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Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: February 12, 2014
This volume collects five of the stories featuring Lobster Johnson, scientist-vigilante of the 30s!
Caput Mortuum is the first story, featuring artwork by Tonci Zonjic. A couple of rubes leaving a movie theater in Jersey run across what turns out to be a German scientist - who immediately melts in front of them. Meanwhile, in a zeppelin flying above New York City, a team of Nazis ready the final steps in their plan to deploy something into the city. Thankfully, Lobster Johnson is also aboard, capturing one of their number secretly and, using his special hypnotic “claw†symbol, learns the whole story: Two German scientists came up with a chemical that makes people melt (naturally). The plan, then, was to release this upon the citizens of NYC in retaliation for the raw deal these Germans felt that their country received at the end of and since WWI. LJ dramatically and violently foils this terrorist plot, fleeing back into anonymity but leaving his “claw†imprint calling card behind...
Satan Smells a Rat is next, with artwork by Kevin Nowlan. A small-time but violent and connected crook named Podell returns home to find a rotting corpse in his apartment. Fleeing the scene, he's almost run over by two more corpses apparently driving his car. He's next approached and wounded by LJ, who's basically following Podell back to whomever's giving him orders. Turns out to be a modern Dr. Frankenstein at play, with the mad Dr. Andres draining life essence from bums to nurture an old, rich cripple back to life. One exceedingly violent fight scene later and the plans and players are all dead, only the “claw†calling card remaining behind.
Tony Masso's Finest Hour is up next, with Joe Querio supplying the artwork. This came from Dark Horse Presents #9 and is pure Lovecraftian fun. Mob boss Tony Masso has beaten a court case and now, at home, he hides in an upper chamber with a priest and some dark, otherworldly being. Tony cries out for protection and, upon learning all his goons are dead at the hand of LJ, he kills the priest and talks directly to the monster who asks Masso what he wants. His desire is to beat LJ so the monster grants him this wish by absorbing his consciousness into the unbeatable monster. LJ has his hands full and loses the fight but, at the end, the monster keeps his Faustian bargain, abandoning Masso as he'd only promised to beat LJ, not kill him...
The volume moves on to the next story, A Scent of Lotus, artwork by Sebastian Fiumara. This is the most detailed story of the volume, involving tongs in Chinatown, dead couriers, a dirty-playing cop named Eckerd and LJ's favorite reporter, Cindy. The cops try to muscle in on Cindy and track her, only finding a mysterious Mr. Anderson for their efforts. LJ has his eyes on the latest couriers but instead has to intervene when they're ambushed. LJ gets their destination from one of the dying bodyguards and is soon jumping into a burning building. However, inside, he's not prepared for what he finds: A Japanese witch and her squad of gun-toting evil monkeys. They get the upper hand and it takes the violent intervention of one of the other tong bodyguards to save LJ. He soon discovers more about this menace, thanks to the tong leaders - turns out their funding the Chinese army back home, fighting against Japanese incursion and the establishment of Manchukuo. So, LJ plays a decoy to lure out this witch and it seems to play out like before until one of LJ's team snaps a picture of the spy/witch and Cindy posts it along with another article on LJ's efforts in the city. Eckerd isn't impressed, even less so when the case is wrested from his hands. At least he has a dead, crazed monkey in a jar in evidence now, though, right?
The Prayer of Neferu is the last entry here, with Wilfredo Torres handling the art duties. This time, it's mummies! Or, really, trapped spirits as the beguiling “Princess Neferu†entertains a group of the city's evil elite. But LJ interrupts violently, taking down quite a number before Neferu's goon strikes him unconscious. As he awakes, bound in some kind of sacrificial chamber, she explains that these five ancient spirits around bound into the sword that her goon has just made. All she needs is a bunch of fresh, human blood to awaken them and for her to become the high priestess of Anubis. LJ's had enough, though, and fights back, stabbing her goon with the blade but releasing the spirits so that they're no longer under Neferu's control. They rip her to pieces and then come after LJ who uses spears and grenades to destroy them and escape once more.
This was my first exposure to this character and thankfully the stories by Mignola and Arcudi are as consistently entertaining as they are varied. The hero's focus on justice is constant and, to me, surprisingly bloody and violent. Feeling like a 30's radio serial hero - equal parts, say, The Shadow and Captain Midnight - the stories all get a great splash of modern brutality that makes them very endearing and playful. Nazis? Beasts from Beyond? Mummies? Just good times all around. This volume also contains several pages of character sketches, all the various covers and even a Christmas greeting from LJ and the monster of Tony Masso. Very entertaining and well worth picking up!
