Hellboy and the B.P.R.D #3

by Forrest.H on February 04, 2015

Hellboy and bprd issue 3 comic review
An average issue that sets up better ones to come 

Writers: John Arcudi & Mike Mignola
Artist: Alex Maleev
Publisher: Dark Horse


Arcudi and Mignola deliver an average installment in the Hellboy and BPRD saga that, right at the end, promises great things to come. This issue succeeds, and suffers, because of the same thing: Hellboy being detached from the B.P.R.D for the majority of this issue.

 It succeeds, because the action leading to Hellboy’s dismissal as well as what happens to the B.P.R.D while he’s away, are tense and intriguing story elements. The reveal of the monkey beast’s identity is, unfortunately, just too close to something that Lobster Johnson just did in its most recent arc. However, the action immediately following as well as the cult-y end of the world elements (introduced in true Mignola style), are perfectly in-line with what Mignola fans have come to expect: cryptic, creepy and suspenseful action and storylines that intrigue and frustrate in the best ways possible. The end bit, where Hellboy returns to the focus of the story, promises great things to come, too, and hints at the reasons why Mignola is revisiting this particular time in the big red guy’s life
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It suffers because Hellboy truly isn’t the focus of this issue. When you’re promised a detail of Hellboy’s first mission with the B.P.R.D, you expect it to focus on him and this issue doesn’t. That isn’t to say that these creators owe that to us readers, because they certainly don’t, but it does disappoint. Again, too, I have to point out that the story is generally stronger when Hellboy is directly involved as the other B.P.R.D agents investigate something that doesn’t really break any ground in this universe especially because stories teetering dangerously close to this have been done by this team recently.

Maleev guides the book successfully through its strong and weak points like he has in the previous issues. His depictions of the newly introduced cult elements in this issue are truly impressive and convey the kind of Victorian-horror-Cthulhu-grit that these Hellboy books are known, rightfully, for.

This issue is a little more disjointed than previous ones in the arc but it introduces a variety of elements that are sure to pay off soon. 
 

Our Score:

6/10

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