DC Universe: Last Sons

DC Universe

by Alan Grant

In this first book in an all-new, four-part series, Superman must save Martian Manhunter from the notorious bounty hunter Lobo. The sole survivors of their home planets, all three are targeted by an artificial life form. Original.

Genres: Comics, Superheroes, Dc Comics, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Science Fiction

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 2006

About the author

Alan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.

Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.

The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.

By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.

Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prose novel featuring the DC anti-hero Lobo, who's intent on apprehending Martian Manhunter. Superman is along for the ride, too. The characterization is well done (as one would expect from Grant, who had a great run with Batman), but the story wanders rather far into the grim'n'gritty adult dark theme area (as one might expect from Grant, who had a long run on Judge Dredd.) The title refers to fact that the three principals are the last sons of Krypton, Mars, and Czarnia. It's a pretty good story, but definitely not for the kiddies.

[Hilmi Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apakah persamaan antara Superman,Lobo,dan Martian Manhunter? Ketiga-tiganya merupakan 'anak lelaki terakhir' bagi planet Krypton,Czarian,dan Marikh. Mereka bertiga merupakan yang terakhir antara bangsa/spesis masing-masing.
Kisah yang melibatkan mereka bertiga ini bermula apabila Lobo menerima tawaran untuk menangkap Martian Manhunter atau turut dikenali sebagai J'onn J'onzz,supaya dirinya mendapat ganjaran yang besar. Dia berjaya mencapai misinya apabila J'onn bertindak menyerah diri secara sukarela. Makhluk asing yang berkulit hijau ini betindak sedemikian rupa untuk mengetahui apakah kesalahan yang telah dilakukannya dan bersedia menghadapi perhakiman untuk membela diri sendiri. Sementara itu,Superman tidak mahu rakan adiwiranya itu menghadapi masalah tersebut seorang diri sahaja. Adiwira bermantel popular ini turut melakukan siasatannya yang tersendiri. Hasilnya membawa kepada satu kenyataan yang sangat menggerunkan. Adiwira bertiga ini telah diperangkap oleh Alpha,sebuah artificial intelligence yang mahu menangkap Superman,Martian Manhunter,dan Lobo untuk dijadikan bahan kajian. Ini adalah kerana mereka bertiga adalah yang terakhir di kalangan kaum mereka.
Last Sons merupakan sebuah novel menarik sekali untuk dibaca. Secara keseluruhannya,saya menyukai latar belakang dan jalan cerita novel ini. Selain babak-babak serius dan aksi yang mendebarkan,terdapat juga babak-babak yang melucukan,terutamanya apabila melibatkan Lobo,termasuklah dialog-dialog yang kasar tetapi bersalutkan humor. Namun demikian,novel ini bukanlah untuk tatapan mereka yang berumur bawah 18 tahun. Terdapat beberapa babak yang berunsur ganas dan seks di dalam novel ini.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

The major character in this novel was one I am not familiar with from the comics, Lobo, a heartless intergalactic bounty hunter. It is a disgrace because he isn't even a decent anti-hero. I can find nothing even remotely redeemable about this character. HIs cruelty and selfishness knows no bounds.

On the other hand, the author does a great job of describing comic book type action. One can almost feel the POW! KRASH! and KRUNCH! of the comic.

Lobo comes to earth to arrest the Martian Manhunter and Superman becomes embroiled in what turns out to be a possible threat for the entire universe.

All three characters, Superman, the Manhunter, and Lobo, are all three the last of their race. At times, there is an almost poignant feeling about the loss of these races, but the author breaks the poignancy with more and more of Lobo's crass, vulgar, selfish,greedy, and cruel conduct.

This book wasn't trash, but it wasn't even really good pulp. I don't really recommend it and believe me, I won't waste any postage passing it on to friends or family members.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the cover art and the back of the book, I was expecting this to be a "Superman, Martian Manhunter, and Lobo" story. Instead, it's a Lobo story with Superman and Martian Manhunter thrown in as secondary characters. The main problem with that is that Lobo's not a terribly interesting character - he started out as a parody of the "grim and gritty" character archetype I generally dislike, and somewhere along the way became one of the leading examples of that character type.

