| Title | : | Lazarus, Vol. 3: Conclave |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1632152258 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781632152251 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 144 |
| Publication | : | First published March 18, 2015 |
Collecting issues #10-15 of the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling series and the third story arc, "Conclave."
Lazarus, Vol. 3: Conclave Reviews
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Actual rating: 4.78 stars. It's
Choko Rating Time (CRT™) again!
I wasn't going to write a review for this one. Because so many reviews, so little time and all that crap. But this series is shrimping amazing. And this instalment is the mostest awesomest one so far. And you know what makes it super xtra mostest awesomest? It's a survivor. Why? Because I never intended to read it. Because after reading volume 2, I wanted to give up on the series BUT. I'd already bought this volume. And picked it up on one of those dreadful Me No Feel Like Reading Anything Me Thinks Me Broken HALP Days (MNFLRAMTMBHD™). And suddenly, I saw the light!
And some light it was. Much Slightly Hysterical Adolescent Fangirling (MSHAF™) ensued. Because:
① Forever Carlyle kicks serious ass. Poof! Gone! Harem!
I am SO in love right now.
② Awesome dystopian world is awesome. Woot woot woot and stuff.
③ The Glorious Lazarus Clique (GLC™) is freaking amazing. I see world domination in their near future. And I predict things are gonna get pretty epic real soon.
④ Treacherous bastards + ruthless assholes + evil scum = yay.
⑤ Blood + gore + violence = yum yum yum.
Woo Hoo! No mercy, baby! No mercy!
So much blood! So much beauty! This is pure bliss!
⑥ Twist and turns and revelations and action and fury, oh my!
⑦ This series = Cool Chicks Paradise (CCP™).
So much harem material, so little time. Sigh.
⑧ And now it's war!!!!!!!
» And the moral of this Bloody Hell I Really Suck at Reviewing Comics Crappy Non Review (BHIRSaRCCNR™) is: I want to be a Lazarus when I grow up. You still have not clue what a Lazarus is, huh? You'd love to know what a Lazarus is, huh? Read this series, my Little Barnacles, and one day you too shall see the light.
» And the other moral of this Bloody Hell I Really Suck at Reviewing Comics Crappy Non Review (BHIRSaRCCNR™) is: all hail the mother of all cliffhangers! I need the next volume! NOW!
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 ★★★★ -
If you aren't hooked on this series by now, why are you reading this? Another home run by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark.
Went back and read this again as part of Lazarus, the Second Collection. Basically Game of Thrones in the future, it is absolutely fantastic. We get to see a lot of the other families who rule the world in this volume. I love the relationships between the Lazuri of the families. -
Binge-reading Lazarus today! Why? I'm not sure. First volume focused on rich family Carlyle and their biologically-engineered Lazarus Forever. Then we meet some of the Waste in the second one. Now in the third we are back to a kind of war brewing between two families, ho hum, but some more interesting intrigue may also be brewing with Forever, raised to be a super killer, a Female family Ronin, who has to decide what to do with the news that she has just recently learned, that she is not the biological daughter of the "father" she has been coldly and brutally raised to serve.
We are starting to like and care for Forever,after three volumes, not that we know all that much about her, really. We have now had backstory on how she got raised. So is she now going to remain loyal? Is she now in a position to be independent? This is, again, not really new, from a plot standpoint and this particular volume from a character standpoint isn't all that deep. And there's WAY too many families and characters to follow. Make it four families, Rucka, instead of like eleven! But it's pretty good, I say. Though will I still be reading this in volume nineteen? I doubt it. -
Now THAT'S how you do a sword fight!!
This series is really catching its stride and this volume, by the end of it, turns everything ass over teakettle. I have really enjoyed how all three books in this series have all had their own little vibe going on. This latest volume is just as great if not the best yet.
It's like a science fiction version Game Of Thrones.
...
Only...not at all like that, really. Yeah. I suck at comparisons.
