Summary

• Superman and Lobo learn they have even more in common, connecting as the "last survivors" of their races in surprising ways.
• The resurgence of the Superman Family parallels the Bat-Family, both facing challenges and victories.
• Superman and Lobo represent hope for their races, becoming their new "second chances" in the universe.

Warning: contains spoilers for Superman #13!

Batman have a good deal in common, but the Man of Steel has even more similarities with one of his greatest enemies. The hard-drinking, hard-living Czarnian bounty hunter Lobo has long had Superman’s number, and vice versa. Lobo and Superman are similar as well: both are the (allegedly) last of their race. Yet, in Superman #13, it is revealed the duo are even more alike than fans thought.

Superman #13, written by Joshua Williamson and drawn by Rafa Sandoval, is part of the House of Brainiac crossover event. Brainiac has unleashed an army of Czarnians on Metropolis. This puts Superman and Lobo on a collision course once again. As the two (begrudgingly) compare notes, Lobo makes a sharp observation. He points out that he and Superman are commonly viewed as the last survivors of Czarnia and Krypton, respectively.

Yet in recent years, both have learned their “last survivor” status may not be set in stone after all.

Superman's Family Is the Best Thing to Happen to The Man of Steel In Years

Superman Took Hints From Batman's Playbook

Lobo’s comment comes on the heels of the rebirth of the Superman Family. Once a key element of Superman lore, the Superman Family was phased out in the mid-1980s, a product of comics’ embrace of “dark and gritty” storytelling. Yet, beginning in the 2000s, other survivors of Krypton were revealed, such as Supergirl and Krypto. Now the cornerstones of the new Superman Family, the two have been ed by Superboy (Connor Kent), the Super-Man of China, Steel and others. Likewise, Lobo has learned that not only did some Czarnians survive, but he has a non-clone daughter named Crush.

The Superman Family was brought back right as the Bat-Family was experiencing a renaissance of its own. Viewed as “Batman’s Army,” the Bat-Family works together to keep Gotham safe. They are a diverse bunch, ranging from Nightwing to Red Hood to Batgirl. Recent events in Gotham City, including Fear State, have stressed how important the Bat-Family is. Meanwhile, in the Superman family of titles, the nascent Super-Family has scored some impressive victories. Now, the Superman Family must rally together if they have any hopes of defeating Brainiac and saving Metropolis.

Superman and Lobo Have Given Their Species a "Second Chance"

This Unites Superman and Lobo In A New and Unexpected Way

These families give Superman and Batman much in common, but with the revelation that a family may be coalescing around Lobo, it makes the Main Man the Man of Steel’s true equal. They are no longer the “last survivors” of their species. Instead, Superman and Lobo have become their respective races' “second chances.” The Czarnians and the Kryptonians were powerful races in their heyday, but the universe had other ideas. Now, through Superman and Lobo, the Czarnians and Kryptonians (and their ideals) can live again, in a much better fashion.

Superman #13 is on sale now from DC Comics!