Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 7/16

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #121
Story: Mike Mignola & John Arcudi
Art: Laurence Campbell

So many of the B.P.R.D. stories have been so big lately, that I forget what wonderful creepy little stories the book can do as well. That's not a complaint about the big stories, as "Reign of the Black Flame," the last five -parter, was one of my favorite action/horror stories the series has ever done. This issue wraps up a two part story that takes place both in the present and flashbacks to 1949, and features four of my favorite characters in the who Mignola-verse; in the present, it's Kate Corrigan and Professor J.H. O'Donnell, and in the past it's Professor Bruttenholm and Hellboy. Instead of ancient Lovecraftian horrors and men with flaming heads, this is really a haunted house story, or a haunted artifact story, with some possession tossed in for good measure. The daffy professor has accidentally unleashed an evil force that has possessed Kate, and now it's up to Liz Sherman, Panya, Fenix, and Carla Giarocco to figure out what is going on and to save Kate. In the past, Bruttenholm and a young Hellboy, who insisted on going on his first field mission, confront the necromancer whose spirit is wreaking havoc in the present, and that confrontation ends with Hellboy making a decision that I hope is going to play into the events in the upcoming Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. mini-series. It's also nice to see the good guys get an unqualified win; so much of Hell on Earth has seen our heroes fighting a rearguard action to stop the world from slipping deeper into the abyss, so even if it's a small one, a real victory is nice to see. I also want to give a real shout out to Laurence Campbell, whose moody, shadowy art worked beautifully in this story. B.P.R.D. has featured art form some of my favorite artists in comics, including Guy Davis, Tyler Crook, Ryan Sook, and of course Mike Mignola himself, and Campbell looks to be another artist in a long line who is going to burn up these pages with some really terrifying art.

Fables #142
Story: Bill Willingham
Art: Mark Buckingham & Eric Shanower

First things first: SPOILERS ahead for anyone who doesn't read Fables in singles. Trust me, you don't want to be spoiled. Move along to the next review, nothing to see here. It seems like Bill Willingham has been building to this last, mega-arc of Fables for quite some time, and now that the events have started to unfold, they're unfolding rapidly. Bigby Wolf, a broken monster thanks to the machinations of Miss Douglas, has drawn the attention of the mundies, the normal humans of New York, and is killing unrepentantly.  Grimble, the troll turned sparrow, has finally found someone who understands him. Winter, Snow and Bigby's daughter who is now the embodiment of the North Wind, is gathering her vassals for the final battle. And Snow White and Rose Red's fates seem to be moving on a bullet train to confrontation. All of these disparate plot elements are balanced, so none of them feel particularly rushed or forced. It's an intricate piece of work, similar to the finals major arcs of Sandman and Starman. The part that has me most curious is the mundy reaction to Bigby's monstrous attacks; the Fabletown community has done its best to keep out of the limelight for centuries, but this looks like their downfall in that respect, and I'm curious to see how that plays into the series climax. It's great to have Mark Buckingham going full steam ahead for this final arc, and especially his monster Bigby is something to behold. This arc also includes back-ups featuring, "The Last _____ Story." Last issue's Flycatcher story was a cute one page story, but this issue's is far more sinister. Featuring art from legendary Eric Shanower, it features Sinbad and shows that, even though the Empire of old has fallen, that is not the end of Empires, and Willingham hints that he might finally be able to use the grand villain he originally planned to be the Adversary. And if he doesn't, well, it's still a great nod for those of us wrapped up in Fables history.

Robin Rising: Omega
Story: Peter J. Tomasi
Art: Andy Kubert

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman has been the crown jewel of the New 52 Batman family, and rightly so; it's a gorgeous roller-coaster ride of a Batman title, with new ideas and amazing art. But the absolute heart of the Batman family has been Peter Tomasi's Batman & Robin. Tomasi, more than any other current writer of Batman, understands the emotional weight that Batman is under, and has done beautiful things with Batman's relationship not just with his currently deceased son, Damian, but with the rest of the Batman family. It's a book that has dealt with doubt, grief, and love better than most mainstream superhero comics could dream of. And now, after the quest to find the bodies of Damian and his mother, Talia al Ghul, stolen by her father, Ra's al Ghul, Batman finds himself trapped into an alliance with Ra's against the forces of Apokolips. The issue, which begins the "Robin Rising" story is mostly an action issue, with Batman, Ra's al Ghul, Batman's dog Titus, and Frankenstein battling Parademons and other minions of Darkseid lead by Glorious Godfrey to retrieve a Chaos Shard, a mystical artifact desired by Darkseid. Andy Kubert is an artist at home with massive amounts of kinetic action, and this issue gives him that in spades. And when the Justice League shows up, it's even more exciting. While all of that makes for a great comic, the first few pages, where Batman recounts his time with Damian, is the highlight of the issue. It's heartbreaking to see Batman go through everything he did, and then to lose the son that he had come to love and who had come to love and respect his father. The end of this issue sees Batman beginning a quest to retrieve Damian's body from Apokolips and to see him returned to life. I'm excited to see if he can pull it off.


