Is It Good? Lobster Johnson: A Scent of Lotus Part 2 Review

Let’s see what the Lobster noir man is up to in this picture book. I wonder if it’s good? I hope it is. The anticipation is turning me bright red. Like a lobster. Get it? Because lobsters are…

Lobster Johnson: A Scent of Lotus Part 2 (Dark Horse Comics)

Review of Lobster Johnson A Scent of Lotus Part 1 here.

While there is a lot to take in with the plot, the history lesson is very organic. This issue explains the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria in 1931. And yet somehow we also get a Japanese Wu (witch) and her army of monkeys that shoot guns, all in a 30s backdrop. It’s cool that the Lobster finally has helpers too, in the form of Harry and his driver, Lester. Seriously, Mike Mignola and John Arcudi might be superhuman. I don’t know how they have time to crank out all these comics. Maybe they’re warlocks.

The art by Sebastian Fiumara kicks an incredible amount of ass. It’s so good it makes me want to read books on art, so I can come up with better ways to describe how good the art is, rather than “so good.” But, I’ll do my best with the knowledge I have of art. The panels are fluid, and the action is frenetic. The faces are full of detail and expressive. Also, there are monkeys shooting guns, and the Wu (witch) woman has a great panel or two where she gets to look mysterious, and enigmatic.

Good work on the colors, Dave Stewart. Stewart is a phenomenon with color. So, right on, dude, your Eisner awards are well deserved. As if anyone needed me to confirm this.

9.0

• Awesome monkeys firing guns art.
• Good plot, actually tied up well in two.

• Still, I long for more Lobster.

Is It Good?

Between the brilliance of Fiumara’s art, and the way this story ties up nicely in two issues, yes, it’s very good. While I’d love to see longer arcs with the Lobster, it’s nice when you run into a two issue series that doesn’t seem like it could have been longer. Or, at the very least, that doesn’t leave you feeling cheated. The introduction of Harry and Lester is a nice addition as well. All in all, a pleasurable Lobster Johnson series. Good show!