Lobster Johnson, Vol. 5: The Pirate's Ghost and Metal Monsters of Midtown

Lobster Johnson

by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Tonci Zonjic (illustrator)

The Lobster is at his pulpiest in a pair of three-part stories drawn by veteran Lobster artist Tonci Zonjic. A trio of robots terrorize New York City, and the only thing more mysterious than their origins is their motives. When a pirate ship's ghostly crew appears on the Hudson River out of thin air, the harbor patrol calls on the Lobster!

Collects Lobster Johnson: Metal Monsters of Midtown #1-3 and Lobster Johnson: The Pirate's Ghost #1-3.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Comic Book, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction

168 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2017

About the author

Mike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.

In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.

In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.

Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.

Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two shorter stories, one with giant robots fighting throughout NYC, the other features a ghost pirate. Both are chock full of pulpy goodness. Zonjic has a very classic style with his art that brings you back to the thirties. The giant robot story has some hooks into the larger Mignolaverse while the Pirate's Ghost ties up most of the long running subplots in the Lobster Johnson series.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

More solid detective action in the vein of the early twentieth century pulp heroes. While it rarely blows me away, Lobster Johnson never fails to entertain and the artwork is always great.

The first story collected here has the Lobster battling giant robots while the second has him tackling ghostly pirates; what more do you want?

They still haven't done the big reveal where we find out that Lobster Johnson got his name because his Johnson looks just like a lobster, though...

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me some genre stuff.

World: The art is fantastic, it feels very late 30s it's one of the best things about this book. The world building was also fairly great with the tire into the past and the future of the Mignolaverse making it have more weight. It's such an amazing world Mignola has created.

Story: Paced and written well there are two stories here that are tied together and both have wonderful and weird villains and a very old timey feel to the story and the world. The art as I said above is amazing, it really sets the tone and the look for the world, the supernatural aspects are worked in well and it's just a fun genre romp.

Characters: There is a little but of development for the characters but not all that much. There are some status quo changes but these charsxhave been established well. I do wish there was a bit more time for the quiet moments to develop and the action did get in the way of that.

A fun little genre romp that furthers these characters and builds the world at large.

Onward to the next book!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulp glory in Mignola style.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange times for the Mignolaverse, with no flagship books to push the main storyline forward, and instead a selection of gap-filling (in every sense) minis to fill out the continuity. Within the wider context pulp 30s mystery man Lobster Johnson has always done its own thing, a way of scratching a particular adventure-comics itch a lot of creators seem to share. It's always been an enjoyable side dish but with the line so bitty right now it's actually very satisfying to pick up the Lobster's stories and enjoy a fairly well-developed cast and a sense of momentum that's missing from the rest of the universe.

The main attraction for me in Lobster Johnson is usually Tonci Zonjic's art. Zonjic is up there with Guy Davis and Mignola himself as one of the definitive Mignolaverse artists: his clear lines, thoughtful colour choices and flowing storytelling make the series hugely attractive even when the storylines are somewhat rote. The pulp era fits Zonjic perfectly - he's equally skilled at familiar period atmosphere, glorious setpieces (there's some fabulous ones in this volume) and the quieter, character-driven scenes which have provided a throughline for the otherwise disconnected Lobster yarns.

That throughline is vital to the second story here, The Pirate's Ghost, which resolves, sometimes permanently, most of the book's long-running subplots. It brings home the fact that this comic isn't really about the Lobster - he's the MacGuffin to tell stories of other characters' obsession, revenge, or loyalty. Things come to a head in this volume in ways that change the cast and remind me how good and economical Arcudi is at doing character moments. Before that there's three issues of Zonjic doing weird giant proto-robots, which is, of course, an absolute treat. The best Lobster volume yet.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, let's get over the whole extravaganza of giant robots, pirate "ghosts" and the lot. It's pulp fiction Mignola (or maybe more Arcudi than Mignola) style, so it is what it is. But, a ruthless mobster gets obsessed with pirates, going all "matey this, and arrr that", hallucinating blackbeard? What the actual fuck crapload of writing is this? One for complete lack of inspiration and saturation, that's what it is.

