4 out of 5

I normally prefer my LoJo as standalone stories – the last few one-shots / arcs have casually started to drift together – and this one-shot felt like the first in the series (of mini-series) to not even prevent a front toward being new-reader accessible.  Given what I’ve said above, that should automatically be a barrier to entry, but this turned out to be a fantastically thrilling issue, with some of the most refreshingly energetic art from Stembeck I’ve yet seen.  As Arcudi has since left B.P.R.D., if he’s decided to make Lobster John his little playground, and thrilling issues like this are the result… then everything is a-okay with the world.

Crimson Lotus’ damned creepy trickster monkeys are up to no good, thwarted by the LoJo crew and then used to track down their keeper, after which a trippy mind-screw battle occurs.  LoJo fires his guns a lot.

There’s a great dream-like spiraling-out-of-control sense as the battle rears on, and Stenbeck’s steadiness gives way to some fantastic pacing and eye direction during these scenes, with a bright wash of colors (an appreciated change from Baltimore’s staid grey and red setup) from Dave Stewart.

The issue is a bit McGuffiny, but it was a nice step toward story-alizing LoJo, and an enticing stake of character ownership from Arcudi.