Back in September, we got a new Lazarus Gray book: The Adventures of Lazarus Gray, Vol. 16, from Barry Reese. This one has a novel, Shadows Over Yalta. As with other recent Reese works, this is from his own imprint, Reese Unlimited.
Lazarus Gray is a New Pulp character from Reese (The Peregrine, Gravedigger, and other characters and works). Gray is inspired in part by the classic pulp hero The Avenger and has a group of associates organized as Assistance Unlimited.
Gray is located in a fictional town called Sovereign City (created by Pro Se Press publisher Tommy Hancock and part of the larger Sovereign City Project). Gray is also set in the same universe as Barry’s other characters, so he has crossed over with them.
In addition to Gray, the current members of Assistance Unlimited are Morgan Watts, now the new leader of AU; Eun Jiwon; Samantha Grace; Abigail Cross; the Blue Flame; and the golden age Daredevil, not the Marvel Comics character). The Observer is not present, being on a leave of absence.
The novel, Shadows Over Yalta, is set during the Yalta Conference held toward the end of World War II with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
Assistance Unlimited is there to provide protection for Roosevelt, along with Major Caruso of Project Cicada. Churchill is protected by a superhero named Intrepid. Though this is the first time he’s appeared, it’s clear that he and Gray have worked together in the past. Stalin is protected by a young girl named Marena, who has ice powers.
Of course, the Axis powers are trying to disrupt this, sending a group of Nazis and Japanese under the command of a pair with special powers: Totenkopf of the OFP and Tako from Japan. A witch named Elspeth Wyrmwood approaches the Axis group to help them, but is she doing this for them or for herself?
So, with the backdrop of the three world leaders having their talks that will set down the postwar world, the Axis group will make their attempts at disrupting these talks. Will the men and women of Assistance Unlimited, along with their two allies, be able to fight them off? And what role will the witch Wyrmwood play? Will this spell the end of Totenkopf and Tako, or will they return in future works?
Toward the end of the story, we get the team traveling to another dimension to help a young girl regain her throne from a usurper. At the end of this, Abby Cross decides to remain there to help her out. When might she return to Assistance Unlimited? We also learn of some other matters affecting some of the AU members as well.
It’s another good novel. I assume this will be the last one set during World War II, but that remains to be seen. I don’t know when the next Lazarus Gray work will appear, as none are indicated in the updated chronology at the end.
I still need to start on the Dark Society works, of which four of the planned nine novels are out. Others that are out are Grimalkin, and a new edition of the first Peregrine volume, now with an additional work.
Barry Reese is putting out new works under his new imprint as well as reissuing some of his old works from Pro Se Press.
its great seeing these