Good for them that they wrapped-up the series at *only* 31 issues. Last one will be a pain to finish, just to satisfy my ocd.

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two short stories. One with a ghost pirate ship of sorts the other with robots attacking the city. Art is great and the story is some good ol pulp fun. This was a good collection.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to impress me. The first story dealt with giant robots, and the second with ghost pirates and a kidnapping plot. There's also some loose ends tied up in this volume. Great series.

[Orrin Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually finished this sometime before the new year, but I never got around to writing up my impressions for one reason or another. This is a great issue, especially the "Metal Monsters of Midtown" story, where artist Tonci Zonjic gets to really flex his mechanical drawing muscles with a bunch of 1950s robots as envisioned through a 1930s lens. They are universally fantastic.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series: Lobster Johnson #5
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good

This volume is two separate stories. One about three indestructible robots with mysterious motives and another about a pirate ship and its ghost.

This was a wild and fun volume. Both stories were over the top, filled with action, suspense, with a little bit of love and heartbreak splashed in there. Of the two, I think the pirate story is my favorite. It was action packed and the ghost was very interesting. It also gives us more questions about the Lobsters origins, which I hope get solved in the next volume.

What really sold this volume for me though was the artwork. Tonci Zonjic did an amazing job with all the panels for these two stories. He really knows how to bring to live the Lobster and all the villains. Also, Dave Stewart’s coloring works wonderfully with Zonjic’s art.

I highly recommend this series if you love comics with great fight scenes and an over the top anti-hero.

You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.

[Adan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the pulpiest Lobster Johnson has ever been, and he's usually quite pulpy. I think that's because there's very little connecting these Lobster stories to the greater Hellboy mythos (yes, there's some Hyperborean stuff, but it's just background noise, really). Tonci Zonjic's pencils in this are amazing, and help Arcudi's stories really pop.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had previously read the issues that comprise Metal Monsters of Midtown as individual issues, but I hadn't read The Pirate's Ghost yet. Doesn't matter. This stuff is the bomb! Lobster Johnson is better than Batman. This is two-fisted old-school vigilantism at it's best. Solid and entertaining story-telling. Gorgeous art. Interesting characters. Two-tons of fun!

[Koen Claeys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great, not bad...

[Juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brillantes dibujo y color pero el guión no está a la altura

[Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading all of Mike Mignola's Lobter Johnson Series for Reddit Fantasy's 2023 Bingo Square Superheroes. The whole series qualifies for hard mode as it is not related to DC or Marvel. This review is covers issues #24, 25 and 26 The Metal Monsters of Midtown arc and issues #28, 29 and 30 the Pirate's Ghost Arc.

Issue #24 Metal Monsters of Midtown #1 - 3⭐
Cindy: UNBELIEVABLE! One of the machines is lifting a police car off the ground just as easily as a man would a child! That SOUND you just heard, Ladies and Gentleman, was the police car hurled toward us by one of the robots.

Manhattan. May 17, 1936 - Metal monsters are attacking Midtown, the police are losing, Lobster Johnson joins the fight, it is complete CHAOS! Reporter Cindy is covering everything, play by play, like this is the most exciting news worthy, radio event, ever!



Issue #25 Metal Monsters of Midtown #2 - 3⭐
Mysterious note: To whom it may concern. We have lost our souls.

Lobster's investigations lead to Miss Aliyev who spills the beans on what has actually been happening. Welp, I guess people still can't resist tinkering with ancient technology, weaponizing it or selling it to the highest bidder.



Issue #26 Metal Monsters of Midtown #3 - 4⭐
"Ladies and Gentleman, this is Cindy Tynan reporting for W.R.K.Z. Radio, and it appears the siege of the massive robots is far from over."

