Review: Justice League #23.2: Lobo

By / Sunday, September 15, 2013 - 5:25AM
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I will admit: I wanted to hate this book with the introduction of the new Lobo, but I ended up loving it.

Sure, it is Lobo as Elvis, or Robert Pattinson or Han Solo (or Benicio Del Toro?), but it works.

I’m not keen with Villains Month because a majority of the issues read as filler; however, there have been a few diamonds in the rough, and Justice League #23.2: Lobo happens to be one (Starlin and Porter’s Green Lantern #23.2 is another). The issue succeeds as it introduces a new villain to the DCU and also leaves the reader wanting more. Lobo is not a good guy; he is the bad guy, and Lobo is out for #1 – and whatever gets in his way better watch out. I loved how Marguerite Bennett gives us an issue where there is no question about that; Lobo is what he is, and here it is!

Justice League #23.2: Lobo is quick tale told in space as the bounty hunter goes on a pair of missions revealing the exact nature of the Main Man, which also will lead to a future confrontation with the “other” Lobo. Hey, I am not big on other Lobo as it stands (appearing in Stormwatch), and this new Lobo is precisely what I want. I look forward to the day when it is Lobo vs. Lobo and “Edward Cullen” takes care of business, and then shows the Justice League a thing or two. The DCU needs more serious heavy-weights and BA villains, in my opinion. If you read Forever Evil #1, I think you know exactly what I mean because the villains come off as a complete joke. With this issue, Lobo comes off as a Han Solo cruising through space, and it works (who doesn’t want to read about that?).

Ben Oliver and Cliff Richards’ art is perfect, as well, as it is on the dark and gritty side, which is befitting of Lobo and the setting for the book. While the new Lobo character design has been taking a beating online, I feel the design isn’t bad. It is kinda cool because Marguerite Bennett writes Lobo in such a way that he is a complete bad ass, something that the reader cannot deny no matter the art.

Justice League #23.2: Lobo is a great one shot, and I hope DC considers giving this creative team a Lobo mini-series (at least) because Lobo would be something fun to follow, not to mention a fresh approach (i.e. a book more on the villain side). 

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