Additionally, the plot was fairly pedestrian, and didn't really offer any new insights into the characters or their world. What the book did have going for it, though, was that I went in with very low expectations, and had been counting on it being nothing more than a book to pass the time with.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of what I know about DC Comics' characters comes from movies, television shows, and prose, so I was unfamiliar with anti-hero Lobo prior to reading Last Sons. He isn't the greatest character, but he is very different from the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, which is just one of the ways that Last Sons is unlike the previous DC novels I've read. Supe and Martian Manhunter also play a big part in this book, but other Justice League members barely even get mentioned. Although the action/adventure writing and characterization were great, a larger amount of profane language and sexual content than can usually be found in such novels messed this up a bit. Still, if you've enjoyed previous DC comics-turned-novels, you'll probably still like this.

[Martin L. Cahn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering this is based on DC Comics, which I love, I'm sorry to say this is a pretty bad book. Like violence -- the gory, over-the-top ridiculous kind? -- then this book's for you. Yes, the theme of Superman, Martian Manhunter and Lobo being "last sons" is interesting. And Superman and Manhunter are their noble selves, but even these two superheroes can't save this shallow story. Worse, the author changes up a villain (not Lobo) so much as to be unrecognizable to fans. Sorry, just can't recommend this one.

[Arthur Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this little romp. The only real drawback for me was the Martian Manhunter. I don't know why, but I never warmed to him. That aside, I thought it was an interesting take on the ghosts that haunt every hero. On the ideas that can become obsessions. Not a novel to change the world, but a good Sunday afternoon escape.

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first bought this book for a couple bucks from a used bookstore, due to the strange cosmic coincidence of finding a boarding pass inside for the same route I had taken, I wasn't expecting anything in particular out of it. When I read the dedication to Grant's granddaughter, even more so. But let me tell you: this book is gory. I had heard of Lobo before, but didn't realize exactly how vicious this villainous bounty hunter was. Still, Last Sons provides a fun diversion, through the occasional team-up of the three best-known sole survivors in the DC Universe, a... unique side character in the form of Xemtex (no spoilers), and some light philosophizing on the state of the universe. If you enjoy space action, and aren't afraid of a truly unlikeable narrator, I'd say give it a shot.

[Brian Callahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would rather have read a story that centered on Superman and Martian Manhunter. I think the comedic aspect of Lobo did not work well with the theme of the story. I think it might have worked better as a story if it only featured Lobo although there probably wouldn't be enough recognition amongst the casual DC fans to support this.

[Jp Malartre · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading a novel about comic book superheroes. Pleasantly surprised.

[Zachary Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun! Lobo is the best

[Danielle Jensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It mostly focuses on Lobo. There is inconsistencies with this Martian Manhunter and the cannon one and he didn't even try to phase through the floor?! Decent plot saves it.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Original review Aug 2006)

Overall 2/5
Story 2/5
Re-Readability 2/5
Characters 2/5

This is the weakest of the "comic book books" I've read of late. It’s part of a current line of books set in the DC Universe, each of which has a “theme.” In this case, the theme is examining three last-of-their-race characters: Superman (whose home world blew up); J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter (whose race died of a plague); and Lobo (who killed his people).

The book is flawed in various ways. First off, while Grant can write (and can write comics, usually a plus in these things), he gets a fair number of basic science facts wrong. That sounds funny as a criticism for a “comic book,” but it’s one of those balancing acts — you can defy the Laws of Nature as long as you explain it or invoke the mythos, but if you simply get your facts wrong, you lose credibility and suspension of disbelief.

Grant labors here under a greater problem, i.e., his characters. He loves Lobo, and spends a disproportionate amount of time on the “Main Man.” That’s in part because Lobo’s less known to some readers, and in part because he’s a more interesting and amusing fellow than the rigidly upright heroes (when written as such). The problem is that Lobo is — to me, at least — a horror, barely tolerable when presented in a humorous context, utterly despicable when played “straight.” He’s a psychopath with super powers, he casually kills and maims at a whim (albeit with the window dressing of being a “bounty hunter”) — and, worse, for those of us who were reading comics a decade ago, he was terribly overexposed.

That Lobo — and various characters that related more to him than to the others — is the center of attention is one problem. The other is the two heroes. Grant does a bit of backstory and story-telling about J’onzz, but it’s mostly filler. Of Supes he has virtually nothing to contribute, except that he’s a big blue Boy Scout.

The story this is all wrapped up in — massively powerful evil artificial intelligence is taking over the Universe, in order to destroy all life except (of course) for the one-off collection of “Last Sons” (or, if one comes to hand, “Daughter”). The menace is cosmically pedestrian and uninvolving, esp. after it’s unveiled, and serves primarily as a reason for (a) the three protagonists to (somewhat) band together, and (b) for something to Hit Really Hard and Be Hit Back Just As Hard.

And that’s the extent of the action here — the protagonists hit a lot of things, especially the antagonists. But even here, Lobo does most of the grunt work, as Supes and J’onzz spend a lot of time rescuing people. Ho-hum.

Comic book stories are hard. Space-based comic stories are hard to pull off even in comics, as they remove much of the familiar context against which the characters play. The best parts of the novel are those in familiar or normal settings — the vast panoramas of stars and planets and alien worlds just don’t really do much here, which, unfortunately, is where most of the tale takes place.

It’s not an awful book, mind you. It’s just very undistinguished. I suppose Lobo fans would enjoy it, and, if so, I have a copy they can keep.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was entertained by the book, overall. It did get a bit long in some parts, but overall it had a decent flow to it. It is a bit misleading, though, as I thought it was about all three characters on the cover [Superman, Martian Manhunter, and Lobo], but it is actually mostly about Lobo and the other two serve as secondary characters to the story. It was an interesting concept, I guess [an alien intelligence collecting the last living representative of alien races, hence the title], except that it was reminiscent of Marvel's "The Collector" character [albeit, gone bad].

It was a crazy book, and not at all what I was expecting. To be honest, I am not sure what I was expecting, but this was not it. It has some humor in it, some gratuitous violence, and a lot of talk about how much Lobo and the other bounty hunters want 'babes' along with their money.

I felt the author did a nice job with writing Superman; he can be a hard character to write, what with his many powers and invulnerability. Perhaps it helped that Superman was more of a secondary character in the story, but the author did not 'dumb Superman down' or depower him for the sake of this story. The same held true for the Martian Manhunter; he also has numerous strengths and abilities to go with this super strength and relative invulnerability; he was not powered down, either.

I did not realize Lobo was as powerful as Superman. Neither did I realize Lobo had a healing factor a la Wolverine's. I guess that explains why Lobo fought Superman in the Marvel vs. DC event in the 90s.

I have probably already said too much about this book. It has very little, if any, depth to it. The plot is pretty basic [kill all but one member of each species]. The ending was kind of abrupt. I did find Lobo's logic and his explanation about the Universe and its origins to Zemtex to be quite funny.

I did enjoy reading the book. It was a nice diversion.

[Dominik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've long stayed away from books based on comic books, because my logic was that you could tell the same story in a comic book and get some nice art to go with it. However, this book proves that while that preconception might certainly be true in some cases - the Civil War novel for example - Mr. Grant's book is not quite that.

Not only does Last Sons offer insight into the three lead characters who are all the last sons of their respective planets (Superman is Krypton's last survivor, Martian Manhunter is the last green Martian and Lobo is the last Czarnian) for various reasons, it also devles deeper into the characters of the books stars. Every character has a distinct voice and there's very little making them overly sypathetic. Lobo remains a bastard, Superman is the good guy to the point of it being kitschy and Martian Manhunter seems alien and distant.

The story itself is pretty forgettable, though, mainly because it is outside the established canon of comic books. So nothing in this book is to be treated as something that actually happened and the novels remain a weird side-note in the realm of comics.

Mr. Grant's writing is decent, but nothing extraordinary. He drives the story forward with very little frill and very few in depth descriptions when compared to the amount of text spent to describe the surroundings. Mr. Grant thus creates a very tangible world with somewhat superficial characters on it, even though characterization is achieved by the stars' actions and the occasional bit of introspective.

All in all, Last Sons is a very visual book, befitting of a comic book writer. It's a fun read, but nothing that will stick with you. And if you're a fan of either one of the three stars, it's a must-read anyways. And it's best read at the beach or during a rainy Tuesday afternoon where nothing else happens.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lobo is the meanest and most ornery bounty hunter in the galaxy. He is the sort of being who has no problem killing anyone who gets in his way. His next quarry, supposedly with a million-credit bounty on his head, is J’onn J’onnzz, Martian Manhunter of the Justice League.