As Lobster and his crew race against time to try find Aliyev's 2 business partners who have robots, their only method is to turn on Aliyev's Robot! Before you know it there's a robot battle that even Policemen are watching and cheering at, because well, gosh darn, it might be quite an exciting spectator sport?



The character work in this issue is particularly good.

Issue #28 The Pirate's Ghost #1 - 3⭐
"Some old SCHOONER -- or, I don't know, a big BOAT -- just appeared in the Hudson. Nobody knows where it came from, but it's heading UPTOWN!"

Harry and Cindy Tynan's discussion about whether she should take a news anchor job in Chicago is interrupted when her boss tells her to get into the car because a Schooner is sailing up the Hudson!!


Issue #29 The Pirate's Ghost #2 - 3⭐
"Extra, Extra! Radio Newslady Missing!"

Lobster and his crew desperately try to locate Wald whom they think took Cindy as Harry is going nuts with worry after receiving a call from her kidnappers.



Issue #30 The Pirate's Ghost #3 - 3⭐
Wald: "We need to face the Lobster like men. THAT'S what EL BOGAVANTE would do.
Isog: "Sir, you are talking about a pirate from the nineteenth century. A Myth! A fairytale."

Wald is slowly losing his mind as he keeps talking to the Pirate's Ghost, who doesn't approve of Isog's plan to use Cindy as bait to lure Lobster Johnson out of hiding so they can kill him. As the two have a falling out, Lobster Johnson and Harry arrive to rescue Cindy, with unexpected results.
The ending of this was Noir levels of bitter sweet.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hellboy Reading Guide #34

Stories

Metal Monsters of Midtown (3 issues, 1st pub May-Jul 2016)
Timeline: New York City, 1936
Team: The Lobster, Harry, Lester, Bill, Bob, Cindy Tynan
Antagonist(s): Giant Robots
Summary: As a trio of massive machines rampages through New York, The Lobster notices some strange goings on among a few of the city's wealthy elite.

The Pirate's Ghost (3 issues, 1st pub Mar-May 2017)
Timeline: New York City, 1936
Team: The Lobster, Harry, Lester, Bill, Bob, Cindy Tynan
Antagonist(s): Arnold Wald, Mr. Isog, El Bogavante
Summary: A ghostly pirate ship drifts along the Hudson River, firing its cannons at shore-bound onlookers, and Cindy Tynan mysteriously disappears. Are these two events connected?

Review:
Cindy Tynan has, in some ways, become the central character of the Lobster Johnson series, if only because she is the one character with an arc. As the first story begins, we see she has made good on her ambition to find a new job, as she is now broadcasting live over the radio from the thick of the action. This will eventually lead to a job offer to move to Chicago as a journalist for the newsreels, but first, the gangster Arnie Wald has a score to settle with her, and she and Harry will have to decide whether their relationship can continue.

The Lobster himself is at the center of both of these conflicts, and once again the story walks right up to saying that his obsession with Justice has overstepped lines of morality, and then backs away from explicitly endorsing that view. I'm inclined to side with Cindy here, but The Lobster himself seems fundamentally unable to behave in any other way, or even to conceive of doing so. His strongest character traits are also his greatest limitations as a character . . . He'll never be anything more than this, so it's probably no wonder that we are nearing the end of his run here.

I liked "Metal Monsters of Midtown" a lot more than "The Pirate's Ghost," which felt like kind of a weird, anti-climactic conclusion to Lobster Johnson's longest-running storyline. "Metal Monsters" also ties in with other B.P.R.D. lore, and it's just a really good story, well-developed and well-told.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who are unaware, Lobster Johnson is a spin-off character from the Hellboy universe. He is first mentioned as a throwaway character in Wake the Devil and actually appears for the first time in The Conqueror Worm as a ghost who helps Hellboy defeat brain-in-a-bottle Herman von Klempt and the Ogdru Jahad. In this series, set in the 1930s, he resembles the type of pulp masked vigilante common for the era such as The Clown or The Shadow. He is known simply as the Lobster, due to his habit of branding his kills with a lobster claw shaped burn. It wasn’t until after his death that his alter-ego was uncovered and became known as Lobster Johnson. Two three-issue arcs are collected here.

