B.P.R.D. 1948 #5
As Professor Bruttenholm and his team clean up the glass like deposits of enkeladite, a handful of B.P.R.D. agents make their last stand against the last batch of those dangerous inter-dimensional creatures.
I’ll admit, these 40’s B.P.R.D. series do offer a bit more character development. Sure, the monsters are deadly and the locales are the same, but Prof Bruttenholm’s a young man eager for new discoveries and he’s dealing with an infant Hellboy, who’s desperately trying to fit in with his human surroundings. This series also shows the Professor’s romantic side which we never get to see, as fellow scientist Miss Rieu challenges him romantically and scientifically with her views on inter-dimensional creatures punching a hole through our universe caused by an atomic explosion (see B.P.R.D. 1948 #1).
There’s also a gruesome alien autopsy and some very cool action moments, especially when this bird like creature comes swooping down, causing mayhem for the agents. Another reason for my dislike of these series, is Dark Horse’s choice of illustrations, however that’s not the case with this penciller. Max Fiumara’s drawings are creepy and inventive, giving the monsters a true sense of “not of this earth”. The human characters have great details with painstaking facial expressions that demonstrate their emotions efficiently. I’m eager to see what this guy will illustrate next.
The Team
Written by Mike Mignola (Hellboy In Hell, Baltimore : The Plague Ships) & John Arcudi (The Creep, Lobster Johnson Vol. 2 : The Burning Hand). Illustrated by Max Fiumara (Four Eyes Vol. 1 : Forged In Flames). Published by Dark Horse.The Pros & Cons
As we reach the end of yet another B.P.R.D. mini series, I’ve come to a realization. Truth be told I’m not a huge fan of these series, although I rather enjoyed this one, I find that there are too many of them & sometimes the same patterns are repeated over & over again. A strange occurrence is reported, a crack team of the bureau is called in, an ancient or in this case another worldly evil has surfaced, a few agents die horribly, monsters are defeated & the send a mop up crew, rinse, repeat.I’ll admit, these 40’s B.P.R.D. series do offer a bit more character development. Sure, the monsters are deadly and the locales are the same, but Prof Bruttenholm’s a young man eager for new discoveries and he’s dealing with an infant Hellboy, who’s desperately trying to fit in with his human surroundings. This series also shows the Professor’s romantic side which we never get to see, as fellow scientist Miss Rieu challenges him romantically and scientifically with her views on inter-dimensional creatures punching a hole through our universe caused by an atomic explosion (see B.P.R.D. 1948 #1).
There’s also a gruesome alien autopsy and some very cool action moments, especially when this bird like creature comes swooping down, causing mayhem for the agents. Another reason for my dislike of these series, is Dark Horse’s choice of illustrations, however that’s not the case with this penciller. Max Fiumara’s drawings are creepy and inventive, giving the monsters a true sense of “not of this earth”. The human characters have great details with painstaking facial expressions that demonstrate their emotions efficiently. I’m eager to see what this guy will illustrate next.
The Outcome
If you’re a die hard B.P.R.D. fan, you’re gonna get this series no matter what I say and that’s fine, but if you’re a random reader of this series like me, you’ll probably enjoy this. This issue gets a rating of 7 and so does the mini series.A Look Inside
