Spoilers Ahead!
Initial Thoughts
In Lobo #5, Kzzt—after falling hundreds of feet from the skyscraper—tries to get revenge on Lobo by sending the entire bounty hunter community after him. When that doesn't work, he pays Lobo to go after Omni Omega+'s enemies. This back-and-forth among Lobo’s different characteristics makes Skottie Young’s series equal parts chaotic, entertaining, and frustrating. There are so many good bits that make the series worthwhile; however, Young is struggling to find his footing in the overall narrative. That said, there was enough here to make me believe we are back on the right path.
Overall, I thought Lobo #5 was a good issue and did enough to get us back on track with the main story arc. One consistent problem that Skottie Young continues to run into is that the story still feels rushed; this could have been a 2-issue plot to really squeeze out all the juicy story details we might have explored. Instead, the detours we took to world-build have minimized the impact of the main plot. However, Lobo, working for and against Omni Omega+, does feel back on track. His back-and-forth relationship with them speaks to his true bounty hunter identity. Hopefully, we get more of that.
Maybe The Start Of A Cohesive Story
Kzzt makes his return, which, to be honest, I didn’t think would happen. I thought he would be a one-and-done character, and we would move on after his non-fatal fall. But Kzzt doesn't turn out to be the main villain of the issue. He starts as the main antagonist, hiring every bounty hunter in the galaxy to bring in Lobo, dead or alive. Ultimately, in the final act of Lobo #5, Kzzt shows Lobo the love (money) and does enough to get him to the Omni Omega+ side of things. As we then see on the final page, Lobo is graduating to take on the Tooth Fairy. Yeah, that one.
Maybe this is finally what this version of Lobo is: he works for Kzzt, and he does their bidding to take down all of their enemies, until ultimately Kzzt and Lobo have a falling out once again. My criticism is that this issue would have benefited more if the entire issue were Lobo on the run against different bounty hunters. Story-wise and visually, that would have been much more interesting. Obviously, there is still more we can explore moving forward, but this issue left a lot on the cutting room floor that could have benefited the issue and the series.
Tooth Fairy Vs Lobo?
It's hard to pinpoint the exact climax of this issue, to be honest. One could argue that the real high point was the very last page, where the Tooth Fairy was revealed. Nothing before that really reached that level, which made me grin with excitement at the possibility of what could happen, no matter how disjointed the story has been thus far. Everything leading up to the final page was really fun, but the Tooth Fairy reveal made everything else feel less important, especially since it came across like a drive-by story instead of something more substantial.
With how chaotic and helter-skelter the story has been to this point, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what will carry over into the next issue and the rest of the series. So, I am hoping that the Tooth Fairy, or at least other mythical creatures, can start playing a big role in this story, or at least one that ain't the bad guy, because that is where the series as a whole has really suffered. Lobo and Skottie Young have to be more consistent in establishing the main antagonist of the issue. If it does end up being the evil corporation Omni Omega+, their presentation hasn't been optimal.
The Art Continues To Rock
Jorge Corona's artwork continues to be great. Regardless of where the story is going, Beaulieu follows every direction and continues to build the world visually. Corona finally gets a chance to work with Lobo’s brutality, as Lobo #5 showed Lobo as his most bloodthirsty in the series so far. This is the most action-packed issue yet, and Corona brought that to life. Corona brought the fighting, bullets, and blood to life, and his art style is perfect for this very DIY look. This looked so good that I would have really enjoyed seeing more bounty hunters shooting at Lobo, but perhaps that is in a different series.
We ended with a glimpse of what is to come for Lobo, and that is, I believe it or not, the Tooth Fairy. The design of the Queen of Molars was grandiose and legitimately makes her look menacing. Jean-Francois Beaulieu's use of white and grey was an excellent touch, not only making the obvious connection to teeth but also ensuring those neutral colors don't come off as menacing. However, her design from Corona says everything but. Just like Corona, Beaulieu was able to shine when it came to the brutality of Lobo.
Final Verdict
The more I think about it and write about it, the clearer it becomes that Lobo #5 has a strong set of ideas, but none of them are given enough time to develop before the story moves on to the next one. Skottie Young has introduced so much that could carry Lobo as the main story; however, nothing sticks, and that is the real problem with Lobo #5. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of long-time Lobo readers start to drop off from the series and wait for the next one. For now, there is still enough to like to keep reading the series; yet, time is running out.