The first arc is “Metal Monsters of Midtown” and demonstrates that the best part of these Hellboy spin-offs is when they reuse or expand upon a part of the Hellboy Universe already uncovered in a previous volume. In this case, three men from Zinco industries run across a cache of Hyborian technology, high up in the middle of nowhere - as they tended to be. They create giant metal robots operated by remote mental control from the technology, but find themselves addicted to the experience. Lobster Johnson and crew take it upon themselves to take these destructive devices down.

The second arc “The Pirate's Ghost” is not as good as the first, and is a sequel to “Get the Lobster” a ghostly pirate ship appears on the Hudson River, and the Lobster’s hunt for a major mob boss may have something to do with it. Old villains pop up, the female character is kidnapped and it becomes the object of a hunt. Very over-the-top and the plan doesn’t really make much sense, but the action is fun.

[Joseph R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first half of this book, Lobster Johnson is up against the titular "Metal Monsters of Midtown." Three robots attack a bank but don't steal anything. The police can't even put a dent in them; the Lobster is only slightly more successful with a grenade launcher. His real success comes as he and his associates investigate three missing Zinco Corp. employees. All three were working in Jersey on armored battle suits but they have not been to work in a while. The main engineer's wife provides enough information to turn the tide of battle. The story has the classic pulp adventure feel, like the old 1930s and 1940s serial adventures at the movies.

The second half is "The Pirate's Ghost." Crime boss Wald wants the Lobster dead and has hired the criminal schemer Isog, a Peter-Lorre-style henchman if ever there was one. Isog has an elaborate plan to lure the Lobster out of the city by kidnapping Cindy, a report who is the girlfriend of Harry, one of the Lobster's henchmen. Things are moving along but Wald is going crazy, seeing a pirate compadre (i.e. the titular ghost) who gives him all sorts of bad advice. The story drifts around a bit in an unsatisfying way. The real heart of story is the relationship between Harry and the reporter. She has an offer to move to Chicago to advance her career but Harry feels obligated to stay in New York to help the Lobster.

Mildly recommended.

[Nate]

Lobster Johnson fights giant robots then goes after Wald and ghost pirates in two stories. This was a pretty fun volume. Nothing ground-breaking, but fun. I like how Mignola and Arcudi give the characters more depth in these stories, especially the second one. Cindy, Harry, Wald, and Isog all have their moments. And I sound like a broken record, but I have to give it up to Zonjic again. I love his art. He brings so much pulpy character to these stories, visualizing 30’s New York with ease. I’d also like to bring attention to something that often gets taken for granted in comics: sound effects. I’m not sure who does them, Zonjic or letterer Clem Robbins, but the sound effects really pop off the page in these stories. Look at issue three of “The Pirate’s Ghost” to see what I’m talking about.

[Václav · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3,9 of 5 for the finale of the Wald's (and Isog's) long hold grudge against Lobster)
The best thing about Lobster Johnson series si Tonci Zonjic. His art (usually compelled with Steward fabulous colours) is fantastic, he splendidly captures the thirties, perfectly composes the scene and rethinks all positions, create a distinguishable face for every goon we meet and creates the perfect mix between reality, fantasy, irony and sarcasm in his art. Visually, the Lobster is perfect.
But this book is somehow so far the weakest one. It feels like the concentration of all well-worn stereotypes we fund in Lobster during the whole run. And even when Zonjic's art kept me interested, this book was rather weak on Lobster's standards.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brace of three-part stories brings us through another entertaining volume of the adventures of Lobster Johnson. In the first, our hero must contend with a trip of unstoppable robots that are rampaging through the city, and in the second, we finally come to the conclusion of the long-running war between Johnson and his crime-lord nemesis Wald, with both heroic and tragic results. As is the case with this entire run, we never learn anything about Lobster Johnson himself; he is essentially a force of nature in human form. That leaves all the character development to the side characters, but they way in which they fill out gives these stories stakes and humanity to spare. Justice!

