Superman vs. Lobo #2 – Tim Seeley/Sarah Beattie, Writers; Mirka Andolfo, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: The strangest comic DC has put out in a long time returns for a second issue—and things are only getting stranger. From the insane minds behind Money Shot and Unnatural, the first issue involved Lex Luthor taking over social media, quirky scientists researching Superman and Lobo, an elaborate prank war between the hero and antihero, and finally a giant tardigrade rewarding the two of them by resurrecting their doomed homeworlds—only placing them on the wrong world accidentally. So when we pick up, Superman is struggling to adapt to life on Czarnia, which leaves him without his powers but surprises him with how nice and normal the people are. He even befriends Lobo’s old teacher Mrs. Tribb. Shame about the poison rain, though.
And then there’s Lobo on Krypton, which is surprisingly based around the high-tech Byrne Krypton. Long-time fans of the character will notice a surprising number of callbacks. You’d think Lobo would be bored on the sterile science planet, but instead he finds his home in a cult of pleasure-seekers who reject the emotionless way of life. But of course, on both planet there are secrets. Why do the sex cultists seem so interested in Lobo? Why can’t Superman seem to restore his powers no matter how much time he spends in the sun? Both stories have some clever twist endings, and the eccentric Dr. Flik spends a lot of time flitting between both worlds via teleportation and just making things more complicated.
And then there’s Numen, who started out as a massive threat, then looked more like a benevolent would-be God—and now starts to look more like a child with anxiety playing with ant farms. It’s such a fascinating and bizarre character concept, and his breakdown when he realizes his mistake is both sad and funny. Superman and Lobo are eventually reunited, but the end of the experiment has some surprising emotional punch. And much like this issue, the ending sends us off in a completely new direction with a clever twist and a shocking guest appearance in the cliffhanger. Based on the solicits, I never would have picked this as one of the best DC comics in memory, but here we are.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
