Thought you knew who Lobo was?
Well apparently you don’t. No one does. Get ready to meet the real Lobo as part of DC’s Villians Month even this September.
Now it may come to a surprise to some that Lobo has already appeared in DC’s current universe. If you missed him you wouldn’t be alone. The (former) new Lobo debuted in Deathstroke #9 by Rob Liefeld. By that point in the book’s run, sales were more than half of what they were when the New 52 started. So few fans even knew this version of the character existed.
That Lobo, while sharing some visually thematic connections to the Main Man, was not the same character. He was also not well-received by readers in general and Lobo fans in particular. A seemingly more pre-Flashpoint Lobo has appeared in recent issues of Stormwatch. It was that version of the character that had been featured in Justice League appearance. (See the above image, featured on DC’s website for Justice League 23.2.)
So which is the real Lobo? Neither. Turns out the last Czarnian has been a imposter. And the real Lobo is coming to take his name back. DC’s Editor-in-Chief went to the internet today to introduce the new Lobo to the comic reading world.
Back when we introduced this “What’s New In The New 52” column, I told you that the most important word in The New 52 is “New.” We’re always striving to keep things exciting, different and surprising. Which is why JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.2: LOBO (from the creative team of Marguerite Bennett, Ben Oliver, Cliff Richards and Daniel Brown) contains a major surprise – one we’ve had planned for a while.
The Lobo you’ve seen so far in the New 52 is not who you think he is. In this one-shot, you’ll be introduced to the real Lobo. A ruthless killer, Lobo is on a quest to kill the man who has taken his name.
This Lobo is equal parts strong, vicious, and driven. There’s a darker and more logical idea about what a force of nature like him is capable of. After all, this is someone who can infiltrate high society, fly a space ship, and adhere to a very specific moral code that’s not your typical anti-hero one. Oh, and, this one-shot takes place very far away from Earth. And when I say very far away, I mean it takes place literally on the other side of the galaxy.
Like most comic characters, Lobo has had some variations and redesigns over his 30+ year history. (Including a brief period 
as a pre-teen, Slo-Bo, in the pages of Young Justice.) One thing is certain, this new version has as much in common with the pre-New 52 version, as the character at the height of his popularity in the mid 90’s has with his first appearance, back in Omega Men #3 (at right). Have you seen it? That’s Lobo riding his space cycle on the cover. Yeah I can’t quite see Simon Bisley’s version of the character in a purple and orange unitard.
While I find the concept interesting, and can agree with some of the logic behind it. I can’t see this latest version striking a chord with the anti-hero’s hardcore fans. He just a bit too “pretty boy.” Kenneth Rocafort, the artist behind the redesign, went through a series of designs, each one becoming progressive less Main Man and more Main Metrosexual. The thing is, I do think it is a good design. It just doesn’t scream “One who enthusiastically eats your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it.” There is a coldness to this character. He is not the force of nature that Lobo has been for the better part of two decades.
I have not seen anything beyond these few character sketches, so I will reserve final judgement when Justice League 23.2 hits stands next month.
What do you think?
Great, Edward Cullen hit puberty and changed his name. This is a fraggin' outrage.
Hahaha. Nice.
I actually don't have a problem with the character designs, excluding one major thing: The name. If they were just creating a new character, I wouldn't care. But the fact of the matter is, there already is a Lobo. And he's already a D-lister, so why change him? He's never going to be a huge success, so why make the few existing fans angry by completely changing every aspect of his character? This was very poorly executed.
Except he's far from a 'D-Lister' and has already had great success. With over 120 books with his name in the title plus animation, video games, even a fan made movie. He was popular despite him being a parody of characters like Wolverine and The Punisher. He's got a big fanbase, which explains the level of outrage over this lame parody of a great character.
I'm not disagreeing with the outrage, just that he's a popular character. Most people who are complaining are people who wouldn't have bought the book to begin with, so it seems strange to me that there would be that negative of an outcry. It's dumb, yes, but I'm going to wait and see the finished product before I completely throw DC under the bus.
Most of us were going to buy the book. I have mine ordered through DCBS and can't cancel the order. It was one I was looking forward to until I saw this crap. Of course DC is backpeddling now because of the fan outrage, which I think is amusing, but it may not be enough to save this fake Lobo. I'm going to read it, I ordered it, I paid for it… I'll fraggin' read it. Then I'll read one of the over 150 Lobo comics I have in my collection to get the nasty taste out of my mouth.
The outcry comes from the fact that while Lobo started out as a parody, he became something more. In the DCU, filled with it's characters who follow the rules of 'good guy and bad guy' Lobo is the only one who follows the rules of neither. And both. He has a nasty attitude, he drinks, smokes, womanizes, swears, fights… but he also has a code of honor and has total love and respect for only one species in the entire DCU. He's the most entertaining and original character in the DCU and pretty much the only one that has ever had my attention.