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Lobo is currently making headlines thanks to the recent announcement that Jason Momoa will be playing him in the new DC cinematic universe. Yet more casual DC Comics fans might not be as familiar with the last Czarnian, and they may be looking to read his best adventures in the original comics before he makes his appearance in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.
Created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen in 1983, Lobo made his first appearance in Omega Men #3. Originally meant to be a parody of more lethal heroes like Wolverine and the Punisher, Lobo took on a life of his own, becoming one of the most popular characters DC had in the 1990s. With his irreverent sense of humor and penchant for ultra-violence, Lobo helped pave the way for Deadpool and even Harley Quinn. There are many Lobo stories out there for new fans of the character to discover, but the seven stories that follow should act as an excellent introduction to the meanest bastich of them all: Lobo, the Main Man.
7
Lobo: The Last Czarnian #1-4
By Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Simon Bisley
In many ways and after all these years, Lobo’s first miniseries is still his best, as The Last Czarnian captures everything that makes Lobo who he is as a character, even in the contemporary DC Universe. In the story, Lobo is hired by Vril Dox to break a prisoner out of a high-security space facility. What he fails to tell Lobo is that said prisoner is actually the Main Man’s fourth-grade teacher, Miss Tribb. What follows is a violent romp across the galaxy, as Lobo finds himself in one debacle after another – a great primer for all of his following adventures.
Co-creator Keith Giffen – the late, great writer of classics like Justice League International and Blue Beetle – is on hand to keep the sardonic humor intact, and he finds in co-writer Alan Grant the perfect collaborator, as the two encouraged each other’s juvenile sensibilities like a pair of misbehaving schoolboys. More importantly, this was artist Simon Bisley’s first work with the character, and the artist proved to be the perfect fit. Bisley’s redesign of Lobo became the definitive portrayal, and the musclebound physique, skull-faced biker boots and his trademark hook and chain wrapped around his forearm became staples for the character moving forward.
6
Lobo’s Paramilitary Christmas Special #1
By Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Simon Bisley
The dream team of Giffen, Grant, and Bisley returns for this one-shot, which in many ways is the ultimate Lobo parody, even all these decades later. The Main Man is hired by the Easter Bunny to take out Santa Claus, as he feels that all the attention devoted to Christmas is taking away from other holidays. Lobo heads to the North Pole and makes short work of the elves in Santa’s workshop. The Last Czarnian finds Kris Kringle to be more of a challenge, however, as jolly old St. Nicholas is here portrayed as a barbarian warrior with a pet gorilla named “Kong.” It doesn’t need to be Christmas time to enjoy this kooky tale.
Lobo’s Paramilitary Christmas Special was adapted into a fan film in 2002, with actor Andrew Bryniarski playing Lobo.
Lobo’s Paramilitary Christmas Special #1 establishes the overall approach to Lobo stories moving forward, where nothing is held sacred and everything is on the table. The mix of satire and brutal action the creative team achieves here has rarely been matched, making this the ultimate template for everything that followed, and not just for Lobo stories but for superhero parodies more broadly. With its over-the-top story and complete lack of respect for pretty much everything, the Paramilitary Christmas Special is a must-read for all Lobo fans, new and old.
5
Lobo: Infanticide #1-4
By Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, Lovern Kindzierski, and Todd Klein
Working with co-writer Grant, Giffen handles the art duties for this miniseries, utilizing the wild, overblown style that made his 1993 Image Comics series Trencher so memorable. In this four-issue miniseries, all of Lobo’s illegitimate children band together to take out their father once and for all – an omen for stories to come, especially featuring his contemporary daughter, Crush. Considering there are over a hundred of Lobo’s kids, Lobo winds up having more on his hands than he can handle in dealing with the spawn he’s left behind all across the galaxy.
The title really says it all here, as Lobo finds himself on the receiving end of a complicated revenge plot enacted by his daughter Su-Lehmon. Before all is said and done, Lobo winds up teaming up with his children to fight off an alien invasion, but the ultimate end sees the Main Man “frag” pretty much everyone left standing. Giffen’s artwork captures the same raw power of Bisley’s renderings, but the more cartoonish shape of the linework allows the story to lean into its parodic and satirical nature, common narrative modes for Lobo stories both in the past and the present.
