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Review: ‘Lobster Johnson: A Scent of Lotus’ #1

Published

11 years ago

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Lobster Johnson’s newest adventure reminds me of John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. Mignola and Arcudi channel this wonderful sense of camp with Johnson that makes the book an absolute treat to read. The backdrop of Chinatowns, and familiar Chinese imagery add to this camp, and create the perfect setting for a new pulp mystery. Mind you, like any of Lobster’s adventures, a lot of time is spent setting up the conflict and hardly any engaging in it.

WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola & John Arcudi
ART BY: Sebastian Fiumara
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: July 24, 2013

A Scent of Lotus is often engaging. Especially when Lobster is on the page. About a third of the issue is spent with Jake, a detective on the same case as Lobster. His story fails to excite. If only because it’s the same tried and true police procedural dialogue and mystery we’ve seen a thousand times.

The story of the antagonist is much more entertaining. There is a certain level of intrigue to what exactly is going on in these pages. It’s never quite clear what their agenda is exactly, and for that reason things don’t get stagnant like ol Jake’s story.

As for Lobster, he’s truly a joy. His panels pop with a certain intensity that is lacking in the other stories. He’s constantly on the move, and pushing the story forward. The page where he descends from a rooftop perch with a flurry of gunfire is reason enough to pick up this issue.

Fiumara’s Lobster is simply awesome. The attention spent on Lobster’s eyes is fantastic. The eyes are often a shining beacon on the page when no other light is present; Fiumara even has them stand out over a muzzle flash. No other feature of Lobster is more defining, and the art reminds us of this. Everything from page 18 to 21 is incredible. Culminating in a wonderful small moment where Lobster checks out a couple of slugs that have been caught by his bullet proof vest.

In fact it is small moments like that, that are the issue’s strongest. Arcudi’s and Mignola’s script is busy and jam packed. A lot of exposition needs to be communicated in a short period of time, and while it feels that Lobster is lost in the shuffle. The script slows down to show blood running down an alley, or a man sweeping the floor. These moments allow for the script to world build inside this pulp alternate reality. It works incredibly well to make the action at the end of the issue impactful and exciting.

Unlike most Lobster adventures, this one continues on next month. This is both a positive and negative. The book ends on a fantastic panel that will leave you wanting more, but feels so overstuffed with exposition and little to no resolution. A fun romp through Chinatown, but as it stands not a whole lot more. Let’s see if next month is a more fun.

2.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

2 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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