Lobo #11 Review

Pool Party

Written by: Cullen Bunn and Frank Barbiere
Art by: Robson Rocha, Ruy Jose, Blond and Travis Lanham
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 7, 2015

While I haven't been a fan of this entire run of Lobo, I really think it's a shame that the book is being cancelled.  It's finally hitting it's stride with this Sinestro Rising story and after all the bloody jingo jango surrounding Lobo's new look, he is actually getting pretty close to the original article.  If only Cullen Bunn would have started with this story, maybe things would have been different for the Main Man.  Well, you know what they say about should haves and could haves...it's something to do with gumdrops, right?  Maybe it's lollipops and rainbows.  I don't know, but I do know that I've enjoyed seeing Lobo rip through the Lantern Corps at the behest of Sinestro.  We all know that Sinestro has a grand scheme, but I don't care about that right now, I just like watching Lobo kill some of the biggest names in the Laternverse.  It may not make complete sense in the old continuity, but this is the DC YOU's story over continuity and I love watching Eric get pissed while I enjoy myself.  That trend continues this month as Lobo ramps up his assault on the Red Lantern Corps.  It certainly is action packed, but is it any good?  Let's find out...



After one of the best covers I've seen in a while (by Leonardo Manco), the issue opens on what I'd like to describe as a space station straight out of the game Dead Space.  While Lobo gives us a real quick idea of what is going on, we see a Red Lantern Indoctrination Ritual.  It's bloody goodness and I don't care if it makes sense to long time Red Lantern fans.  Atrocitus is in his full glory and we get the Rage Mother and the Red Lantern oath...what else could we ask for?  Well, in this issue, that answer may just be a story to go along with the action and destruction.

If I told you that Lobo just annihilates the whole Red Lantern Corps and just moved on to my next review, would you get angry at me?  Unfortunately, that's about all that happens here.  Sure, that does make it action packed, but I wanted a little more.

As per usual, some fan favorite Lanterns must die and it starts with every one's favorite rage kitty, Dex-Starr.  It's a cool looking scene, but mainly for the old school looking Lobo and his disintegrating sword.

After being on the wrong side of some of Atrocitus' acid blood, Lobo decides a more tactical approach would beat a direct assault and takes care of a large part of the Corps.  He then faces Atrocitus himself and while the blood keeps flowing, I can't say it was satisfying.  Maybe it was a case of too much of a good thing, but by the time that Lobo killed  Atrocitus, I was left felling pretty flat.

I did like seeing Bleez and the Rage Mother escape, which means that Sinestro is going to be pretty pissed at Lobo.  Then Bunn and Barbiere hit the reset button and the Red Lantern Corps rises again. Really?  It's not often that a book's cliffhanger renders the entire issue filler, but it happened here.

Okay, I liked this issue's action, but there is just nothing else to it.  There is no story whatsoever and what cool things happen are just reversed at the end.  From the looks of it, we will be starting all over next issue.  I love seeing the Red Lantern Corps, but this is a ridiculous way to prolong a story.

Robson Rocha does a good job, but like the story, it gets a bit redundant.  I guess there is just so much you can do with so many Red Lanterns getting ripped apart, but at least Blond got some good use from his red inkwell.  The character models were the highlight with the cliffhanger being the best page overall.

Bits and Pieces:

This issue was a lot shock and awe, but unfortunately, not much story.  Seeing Lobo rip through the Red lantern Corps is fun enough, but it annoyed me that the cliffhanger just reset everything.  The art was good, but this issue was simply filler and in a short arc like this one, that is unacceptable.

4.0/10