DC announces ‘Lazarus Planet’ event at New York Comic Con

DC has announced a new crossover coming next year, Lazarus Planet, that spins out of Mark Waid’s work on both World’s Finest and the upcoming Batman vs. Robin series.

Lazarus Planet, a series of seven one-shots, will see the DC Universe “rocked to its core” as “dangerous and transformative chemicals” are released into the atmosphere, causing some ordinary humans to develop super powers and already empowered metahumans to find their abilities have changed. It’s chaos, baby!

NOTE: This story contains some spoilers for the upcoming Batman vs. Robin, which hasn’t even started yet.

Here’s the teaser art, which features Batman and Robin, as well as Power Girl, Poison Ivy, Cyborg and the Monkey Prince:

Here’s the description from DC on what exactly happens to trigger all this chaos:

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!

And to represent it visually — more teasers for what will happen to Batman (is that Dr. Fate’s helmet he’s wearing?), Jon Kent (Superman Blue?) and Martian Manhunter (or is it Doomsday now?)

DC also shared several questions you cna expect to be answered during the event, which will include the introduction of some new characters:

• Can Power Girl free herself from the out-of-control Omen?
• Who are the mysterious trio claiming to be resurrected siblings of Raven?
• Will Dreamer’s visions guide our heroes to the path of victory?
• Can Mercy Graves survive the transformation she’s undergone?
• Will Martian Manhunter survive a psychic link to a Doomsday nest?
• Can new hero City Boy hope to commune with Gotham in time to save it?
• How far would the Question go to chase a lead across a transformed Gotham City?
• Will the flame of Firestorm burn out yet another horrific host?
• And what does DC’s Monkey Prince have to do with all of this?

And here’s a list of the seven titles that were announced:

• Lazarus Planet: Alpha (1/10)
• Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton (1/17)
• Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods (1/24)
• Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn (1/31)
• Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution (2/7)
• Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate (2/14)
• Lazarus Planet: Omega (2/21)

And although they didn’t reveal the creative teams for each of them, they did mention who would be involved. Mark Waid will serve as the “event showrunner,” working with Riccardo Federici, Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Nicole Maines, Skylar Patridge, Francis Manapul, Dan Watters, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Josie Campbell and more.

Expect more details in the coming weeks.