After a perfect first issue, Lobo #2 has a lot to prove with the Main Man getting his own reality show. It’s the kind of hijinks only Lobo could get himself into, but if there’s cash promised by the end, nobody else would jump at it as quickly as he. DC’s Next Level has come out swinging, but can even Lobo hit a sophomore slump?
Now that Lobo has sold out, Lobo #2 opens with the Main Man getting his hair did for the silver screen on the first page of this issue. Six distinct looks, all of which amount to him punching in the teeth of his barber. It’s a silly start to a silly issue, with Jorge Corona putting Lobo in a ridiculous superhero costume, complete with red sunglasses, and even his bulldog gets a cape. Surprisingly, Lobo is okay with following orders, or at least trying, as we soon learn.
This issue is basically one big joke on corporate intervention in making artistic choices, and more importantly, preventing artists like Lobo from being themselves. Throughout the issue, Lobo receives real-time notes as he tries to be a reality-show bounty hunter. The problem is, corporate research shows Lobo needs to be an anti-hero, and most of his usual activities and word choices are full-on villain-presenting. On his first mission, writer Skottie Young has Lobo blow up an entire building, then, after being told to cut, deliver a speech written for him. Hilariously, Lobo picks up the door and jams it back into place, with the building now a smoldering pile of rubble.
Nice suit. NOT!
Credit: DC Comics
One of the best portions of this issue is a montage of Lobo taking on bounties and screwing them up, at least screwing them up so that the TV show can’t possibly air the footage. From blowing away aliens to using the word “frag” too often, Lobo is not cut out for being anything but himself.
Young’s commentary on corporate greed and intervention is quite strong, right down to corporate takeovers getting entire shows canceled. That intervention culminates in a battle with a mainline superhero, with some rather terrible results for Lobo and his network. Throw in Corona’s over-the-top expressions for the hero straight out of Ren & Stimpy, and you have yourself a throwdown that says something, and is funny and violent all in one.
The closing pages do get a little clunky, especially when Lobo explains exactly what is happening to his corporate boss. It’s kind of funny he knows the nuances, but it’s also a heavy explanation in an otherwise fast-moving issue. The cliffhanger, while an excellent full-page splash of Lobo, also leaves you with no idea where things are going. The cliffhanger is a visual gag, not a hook to rush readers into buying the third issue.
Lobo #2 doubles down on absurdity while sneaking in pointed commentary about corporate influence on creativity. Skottie Young finds the humor in forcing a character like Lobo into a sanitized, marketable box, and the result is a string of chaotic set pieces that rarely miss. Jorge Corona’s expressive, animated style enhances the comedy and keeps the energy high from start to finish. The final pages stumble a bit with over-explanation and a weaker hook, but the issue still lands as a fun, biting continuation that proves Lobo works best when he refuses to play along.
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