazarus Planet
Lazarus Planet Reading Order: Collected Editions
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Lazarus Planet
Collects Lazarus Planet: Alpha, Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton, Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods, Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn, Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution, Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate, and Lazarus Planet: Omega!
Lazarus Planet Reading Order: Issue by Issue
The Lazarus Planet consists of a series of 48-page one-shot specials published in January and February. This reading order is updated every week.
- Monkey Prince #10 (most of the events depicting here take place before Alpha)
- Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1
Explore the effect of the Lazarus rain in those one-shots:
- Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1
Contains the following stories:- “Gone Dark” featuring Dreamer
- “Electric” featuring Superman whose story continues in Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #1
- “Breakthrough” featuring Mercy Graves
- “Deus Ex Magicka” featuring Power Girl whose story continues in Lazarus Planet: Omega and Action Comics #1051
- Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods #1
Contains the following stories:- “Hunger Pains” featuring Aquaman whose story continues in Dawn of DC
- “Songs of Pain” featuring Martian Manhunter
- “Song of the Dead” featuring Wonder Woman whose story continues in Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods
- “The Price of Eternity” featuring Shazam (Billy and Mary) whose story continues in Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods
- Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn #1
Contains the following stories:- “Masks and Monsters” featuring The Question (Renée Montoya)
- “Trilogy” featuring Raven
- “City Boy” featuring newcomer City Boy and Nightwing
- “Rain of Terror!” featuring Firestorm
- Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution #1
Contains the following stories:- “The Vigil: See No Evil” featuring Red Hood
- “Flatline in: Elevation” featuring Flatline
- “The Abyss of the Dead Eye” featuring Amanda Waller and Deadeye
- “Red Canary” featuring Sienna
- Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1
Contains the following stories:- “Whisper of the Moth” featuring Huntress
- “Storm Damaged” featuring the Doom Patrol whose story continues in Unstoppable Doom Patrol #1
- “8 Seconds of Still Force” featuring newcomer Circuit Breaker and The Flash of China (Avery Ho) whose story continues in DC Pride 2023
- “The Envoy: A Spirit World Story” featuring The Envoy, Cassandra Cain, and Constantine. The story continues in Spirit World (Vol. 2) #1
- Lazarus Planet: Omega #1 (not yet available, but it is implied in Monkey Prince #11 that it takes place before)
- Monkey Prince #11
- Batman Vs. Robin #5
The Lazarus Planet is concluded in Batman Vs. Robin #5. The Revenge of the Gods storyline is an aftermath impacting Wonder Woman and Shazam:
- Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #1
Contains the following stories:- “Revenge of the Gods” featuring Wonder Woman
- “The Stranger” featuring Queen Faruka II and Queen Nubia
- Wonder Woman #797
- Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #2
- Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #3
- Wonder Woman #798
- Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #4
After DC Universe: Lazarus Planet
After Dark Crisis and Lazarus Planet, a new and more hopeful era for the DC Universe is launched, called “Dawn of DC”. Stay tuned for more!