Crush & Lobo #2 – Mariko Tamaki, Writer; Amancay Nahuelpan, Artist; Tamra Bonvillain, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: So the title of this book continues to be a little deceptive–Lobo is still barely in this issue, only appearing in a two-page segment where he undergoes some prison therapy and says all the right things–while giving you the distinct impression that he’s not on the level. He’s a terrible person, but Crush is not–and this issue goes a long way to making her a likable lead. Last issue, she decided to skip Earth instead of trying to deal with her relationship issues, and winds up zooming through the cosmos as we flash back to the early days of her relationship with Katie. A brief segment where they meet in a hilariously inappropriate way is probably the funniest scene of the issue, and segments after this make clear that Crush isn’t a bad person, but she’s not a very good girlfriend–mostly due to massive intimacy issues that make her keep sabotaging herself. And it’s not like she doesn’t have enough enemies on her own.
Crush’s first stop in space is to get a coffee refill, and that leads to a bizarre series of events where an old enemy turns out to be manning the restaurant–and they decide to skip work to stow aboard her spaceship and decide to kill her. It’s all so very petty, and that makes it hilarious. It’s also a great action scene, as Crush finds herself in the one position no space traveler wants to. Two issues in, this mostly seems like an excuse for Tamaki to explore Crush’s character, with Lobo being used to sell a title with an unproven lead. The deliberate pacing makes it feel like a better fit for an OGN, which she’s written plenty of, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it finds a second life once it’s collected. But for now, it’s a fun character piece that has already done more for Crush’s character than all of her previous time on the Teen Titans. More offbeat books like this, please.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
