DC is Getting Rid of Its Cheapest Way of Resurrecting Dead Characters
Warning: contains spoilers for Shadow War Alpha #1
While they've been a powerful means for DC Comics to bring back dead characters, it seems as though the Lazarus Pits are becoming ineffective (right before the Death of the Justice League event). Controlled by the classic Batman villain Ra's al Ghul who used to be immortal, new truths are emerging about the current state of the Pits and their resurrecting waters. Now believed to be cursed, several titles have recently featured the power of Lazarus being removed and/or destroyed in the DC Universe.
Currently, multiple DC titles have featured the Lazarus Pits as well as serums and resins derived from the waters to accomplish the same task: bringing back the dead. First appearing in 1972's Batman #243, the Pits were a discovery of Ra's al Ghul who used them to prolong his natural life (while also having their own dark side effects). Leading the League of Assassins in his mission to reshape the world, the Pits became a coveted tool that has been fiercely protected. However, the power of Lazarus eventually fell into the hands of others over time through various means. Task Force Z has seen the Lazarus Pits being converted into pills by a government off-shoot of the Suicide Squad who control the dosage of their subjects, partially bringing back dead villains as zombies while promising a full resurrection in exchange for their compliance. That being said, Amanda Waller has her own store of Lazarus resin in Suicide Squad which she's employed to bring back her agents should they die in the field. Furthermore, both Robin and the new Shadow War event from Joshua Williamson have revealed new insights into the original Pits themselves, revealing their supernatural origins rather than being a scientific phenomenon as Ra's al Ghul would prefer them to be.
However, DC Comics has been effectively cleaning house in recent issues when it comes to the power of Lazarus in all its forms. The labs responsible for creating the Lazarus pills have been destroyed. Waller has left Earth-0 in The War for Earth-3, taking her Lazarus resin with her as she seeks to conquer an alternate Earth in the multiverse. Robin revealed the origins of the literal Demon of Lazarus which Ra's al Ghul refused to believe in, leading to the new Shadow War Alpha #1 by Joshua Williamson and Viktor Bogdanovic where it's confirmed that the Pits are cursed and apparently no longer work.
The power of Lazarus being removed in the current comics is likely due to the incoming Death of the Justice League event where several of DC's greatest heroes will all meet their end. As such, removing the most convenient and common form of resurrection in the DC Universe instantly raises the stakes. Now, readers won't have cause to wonder why the League can't be brought back right away with a dip in some glowing green water.
Seeing as how this is DC Comics and heroes such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are multi-million dollar IPs, there's no way the Justice League will stay dead. However, getting rid of the easiest means of bringing back the dead in the DC Universe certainly helps maintain the drama of the upcoming story. That being said, Ra's al Ghul offered his knowledge and the secrets of the Lazarus Pits before he was assassinated in the first chapter of Shadow War (despite knowing that the Pits were cursed). As such, readers will likely learn more about what's exactly wrong with the Lazarus Pits before The Death of the Justice League arrives in April.
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