A man dressed in a mechanical armor (similar to the first Iron Man armor) returns home and is attacked by a yeti in his room. Fortunately Lobster Johnson intervenes to save him. This man is the custodian of the only working model used in armor exoskeleton and serving an extra-dimensional energy. 2 factions wish to seize this wonderful team and they are: the Nazis on one side Memnan Saa (seen in episodes of BPRD) on the other. Lobster Johnson must regain the inventor of this futuristic weapon back up the prototype and end the activities of the fifth column. If he still has the time and energy, he can always take care of Memnan Saa.
The screenplay was written by Mike Mignola and the reader finds out his leg: the Nazis, monsters, second degree and Lovecraftian horror suspicion crossbred once will not hurt feelings worthy of 2001: Odyssey space. What distinguishes this story from the series Hellboy and BPRD series is the tone very resolutely pulp (action, futuristic technology, a touch of the paranormal) for an audience of top male teenagers (yes, there are even beautiful damsel in distress and scantily clad). Lobster (Lobster, what nickname!) Is the head of a team that strongly reminiscent of Shadow (Lamont Cranston in In the coils of Leviathan for example), or that of Clark Savage Jr. (better known as the Doc Savage). He spends the entire tome to fight and to take quite suddenly. He shows exceptional strength and physical abilities simply impossible (the rise in the Hudson depths snorkeling, hard to swallow). To fuel the legend of this character, Mignola created with Guy Davis all retroactive continuity (in bonus pages) that shows how the real hero was the subject of some sweetened novels, movies and serialized newer interpreted movies by masked Mexican wrestlers. It's hard to smile these pastiches since they are too close to their real counterparts decals.
This story is illustrated by Jason Armstrong. He chose a style that is at the crossroads of the Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Guy Davis (BPRD). The number of cells varies from 3 to 7 pages. There are many action scenes almost silent. His staging is very efficient and easily readable. The movements of the characters take the eye from one box to another. Under his pen, the most deadpan sequences have sufficient first degree that the reader can smile of the action, without being in mockery. For example, for every victory, Lobster Johnson prints a red mark in the shape of lobster claw on the front of the vanquished. Armstrong shows the powerful gesture of the hero in the flow of the action, without adding a comic touch. The end of the volume bonus pages of preparatory sketches. The reader discovers that this story has benefited from the graphic design for monsters Mike Mignola and Guy Davis for futuristic gadgets. Jason Armstrong faithfully reproduces these elements allowing visual continuity with the series of BPRD. Finally he has done his research work references (clothing and buildings) to give an aura of authenticity and time to the described locations.
In reading, this adventure is entertaining, with a delicious scent of nostalgia and unification of different literary subgenres or comics. By cons, is do not expect to learn more about the character of Lobster Johnson because his face never shown, and privacy is never mentioned. This story is dedicated to action and the bizarre, without a hint of psychology or character development of the characters. And yet, the style of Jason Armstrong is not as tasty as that of Mike Mignola and Guy Davis. This is a light and entertaining interlude, but contains only one component (the pulp side) of the adventures of Hellboy or BPRD. The real "plus" is that the 5 by Mike Mignola comic covers are reproduced in full and in color (as opposed to the habit in the volumes of Hellboy).
