Review - Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster #1

"Who is the Lobster?"

Red Lobster may be a restaurant chain that offers a certain caliber of seafood to its patrons. What it's not is a crime-fighting superhero with a penchant for making enemies, as well as saving the day on a daily basis. The man responsible in that case is Lobster Johnson and he's got quite a few individuals looking for him. Dark Horse Comics is all set to publish Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster #1. The issue is written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, illustrated by Tonci Zonjic, colored by Dave Stewart and lettered by Clem Robins.

It's fight night at MSG, but there's one battle on the card that promises to be a little different than the others: the Russian Bear vs. the Devil Dwarf. The two prove to the fans that not all wrestling is rigged, as they go way off script and prompt Lobster Johnson into action. Meanwhile, Mr. Wald remains in hiding courtesy of Lobster Johnson and plots are being hatched that will seemingly involve everyone. Mix in some gangster nostalgia and a strange case of being bulletproof and you've got another crazy Lobster Johnson story.

Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster #1 has everything that makes a Lobster Johnson story great. There's the 1930s gangster sensibility to it, with a different class of criminal working to take over the city. Lobster Johnson is revealed to the reader in a very organic way, appearing to help the city when it really needs it. It's very clear that the city and certain others aren't too keen on Lobster's approach to saving the day. The story is setting up to be something possibly supernatural in some senses, which only makes sense considering the character and universe he lives in.

Zonjic's art is very clean and well-defined. The look of the book is reminiscent of some of the newspaper comics of yesteryear, helping the book feel very much as if it's really taking place in the 1930s. The action sequences are done very well and are rife with bullets and bodies flying, as Zonjic has a firm grasp on the characters and setting of the book. Lobster Johnson himself looks like a sufficient superhero as well, employing a certain do-it-yourself mentality when it comes to appearance and capabilities. He resembles Black Beetle in many ways, but Zonjic does a great job to make him seem like his own character (which he is).

Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster #1 is a book that's setting up to be interesting. The creative team do a great job setting up the series and getting the reader into the spirit of the series' setting. The second part of the title "Get the Lobster" gives the reader a heads up that the series will likely pit Lobster Johnson against a myriad of different opponents. If the first issue is any indication, it's clear that Lobster Johnson may have his hands full in contending with the obstacles.

Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster #1 is in stores February 5 with interiors below.