And Then I Read: B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH Vol. 4

Image © Mike Mignola.

Usually I don’t go for stories where the main characters are miserable. For some reason, in the Hellboy universe, I do. Perhaps it’s because each of the agents of the B.P.R.D. are compensating for their own unhappiness by throwing everything they have into fighting monsters and protecting their world. In this “Hell on Earth” series, the monsters are so pervasive and powerful, the cause seems almost pointless, but they all carry on anyway as best they can. This book has two storylines. One focuses on a new agent trying to bring in a girl with psychic “hunches” that keep her one step ahead of trouble. There’s so much trouble around them that even her ability isn’t enough, though. In the other storyline, the ghostly Kraus in his fragile containment suit is leading a group of newer agents on a hunt for a werewolf in the forests of Canada. The werewolf is someone he knows well, making the story even sadder.

There’s not much good news in this book, but you will find compelling writing, suspense, thrills, and fine art by Tyler Crook and James Harren. Recommended.