Warning: SPOILERS for Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1The new one-shot tie-in for DC's Lazarus Planet event, Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1, launches a number of major Superman Family stories for characters new and old. From Dreamer's formal introduction to Supergirl to Jon Kent's new powers, Assault on Krypton is essential reading for any Super-Family fan in 2023.
DC's newest event officially launched with Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1 by Mark Waid, Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Riccardo Federici, Brad Anderson, Sebastian Cheng, Steve Wands, and Janice Chiang. Lazarus Planet: Alpha #1 takes place immediately after the explosion of Lazarus Resin in Batman vs. Robin. This explosion has caused a series of cross-planetary storms that are causing chaos for magic and science across the DC Universe. Already-powered characters are seeing massive changes to their power sets, while some previously non-powered characters are getting new abilities of their own. Alpha sets up the main team of heroes who will be managing this ongoing disaster, while a series of tie-in one-shots—like Assault on Krypton—and miniseries will be following the storms' effects across different corners of the DCU.
Readers get a glimpse of one such corner in Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 by Frank J. Barbiere, Leah Williams, C.S. Pacat, Nicole Maines, Sami Basri, Vicente Cifuentes, Scott Godlewski, Marguerite Sauvage, Skylar Patridge, Hi-Fi, Nick Filardi, Alex Guimarães, AndWorld Design, and Becca Carey. This one-shot follows Superman's allies (and enemies) in and out of Metropolis as they manage the ongoing effects of the Lazarus storms in four unique stories. The first follows Dreamer as she works with Batman, Robin, and Supergirl to find Doctor Fate's missing helmet; the second sees Jon Kent discover his newfound electric powers (and a new frenemy to boot); the third focuses on Lex Luthor and his trusted bodyguard Mercy Graves, who discovers new transformative powers of her own; and the final story follows Power Girl, who also plays a major role in the central Lazarus Planet story, through a series of strange dreams until she discovers the former Teen Titan Omen—as well as a major new power of her own.
Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton Sets the Stage for Exciting New Superman Family Stories
Despite the looming dangers of the Lazarus Resin explosion and its chaotic aftermath, this one-shot is filled with beat after beat of promising character moments that are surely establishing the groundwork for Superman Family stories beyond the Lazarus Planet event. Dreamer—a crossover character from the hit Supergirl television show—firmly establishes herself as a Kryptonian ally as her powers are expanded for her new life in comics. And speaking of TV shows, fans of Young Justice will definitely love Mercy Graves' Lazarus-spawned upgrades, which echo her robotic upgrades in the beloved animated program.
But the real standout stories from this issue are Jon Kent's and Power Girl's, especially as they promise to be continued in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent and Action Comics, respectively. Longtime fans of both characters will be thrilled to see their powers (and their relationships) expand in unexpected ways, but the real thrill is how their histories and insecurities are being mined to provide new challenges ahead. Even if they aren't following Lazarus Planet, Superman Family fans will definitely want to check out Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton, available now from DC Comics; it's the start of an exciting year for Metropolis's favorite heroes (and villains).
Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 is available now from DC Comics.