There’s something about B.P.R.D. that I’ve always found more attractive than Hellboy. Whether it’s the diverse cast, the more focused and interweaving storylines, or the art of Guy Davis, I’m uncertain. Whatever the reason is, B.P.R.D.: King of Fear is a pretty momentous occasion for fans of the series. This series wraps up the Scorched Earth trilogy after The Warning and The Black Goddess, and today brings the finale of that series. Does it meet up to the high standards of the B.P.R.D. or do I find it lacking?
Find out after the jump.
B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #5
Written by: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Illustrated by: Guy Davis
With the promise of wrapping up a long developing storyline and providing the building blocks for future adventures of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, B.P.R.D.: King of Fear had high expectations to live up to. Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and Guy Davis show us that we had very little to worry about, as the finale to this mini-series is an exciting one that will cause aftershocks long into the future of this series.
With the events of the last issue fresh in mind (Liz effectively using her powers to incinerate everything in the caves under Agartha, save apparently the B.P.R.D. crew), the ramifications of those actions are now being shown fully. For anything that the away team may have resolved, their problems have escalated into a whole new level of bad, and the trio of Johann Kraus, Kate Corrigan, and Director Manning are left to deal with the fallout.
This whole issue really highlights the strengths of Mignola and Arcudi as co-writers. Their pitch perfect characterization and flawless plotting shines within this issue, using the characters and their earlier actions to escalate the tension to even higher levels. The seeds of distrust are planted and the winds of change are gusting, and it is hard to tell where the book goes from here as a whole sea of new problems have risen. The issues touches back on not just the previous two Scorched Earth series books, but also B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls to help develop the reach and power of what goes on in the pages to an even higher level.
I’m trying really hard to avoid any spoilers that may affect your reading experience, but know this: from a writing standpoint, this book is pretty damn great. We’re given a lot of information very quickly, and it all matters. That’s one thing to note about this series of books…very rarely does even the slightest thing not matter at some point. My only complaint about this issue though is that it takes a few pages to piece together, but once it does it is fairly brilliant. It gets better on a second read as well, as you start to figure out how all of the pieces connect to the rest of the series.
Plus, DAMN. There are some great moments here. If you’re a long time fan of B.P.R.D., this will be a treat for you.
As you may imagine, Guy Davis is given ample opportunity to shine. As you could also predict, he runs with it and gives us a gorgeous book filled with incredible monster designs and some stunning pages. If the devil is in the details, Davis’ work is downright satanic with the sheer density of his images. He’s also has such a perfect eye for scene design, it makes the whole experience all the more cinematic and exciting to read. There is a real flow on the pages that must make Mignola and Arcudi’s job as writers all the more easy.
If you’re looking for an exciting wrap up to King of Fear, you’re going to get it. There’s a lot to love here, and we’re given a lot of exceptional turns that plant seeds for the series to just get bigger and better in the future. What more can we ask for from this great series?
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy
