Have you ever wondered, “What if someone went full-tilt on violence and badassery with Lobo”? you’re going to have a good week, as Kyle Starks and Kyle Hotz deliver one of the coolest Lobo epics ever. Not only because the art doesn’t hold back, but because it captures everything good about Lobo, which is pretty much a testament to how he’s an awful no-good jerk.
Lobo Cancellation Special opens on a farming plant set between Omega Men #13 and Superman #15. He’s trapped thanks to a jerk stealing his space hog, and the only remaining aliens he hasn’t killed on the planet wish for death. The tone is dark comedy, to say the least. After a thorough recap of how he got there, aliens arrive to offer him a job. This leads to taking on a contract, which leads to a self-proclaimed badass that may just rival Lobo’s abilities.
So begins an epic quest, plotting well with logical scene changes and motivations for Lobo. I was never bored reading this book, even though it runs 41 pages and doesn’t go too deep into character. The story is broken up into logical sets, from the opening alien world to a bar and finally to a war world. This helps Lobo do different kinds of killing in each of these locations, from innocent lives to self-proclaimed badasses. In every case, Lobo has something to prove.
Ouch. That has to hurt.
Credit: DC Comics
Along the way, Starks offers up “Lobo Facts,” which shows that Lobo does stand for some things, even if he kills innocent aliens without a care in the world. By the end of this issue, a strong case has been made that Lobo can’t be killed or even beaten. He also doesn’t give much of a damn about anything besides his reputation.
Hotz’s art is spectacular, to say the least. I’d argue it’s reminiscent of Simon Bisley’s work on the character–who helped further define his look–but with a lot more creativity and control at times. The variety of and the level of detail in any given panel is spectacular. The book is also very gory, especially for a DC comic, with eyes flying and blood geysers shooting up at any given moment. In the final battle, Lobo does some incredible chain work, drawing your eye beautifully. His space hog is also impressively rendered.
The only element that felt so-so was the comedy, which doesn’t always work. Lobo repeats the line “Feetal’s Gizz” a whole bunch, and it didn’t wrestle much of a smirk from me. I was expecting a bit more comedy than this one offered. That said, the sense of humor is present and may work for you.
Lobo Cancellation Special is a hell of a lot of fun. It’s steeped in violent action, tons of attitude, and some of the best art you’ll see all year. This is pure action, gore, and attitude, though light on character. Maybe that’s because Lobo never was very deep anyway.
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