With DC K.O. in full effect throughout the publishing line, it’s impossible to ignore the various spinoffs and tie-ins to the series. While the main series has had a few great throw-downs in the two issues that have released so far, there simply aren’t enough pages to truly get every fight necessary for the next round, so DC has enlisted a host of different writers and artists to give each big fight the spotlight they deserve.
The matchups range from the expected (Joker vs. Red Hood) to the bizarre (Harley vs. Zatanna) to the designed pretty much just for me (Aquaman vs. Hawkman), but one of the ones that stood out from the first announcement was Wonder Woman vs. Lobo. Certainly, these characters have crossed paths before, but the idea of the Amazonian taking on the last Czarnian in a no-holds barred fight seems like something perfectly suited for the comic book wrestling wackiness of DC K.O, and DC K.O.: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo, from writer Joelle Jones and artists Jason Howard and Cary Nord, is the kind of comic that gives you exactly what it promises: an over-the-top, (almost) no holds-barred throw down between two DC icons.
Since we’re now in Round 3 of DC K.O, there’s a smaller pool of contestants to discover who will become the King Omega and challenge Darkseid before he destroys all of reality. As the combatant pool shakes out, Wonder Woman and Lobo are the next two contestants, much to Diana’s chagrin and annoyance. Lobo, of course, is absolutely down for a fight (and to toss a few unsavory comments about his opponent), and enters the ring severely underestimating his opponent. The two engage in the next battle for the championship round, but not without a few surprises.
Like the other tie-in specials, the plot of Wonder Woman vs. Lobo is, well, sparse. That’s not to say that Joelle Jones’ script isn’t good, it’s just that this special is very much giving you what the cover promises. That being said, Jones uses the combat setup as a fun way to twist expectations on how the fight will go, especially in the second round. One of my favorite elements of DC K.O. is how each combatant can change their appearance and abilities from any time in their past at the start of a new round, and Jones has a great time with that, with some truly unexpected appearances of characters from Diana’s past, and one particular moment from Lobo’s that is a fun “oh man, I remember THAT” moment that made me laugh pretty hard.
Additionally, Jones’ script upends the typical three match structure of the other specials with some really funny and entertaining feats of strength that Diana and Lobo have to endure in their respective battle for supremacy (there’s also a possible reference to Taskmaster, one of my favorite shows of all time, that scores some bonus points here too).
When I first saw two artist names on credits page for Wonder Woman vs. Lobo, I was a little concerned. When I saw it was Jason Howard and Cary Nord, I was more concerned, but thankfully their two styles worked surprisingly well together, so much so that I barely even noticed what page Nord took over on. Both artists go wild with their styles here, and that’s honestly expected, since a book that features not only Lobo, but is part of something so big and over the top like DC K.O, requires it. Howard and Nord have a blast allowing these two opponents to beat the living hell out of each other, but there’s plenty of fun sight gags as well. From the two engaging in “combat chess”, to Diana using Lobo’s space cycle to literally cut him in two, Howard and Nord bring equal parts mayhem and eye-popping visuals to this throw down. Really the only moment that threw me art wise were the closing pages tying this back into the K.O. Event proper, as Daniel Bayliss’ art is so far removed from what we got in the prior 28 pages that it took me out of the book for a moment.
Is DC K.O.: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo going to go down as one of the top comics of the year? Absolutely not. Is it a fun installment in an event that is way better than it has any right to be? You bet your Czarnian ass it is. Wonder Woman vs. Lobo is a great example of a fun tie-in: it gives you what is promised on the cover, allows more breathing room for something the main story wouldn’t have time for, and most importantly, it’s FUN. While those who aren’t reading DC K.O. may be a little lost, there’s still plenty here for those curious to latch onto, especially if they just want to see Wonder Woman and Lobo fight.