And that's it for this week's reviews. This actually marks the 200th post here on The Matt Signal, so I want to thank you all for reading so far. Wednesday marks Batman Day, the day DC has set aside for celebrating Batman's 75th Anniversary, so expect a post about the things I love about Batman, and some more Batman goodness over the next couple weeks. I look forward to 200 more posts!

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 9/4

Batman: Black and White #1
Story: Various
Art: Various

The original Batman: Black and White mini-series from 1996 is one of the best mini-series I have ever read, featuring some of the greatest creators in comics telling short Batman stories, including a chilling Two-Face story by Bruce Timm and my first exposure to the works of a lesser known comics writer named Neil Gaiman.  And while the Black and White was used as the back ups feature in Batman: Gotham Knights for sometime, the return of it as a stand alone mini-series was something I looked forward to with both excitement and trepidation. This could be brilliant, or it could just remind me of how good the original was by how bad the new one is. And $4.99 as a price point? Ouch. Fortunately, I am pleased to say it was worth every penny. Five stories, each with a different flavor, a different take on the Dark Knight.

"Don't Know Where, Don't Know When" by Chip Kidd and Michael Cho- Chip Kidd has a fondness for Batman and classic architecture. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows about him, or who has read his graphic novel Batman: Death by Design. This story is as much a Robin story as a Batman story, where Robin, with the aid of Superman, hunts down a missing Batman. It's set in a nebulous yesterday, probably the 50s, but having the same timeless feel as Batman: The Animated Series. It's clever, and paints Robin as Batman's partner, not his golly-gee sidekick, a boy clever enought to find a solution even Superman couldn't. Michael Cho's art is in the Darwyn Cooke/Dave Bullock school, and well fits the tone of Kidd's story.

"Batman Zombie" by Neal Adams- After the long and convoluted Batman: Odyssey, I was worried to see Neal Adams back on a Batman story as writer and artist. While I still feel the story was over-scripted, Adams is making a social point, something he is known for, and doing it well, if a bit hamfistedly. A Batman who is only alive when facing costumed criminals, and completely unable (zombie-like) to face down real social issues, is a fair metaphor. The art felt a bit rushed, but in the end Bruce Wayne wakes up from his nightmare and sets out to do in the light what he can't do in the dark (and appears shirtless, an Adams trademark). The least of the stories in this issue, but still interesting.

"Justice is Served" by Maris Wicks and Joe Quinones- A very fun, very funny story that fits perfectly in the Batman: The Animated Series vibe that introduced our leads as a team: Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. When Ivy is accused of creating a plant additive that turns anyone who eats it into a morbidlt obese slob, Harley chases her down to get a cure for her babies, the hyenas, who have become victims. Ivy isn't behind it, and so the Demented Duo head out to find the perpetrator. It's a fun story, the DC Comics debut of writer Maris Wicks, who I now have to hunt down more work from. The art by Joe Quinones is gorgeous, and whets my appetite for the Black Canary/Zatanna graphic novel he is working on with Paul Dini.

"Driven" by John Arcudi and Sean Murphy- This story finds Alfred asking Batman what gave the Batmobile a dent in the front fender while Batman pulls out the engine to overhaul it. It's a story about how dedicated Batman is to being Batman, and how obsessed he can be, but told in a tongue in cheek manner that leads to a very amusing twist ending. Featuring another alum of Batman: The Animated Series, the rarely seen villain Roxy Rocket, it's a fun story, and Arcudi's story is handled ably by Sean Murphy's wild, kinetic style.

"Head Games" by Howard Mackie and Chris Samnee- This is very much a traditional Batman story, with Batman on the hunt for someone murdering mobsters while being reminded by Alfred of his duties as Bruce Wayne. This is a fun mystery that isn't hard to figure out the who, but the why is executed excellently. Howard Mackie, best known for his Marvel work, handles the relationship between Batman and Alfred wonderfully, and Chris Samnee, who makes his Batman debut here, does his usual excellent job.