Despite Lobo’s lack of morality, he does have a code of honor, being scrupulously honest. He also has a crush on Darlene, a waitress at a burger joint on an asteroid.

Meantime, somewhere in the interstellar middle of nowhere, an artificial intelligence called The Alpha hatches a plan to wipe out all life in the universe. When Lobo delivers J’onnzz, with Superman not far behind, all three are thrown in prison. But, this is not your average prison. The walls in Superman’s cell are impregnated with kryptonite; Lobo and J’onnzz are similarly trapped. The only thing that all three have in common is that they are the last of their race (in Lobo’s case, it was intentional).

The Alpha plans to dissect them and use that emotional energy to create an invincible fighting force. Their release, and stopping The Alpha before it wipes out any more civilizations, depends on a crime boss named Xemtex. Lobo cut Xemtex’s brain out of his head, and it now controls Lobo’s space bike.

Coming from a comic book "mentality" (for lack of a better word), it’s a very fast and entertaining read with plenty of action. It’s recommended, especially for those who don’t consider themselves comic book readers.

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book base in the world of DC comics. The cover depicts Superman, Martian Manhunter, and Lobo but this book is mostly about Lobo. If you don't know Lobo he is a crude, narcissistic intergalactic bounty hunter whose strength rivals Superman. He has no redeeming qualities but for some reason I enjoy his character. In this one he receives an assignment to capture MM and even though nothing adds up, Martian Manhunter goes willingly with Lobo.

I thought the author did a terrific job with both the characters and the action. He gives enough information so the reader gets to know the characters if you are unfamiliar but no too much information for readers who know the characters. The action is top notch and he doesn't hold back with his descriptive nature or content. This book is more adult in nature and not like your childhood comic books.

This was a nice solo adventure that shows the vast differences of the characters but also a common thread between them. If you are looking for a comic book adventure that will keep you entertained this book fits that description.

[Brian Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book features the Martian Manhunter and Superman, so technically I'm classifying it as a superheroes book, but it's fundamentally about a space bounty hunter named Lobo. He was originally designed as a parody, and this book follows with a heavy hand. He's a hard drinking, hard-fighting, dumb and violent person who bumbles his way through the fight. This did a better job than most at trying to simultaneously portray the main characters as among the most powerful characters in the galaxy, and also surrounded by people who can push them around.

The 'Lost Sons' angle isn't explored very heavily, the main villain is a thin destroy-all-life shadow, and it establishes pretty early on that the setting is primarily to give Lobo an excuse to flip out and beat things up with no long term effects. It is probably true to the comics, though.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, and no its not a graphic novel this time. Mr. Grant, a prolific comics writer for year did a pretty good job on this one, with the last sons plot very evident. Lobo, being the last Czarnian, Superman, the last Kryptonian, and The Martian Manhunter, the last Martian are the central point of this plot. The story involves a malevolent intelligence "collecting" these powerful and unique beings to use in its machinations. The heros (calling Lobo a hero is a far stretch) combine to ally against this evil plan. Read it! This is a quick and satisfying read, though I believe there are far better entries into both DC and Marvel Comics novel adventures.

Danny

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to this DC Comic book / Graphic Audio collaboration. This book takes us through the trials of John Jones and Superman (being the last of their race) along with a couple of less than stellar characters who are also the last of their race...all wrapped up with an artificial intelligence bent on destroying the worlds as they know it!

[Matt Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good DC book. Superman, The Martian Manhunter, and Lobo (all the last of their species...hence last sons) find themselves battling the first of a new type of adversary. Im a sucker for superheroes so I liked it.

[Timo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well produced audio book with all the sound effects, bits of music and nice cast.
And Alan Grant almost never hits a miss.
I liked this one a lot..

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why, but I found this pretty entertaining. Maybe because Lobo is such a smart character. He put a space grenade in a guy's bottom and it went boom.

[Corey O'keefe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly centered around Lobo but being a Lobo fan i thoroughly enjoyed the book!

[Steven Leatherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book with an interesting story bringing together DC's last sons.

[Audrey Hacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

all u superman nerds were wrong this book is good and lobo shoved a grenade up a dude's butt idk what u were complaining about it was great

[Derek Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun ride. Superman is more of a jerk than I prefer him to be, but I guess Lobo gets him riled up. I'm not sure as I have not read much with the two together.

[SFReader · Rating 1 out of 5]

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