Lobster Johnson: The Scent of Lotus #1
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Illustrated by Sebastian Fiumara
Colored by Dave Stewart
Lettered by Clem Robins
Cover by Tonci Zonjic
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 24, 2013
Cover Price: $3.50

In 1993, Mike Mignola created Hellboy and later, the B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense), but he didn’t stop there, expanding the Hellboy mythos and with it, the Hellboy universe through an ongoing monthly series for both Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. With Dark Horse Comics as the home for the Hellboy universe, secondary, supporting characters have received their own spin-off series, including, most recently, Lobster Johnson, a pulp adventure-era costumed vigilante. Johnson made his first appearance in 1999, but didn’t get his own series until 2007. Since then, he’s appeared in no less than five additional series or one-shots, including Lobster Johnson: The Scent of Lotus, the first issue of a two-parter.

The Scent of Lotus #1 opens with a familiar, if not entirely unwelcome, scene – the titular character, Lobster Johnson, racing across a rooftop in pursuit of his prey. While his associates on the ground keep him apprised of developments via radio receiver (it’s the 1930s, after all), Johnson suspends his pursuit when he comes across a murdered Chinese courier. While he listens in from his rooftop perch, a girl reporter, Cindy (and Johnson ally), quizzes a couple of detectives about the crime. We soon learn the courier worked for the Chinese mob (tongs), but that connection did little to prevent his death to his superiors’ as yet unknown competitors for the underworld dollar.

The Strain, Vol. 2
Story by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Script by David Lapham
Illustrated by Mike Huddleston
Colored by Dan Jackson
Lettered by Clem Robins
Covers and Chapter Art by E. M. Gist
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 05, 2013
Cover Price: $19.99

Adapted from the novel by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, volume two of the comic series The Strain has just been released by Dark Horse. Written by David Lapham, with art from Mike Huddleston and color by Dan Jackson, this action-packed thriller has really picked up the pace and shed some new light into the mystery of the vampire plague. Read on to find out my thoughts!

Dr. Ephraim Goodweather is on the run and wanted for murder. He and his partner Nora have teamed with the aging Jewish vampire hunter, Abraham Setrakian, to get the truth out about the vampire Sardu and human cohort Eldritch Palmer’s devious plans for world domination. Setrakian knows all about the vampire catastrophe hitting New York, as he has a long history with Sardu dating back to his time in a concentration camp; and for certain reasons, Setrakian feels it is his fault for ushering in the oncoming apocalypse. It’s a race against time as a disease is spreading through the five boroughs of New York City and other players are beginning to make themselves known, including other original vampires called The Ancients.

Hellboy in Hell #1
Story & Art by Mike Mignola
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letters by Clem Robins
Cover by Mike Mignola with Dave Stewart
Designers: Mike Mignola & Gary Grazzini
Assistant Editor: Daniel Chabon
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Mike Richardson
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: December 5, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

Hellboy in Hell #1 was the first Hellboy comic that I’ve ever read. Ever. I have nothing against the character, is just seemed that it was one of those books that never interested me. That being said, what I found when I read this comic surprised me.

Mike Mignola packs a LOT of humor in this story, and frankly, I really wasn’t expecting that. Again, I’m not familiar with the Hellboy character or universe, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it sure wasn’t this. As a character, Hellboy is very tongue in cheek and quite a wise-cracking badass. Unfortunately, I found the story a little hard to follow. This is obviously aimed at Hellboy fans, so I’m sure I missed a ton of “in jokes” and references to past stories, but that’s OK. It’s an entertaining read with a couple of really good, funny parts to the story.

By Lucid Crash

Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #1
Written by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
Pencilled by Denys Cowan
Inked by John Floyd
Colored by Dave McCaig
Lettered by Clem Robins
Cover by Rafael Grampá
Cover Color by Dave Stewart
Vertigo Comics
Release date: March 21, 2012
Cover Price: $2.99

Marie Laveau and her immortal voodoo legacy are just as integral to the spirit of New Orleans as Mardi Gras or Jazz. Who better to invoke then to fight the demons of a city struggling to find itself, just months after the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina? Combining gritty social commentary with supernatural fables, with Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child #1 writer Selwyn Seyfu Hinds introduces readers to a place where the werewolves, vampires, and voodoo courts may not be as frightening as the street thugs lurking around what seem to be every corner. Characterizations are a bit sparse, yet we know who the protagonist is and that she has fabulously weird supporting cast who leave us to wonder who the villain might be.

Monstermen and Other Scary Stories
Written and Illustrated by Gary Gianni
Additional Stories by William Hope Hodgeson, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard and Perceval Landon
Letters by Sean Konot, Todd Klein, and Clem Robins
Introduction by Michael Chabon
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $24.99

At one point early on in Gary Gianni’s Monstermen and Other Scary Stories a main character gets a curse that leaves a disturbing mark on his head. It has to be seen to be fully understood because I can only describe it as a Stegosaurus Mohawk… and it’s maybe one of the single coolest things I’ve ever seen in a comic. A few pages later it’s gone, like a ghastly sight in a haunted house, never to be seen again.

Monstermen and Other Scary Stories was originally published as back ups in Hellboy beginning in the mid-90s, though Giannis’ work seems to be about as much Edward Gorey as Mike Mignola. Many avid comic book readers will be familiar with his work, which began first on Classics Illustrated adaptations, most famously on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He then won an Eisner for Best Short Story for the Heroes contribution in Batman: Black and White before settling into his current gig doing Prince Valiant. Monstermen stands out in his body of work as being his most original and innovative title.