If you aren't a fan of Batman's current direction, or if you just want a series that is light on continuity and heavy on quality, you can't do better than this one.

Forever Evil #1
Story: Geoff Johns
Art: David Finch

From continuity light to continuity heavy. Forever Evil is the beginning of DC Comics' first major crossover event since the inception of the New 52, and as a warning, there be SPOILERS AHEAD. Crossovers in comics for the past... probably five years, maybe longer, have been a dreary thing, full of darkness. And Forever Evil isn't changing that. Like Final Crisis, Age of Ultron, and Marvel's Dark Reign banner, this is a story of what happens when evil wins. The Crime Syndicate has come to the Earth of the DC heroes, and they claimed to have killed them. They have gathered the Crime Syndicate, and are now preparing to take over the world. So we've all seen this before. But it is a well crafted version of a story we've all read before, which is a point in its favor, and three particular aspects save this book and actually have me very interested. Firstly, is a moment among the Crime Syndicate where the Penguin comments that The Joker could be anywhere here wearing any face. I like this for a couple reasons: firstly, it's nice to see someone mention that Joker is still out there, but also this idea that Joker can now be anyone he wants adds a layer of extra horror to him (one I don't want to see play out for a long term; I want Joker with a face again sometime soon). Second is the unmasking of Nightwing. OK, yes, we've seen this happen before, within Brian Michael Bendis's Daredevil run, but I want to see how Dick handles it. Sue me for my Bat bias. The final thing, the thing that really has me interested, is the use of Lex Luthor. Luthor has been all over the place in personality and use in the New 52. I always liked how Johns handled Luthor during his run on Action Comics, and I like his Luthor here. This is a clever, cold, calculating Luthor, just how I like him. And the idea of Lex having to be the hero of the story, the one who will stand up against the Crime Syndicate, which is where I think/hope this is going, is a direction I'm curious to see Lex taken down. Well, that and the college age son of a Kord being mentioned. Am I the only one hoping this means that we'll be getting a Ted Kord Blue Beetle back out of this? I can't be.

The Star Wars #1
Story: J.W. Rinzler, from a screenplay by George Lucas
Art: Mike Mayhew

From light continuity, to heavy continuity, to new continuity. The Star Wars is an adaptation of George Lucas's first draft of what is now a multi-movie, multi-medium empire. And it's different. There's the charm of reading it and seeing who each character is an analogue for from the Original Trilogy, but that could only hold up for one or two issues. The question coming in to this issue was, is there enough plot, and different plot, to hold my interest. And I think there is. Luke Skywalker is a grizzled Jedi general, and Annikin Starkiller is the son of another great Jedi. This first issue is a lot of set-up, giving us a view of this new world that is sideways to the one that we're used to, and so it does suffer a bit from the disease of so many number ones, but we do get a view of who our protagonists and villains are, and hopefully with issue two we'll get more action. Mike Mayhew's art is beautiful, and his designs are reminiscent of Star Wars without being completely derivative. If you're a Star Wars fan, this is a can't miss, and if you're not, well, it's still a fun sci-fi comic that is worth chacking out.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 8/21

Batman and Nightwing #23
Story: Peter J Tomasi
Art: Patrick Gleason

The Batman team-up title wraps up its initial post-Damian arcand its exploration of the five stages of grief with, "Acceptance." I've enjoyed the use of Carrie Kelly in this title since Damian's death, but I think writer Peter Tomasi made the right call in not having anyone or any plotlines in this issue other than Batman and argueably his two most important supporting cast members: Nightwing, the grown-up original Robin, Dick Grayson, and Alfred Pennyworth. Batman's mental state has been fragile since he lost his son, and this issue we see Bruce using Internet 3.0, one of Grant Morrison's concepts from his Batman Incorporated series to run simulations of his actions during Damian's final minutes, trying to prove to himself he could have saved his son. This kind of self-flagellation is not uncommon in Batman's character, or in anyone who is grieving; the question of what you could have done differently is the most haunting one a person can entertain. Eventually he succeeds, but only when Dick joins him in the simulation, reinforcing the concept of family and that some burdens need to be shared. Dick also gets a great speech about how Bruce needs to use Damian's death in the same way he used his parents', as something to drive him forward, not something to wallow in. But its the very end of the issue, where Alfred uses the machine to see what he might have done to keep Damian from ever leaving the Batcave that night, when the full emotional weight of the issue strikes. After Alfred does indeed stop Damian from leaving, thus saving him, he comes out of the simulation to find Bruce waiting. Bruce realizes that he isn't, "the only one who lost a son that night" and he and Alfred embrace. Bruce has not just finally accepted the loss of Damian, but come to see the pain in others, which is pretty big step for someone so tightly insular. Now I want to see this level of empathy and acceptance reflected in the other Bat titles, hopefully moving Batman forward as a character.

