Our pulpy crustacean is back. Dark Horse greenlit the return of fan-favorite vigilante Lobster Johnson in a five-issue series, Get the Lobster. Having just battled maniacal primates and a deadly assassin in last year’s Scent of Lotus, this latest run is off to a promising, but slower start. Creator Mike Mignola and writer John Arcudi are at the helm again as LJ (yes, we’re on a nickname basis) tracks down a pair of murderous wrestlers that just wreaked havoc on Madison Square Gardens.

I blame the slow start on not enough Lobster. He was strangely…absent. After last year’s exceptional, albeit brief, two-comic story I went back and read Johnson’s entire crime fighting body of work, minus Hellboy and B.P.R.D tie-ins. Comparing this latest book to the impressive likes of The Iron Prometheus, The Burning Hand, and Satan Smells a Rat, one can understand why this issue was slightly underwhelming. Hopefully I’m unfairly judging the slow first act of an amazing five-act play.

The talented artistic team is back as well with illustrator Tonci Zonjic and colorist Dave Stewart bringing their pulp touch to 1930s New York City. Sadly, as with the writing, none of the panels wowed me. Scent of Lotus seriously spoiled me…our gun toting hero scaling rooftops, his piercing orange eyes illuminating the snowy backdrop. How do you beat that?? It wasn’t that the art and writing were done poorly, it’s just that they were ordinary…and this character deserves better.

I don’t write this review lightly. Lobster Johnson, along with Mouse Guard, was last year’s where-have-you-been-all-my-life comic. As mentioned, I’m praying that the longer run, which affords the creative team more time, explains away the slower start. Mignola, Arcudi, and Zonjic know what they’re doing, in this issue though, the Lobster just…didn’t taste right.

Story: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi Art: Tonci Zonjic
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read

Dark Horse Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review