4
Hitman / Lobo: That Stupid Bastich #1
By Garth Ennis, Doug Mahnke, Carla Feeny, Jamison, and Ken Lopez
Lobo proved to be a perfect fit for the irreverent world of Hitman, one of DC’s most underrated ongoing series, and writer Garth Ennis takes full advantage of the many violent and bizarre outcomes that a showdown between the Main Man and Hitman’s Tommy Monaghan provides. This story is Ennis in full-on Looney Tunes mode, and the story is all the better for it, as Lobo and Monaghan tear up the Cauldron district of Gotham City.
All the best characters from Hitman show up in this one-shot, including the alcoholic superhero Six Pack and the rejects of Section Eight, as Ennis spins a madcap caper around a relatively simple premise. The real highlight is Doug Mahnke’s art, full of incredible detail and bursting off the page with raw energy. Mahnke enters the realm of the all-time great Lobo artists with this one-shot, even if the Main Man exists in this story primarily to be the butt of several jokes – but sometimes Lobo is at his best when he’s on the other end of a punchline.
3
Batman / Lobo #1
By Alan Grant, Simon Bisley, Nathan Eyring, and Bill Oakley
Bisley returns for this team-up, which is a one-shot Elseworlds tale penned by long-time Lobo scribe Grant. The story sees the Joker putting a $10,000,000 bounty on Batman’s head, and none other than Lobo comes calling to collect the cold hard cash. Part of the Joker’s requirements for the bounty include Batman being discredited before he’s taken out for good, so Lobo suits up in his very own Bat-suit and begins wreaking havoc on Gotham City’s streets – the perfect recipe for classic Lobo chaos.
Along the way, the Main Man winds up taking out most of Batman’s rogues gallery, in addition to Nightwing and Robin. This puts the Dark Knight on the warpath against the Last Czarnian, and the following battle is an epic showdown to determine who’s the deadliest fighter in the entire DC Universe. The creative team make the most of the Elseworlds label, telling a story that could never happen in DC’s main continuity. There is also the absolute demented vision of Lobo in a Bat-suit dispatching the Gotham City rogues in increasingly violent ways, illustrated in an over-the-top way that only Bisley could capture.
2
52, a Weekly Series
By Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, More
While Lobo appeared everywhere in the DC Universe of the 1990s, by the time the 21st century came around, the joke had worn thin. After what seemed like a never-ending string of miniseries, specials, and even a long-running solo title, Lobo made increasingly sporadic appearances in the early 2000s. Lobo made his big return to the DCU in 52, DC’s weekly series that ran from 2006-2007 after the major Infinite Crisis event. Following various heroes in the aftermath of the Infinite Crisis crossover, the lost trio of Animal Man, Starfire, and Adam Strange encounter Lobo in Sector 3500.
To everyone’s surprise, Lobo has found religion and is now a pacifist who worships the triple-headed fish god. It’s a stark departure from the character’s heyday in the nineties, but the revamped version of Lobo gives the character a much-needed makeover after the excesses of the previous decade. Lobo’s new faith also adds a layer of tension to all his appearances throughout the year-long series, as readers know that Lobo’s vow of pacifism won’t last, as the Main Man eventually reverts to his ultra-violent ways once the year is up.
1
Superman vs. Lobo #1-3
By Tim Seeley, Sarah Beattie, Mirka Andolfo, Arif Prianto, and Fabio Amelia
Superman and Lobo always go well together, primarily because they act as the perfect contrast to each other, and they have appeared in many stories together since Lobo’s inception. This Black Label miniseries, however, is one of the best of their shared appearances, as both characters are at each other’s throats as they deal with the godlike alien being Numen and the scientist Dr. Flik, who will stop at nothing to examine Superman and Lobo, both the last members of their respective species in the entire universe.
Tim Seeley and Sarah Beattie’s script never takes anything too seriously, and Mirka Andolfo’s art keeps the action bouncy and fun. The story pokes fun at “cancel culture” and the social media mob, which might disappoint fans who are looking for a non-stop slugfest. But the end result is amusing, and the story even finds a poignant note or two along the way, asSuperman compels Lobo to be more compassionate due to him being the last of his kind. It’s the perfect comic for those looking to familiarize themselves with Lobo before his bigscreen debut.
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