Regardless, the Lazari are pretty freaking cool and this arc has 'em by the truckload. Not to mention all the fucked up family shit that goes on.
Mother of a cliffhanger though.
Its gonna be a long wait. -
Holy shit it’s been 3 years since I first read volume 2? I find it hard to believe I didn’t go alt-right murderous rampage in the between time. It *does* explain how Rucka got three more volumes out by now though, so for that I’m very happy.
I love all the Lazari and I love the sword fighting.
This book takes a very different setting that before and puts all the Families against each other in a battle of wits. Very slow, well-articulated actions that took their sweet time building any menace, and then kicked shit into high gear at the end.
Rucka and Lark tricked me into thinking this was going to be a distant outline of the way life is across the globe, things don’t change so much as they suck for pretty much everyone. Not many of the original plots have created any momentum (other than watching Forever discover herself, like a dog eventually finds its privates - watching her have a romantic moment was like seeing your baby cousin go on her first date, so cute and innocent it made me feel like I should be in the sitting room with a mint julep).
But Rucka dropped some shard glass in the champagne and no one’s getting out of this without some cuts and bloody poops.
Nicely done. Bring on the upended chessboard. -
So, this book is FABULOUS. I read this as soon as I possibly could after reading the second and first volumes because I just loved both of them, and this was excellent. Whilst volume 2 focused a little more on the wider world and some of the other characters within the world, this one takes us back to the story of Forever herself (which I loved).
One element of this in particular which I found fabulous was the dramatis personae which we were shown at the beginning of the book. I felt that this helped me to familiarise myself more with not only the people we've already met but also some of those we were about to meet and what their roles and positions were.
Another element I liked about this volume in particular was the snowy scenes and the fight scenes because I thought that they were drawn brilliantly so that I almost felt as if I was watching it all unfold before me. I loved seeing the snowy landscape and the small movements of the figures showed the severity of their conversation, and in the fight scenes it was the opposite, the dramatic and dynamic number of poses was exciting, fast and filled with action befitting a real fight.
The story of these five issues collected in this volume was excellent. I thought we might encounter some of the extra characters we met in the previous volume (those of the Waste) but we didn't. Instead we focused on the more elite classes and the way that they lived their lives, the jobs and roles they fill, and the way that they handle sticky situations and negotiations.
On the whole I felt that this was the best volume by far so far because not only did it answer some questions I had about the main character, her understanding of herself, and her place in the Family, but we also get to see a lot of the other Families and their positions and their Lazari. I enjoyed all the friendships and relationships we saw developing, and I also loved that we saw more of the wider world and understood the different Family's relationships with one another.
I am ridiculously excited, of course, to see what is going to happen next as I have no doubt that it will be awesome, and this series continues to be just fabulous all around! 5*s and a highly recommended read! :) -
3.5+ stars rounded up.
So this third volume of the momentum-gaining Lazarus picks up with the introduction of all the rest of the families who rule the world. We get an intro page on the alliances and enemies, much like East of West, but this is far less drug fuelled than Hickman's crazy shit.
There's a decision by Papa Carlyle to ask for a conclave, hence the title, after an enemy Lazarus arrives to parlay with Forever and inform Carlyle that Jonah is held hostage (the one who crashed his plane after being set up by his twin Joanna, who he had a very Cersei/Jaime thing going on with).
The Conclave is sort of peace talks/safe zone between the families, hosted by a slightly neutral, yet Carlyle leaning British family.
This is all fine and good, but the best parts? The interactions between Lazari from the families, who are all the outsiders in their families, but also the main power source. They're all friends! Well except the new German guy, who likes a hotheaded Aryan anyhow? We also see the continued relationship between Forever and Joaquim, the Lazarus of the Mexican/Latin American family. We also see Her befriend the new Lazarus of the Eastern Canadian family, and sort of shoe her the ropes. It's an unexpected turn, a humanization of the living weapons they are all made to be, and a source of strength for the book.
There's also an escape, with a twist ending for one character that opens up further developments down the road and shows more humanity from Forever, who ironically, is the one most likely to not be humane at all.
