“The dead speak to me….I’m here for them.”
What They Say:
Agent Johann Kraus, the ectoplasmic man, leads a special task force through monster-filled northwestern woods packed with mangled campers in order to hunt and kill the man he blames for the host body he lost in Killing Ground.
Creators:
Writer: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Artist: James Harren
The Review:
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is the first and last line of defense against humanity and the forces of mystical darkness. Its most famous member is Hellboy, but he is far from alone. Even on a team with a devil man, a pyrokinetic, a golem, and a fish man, Agent Kraus stands out. He has no body, only an amorphous blob of ectoplasmic goo that carries his consciousness. He can possess dead bodies, but he spends most of his time in a containment suit. For a brief time, though, Kraus had a real, live body to inhabit, but thanks to another BPRD agent, Captain Daimio, he lost it, and with it possibly any chance at a more-or-less normal life.
Hellboy has always been surrounded by one of the most eclectic, uncanny, and fascinating cast of characters in comics, so it’s been great following their adventures—most of the time. Unfortunately, this time the adventure falls flat. A beast is terrorizing the Pacific northwest, leaving a trail of mutilated bodies in its wake. The BPRD is called in, and when it turns out that the creature may well be the traitorous Captain Daimio, Kraus is determined to find out and exact his revenge. The majority of the issue deals with Kraus’ guilt over letting his desire for revenge override his sense of duty. Because of his obsession, he was not present to lead his team, and one of the members was injured.
The main issue here isn’t a defect of the comic, but a lack of familiarity on my part. As much as I’ve enjoyed the adventures of the BPRD, I haven’t read as many of their stories as I have Hellboy’s, including the previous story involving Kraus’ new body. Thus the emotional impact of this tale is muted for me. I’m not sure how Captain Daimio transformed into the beast, why he did it, or even what exactly he transformed into. For that matter, I don’t know why he destroyed Kraus’ body—whether it was part of some random rampage or if the destruction was targeted. I don’t have enough backstory to properly engage in the plot.
All of that being said, this wasn’t a bad comic. The pacing was solid, the characterization spot-on, and the art and color were great. It was moody and atmospheric and it completely fit the story being told, so even with the emotional disconnection I felt, I still enjoyed this.
In Summary:
While I didn’t engage with this comic on all the levels that I could, BPRD was still a quality comic that Hellboy fans should enjoy as long as they’re up on the backstory.
Grade: B
