Lobo #50

Dead Heroes Don't

Don't Grant Script
Can't Critchlow Pencils
Won't Propst Inks
Wouldn't Vasquez Colors
Couldn't Prismacolor Separations
Shouldn't Oakley Letters
Hasn't Pete Tomasi Assoc. Ed.
Didn't Dan Raspler Editor
Lobo created by Giffen/Sufer

Our cover by Critchlow and Propst shows Lobo's bulldog peeing on a statue honoring all the fallen DC heroes Lobo kills in this special all-murder issue. It is a little funny, a little crude, and everything I'd expect from Lobo in 1998.

Our story begins with Lobo taking an innocent bystander as a hostage and calling out all the world's superheroes to stop him from killing the poor man. Flash is first to arrive, naturally, but when he saves the hostage, he finds that Lobo has shoved a bomb in the man's mouth, which explodes before Flash can save him. The Flash then lashes out against Lobo, but the Main Man is able to calculate Wally's location, and perfectly times his hook and chain to swing right into the Flash's skull.

As Flash dies, he asks why Lobo is doing this. He admits he received an offer to kill all the superheroes on Earth for one million creds each. Flash asks who would order such a terrible thing, but Lobo protects his employer's identity, and finishes off the Flash by blasting his brains out with a large gun.

Big Barda and Martian Manhunter arrive shortly after and attempt to avenge the Flash. But Lobo is able to kill Big Barda with his flying motorcycle, and take out Martian Manhunter with an incendiary grenade. He then chains the corpses of the three dead heroes to his bike, making sure to parade them around in front of some CNN cameras, all while continuing to call out Earth's heroes.

Superman sees the news report, and attempts to take down Lobo. The two powerful beings battle for a while before Lobo is able to use a special E.M.F. oscillo-disruptor that can convert sentient energy into a big explosion. Superman's death was caught on camera, and President Bill Clinton made a special announcement to call for all of Earth's superheroes to help the world in its darkest hour.

With all eyes glued to the president on TV, Lobo decides to punch out Clinton and hijack the broadcast, using it to further insult and challenge all of Earth's heroes. Power Girl and Sovereign Seven vow to stop Lobo, as does the Green Lantern. Lobo's broadcast proved to be so offensive, that it even worked up the Legion of Super-Heroes 1,000 years in the future, and they decide to journey back in time to take on Lobo. The Spectre also wants to go after Lobo, but the Phantom Stranger tells him they can't intervene. Before too long, just about every hero imaginable arrives to take on Lobo.

Lobo leads all the heroes into a building stockpiled with explosives and nuclear bombs. Before anybody can stop him, Lobo detonates the building, killing every superhero in the massive explosion. Lobo also was seriously wounded in the blast, but enough of his body survived to allow him to quickly grow back. Lobo is then approached by his mysterious employer, who reveals himself to be The Giff — Lobo's creator, Keith Giffen.

But then it all turns out to be a bad dream shared by Flash, Big Barda, Martian Manhunter, Superman, Green Lantern, Reflex, Ferro and Aquaman. And the King of Atlantis gets the last joke in, vowing to never eat cheese for supper again.


This was a pretty fun, albeit graphic, story. But the wild, over-the-top nature of this comic is what Lobo is all about, which can be quite entertaining in small doses. And this issue in particular remains quite popular today — I actually had quite a tough time tracking it down. So altogether, I would say that I enjoyed it, although I was sad that Impulse really didn't do anything. You'd have to look pretty hard just to see him, but you can make out his skull at the end, which I guess is pretty cool.

None of the letters in Izzatso? mention Impulse, so let's head straight to the ads.

Gotham is a city of extremes. Good and evil. Love and hate. Passion and violence. Nightwing/Huntress.

TV's only weekly live music series. Hard Rock Live on VH1.

Conspiracy Theory on Pay-Per-View. Directed by Richard Donner (after Superman), and starring Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts and Patrick Stewart (before the X-Men films).

These targets shoot back. Hitman: 10,000 Bullets.

One wants revenge. One wants justice. Their greatest foe wants them dead. Thrillkiller '62.

Get together with tomorrow's greatest heroes — every month! You could get 12 issues of Lobo for $21. This special anniversary issue cost $2.25.

Even in man's world, sisterhood is eternal. She thinks. Wonder Woman Legends.

Collected editions for The Final Night and Underworld Unleashed.

Wizard: The Comics Magazine 5th Annual Fan Awards Ballot. Mark Waid was nominated for Favorite Writer.

Two lives, shattered by fate. One hero, haunted by memories. Supergirl.

We're recruiting a band of renegades, fugitives and rebels to rid the world of terrorism. Compete on Heat.net.

Next time, we return to the main series with Impulse #36.