So it's finally here, the controversial issue featuring the emo-looking Lobo with the cover featuring the fan-favorite Lobo. So what gives?
"Deep in the dark corridors of space lives a black-hearted being of unimaginable power. He’s witnessed horrors beyond description and committed unparalleled evils. In all of history, no being has ever been capable of as much chaos and terror as this lone individual. This is the story of the man called Lobo. He’s coming. And he’s bringing all of hell with him." Written by: Marguerite Bennett Art by: Ben Oliver Cover by: Aaron Kuder Color/B&W: Color Page Count: 32 U.S. Price: 3.99 On Sale Date: Sep 11 2013
In this issue we find out that there's two Lobos running around the galaxy. Don't be fooled by the cover as while we may be seeing the Main man himself in the cover, the interiors feature the "other" Lobo, the one that looks very, very emo-ish and the one that got bashed alot the moment DC decided to hype up the release. Can't blame them though. Although I really did reserve judgment till the issue was released. The approach of the LOBO one shot is to show readers how this Lobo operates, how he sees things and how he reacts to specific situations. Writer Marguerite Bennett plays those bits rather well. Move past the fact that this is supposed to be the 'real' Lobo.
If there's anything this new Lobo shows that's different is that he's devoid of compassion and remorseless in a bad kind of way. The old school Lobo was all of that and more but he showed kindness once in awhile; and I do mean once in a while. This one's just as cold as ice. Think of the film "The Transporter" except that Jason Statham placed Shu Qi back into the trunk of the car rather than letting her go pee. And it's this kind of thing that kinda makes you not warm up to the guy. Sure he looks cool as hell (not digging the Twilight comparison, although I admit he does look like a child of a Goth dad and an emo mom.)Lobo was fun in a controlled violence kind of way and it's really not here with the New 52 version. What I'm seriously waiting for however is the impending meeting between the 'real' Lobo and the 'fake' Lobo on Earth. Oh and on a final note, if your looking for any ties for Forever Evil, there's none actually. DC just used the 'absence' of the Justice League as a time to explore other characters. That's really all there is to it. I'm still giving props to Marguerite Bennett and Ben Oliver for a surprising good issue they churned out but I still need more New 52 Lobo appearances to pass judgment because this alone cannot cut it. GRADE: -B
Batman/Superman # 1 spoilers. Book was written by Greg Pak with art by Jae Lee and Ben Oliver. Review done in partnership with Comicx Hub.
I like Jae Lee's work. There's something about his art style that conveys darkness and at the same time the lines he uses are always fine. When he draws 'dark' characters like Batman, you can also see that he's trying his hardest to show everything humanly possible for the panel/page while sticking to his guns. You can even say that he tries to show off some 'inner light' from his characters. That's art. And that's also the reason why I picked Batman/Superman # 1. Greg Pak also writes a pretty mean story here. I mean, yeah, it's a given that this is the first ever team up between the Caped Crusader and the big blue boyscout but it's the time away from their respective costumes that shines the most. There's one scene in the book where the core virtues of each character appears. In the scene, a very drunken looking Bruce Wayne looks on as a little Muslim boy gets bullied by some Gotham city punks for the sole reason of being a follower of the Islam religion. The boy is getting ready to fight back but before anything happens, Clark Kent shows up and breaks it off. Wayne is irritated and states that the bullying will never stop; in fact tomorrow, the beating the boy gets just might be twice as harsh as what he's supposed to receive today. Clark Kent doesn't believe in that however. We never get to see how this ends as trouble stirs (although I'm keen to think that by the time the arc is done, we'll have a look at this situation once again). There's a mysterious villain working behind the scenes which is a nice touch to the first ever formal team up between the twp iconic series. That's also a pretty excuse to have Catwoman make an appearance in the book. That appearance is short and sweet and before we even get a deeper understanding of that one, the two heroes are teleported to Earth 2.
I think this could've worked without the inclusion of the Earth 2 elements. It's nice to make the two see what good they could accomplish together without having to go "deus ex machina" on them. Pak could've stuck to the formulaic team-up these two did back in the silver age. Plus it's less hokey. Yes, here's a better look at that Earth 2 crossover...
While this might feel like the most epic fight, I can assure you it's not. Just get the book and you'll see what I'm talking about. Verdict: 8/10 Get your copies of Batman-Superman # 1 from Comicx Hub or from Castle Geek.
