Comic Review - Image Comics - Lazarus #1

In a dystopian near-future, government is a quaint concept, resources are coveted, and possession is 100% of the law. A handful of Families rule, jealously guarding what they have and exploiting the Waste who struggle to survive in their domains. Forever Carlyle defends her family's holdings through deception and force as their protector, their Lazarus. Shot dead defending the family home, Forever's day goes downhill from there....
by Image Comics

Greg Rucka and Michael Lark (Gotham Central, among many other titles) have produced a wonderful book.  This is easily the best book I've read so far in 2013.  They create a world where there are several powerful families and each has a protector or "Lazarus" that is trained and, as we quickly learn, darn near invulnerable.  

We open with the main character, Forever Carlyle, getting the ever living crap kicked out of her.  Ultimately she is shot several times and seemingly dies...oh yeah...spoiler alert.

Forever comes to after being unconscious for a couple of minutes and kills all three of her assailants.  They were breaking into a locker to get food.  The scene is a flashback and she is recounting it to her doctor.  She seems to question if the punishment fit the crime.  

As the book unfolds we learn that society is pretty divided into three levels: Family, Serfs, and Waste.  Altercations seem to revolve around a lack of food and family rivalries.  Justice is swift and harsh, dished out by the family Lazarus.  

The book could go all kinds of places.  The creators have shown in the past they don't need superheroes to write compelling stories.  We could have story arcs that follow each of the families and I cannot wait.