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This volume is made up of two stories and I liked the first pretty well but the second one only had some interesting parts. As other reviewers have said, this was really pulpy from giant fighting robots to pirate ghosts. I thought the giant fighting robots were a more interesting foe for Lobster Johnson to square off against and the pirates stuff was a bit silly even if some bigger events happened in that story arc. Hopefully that will help drive the story forward in future arcs. The art is predictably fantastic here and a bit draw to the series. I've got the next volume lined up and I look forward to reading it after this one.

[Rizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent end to an excellent series. I'm glad we end on a high note. And I'm glad they found a way to make it feel like a finale using the supporting cast, since the Lobster's story can't end here (as this whole series is merely a prequel to his original standalone miniseries). The volume is divided into two stories, and both are great. They're fitting companion stories, as they both evoke different types of popular genre stories from the era (pulp sci-fi and swashbuckling adventure, respectively). I think the time period is captured better here than in any previous volume, despite the more overtly fantastical elements.

I could've easily read another 5 volumes of this series without complaints, but it's probably better to end on a high note.

[Zachary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great tale of the Lobster - or should I say tales, since there are two in this volume! First, a trio of mechanical monsters tear up the town, and then a ghostly pirate ship sails into the harbor. The artwork in this book is a thing of beauty, slick and expressive. While the central character remains something of a cipher, his supporting cast are very compelling, and the overall sense of adventure is a welcome addition to my bookshelf. It continues to remind me of The Rocketeer, which is a great compliment.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so filled this pulpy fun! Two stories, both really good. Readers get giant robots, damsels in distress, mysteries, fights, ancient civilizations, ghosts, gangsters, and more. It was very entertaining. Mignola and Arcudi payoff a long running story element and have a blast doing so. I thought the elimination of a certain character was too rash and Lobster's actions equally so though. The art was pitch perfect throughout. Overall, one of my favorite Lobster Johnson tales that only had some slight hiccups.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pulpy second to last volume. The pace is definitely starting to pick up in the story. We're really just starting to see how morally grey Lobster Johnson's "Justice" craze is, and how really, maybe we shouldn't just outright murder villains without some reform. Speaking of that, I'm sad to see Wald go, although it seemed about time. No one who is haunted by the spirit of a pirate is usually well off. I really liked Walds character wrap up. The definate highlight of this volume.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two three-part stories. The first is fun as engineers who've mastered some ancient Hyperborean technology use Manhattan as the backdrop for a game of Rock'Em, Sock'Em Robots. The second catches up on an assortment of characters, but try as I might i can't make sense of the plot. Good looking throughout, though.

[LdyLiberty]

Two 3 issue mini series collected together. I liked 'Metal Monsters'; the Hyperboreans plot tied into the Hellboy universe, and the story was delightfully creepy. I wasn't as impressed by 'Pirate's Ghost'; Isog was an interesting character, and I his death seemed anti climactic. I always thought he would have a more interesting back story.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really care for this one. The stories don't have any real weight to them and seem to be wrapped up a bit too neatly. Zonjic's art is good--if you can't get Mignola himself to draw, might as well find the best Mignola-type you can.

[Tatiana Alejandra de Castro Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este tomo tiene dos historias autoconclusivas pero, como siempre, toda la trama de Bogavante está relacionada.

Es complicado que me guste más el personaje de Cindy y concuerdo con el epílogo sobre el excelente trabajo de Tonci Zonjic. Esta serie es puro goce.