There’s lots of smoke but no mirrors in the third issue of “Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand.†Only problem is this smoke will rip your skin right off- You will love every second of it.
This issue is all about one of the villains- entirely forged of smoke. Johnson and his crew meet him for the first time (he draws them out by setting buildings on fire using black fire) and find him a little too much for them to handle. This is best issue so far due to this new villain being so cool. The way he looks is scary and enticing at the same time- his powers are similar to Ghost Rider if he were evil and did not have a motorcycle. It is the perfect accompaniment to any noir story.
Zonjic’s artwork is still strong here. That old 1930s noir comic style still shines here. The drawing of the homeless man getting his skin burned off and the aftermath is one of the best drawings in the comic. Another cool little touch is the melted light pole bending halfway to the ground.
The villains have gotten a lot more interesting- sadly the same cannot be said about the heroes. That seems to be the effect of some noir stories; the bad guys are more memorable than the good guys. Also, Cindy Tynan literally does nothing in this comic. She’s been turned into a background character with nothing to do.
A new character with the ability to use black fire is all the reason you need to read “Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #3.†That character is by far the best in the series. Not even the poor performances by the heroes should keep you from picking up this comic. Be warned though, this comic ends with a bang.
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