By Mignola, Arcudi, Campbell, Snejbjerg & Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781616551995
The latest BPRD volume follows two tales, and offers a brief preliminary to the recent Abe Sapien collection too.
Director Nichayko, the reanimated leader of the Russian occult sciences division gets a tale to himself that sheds more light on the mysterious Varvara that involves a blizzard, possession and an isolated broadcasting station.
The second story features the somewhat hapless Johann attempting to lead a rescue mission into Chicago, although they don’t get far before the helicopter is brought down and they have to proceed on foot. The hellish behemoths that erupt from the earth spewing contagion that mutates any humans that breathe it only serve to make their journey more hazardous as they are pursued across the country and into Chicago itself.
This series' success is down to the strong characters, all bizarre in their own way, that have been fleshed out (or not, in Johann’s case) across the Hellboy and BPRD stories to date, to the point that they can carry a story on their own. But its other strength is down to the extent that the creators are exploring this chaotic and dangerous world where creatures from hell stalk the land and hope is ever diminishing. The characters fight on, but to what end?
As an individual volume this isn’t the strongest to come out under the BPRD title but as part of a greater whole it makes for a satisfying and fascinating exploration of the concept, and when added to the recent events in Hellboy offers plenty of promise for what’s to come.
And if you liked that: You’ll certainly enjoy the dystopian world of The Walking Dead
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