The cover: Taking a classic stance from the Rocketeer’s playbook, the Lobster is on the elevator of the blimp’s rear, standing proud with gun ready as a small biplane speeds by him. I love that this is in broad daylight, as most (all?) of the Lobster’s outings are in the dead of night. He looks great and I know that zeppelin is not long for this world with that insignia on its rudder. The coloring is also great. Again, I’m impressed that this is occurring in the light. Great shading on the clouds and color differentiation on the protagonist. All are done by interior artist Tonci Zonjic. Overall grade: A
The story: This final installment from Mike Mignola and John Arcudi opens in terrific cliffhanger style with our hero racing out of building engulfed in flames into a waiting car driven by one of his many accomplices. Just as the Lobster leaves, a figure jumps out of the flaming structure, unburned by the blaze. He runs off into the night, but to where? Meanwhile on the streets, bullets are flying. Standing on the running board, the Lobster is trying to stop the prey that left the building before he did. His gun is doing no damage, so he decides to get closer. What he does on Page 4 is fantastic! Rarely do you see a hero do the smart thing like this to take out a bad guy. The dialogue on Pages 6 and 7 will haunt you! This is the mantra of the Lobster! What of the villain who escaped after the Lobster left? It’s not going to be an easy exit for him. I loved the dialogue at the bottom of Page 10 and was thrilled to see on 11 that it won’t be easy for the hero either. This is a wonderful adventure in the style of the classic serials done through the magnificently twisted lens of Mignola and Arcudi. Absolutely fun with one hell of an ending line. Overall grade: A+
The art: I am absolutely loving Tonci Zonjic’s art. He is the perfect artist for this time period. The cars, the planes, the streets, the clothing all make this story believable. Highlights of these include Pages 3, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, and 22. The characters are also incredible. The look of shock on the character’s face at the bottom of Page 2 mirrored my own. The Lobster is breathtaking on Pages 3 and 4 as he unleashes his vengeance. Page 6 has a tremendous visual reference to a previous adventure and it looks great. Helping it look so cool are the Lobster’s broken goggles. Speaking of which, they dissolve nicely into the top panel of the next page. This is close as one can get to a smooth motion-like transition in a comic without having to resort to the cheap QR Code Reader that other companies employ. Should anyone think this book focuses on just a quest for justice, there is one image that harkens back to the first issue in this series: Page 13, panel five. I love that maniacal look! The final image of the book is beautiful and I wouldn’t want to see this series end in any other way. Overall grade: A+
The colors: Great use of light in this book from Dave Stewart. The flame on the opening page brilliantly flares, with the sound effect done in gorgeous blue. The same forbidding orange is repeated on Page 3 when the Lobster is blasting away at the baddies. The red on 6 is perfection and the Lobster’s dead eyes eerie in orange. Page 16’s coloring is photorealistic. This book is colored to perfection. Overall grade: A+
The letters: Dialogue, sound effects, yells, and radio transmissions are all accomplished by Clem Robins. They look great and when something is italicized you know something major is justifiably happening. Overall grade: A
The final line: It began exceptionally and didn’t ever disappoint. This closes out this long Lobster tale in fantastic fashion. I want more! Highest possible recommendation. Overall grade: A+
Patrick Hayes was a contributor to the Comic Buyer’s Guide for several years with “It’s Bound to Happen!”, he reviewed comics for TrekWeb, and he currently reviews Trek comics at TrekCore. He’s taught 8th graders English for 20 years and has taught high school English for two years and counting. He reads everything as often as he can, when not grading papers or looking up Star Trek, Star Wars, or Indiana Jones items online.
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