Unveiled today on DC’s “What’s New In The New 52” blog, big changes are coming Lobo’s way.
The Main Man himself is apparently going to undergo a redesign in the upcoming “Justice League #23.2: Lobo.” A new look isn’t all that’s changing though.
The Lobo you think you know doesn’t exist.
Back when we introduced this “What’s New In The New 52” column, I told you that the most important word in The New 52 is “New.” We’re always striving to keep things exciting, different and surprising. Which is why JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.2: LOBO (from the creative team of Marguerite Bennett, Ben Oliver, Cliff Richards and Daniel Brown) contains a major surprise – one we’ve had planned for a while. The Lobo you’ve seen so far in the New 52 is not who you think he is. In this one-shot, you’ll be introduced to the real Lobo. A ruthless killer, Lobo is on a quest to kill the man who has taken his name.
This Lobo is equal parts strong, vicious, and driven. There’s a darker and more logical idea about what a force of nature like him is capable of. After all, this is someone who can infiltrate high society, fly a space ship, and adhere to a very specific moral code that’s not your typical anti-hero one. Oh, and, this one-shot takes place very far away from Earth. And when I say very far away, I mean it takes place literally on the other side of the galaxy.
There was a lot of thought put into how the real Lobo should look. Kenneth Rocafort’s various interpretations blew us away, but the design we landed on as the final choice is the last one in the above gallery. In this design, Ken updated Lobo’s facial tattoos and weaponry by adding laser edges to his blades and gloves that’ll give him extra strength with their mechanical usage. In the end, Ken transformed Lobo into a lean, mean killing machine.
Fan outcry has been rather negative with people coming out to defend Lobo for the first time since the 90’s. The writer for the upcoming Lobo one-shot, Marguerite Bennet, had some words to say on her Tumblr, but that post has since been removed.
On Lobo
Dear Internet (which has called me some very unendearing names today),I was not in charge of the Lobo redesign. Ben Oliver was not in charge of the Lobo redesign.
I wrote my script, and after it was completed, I was shown what the new character would look like.
For the record, the images you’ve seen—Ken Rocafort’s design and Aaron Kuder’s cover—are not what Lobo actually looks like in the book. I respectfully disagree with the decision to release that image.
When you go to get your comics on Wednesday, Sept 11, before you buy it (if you buy it), pick up Lobo and read the first four pages.
You can hate me by Page Two.
But if I do not have your attention by Page Four, you don’t have to read something of mine ever again.
So in summation, please don’t flame the talented Bennet and Oliver for the redesign as it might be another case of editorial interference. Lobo apparently doesn’t even have this look in the book, or the book might be redrawn to fit the new design.
Who knows, awkward design notwithstanding, it may end up being a pretty good story. It’s certainly something new, if completely unintuitive and I’d rather read a comic where DC flings themselves facefirst into a wall of spikes then slumps down and waits for the cold embrace of death. That said, I’d really like to thank DC for changing Lobo into Thane Krios from Mass Effect.
