Review by Karl Verhoven

As was the case with Satan Smells a Rat, A Chain Forged in Life is a collection of five individual stories of the 1930s pulp adventurer, all conceived by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Beyond Lobster’s presence there’s barely a connection between them, each having a different style or mood.

The collection opens with the title story, and the bad guys settle their credentials early by abducting Santa from right in front of a department store along with his sack of presents. Troy Nixey draws them with gloriously distorted crooked faces, and with its sense of inevitable retribution this is almost a Goon story rather than a Lobster Johnson vehicle, although Nixey gives him a couple of fine moments as well. As a bonus the first and last pages are exquisitely drawn by Kevin Nowlan.

Toni Fejzula’s stunning art graces ‘The Glass Mantis’ (sample art left), which refers to a stunning glass creation by a Turkish sculptor who seems to have enemies. It’s a more satisfying story than the first, less predictable and with an unexpected spooky twist.

Lobster’s help is solicited in discovering why homeless men are going missing in ‘The Forgotten Man’, and artist Peter Snejbjerg supplies this collection’s second tip of the hat to The Goon, using the same leering exaggerations Eric Powell sometimes does. It’s a simple plot, but a glorious monsterfest where the telling is all in the art.

“The dead don’t want to come back, they want to sleep”, advises Lobster’s assistant Harry, “My grandpa told me that over and over”. It proves sound advice as for the second story in succession revived corpses provide the threat, but this time the supernatural replaces science as the cause. Stephen Green’s pages are faultless in delivering the pulp energy the feature requires (sample right).

‘Mangekyō’ starts with an attempted prison break and moves to a battle of the mind, which is far from Lobster’s usual area of expertise. How will he cope when guns are no use? Ben Stenbeck draws an imaginative adventure more dependent than the remainder on Dave Stewart’s colours for its impact. The monkeys in their creepy masks used by the Crimson Lotus add an extra disturbing touch.

You pretty well always know what you’re getting with Lobster Johnson. He’s a man of action and few words as he piles in fists active and guns blazing, and is provided with enemies who deserve nothing less. For years Mignola’s had an unerring eye for spotting talent, and the art matches the vigour of the stories.

For some reason the paperback version is in extremely short supply and commands high prices, so you might be better off just heading directly to the second Lobster Johnson Omnibus, where it’s combined with two other books. Or, of course, just go digital.