Main Man And Main Character Energies — Reviewing ‘Lobo’ #1

What happens when you mix blood, guts, gore, violence, big bikes, cigars, cursing, bullets, and a really big, hooked chain? Why, that’s how you end up with a whole new series for the main man himself, Lobo.

That’s right, there is a shiny new Lobo #1 roaring onto comic bookstore shelves, courtesy of Skottie Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Nate Piekos.

DC Comics’ Next Level initiative takes characters who don’t normally get a title these days and gives them a title. Essentially, this digs into the tier of characters that are well known, cameo all the time, are connected to the big guns, but don’t get to play solo anywhere near as much as others do.

Have I ever read any Lobo comics before? Not a single one. Have I read comics with Lobo in them? Yes, yes, I have. Do I really enjoy Lobo as a character? No, no, I do not. Will I stop asking questions? Yes, this is the last one. Thank you for asking.

With that conclusion, it probably seems odd that I’m checking out and reviewing this comic. First off, as noted above, this is the goal of things like Next Level; to entice readers who don’t usually look for a certain character to give it a shot. Secondly, and most importantly, I really like the creative team behind this and trust them implicitly.

I’ve been reading and reviewing Young’s I Hate Fairyland for years, and this series is very much in a similar vein. Crude character gallivanting around cursing and unleashing copious amounts of violence. Lobo is just bigger, dirtier, and more cigar smoking than Gertrude. They’d surely hit it off, or kill each other, it’s a real toss up on that end.

Everything here is pretty much what you would expect of a Lobo story, and it pretty much works. The meta humor with anti-heroes and movies on loop and utilizing that to get a Lobo narrated flashback not flashback montage was the good stuff.

Corona is one of my favorite modern artists, with just such a really out there style that still works for mainstream stories. Leaning into exaggeration, sharpness, angles, and a lot of rougher textures. All of that while having a more whimsical bent that juxtaposed against the gratuitous violence hits even better.

Speaking of violence, it’s very over-the-top and brutal but never really leans into too gory or gross. That cartoonish style of violence works for characters like this and feels blunted compared to some more adult or bloody books.

Beaulieu and Piekos are the other creative hands behind that aforementioned I Hate Fairyland, through its two volumes, up to the present day. Seeing them bouncing over to DC with Young was a really great thing to see for sure.

Everything has a really grimy and gritty feeling while being exceptionally bright, as Beaulieu pulls out the perfect color palette. This keeps things to a point where the overall visuals are somewhat neutral in their appearance, keeping to a color midpoint. This allows the backdrops, characters, and spaces that are even brighter to really pop. Just look at that crimson blood that comes splashing out of the ripped off arm or the extra industry looking Omni Omega+ Entertainment Corp offices.

Similarly, Piekos goes all out on the lettering, as he always does, letting bubbles and fonts do wild things at every opportunity. He slides in colors and big bold statuses to make the emotions, volumes, and tones beyond evident. All of it capitalizes on the open spaces in the panels in a way that is bold and in your face like Lobo without becoming overwhelming or overly dominant.

I love when lettering gets to really set the mood for everything by not being kept in a box. Piekos is always good for that sort of thing, really letting lettering breathe in all the ways possible.

Lobo #1 is now available from DC Comics.