Then we end with a declaration of war between Carlyle and Hock (east vs. west USA) and the murder of a major player. We also see the secret of Carlyle longevity via science being revealed, and that as bad as life seemed for Waste and Serfs in Carlyle country before, it is far worse in Hock country, straight out of Orwell.
Again, Rucka has surprised me, starting slowly, it building in different areas, and giving me just enough new stuff to stay curious and interested. By the end? I'm thinking well shit. Now I have to wait for Vol. 4 How Long? -
If you're not reading Lazarus, you should be.
This third volume only takes place over a few days, but it turns the entire series on its head as all of the conflicting families come together for the titular Conclave, and the direction of the series changes drastically. We get to learn more about the world that Rucka and Lark have built, as well as the Lazari that each family possesses, and Forever delves deeper into her hidden past. It all adds up to a cliffhanger ending that has me gagging for the next volume, and it's all held up by Lark's superb as always artwork.
Go read Lazarus. You won't regret it. -
Glad I stuck with this. It's continuing to be a really good read. It's not always at the top of my pile, but I enjoy it whenever I do get to it.
Were East of West is more of crazy-western look at a dystopian future, this bares a slight more realism to it.
There's also a really cool sword fight in the final part. -
It's conclave time! The very small group of super-rich who control everything come together because old man Hock looks like he might have stolen some of Family Carlyle's IP.
We find out what happened to Jonah Carlyle after his crash, and we get to meet all the Lazari, and Forever gets to find out where she comes from. Unfortunately, we don't know what she'll do with this information yet because of the outcome of the fight with Forever and Sonja, Family Bittner's Lazarus. -
I'd been waiting a long time for
Lazarus: The Second Collection, which collects this volume as well as
Lazarus, Vol. 4: Poison, and it was worth the wait. Greg Rucka's script is smart and Michael Lark's art is realistic and gritty. On the first read-through, I was really drawn into the story and, without knowing what was going to happen next, I really enjoyed the suspense. On further read-throughs I'll be able to 'take in the scenery' a bit more.
Since the first issue, this series has really captivated me and I hope it continues to do so in future volumes. This is science fiction well done. More, please. -
This series is back on track after the second volume, which I believe was a misfire. It wasn't focused enough on Forever, who clearly is the heart of this series. I appreciated the storyline of all the Lazari meeting together for their conclave. Interesting contrasting their personalities with Forever's. Forever continues to have a vulnerability to her nature, despite her lethality. She really does want to be loved and cherished by her family, but it's an impossible goal. I was glad that she did choose to do the right thing (in my mind, even though it was disobeying orders). The fight between her and her friend who is another Lazarus, was incredible. You tend to think a fight like that wouldn't play well with a graphic novel, but it was done very well, with excellent play by plays. I'm really glad that I liked this so much more than Volume 3.
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I really liked the alternating chapters in Vol. 2. This one is more linear, similar to the first volume. Jonah is back, which I hadn‘t expected. It makes sense though to eventually meet him again and to see where his storyline leads.
We get to know the other families and their Lazari and we meet the head of the Hock family. What a creep.
Did the topic of longevity ever come up in the two previous volumes? Because that caught me by surprise. I must not have been paying close attention in the first volume. Anyway... Plotwise I liked the previous volume more than this one, the world building as well. Nonetheless this was a good story and I will definitely continue. Especially with that cliffhanger! -
This is awesome :) This book really makes the whole series become more logical. In the previous two parts I was not sure yet where this series was going. Now I think I am a fan and I will hope we do not have to wait too long for more parts.
These people are really messed up and mind-fucking, which always makes for a good story.
Read this if you like comics, mind-fuck and distopia (well depends on from who's perspective you look at it, but a future story anyway) with fancy technology. -
I want that last fight scene turned into a movie :)
EDIT: That was my original comment from the first time I read it, last April. It still applies :) -
It's getting better and better with every volume. Pure awesomeness.
