Superman vs. Lobo #1 [Simon Bisley Variant Cover]
(October 2021)

DC, 2021 Series
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Price
6.99 USD
Pages
52
On-sale Date
2021-08-24
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Ages 17+
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics
Brand
DC Black Label [outside circle]
Barcode
761941372983 00121
Printer
Transcontinental Printing Interweb Montreal
Editing
Jamie S. Rich (credited) (editor); Diego Lopez (credited) (associate editor)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Lobo; Superman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Simon Bisley (credited)
Inks
Simon Bisley (credited)
Colors
Simon Bisley (credited)

Genre
superhero; humor
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent; Kal-El]; Lobo
Reprints

Superman vs. Lobo Book One (Table of Contents: 1)

credits, title page / 1 page (report information)

Letters
typeset

Synopsis
Credits for the issue, including those for variant covers.
Keywords
credits

Indexer Notes

Black and white on inside front cover.

Superman vs. Lobo Book One (Table of Contents: 2)

Lobo; Superman / comic story / 44 pages (report information)

Script
Tim Seeley (credited); Sarah Beattie (credited)
Pencils
Mirka Andolfo (credited)
Inks
Mirka Andolfo (credited)
Colors
Arif Prianto (credited)
Letters
Fabio Amelia (credited)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Then. First, there was a heartbeat.
Genre
science fiction; superhero; humor
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Lobo; Numen; Perry White; Lois Lane; Jimmy Olsen (also as The Giant Turtle Man); Martian Manhunter [J'onn J'onzz]; Snortum (Khund); Spliff (Khund); reluctant customer of the Khund; Dr. Semedea Flik (green-haired, bespectacled alien biologist); various guests and staff of Telk Resort Planet; crew of the S.T.A.R. Labs-Kord Industries deep-space dock; Beach Buddy Androids; various anti-Superman conspiracy theorists; Cat Grant; Toyman [Winslow Schott]; Schott's attorney; Batman [Bruce Wayne]; various pro-Superman social media users; Miss Tribb (Lobo's 4th grade teacher in one panel cameo); other Czarnian onlookers; Kryptonian onlookers
Synopsis
Numen, a last-of-its-kind godlike alien lifeform, comes to our universe inadvertently causing an incident that draws Superman and Lobo. Superman attempts communication, but Lobo impulsively destroys the creature – or has he? Meanwhile, Lex Luthor gins-up anti-Superman anger with a biased social media platform. Jealous of the heroic Superman, Lobo starts his own disinformation outlet to defame the Man of Steel. During the expected battle between Superman and Lobo, Numen reappears to send the combatants back to restorations of their homeworlds – but sends Superman to Czarnia and Lobo to Krypton.
Reprints
Keywords
aliens; androids; conspiracy theories; Czarnia; Czarnian; disinformation campaign; Giant Turtle Man; jealousy; Krypton; Kryptonian; last survivors; outer space setting; social media

Indexer Notes

This story could just as easily have been titled "My Three (Last) Sons", as Superman, Lobo, and Numen are each the last survivors of their respective race. The story's fictional abundance of biased social-media based disinformation, conspiracy theories, and the angered reactions released by same is an eerie parallel to the "real world" of today. Superman and Lobo are nicely characterized, reflecting their past meetings in both comics and animation - in particular "The Main Man" (1996) from Superman the Animated Series (1996-2000).

Miss Tribb, Lobo's 4th grade teacher from the original "Lobo" limited series of 1990, makes a cameo appearance as a Czarnian onlooker in the story's final panel. As a further nod to the limited series, Lobo refers to himself as "...assassin to royalty an' scourge of the cosmos" on the first page of Lobo #1 (November 1990), and also refers to himself as "...assassin to royalty and scourge of the cosmos" (no contraction of "and") on page 11 of this issue, Superman vs. Lobo #1.

This issue also references, both visually and in its dialogue, Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (DC, 1954 Series) #53 (June 1961) - "The Giant Turtle Man!".

Lex Luthor is referred to, but does not appear in this issue.

An example of Lex and Lobo's disinformation campaign really hits Superman hard when a little boy says to him: "My dad said you were an EVIL ALIEN employed by the government to generate a CULTURE OF PASSIVITY in our society while slowly draining us of our life forces." The dad pulls the kid away saying: "I've got you Jess. Don't look at the COMMIE SPACE VAMPIRE."

Superman vs. Lobo (in Negative) (Table of Contents: 3)

Lobo; Superman / cover reprint (on interior page) / 2 pages (report information)

Pencils
Mirka Andolfo (signed as MirkAnd)
Inks
Mirka Andolfo (signed as MirkAnd)

Genre
science fiction; superhero; humor
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Lobo; Numen
Synopsis
Superman and Lobo fight hand-to-hand while Numen looks down from above.
Keywords
cover reproduction; Czarnian; hand-to-hand combat; Kryptonian; negative image; observer; outer space setting

Indexer Notes

A double-sided reproduction of the front cover - but in "reverse-black-white-and-gray-tones" similar to a negative of a photograph.

Book Two On Sale October 26, 2021 (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Lobo; Superman / preview (from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[DC Black Label] (Table of Contents: 5)

credits, title page / 1 page (report information)


Keywords
logo

Indexer Notes

A full page DC Black Label logo, gray over a completely black background. On final interior page of the comic.

Superman vs. Lobo Book One (Table of Contents: 6)

credits, title page / 1 page (report information)

Letters
typeset

Keywords
credits; indicia

Indexer Notes

Editorial and executive credits, and indicia. Black and white on inside back cover.

"What Happens When an Indomitable Force Meets an Irritating Object?" (Table of Contents: 7)

Lobo; Superman / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Mirka Andolfo
Inks
Mirka Andolfo
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The last son of Krypton and the last son of Czarnia are brought together after a godlike creature wreaks havoc on an alien planet.
Genre
science fiction; superhero; humor
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Lobo; Miss Tribb (Lobo's 4th grade teacher); other Czarnian onlookers; Kryptonian onlookers
Synopsis
A split image with (half of?) Superman materializing on Czarnia and (half of?) Lobo materializing on Krypton.
Keywords
Czarnia; Czarnian; Krypton; Kryptonian; repurposed art; split image

Indexer Notes

Back cover of the issue. Black and white illustration with red tones. Repurposed art from the final interior page of the story.

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Lobo; Superman
  2. 1. Superman vs. Lobo Book One
  3. 2. Superman vs. Lobo Book One
    Lobo; Superman
  4. 3. Superman vs. Lobo (in Negative)
    Lobo; Superman
  5. 4. Book Two On Sale October 26, 2021
    Lobo; Superman
  6. 5. [DC Black Label]
  7. 6. Superman vs. Lobo Book One
  8. 7. "What Happens When an Indomitable Force Meets an Irritating Object?"
    Lobo; Superman
This issue was modified by
  • John Monagle