Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #1

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Written by: Mignola & John Arcudi

Art by: Alex Maleev

On sale: December 3rd

In 2014 Dark Horse Comics has celebrated 20 years of Hellboy by legendary writer/ artist Mike Mignola with Hellboy Day, the publication of the New York Times bestselling Hellboy: The First 20 Years, the paperback release of the highly acclaimed Hellboy in Hell, the trade paperback of the Eisner Award winning Itty Bitty Hellboy, scores of comic books featuring Mignola creations Hellboy, the BPRD and Abe Sapien. And now Dark Horse caps of the year with a story that is 20 years in the making– Hellboy’s very first field mission as a member of the BPRD.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #1 is a fantastic read for fans of Hellboy and also for anyone wanting to get into the dread-filled, darkly mythological and pulpy action-adventure stories that Mike Mignola has been creating for the past twenty years. Set in 1952, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. is written by Mignola and John Arcudi and features superb artwork from classic artist Alex Maleev and it also marks Hellboy’s first assignment with the B.P.R.D.

So, is Hellboy’s first mission any good? Straight answer: Yes.

It is a marvelous mix of classic Mignola, with the story following a bizarre series of murders and rumors of something much worse. This leads Professor Bruttenholm to make the ultimate decision to send a young Hellboy to a Brazilian village on his first mission. Hellboy and a small group of agents uncover something terrible in the shadows of a sixteenth-century Portuguese fortress. What makes this series something special is that we are finally going find out what Hellboy got up to in the 50 years that Mike Mignola skipped when he first introduced the character back in 1994 and that is what makes it such a treat for both hardcore and casual fans. Yes, Mignola did touch on Hellboy’s past in previous issues of B.P.R.D. and Abe Sapien, but there is a feeling that Mignola and Arcudi are planning to tie it all together.

The first issue is everything you could ask for in a Hellboy comic and the storyline is gripping, with Hellboy’s quips being even more absurd and fantastic.

Alex Maleev and Dave Stewarts’ artwork works perfectly with his style and look matching that of the story. Maleev’s artwork in Hellboy and the B.P.D.R is truly sublime. Alex gets to show off a whole new side of his artwork during exploring Mignola’s universe, and this can already be seen in the first issue. A must read for Mignola fans, Hellboy fans and Maleev fans. Also a great way to start off with the character of Hellboy if you have missed out on Mignola’s magnificent creation.

5 out of 5 Nerds