REVIEW: ‘Lobo’ Issue 1

Lobo Issue 1 is published by DC Comics. Written by Skottie Young, art by Jorge Corona, colors by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and letters by Nate Piekos.

This issue is part of DC Next Level. Lobo, the maniacal bounty hunter, gets approached with a lucrative new offer.

This issue begins with the chaos and extreme noise that the character embodies. Lobo Issue 1 is nonsensical from the start, and that’s how it stays. It’s frantic and vicious, and it wonderfully encapsulates the world. Lobo really is in a world of his own, brilliantly explaining his backstory up to the present day and highlighting the manic nature of his life. It’s not easy to understand where Lobo is going and the core of the plot, but it’s still entertaining. In the fast reaches of the universe, the Czarnian is busy drinking and murdering his way through the seediest parts of the galaxy.

As the comic reaches its stride, there’s a tongue-in-cheek commentary on media formats and TV shows. It’s not serious in the slightest, but more sophisticated than at first glance. It’s an intelligent expression of the changes corporations make in entertainment genres, all through a hyper-violent gaze.

Lobo is a braggadocio with a twisted code. And Skottie Young writes the bounty hunter’s dialogue beautifully. It’s incredibly difficult to make sense whilst the writer is also trying not to make sense. He’s singing, drunkenly telling and ranting his way across the stars, and yet he often has to explain the plot. But every word feels genuine and in character, never once stepping aside for exposition. Even when Lobo does tell a story, it’s filled with his own arrogance. He’s not only an unreliable narrator but also a deeply unstable one.

Young also makes sure Lobo never comes across as a nice person, with any feelings of remorse. The only time he doesn’t kill is for very selfish reasons. His cynicism allows for playful shots to be fired everywhere, from their rivals at the other comic company to the movies they both make. There’s even commentary on those labelled antiheroes, with a clear stance that Lobo will be different. He has no supporting cast, so everything else in Lobo Issue 1 had to be built from the ground up.

The art perfectly fits the tone of Lobo Issue 1. Corona’s art is scrappy and messy, venturing into a corner of the DC Universe where nothing is pretty. The locations are seedy, gritty, and unsafe, and the protagonist fits that description, too. Lobo’s design is impeccable. He’s huge, and there’s a lot of detail on a tiny face. His spiky hair is also incredibly large, making that face even smaller. The size of the face draws attention to it and the disturbing features. His teeth are disgusting, and he always has an expression that merges anger and giddy excitement.

The beings around Lobo are all extremely alien, often gloomy and lumpy figures with large facial features. They create an uneasy environment, crowding already busy panels. They feel like fragile playthings for Lobo’s depravity, for him to rip them apart. There’s nothing in this series yet that can hurt him as he towers over everything and everyone.

There’s terrific absurdity to Lobo’s fights as he pulls huge guns out of nowhere. The main side characters are also gloriously designed. They have very sinister grins, but the rest of their heads are taken up by TV’s. It’s a direct example of the themes Young is tapping into.

The colors are vibrant and dazzling. Despite the art’s relative disgust, a selection of primary and secondary shades makes Lobo Issue 1 visually intriguing. It doesn’t generate positivity, however, with much of the red being blood splattered across the walls. The lettering is large, making the text easy to read.

Lobo Issue 1 wades into the bounty hunter’s weird world. From start to finish, the issue feels focused on Lobo and his chaotic mindset. It’s comical and filled with carnage, unique to the Czarnian’s life. Any real narrative isn’t necessarily important with a character that breaks the fourth wall. But, Skottie Young injects some genuine substance asking the jokes and mindless violence.

Lobo Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.