The dam has finally broken and after too long we get a new Lazarus Gray book, volume eight, from Barry Reese.
Lazarus Gray is a New Pulp character from Reese (The Peregrine, Gravedigger, and other characters and works). Gray is sort of inspired by the classic pulp hero The Avenger, having a group of associates organized as “Assistance Unlimited.” He is located in a fictional town called Sovereign City (created by Pro Se Press publisher Tommy Hancock), and thus is part of the larger Sovereign City Project. He is also set in the same universe as Barry’s other characters, so has crossed over with them.
In addition to the current members of Assistance Unlimited — Morgan Stanley, Eun Jiwon, Samantha Grace, Abigail Cross, and Black Terror — we also have former member Eidolon back on the team, for awhile, in The Adventures of Lazarus Gray, Volume 8.
This time we get six short stories. The first is a Christmas story. Kind of. Lazarus Gray and his wife Kelly have recently had their son Ezekial, and head to a nearby ski resort for the holiday. But they are plagued by a Viking warrior in thrall to a cannibalistic creature that comes out of hibernation every so often. And Samantha Grace discovers she is mysteriously pregnant.
In the next story, Lazarus’ opposite number, Nemesis, assembles a group of villain called Murder Unlimited to go up against Lazarus and company. This includes Bushido, a female Japanese samurai, who is featured on the cover of this volume. And Samantha learns how she became pregnant. Her daughter will be Emily Grace (both Emily and Ezekial will join the later day Assistance Unlimited of the ’60s).
After the birth of Emily, Eun is driving back the doctor who works for AU, when they get lost and stop at a strange mansion. They find a girl in a strange dreamstate, but also must contend with a werewolf before more of the team come to their assistance.
Then the team heads to Kentucky to deal with a supernatural threat who has already killed a girl. Eidolon will leave the team after this one.
And Nemesis and Bushido is back in the final story, which also introduces the Golden Amazon to the Reese universe. I’ve posted on this character, and while based on the original, this version has an origin set in WWI rather then WWII. But at this point she is still on a mission to conquer the world. She’ll be back for future stories.
We should get the next volume soon, as Reese has written up through volume 13! I think we’ll see at least volumes nine and 10 this year, and it seems the rest will be novels. In addition, if you check in his timeline, you see references to a few other works that aren’t out. Yet. These include Worlds Apart, Satan’s Lair and The Chronicles of Lilith. Hopefully we’ll also see more new stories with Assistance Unlimited set in the 1960s.
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