“Lobster Johnson†has solidified itself as a modern day pulp staple. Mike Mignola, along with John Arcudi and artist Toni Fejzula tend to continue that trend in The Lobster’s newest adventure “Lobster Johnson: The Glass Mantis.†This latest installment does well to continue the quality of the series.
A well known blown glass artist is having his artwork shown at the museum. Things go south when an assassin kills the artist while he is giving his speech. The Lobster is on the case to follow the assassin and find out why she did it. He will also encounter an unexpected plot in the works.
This story is more of a mystery than the typical pulp normally found in “Lobster Johnson.†Despite that, it’s still a pretty interesting read. It’s nice to see The Lobster go after bad guys that are not part of the supernatural. Admittedly the whole plot is a bit weak and the reason behind it is pretty lacking. However, the way the events unfold is done well. They are well thought out and the pacing is great. Even the ending gives fans the pulp that they wanted even if it does feel a little out of place in this type of story.
Toni Fejzula’s artwork retains the look of the series, but with some differences. For one, there are a lot more scenes that are vibrant rather than the dark and gloomy readers are used to seeing in this series. It does fit this type of storytelling better than pulp. The only real inconsistency is the facial expressions some of the characters make. They look odd and way too cartoony for this type of story.
“Lobster Johnson: The Glass Mantis†may be a different type of lobster, but it is still enjoyable. The story is entertaining, well written despite some of its ideas not being original. The art may also be different, but despite some questionable areas is still nice to look at.
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