B.P.R.D.: Hell On Earth #110
Story: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art: Tyler Crook

B.P.R.D. is one of those comics that is so consistently good that it's hard to pick out one issue that is exemplary; it's just a remarkably solid comic. But the new issue, beginning a five part arc, "Lake of Fire," jumps out at me for two important returns. Firstly, artist Tyler Crook returns. Since Guy Davis left, Crook has drawn the most issues of B.P.R.D., and his art this issue is outstanding. Not only are his monsters in top form, but the moments featuring this issue's other return are just as well done. The other return sees Liz Sherman return to the pages of this comic. Since Liz started the current Hell on Earth by using her power to wipe out a threat but also triggering devastation she has only appeared briefly in a story that was pretty much a Liz story. This issue feels more like Liz returning to the world. While she hasn't encountered any of the rest of the cast yet, I feel like we're moving in that direction, especially as the hospital where Liz is currently laid up in has a new doctor, one we have seen has certain sinister leanings, ones that will surely put Liza back in a situation where she will have to take action. Fenix, the psychic who has caused her share of trouble, has now arrived at the Salton Sea, where the last arc of the Abe Sapien series took place, and has encountered the same group of monster worshippers Abe did, something that I can't imagine is going to go over well with the volatile Fenix. After the past few short arcs, this longer one seems to be a story that is going to have some major ramifications, and I'm excited to see where it's going.

Chew Vol. 7: Bad Apples
Story: John Layman
Art: Rob Guillory

The seventh volume of John Layman and Rob Guillory's Chew begins the second half of the series, and events are really picking up speed. While series protagonist Tony Chu has been through a lot, and gone on a lot of assignments, he has often been a passive character, with events and people acting on him, and him not acting on them. All that has changed. After the end of the last volume and the death of someone close to Tony, he is done with that. Tony is using his powers in new ways and becoming something of a badass. He's storming compounds, using baseballs as deadly weapons, and calling The Vampire out. It's also a sure sign of Tony's evolution to see him finally stand up for himself with his tyrannical boss, Mike Applebee, finally giving him a piece of his mind. This sends a teary Applebee right into the arms of his sometimes love interest, Tony's partner, John Colby, who also shines in this volume. Colby does have a realization about Cesar and Savoy's relationship, which does show just how clever he can be, but at the same time winds up in a real pickle with his personal life, involving both Applebee and USDA director Penya, which leads to some of the funniest pages of the entire series. I won't say anymore, as not to spoil a brilliant page or two. But for all its humor, there is some serious plot momentum and darkness in this volume too. The Vampire continues his collecting of food powers, and is bracing for war with Tony, and the mystery surrounding the Church of the Immaculate Ova only deepens, as it seems they are playing a similar game. The volume ends with something that could lead to answers, or to even bigger questions. Oh, and there's a big two page spread of Poyo versus Pengthulu. Because what would a volume of Chew be without Poyo?

Recommended Reading for 11/22: Dark Horse Presents

I'm sitting, attempting to write after a thoroughly huge Thanksgiving dinner, and have a trip out to visit my in-laws tomorrow, so I am lacking in both time and energy, but how can I leave my loyal readers without a little something to read over the long weekend? This is going to be a short recommended reading, but it's something different and impressive.

Anthologies aren't big in mainstream comics anymore. We might get one or two a year, but that's about it. But a year and a half ago, Dark Horse returned to publishing its venerable Dark Horse Presents anthology, the book that gave us Concrete, Sin City, and a lot of early Hellboy in its original incarnation in the 90s and early 00s. The new anthology is an eight dollar comic with at least eighty pages of comics per issue, and sometimes over one hundred, and no adds, so you're not going to find a better deal for your money. But what makes it even better is the sheer variety of stories. Even if you don't like every story in a given issue, you're bound to find something you like.

