Lobo #1 Review: Magneto, Sinestro, and Lobo Oh My!
Reading time: 3 minutes
It’s hard to deny that author Cullen Bunn has a strong voice amongst villains in the comic book world. This writer has taken on the likes of Sinestro and Magneto with a certain grace and style that is simply unprecedented amongst fans of the character. He doesn’t take these anti-heroes and make them relatable, he gives them unique voices and perspectives that make these characters appealing in their own right. Which ushers in his newest exploration of a DC Comics baddie in Lobo #1.
With the aforementioned series having such undeniably strong representations of different characters, Lobo is sort of a disappointment. It’s hard not to compare these books together, but the simple fact is that the voice of Lobo just doesn’t seem nearly as interesting as some of the other characters that the author has crafted before. The voice crafted as the rogue here is the guiding voice of the series, as the book relies heavily on narration. Another very interesting choice is in the relationship of this newer Lobo, and his imposter being the older villain from before. Marguerite Bennett setup the new status quo with the two of them in her villain’s month exploration of the character, which had a voice and piece of narrative that was truly enthralling. Bunn has a different spin on the dynamic that was laid down there, and until we get more of his version of the story, it’s hard not to be disappointed that he didn’t add to the story she was crafting.
Fortunately, there is a structure to this comic that is appealing which is crafted in the confines of this tale. Lobo has to murder eight different deadly assassins hiding within the galaxy. The different assassins are all shown in this tale and have some really interesting designs. It’s hard to even know if that is actually the true driving factor of this book, seeing as how it introduces a lot of concepts in such a short space. The biggest problem with this story is that the driving force attached to Lobo’s voice isn’t as interesting as Sinestro. Sinestro and Magneto are both older characters with different voices that have been established with years of continuity, whereas this version of Lobo, has only had a few brief appearances and one-shots here and there. With time, Bunn could further flesh out who Lobo is as a person in order to give the book a different sort of pace than what we are given right now.
Reilly Brown is an interesting choice to draw the comic for this first issue. His artwork is strong, but doesn’t exactly match the tone of the series at times. His style is sometimes almost too irreverent, which doesn’t exactly match with the dark tone of the title that Bunn is crafting here. DC has been pegged as a company that has been dabbling too much in the dark side of continuity, and while that is something I ultimately agree with, it’s hard to deny that this title probably should go darker than it already has. Brown’s style when he shifts scenes in that Czarnian location is a great example of the versatility of the artist. The art is clean and dynamic in the space of this tale, action is heavy and brutal, as it should be.
While Bunn and Brown haven’t quite found that spark that launched Sinestro and Magneto into greatness within this first tale, it still seems like they are onto something interesting here. This series could continue to develop as it moves forward, painting a more interesting voice for Lobo. It could begin to meld some humor elements that are teased in the opening pages of this issue. It could bring back someone that dies in the space of this first installment for a more interesting focus. There are dozens of ways to spin this new issue into something really interesting, and fans should pay close attention to see whether or not Lobo is fleshed out further.
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