Lobster Johnson: The Glass Mantis (One Shot) –
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mike Mignola & John Arcudi
Art by Toni Fejzula
Letters by Clem Robins
Cover by Tonci Zonjic
Fact or fiction can be a tricky thing in the comic book world. Especially when you’re dealing with a character in a comic that is thought to be a fictional comic book legend. Lobster Johnson is very real, and Dark Horse has given him his own spotlight outside of the world of Hellboy. His mission can definitely be described as unique.
It’s hard to find too many unique storylines these days, but if this book excels at one thing, it’s that. Set in the 1930s, Lobster Johnson finds himself investigating a shooting at an exhibit of a Turkish artist and glass blowers in New York. There’s something I bet you thought you’d never see. It’s after the shooting where things get really interesting. It gets tot he point where you feel like nobody is who you thought they were, and you end up being right. Great part is, for a one shot, this comic is full of surprise reveals. Without spoiling anything, the actual investigation takes a major turn mid-story and leads to a whirlwind action sequence at the end. It’s still a Hellboy story, so what happens at the end may not surprise you, but it was an interesting finish.
Having Mike Mignola writing part of this story really adds credibility and authenticity, since he created “The Lobster” originally. For a period piece it didn’t feel like the character traits were trying to force that issue. The art by Fejzula had a noir quality that did a fine job of transporting you to a pre-World War II era New York all on it’s own. If this book does have one minor failing, it’s that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. For a one shot, I expected a bit more of a conclusion. Good news is…I WANTED that conclusion. To me that’s the mark of a good book that, I hope, revisits this case at some point. Hellboy fan or not, you’ll enjoy this.
RATING: BUY