SDCC 2008 Exclusive Lobo
SDCC 2008 Lobo
More exclusives to come!
Lobo was created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen as a character in the comic 'Omega Men' in the early 80s. At his inception, Lobo was a violent, arrogant alien bounty hunter who travels the cosmos in pursuit of his latest fare. Like Superman, Lobo is the last surviving member of his own alien race. But unlike the heroic Man of Steel, Lobo is his race's sole survivor because he, himself, killed all the others.
Lobo is an obnoxious, eccentric, and selfish villian / anti-hero. Essentially, he is who he is. He follows his own personal code of ethics, that more often than not supports the torture and murder of anyone he sees fit. Lobo surrounds himself with an equally eccentric cast of supporting characters, most notably his pet dog, "Dawg" - who Lobo frequently denies ownership of - and a hairdresser / bail bondsman named Ramona. Lobo spends a lot of time at a diner owned a portly fellow named Al, and regularly hits on the diner's waitress, Darlene. Through his interactions with his supporting cast we learn that Lobo is more than a bloodthirsty killer. He's a killer with a heart.
One of the common theme's in Lobo's adventures is over the top violence and destruction. Lobo's antics are over the top for a reason, as the dark themes blend naturally with the "black humor" of his title. Regardless of what mission Lobo might set upon - be it to claim priesthood or become a pop star - the adventures all end the same, with the death and destruction of everyone involved. Vanguarding violence and mayhem seems to be Lobo's lot in life.
Lobo possesses an array of superhuman abilities befitting a villain of his stature. He demonstrates immense strength and invulnerability. He also has a very quick healing power and a superhuman sense of smell. He's a capable combatant and is experienced using a variety of weapons - both firearms and melee. Despite his obnoxious disposition, Lobo also demonstrates genius-level intellect at times.
Sculpt: Technically, Lobo is a reuse of the BAF Despero sculpt. But since Despero hasn't been released yet, that makes Lobo seem like unique sculpt. The body shape works perfectly for him. He's big. He's muscular. And he's blowing up with detail! His head sculpt is tremendous, his face looks very angry and disgusted. His over-sized hair is very nicely done and doesn't limit his neck mobility as severely as you might think. His knee pads and lower leg guards and boots are all highlights, as well as the detail in the belt. The only drawback here is that the low-hanging belt is pretty hard plastic and it does limit his hip movement quite a bit.
Paint: Lobo's paint job is pretty much perfect. He has airbrushing in his fleshtones to highlight his build. His hair gets a nice drybrush to show off the texture. And his belt and boots are done up with some nice grungy drybrushing to make them look worn and stained up with blood and dirt. Dawg has a good paintjob as well; he mostly benefits from a gray wash in his fur to accent the detail in his sculpt.
Articulation: Lobo has 25 points of articulation - the DCUC standard. He has nice range of motion in his upper body and lower legs, but like I mentioned aboved he is hampered in the hips by his rigid belt.
Accessories: Lobo has plenty of pack-ins. The first thing to notice is the package itself. Lobo's shell is designed to pop open and be closed back without having to be cut or torn in any way. This is a nice touch. Inserted into the front of the package are a pair of functional 3D glasses. There is an insert behind the figure that converts into a display (think of something along the lines of the old dioramas they used to plug in with the DCSH figs). The 3D card on the base displays a cosmic starburst scene that makes it look like Lobo is bursting through the board when you view him standing on it with the glasses. The figure itself includes a pistol that fits in a holster on his belt, a pair of removable 3D glasses of his own, a huge gun, and his sidekick, Dawg.
Quality: The quality is great. From the packaging to the paint detail to the strength of plastic this is a very nice figure and well worth the hiked price you'd pay for him (since he's a con exclusive). All the joints are tight and Lobo feels very dense and solid. You won't regret this purchase if you manage to get your hands on one!.
