A supernatural spy thriller featuring Lobster Johnson’s greatest foe!
Creative Staff:
Story: John Arcudi
Art: Mindy Lee
Colors: Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Tonci Zonjic
What They Say:
Before she became Lobster Johnson’s greatest adversary, the Crimson Lotus was a young girl whose family was caught up in the Russo-Japanese War. Thirty years later, The Lotus exacts her revenge with terrifying international effects, and two spies must try to chase her through China before they become flies in her web.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
While Mike Mignola has created the Hellboy universe, I consider John Arcudi to be a major architect of the “Mignolaverse”. His contributions to the B.P.R.D. series is some of the best comics to come out in the modern era and what he did for those books are just as equally important as Mike Mignola himself. While we may have missed out on him finishing that team series of B.P.R.D., Arcudi returns for an origin story that an interesting character he created in the pages of Lobster Johnson, the Crimson Lotus. While she first appeared in a Lobster Johnson storyline, her origin was alluded to, as well as being part of the larger tapestry of the universe, with her grandson being Benjamin Daimiyo, a major player in the B.P.R.D. universe.
We’re introduced to the Crimson Lotus as a young girl named Miryoku, in the midst of the Russo-Japanese War. Her father is part of the Kenpetai, the Japanese Military Police, where he has a run-in with the Mad Monk, Rasputin. After doing unspeakable things to him, Miryoku encounters Rasputin and tells her a few words, before finding her father in an unrecognizable state. The book then cuts to 30 years later in the city of Harbin, China, where two spies are actively trying to figure out the death of various Russian occupants of the city. All of the eyewitnesses have stated that they’ve come across different haunting visions that have caused the deaths of these individuals. When trying to find the latest victim, they find that the Crimson Lotus has left her calling card and the two spies are embroiled in a spiritual battle between two evil forces.
When Mignola and Arcudi introduced the character in the pages of Lobster Johnson, it was already engaging due to her familial lineage. Now, with this proper origin story, Arcudi goes back to the well in a great way, by tying in both historical elements from Hellboy, as well as building a brilliant sense of dread and terror. Crimson Lotus feels like a natural progression in the “Mignolaverse” and cements itself as another welcome entry in the ever-expanding continuity of Hellboy comics. Mindy Lee’s art was teased a while ago and it’s extremely fitting that we have a female visual storyteller, contributing to this female characters story. While she may have not drawn her in the first place, Mindy’s work really integrates itself really well with both the time period that the story that Crimson Lotus is set in, as well drawing them authentically to their ethnicities.
In Summary:
This first issue of Crimson Lotus left me wanting more. The horror elements were as strong as The Crooked Man, which most Hellboy fans consider some of the most unsettling and made it a point to get under my skin. While the uninitiated might enjoy Crimson Lotus #1, this book really is for fans of the Hellboy books, to begin with. For those that haven’t read a Hellboy book ever, you still might enjoy aspects of this book, due to its strong writing and slick artwork, so either way, I’d recommend it!
Grade: A+
Age Rating: 18+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: November 21st, 2018
MSRP: $3.99