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'Lazarus' holds steady as one of the best comics in recent years, capitalizing on Rucka's deftness with crafting a strange future of degradation, caste, and family. And science. Which is the big surprise and which highlights the worth and value of incremental plot development. Imagine learning at the beginning of "Return of the Jedi" that the Emperor and Darth Vader were actually flower collectors the whole time and their floraphilia was what fueled their entire evil design, and you'll get a sense of how right-angled and abrupt 'Lazarus' can get you in your comic gut. There's something to be said for leaving much hidden and ambiguous and 'Lazarus' gets it right where many other sagas don't (Game of Thrones--I'm watching you) in that we actually have people to root for. In fact, we have quite a few who excel in delivering us with closure and consistency along with badassitude. These are the Lazari, and for all the world-building and whatnot, this is really about them.
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This volume was definitely the best of the Lazarus series so far. I loved the focus on not only Forever, but her fellow Lazari, and I loved the moments of humanity that were dotted in between the violence and manipulation.
The one-on-one fight scene in this volume is magnificent and high-octane, and I loved the plot's twists and turns. I also really enjoyed being introduced to so many new characters, and seeing where loyalties lay concerning other Families worldwide. The action was a lot further-flung than I had originally thought.
I'm looking forward to getting to volume 4 now, particularly as this one ended on a bit of a cliffhanger! -
Now that, that is how you finish a volume. What a fucking BADASS sword fight scene, in a comic, which is not easy to do.
On top of that we get a ton of progress in the main story. Certain people come back into play, betrayals on the rise, and man oh man watching our favorite hero learn to care and love other Lazarus types is awesome. I also really enjoyed the growth of her and the father, and seeing a new side to it all.
I know my review sounds vague but I feel if I mention even the slightest thing it'll be a big spoiler on previous volumes. AND I WANT PEOPLE TO READ THIS. So please, go read it. Highly entertaining and very well written. -
BETTER THAN SAGA!!!
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Really enjoying this. The world building has progressed even further which I didnt think was possible. The story is developing really well, and the end probably had one of the best sword fight scenes I read in a graphic novel. Awesome!!
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As this series continues it just gets deeper, and more interesting.
Excellent writing, and first-rate art!
And as it gets more complex and more intriguing ~ ... I hope I do not have to wait too long for the next one!
Where is volume 4? -
This goes from The Godfather to Shakespeare! Relevant! Plus Forever's healing factor is a total surprise! Did I mention that Johan kinda facially resembles Liam Neeson? 😁
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So far, I’m very much impressed with the story Rucka tells and the way he tells it. Lark’s realistic art-style turns this reading experience into something that comes close to watching an intense, compelling tv-series. When I start reading a Lazarus-TPB I can’t put it down before reaching the last page, leaving me with want for more.
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This volume is back on track. It's good action and espionage and paces the story forward really well. I'm glad I jumped in again because this volume has me excited to keep reading.
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Is it just me or does this book just keep getting better and better?
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Bullet Review:
There starts to be chinks in the armor that is Lazarus as a greatly increased cast makes understanding the plot more challenging - but the end! WOW!
Full Review:
We start off Volume 3 with learning what happened to Jonah at the end of Volume 1 - how he was captured by Family Hock and is now being used as ransom. Malcolm Carlyle calls a conclave of the rest of the families, and they assemble to deal with the ransom - and accusations of theft.
Volume 3 continues to expand the plot, but this time it focuses exclusively on the upper-class, ruling families and their Lazari (no more Barrett family updates). With that focus, it quickly becomes confusing and somewhat complicated, as we juggle massive amount of new characters, new loyalties and complex inter-family relations.
And this is the biggest flaw with this volume, hence why I am docking a star. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed learning about the other families in this world and am glad to see their complexities. But I found it a chore to flip back and forth to the dramatis personae just to remember who was talking, where they were from and how they relate to the other characters.
