Review - Lobster Johnson; A Scent of Lotus #1Review by Paul Fiander
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Writer; Mike Mingola, JohnArcudi
Art by; Sebastian Fiumara Colours by; Dave Stewart Cover by; Tonci Zonjic Published by; Dark Horse Comics Inc |
Lobster Johnson; a Scent of Lotus, is a two part series with the first episode being published on 24th July 2013. With part two due in August.
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To begin with as you may or may not know Lobster Johnson is a character from the Hellboy Universe (as stated on the top of the cover). This series sees our protagonist investigating a series of brutal Chinatown murders, seemingly perpetrated by a Imperial Japanese agent even the Tong are afraid to take on.With the scene set its time to jump into the pages.
The series is set in the 1940's and the art style seems like it has been taken directly out of this era. The marriage of art (by Sebastian Flumera) and colour by (Eisner 2013 winner Dave Stewart) help to create create suspense as you read through each panel. The use of small details like shadows and environmental movement (snow being thrown up while running) are a great way to make the page come alive. Lobster is well known for his brutal no nonsense style and this is reflected within the action segments of the story. There is no toning down of the violence, I especially enjoyed the gunplay as you see bullets flying into throats and flesh. The comic is aimed at the mature market and I'm glad the creators did not 'clean' the imagery up as it makes the action believable. |
The Font Cover of the Comic
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The dialogue in the story is very of the time and feels appropriate for its 1940's setting. Some of the lines are a little hammy like the use of 'Imperialist dog' as an insult, but again the writer has done a good job of making if feel perfectly placed within the context of the story.
The story itself is solid and feels like its preparing you for the next edition. There is a nice cliff hanger ending to wrap part 1 up and it should leave you yearning for the second installment. This is not the first introduction to Lobster (in comics) so there is no real explanation of him within the pages, this did not not thankfully interfere with my enjoyment of the story. Instead it made me want to explore the universe of the B.P.R.D (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) and Lobster himself further.
The story itself is solid and feels like its preparing you for the next edition. There is a nice cliff hanger ending to wrap part 1 up and it should leave you yearning for the second installment. This is not the first introduction to Lobster (in comics) so there is no real explanation of him within the pages, this did not not thankfully interfere with my enjoyment of the story. Instead it made me want to explore the universe of the B.P.R.D (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) and Lobster himself further.
The Comic is available in both print and digital from Dark Horse comics. Follow this link for more details.
Wrap Up
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The Good - Great artwork, Strong central character
The Bad - Story is solid but not stellar |
Score - 4/5 |
Images courtesy of Dark Horse Comics
Comic - Provided by Dark Horse Comics
Comic - Provided by Dark Horse Comics