Among the offerings over the course of the first eighteen issues of the new Dark Horse Presents, there have been a good number of stories from established properties. The first issue alone featured a Concrete story, hearkening back to the first issue of the first volume, as well as a Star Wars story, and a preview of the upcoming prequel to Frank Miller's 300, Xerxes. Since then, we have gotten stories from various corners of the Hellboy Universe, including tales of Lobster Johnson and the funeral for Hellboy, a continuing feature from Carla Speed McNeil's wonderful Finder, a Criminal Macabre short, and an Alien piece by John Layman and Sam Keith. Dark Horse also has begun relaunching its old superhero line with Ghost, which is currently running as a miniseries but got its start as a short in Dark Horse Presents.

But one of the real pleasures of an anthology like this, though, is discovering new characters and concepts, and there have been a couple that have really jumped out at me. Nate Cosby's Buddy Cops is the story of two partners, one of whom is a by the book robot and the other who is a superpowered alien who has been banished to Earth for being too... overzealous (meaning overly violent). It's a crazy fun series of short stories that play on both sci-fi tropes and cop movie tropes. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray are working on a sci-fi mystery series called "The Deep Sea," where, after 50 years, a lost deep sea sub returns with its crew completely unaged.

The highlight of new concepts for me has been The Black Beetle. Francesco Francavilla, whose work on Detective Comics and Black Panther: The Man Without Fear made him one of my favorite artists in comics and each work since has moved him higher in my estimation, writes and draws this excellent pulp influenced story. The Black Beetle is a pulp mystery man who fights a group of Nazis trying to steal an artifact from a museum. Its a standard set up, but Francavilla tells the story with such visual energy that you can't help be drawn in, and sets up mysteries about what the Nazis are up to and about the Beetle himself that I am excited to see answered in the upcoming Black Beetle mini-series.

I've just touched on a handful of stories from these first eighteen issues of Dark Horse Presents, and that isn't even scratching the surface. Do you like horror? Check out Richard Corben's Poe adaptations. Want some humor? Evan Dorkin has done new Milk & Cheese. In the mood for crime? Dark Horse is resurrecting the classic series Crime Does Not Pay. And this most recent issue saw the return of classic 40s comic hero Captain Midnight. Go out and pick up and issue of Dark Horse Presents and I challenge you to say there wasn't one story in there you enjoyed.

Dark Horse Presents is released monthly from Dark Horse comics, and the serials are often collected into one shot issue 0s of  upcoming mini-series. The Black Beetle: Night Shift #0, collecting the full serial will be released in December, with The Black Beetle: No Way Out #1 debuting in January.

Recommended Reading for 9/21: B.P.R.D.

Everybody loves Hellboy. Hellboy comics are fun, action packed adventures, with a brilliant mix of folklore and pulp action, and art by creator Mike Mignola, as well as luminaries like Richard Corben and Duncan Fegredo. But I'm not here to talk about Hellboy today. Just gotta mention hi, since he is the origin of what I am going to talk about: B.P.R.D., the series of mini-series featuring the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, who started out as Hellboy supporting cast members, and have since developed lives of their own, and added many characters to the cast since Hellboy left.

The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense is a covert government organization that started after World War II, and whose purview is everything that goes bump in the night. Founded by Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, The B.P.R.D. has fought vampire, werewolves, things from beyond space, frog monsters, and every other form of nasty. While Hellboy is its most famous agent, the B.P.R.D. has had many other special agents: the merman Abe Sapien, the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, Roger the Homunculus, ghost-in-the-machine-suit Johann Krauss, tough as nails and possibly undead Sergeant Ben Daimio, and scholar at large Kate Corrigan. The B.P.R.D. cast are all fascinating characters, fitting into, and interacting with, the strange world they live in uniquely.

Mike Mignola has said that part of what he likes about creating his own characters and writing in his own universe is that they can ge in real time and he can change the world. And Mignola is doing things in B.P.R.D. that have created a very different world. The worlds of so much fiction and comics really try to be similar to the real world without upsetting the status quo. Mignola, with co-writer John Arcudi, have tossed the world on its ear in this series, especially in the past couple of years since the title entered its new phase: Hell on Earth. Countries are destroyed, monsters are loose, and the B.P.R.D. is playing catch up. And more than once, a beloved character hasn't made it out of a story alive. The fact that these changes are creator driven and controlled gives them more weight, and make them more emotionally effecting since character death usually means the character is gone, and a change to the world or a character tends to be something that will resonate and not be reverted a month later.

The ability for the world, and the characters, to change is one of the things that not only drives B.P.R.D., but keeps my interest and keeps me coming back month in a month out. The series is a true ensemble, with mini-series switching focus from Abe to Kate to Johann and back, or the occasional one-shot or smaller mini featuring a background character like the somewhat insane professor J.H. O'Donnell or agent Ashley Strode.