But the highlights of this volume continue to be Forever. She is learning more and more about herself and others around her - and that not everyone is telling the truth! We get to see her befriend the new Bittner Lazarus, Sonja - and yes, she meets up with Joacquim again and there's some sexy times! (Okay, just kissing, but I'm happy!)
Also, as I mentioned above, we learn more about the other families, which, while overcomplicated and a chore at times, were very appreciated. It's interesting to see how different families deal with their own serf and waste population, namely the Hock family - and how they lie to the other families about what happens in their borders. Again, this just makes the world more realistic (or fully realized) than your standard paper-thin dystopia.
The end closes out on a high note with some greatly designed and visioned swordfight action sequences and then a startling development (no spoilers!).
At the close of Volume 3, I was glad at the change of direction, how Rucka and gang are just expanding on their world (even if it was confusing with all the new characters). The end just cements that this is an "immediate buy" series for me - where's volume 4?! -
Just when I think I'm over dystopias, along comes Lazarus with its intriguing premise—our familiar globe ruled by only a dozen wealthy families, one of which has unlocked the genetic secret of eternal youth and dangles this proprietary technology like a carrot over the rest. Each family is protected by a superhuman warrior (grown in a lab) called a Lazarus, who is raised believing they are blood. Lazari are conditioned for perfect loyalty to their respective families—they physically hurt if they even think of defying orders—and are, to put it lightly, really freaking hard to kill.
Enter Forever Carlyle, who is far from the stoic, unfeeling badass a lesser writer might have defaulted to. In many ways, the limited life experience Forever is allowed to have makes her naïve, open, and even strangely innocent, despite the violence she deals in on a daily basis. Her loyalty and purity of conscience endear her to her "father" more than his real children, and yet she is not one of them—a thought that plagues her more and more as the story progresses. She's a wonderful heroine, incredibly likable among a cast of decidedly amoral and villainous characters. I love Greg Rucka's writing; he focuses on the minutiae of this world and what it's like to live in it, as both powerless "waste" and power-hungry family members (plus the folks stuck somewhere in between). The details and politics of the world arise organically, without a bunch of tiresome exposition. New information isn't spoonfed—as a reader, you're forced to pay attention.
This third volume is my favorite so far. I'm fascinated to see how the narrative develops in future issues. Nothing makes me happier than a smart, original sci-fi story paired with a POV character I adore. Thank you, Rucka and Lark! -
This is a book where I want to give it five stars because it has been really enjoyable and I just haven't quite found that volume where everything clicked. Conclave has some five star moments. We get to see other parts of the Lazarus world and they are creepy and dystopian! Doctor Hock makes for an excellent villain and I really enjoy whenever we get to see more of the world. The reason I'm not giving this five stars is that some of the other subplots in this story arc felt a little bit predictable or like things most readers have seen elsewhere. Having a "ballroom" scene for example added very little to the story and felt pretty cliche other than the moments where the Lazarii bonded. Even the ending of Conclave's arc presents interesting story possibilities but was not shocking or all that exciting as it was probably intended. Despite these areas of weakness, Lazarus remains very good and highly recommended. I hope this series can maintain its quality and deliver a great long-form story. It is certainly well on its way.
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Volume three of Rucka's GoT-esque, pre-apoc sci-fi book (I am gargling hyphens. I am a hyphen monster, begging to be put to death), slows down a bit, returning to a primary focus on family relations, ejecting itself from the desperate human element of volume two. It's still pretty rockin' though, as we take a walk through the exposition woods, meeting various family heads and Lazuri. The writing is solid, even though it's lacking the relatable dialogue of the second entry, and the art is as great as ever. Michael Lark really stretches his storytelling muscles in an excellent sword fight in the third act. There's some floaty romance, neat character moments for Forever, and some meaningful exposition on the mysteries of the world.
I'm glad I stuck with the book, and am excited to read more. I don't faint from anticipation with each new entry, but Lazarus reads like excellent TV, and is always there for me when I need it.
LAAAAAAAAZAAAARUUUUUS.