Most of the other series I've written about in recommended readings have been either complete, or are a series of self contained stories. as B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth is still going strong, it's harder to discuss theme, as theme often becomes most clear when something is complete. The plots of the series I can discuss some, and will, especially with the series still running, attempt to avoid spoilers.

The B.P.R.D. series started out as the Bureau in a war with frog men, beings who had been created in an earlier Hellboy story. With Hellboy gone, the series took on a more serious tone than the early Hellboy stories. While always a horror comic, Hellboy himself brought a light touch to those stories, with his dry humor and his ability to charge into a situation without heed for his safety. B.P.R.D. rewarded long time readers with not just answers to longstanding questions like the origin of Abe Sapien, but laying new mysteries that were parsed out over issues and years. Liz Sherman has mysterious visions, Daimio struggles with the results of his mysterious resurrection, and the death of Roger the Homunculus are all things that impact the series long term.

The ending of the war of frogs is what really changes the ballgame. The world has been cracked open, volcanoes have erupted, giant monsters tear through the American southwest, and the B.P.R.D. now has a United Nations charter. Missions take place across the globe. And the Revelation that Abe Sapien is the first of what should be a species of men that would usher in a new era, no matter if he wants to be or not, cause friction within the B.P.R.D. And the evil Zinco Corporation is up to their usual brand of no good. The death of Hellboy, and the resultant catastrophe in England, is something else of the Bureau's plate. So all things considered, everyone has their hands full.

One of the most interesting things about the cast of B.P.R.D. is that Mignola and Arcudi are never afraid to pull their punches on how flawed their protagonists are. Each struggles with their own demons. Johann Krauss is bitter at his lack of a body, and when he briefly had one again, glutted himself on sensation, and since its loss has been obsessed with vengeance. Abe Sapien is often haunted by self doubt and questions about his past. Andrew Devon, a more recent addition to the team, holds certain prejudices against some of the more unusual members of the team, and has done some things that aren't exactly on the up and up. Panya, the ancient mummy who has returned to life with psychic powers, always seems to have her own agenda. These flaws make for interesting storytelling, because you're never sure if a character is going to do the right thing, or the right thing for them.

Kate Corrigan is a favorite character, and one who has experienced a great deal of change over the course of the series. When she was first introduced, she was a paranormal investigator and close friend of Hellboy. She would accompany him on missions, providing a thoughtful balance to Hellboy's more gung ho attitude. Over the course of B.P.R.D., Kate has witnessed the death of many of her friends. She has also become one of the heads of the Bureau. She has liaised with Russia, and has gained, and lost, a love. Seeing a character who was introduced to really support a main character grow into her own, and become a character who can headline a story, is one of the great joys of long form storytelling that appears in so few other media.

I usually spend some time at the end of each of these pieces talking a little about art, which is all I feel qualified to do, since I tend to follow comics for story, and not as much for art. But the Hellboy universe titles have always had incredible art, starting with the inimitable Mike Mignola. B.P.R.D. has ad art from such great artists as Ryan Sook, John Severin, Cameron Stewart, and Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba. The current Hell on Earth run is principally drawn by Tyler Crook, who is doing a bang up job, really capturing a world in ruins. But the principal artist on the earlier run was Guy Davis, who is one of my favorite comic book artists of all time. His style is unique. His characters are far from photo realistic, with a fluid look that is just a tad off kilter, perfectly working with his horror background. And no one draws monsters like Davis. his creatures are masses of fangs and tentacles, things that look like they sprang from his nightmares.

B.P.R.D. is a great comic because it tosses all sorts of genres into a blender and comes out with something uniquely its own. Part spy action comic, part horror comic, part character drama, you never know what you're going to get when you enter a new arc, or even a new issue. That level of mystery, combined with the general high  quality of the stories and art, make B.P.R.D. a comic I look forward to every month.

The initial run of B.P.R.D. is available in fifteen trades or four very nice hardcover omnibuses, all easily numbered, so you can start from the beginning and follow right along. Hell on Earth is three trades out, with a fourth due in December.The next issue comes out this coming Wednesday, the second issue in the Return of the Master arc. The October issue will be the 100th issue of B.P.R.D., and will buck the current trend by changing its numbering on the cover to reflect that milestone, and each issue after will be numbered from 100 onward. Personally, I look forward to buying a comic with a triple digit number again...