The metamorphosis is complete; to discuss this issue necessitates spoilers, so please be warned.
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Illustrated by Julian Totino TedescoJohann is lost in the memories of the Project Sledgehammer . . . Can he regain himself and control of the suit in time to save the BPRD?
While Johann has been a part of the B.P.R.D. book since the very beginning, the past year or so seems to really have been the year of Johann. All of that – the new containment suit and friendship with Iosif, the inhabiting of Enos’s body, the loss of so many people he used to call friends – has led him to a place where his humanity and his supernatural life have reached the same logical conclusion: Sledgehammer or bust.
This issue, in essence, is mainly an issue of “Sledgehammer ’45,” a book that doesn’t really exist, but is a natural follow up to “Sledgehammer ’44,” where we see Redding – the second inhabitant of the Sledgehammer suit – attempt to use his power for the best possible good, and we see the struggle that he has with the reality of the situation he finds himself in. Does he save a friend, does he fight on the ‘right’ side – he really doesn’t know. We see the distance with which he keeps reality, and we see him attempt to make peace with being not quite man and not quite machine.
This is a struggle that is very real to Johann, and has been a thrust of his arc for years now. As an outside observer of this occurrence, Johann could be taking any number of things from Redding/Sledge seemingly failing in all ways at his mission. Maybe he sees Redding’s mistakes and feels that he can do better? Maybe he sees the inevitable conclusion of his story is found surrendering himself to a totally lost humanity, and is ushering that in? Or maybe he just wants to help out his Bureau-mates as much as he can, and see the Sledgehammer suit as the way to do that.
Last month, Mark Tweedale and I praised Julian Totino Tedesco’s work for its versatility and its ability to reference the earlier “Sledgehammer” stories. This issue is less referential, in a good way, and allows Tedesco to tell the story in a style that is more his own. Don’t get me wrong, this still feels like the same world that was established by Latour and Campbell, but Tedesco brings something of his own to the work – perhaps a more pronounced Joe Kubert influence can be gleaned – but his solid work continues.
Especially compelling is his handling of the Sledge suit, and attempting to convey emotion from that human cage. Much like artists who draw Johann, Tedesco needs to use shadow and framing to get this across. The issue also feels the most, visually, like a Big Two comic than any B.P.R.D. comic has in years. I’m not saying that because it is a bad thing, it is just that Tedesco’s style could work quite well in a DC or Marvel title, and you can see why in this issue. The word ‘traditional’ is what I keep wanting to use, but I don’t think that is accurate, really – there is a polish to the work that is unlike what many others bring to the Mignolaverse. I don’t know if I can elaborate further.
The issue ends with Johann fully embracing the Vril suit as his new containment suit, and instantly shows off its potential – the monsters that agents were fighting were reduced to husks almost instantly. This might be the tool that the Bureau needs to really have a fighting chance to come out of the war anything other than decimated. I mentioned before that the last year has felt, very much, like the year of Johann – well, then the next year or so seems like it will be the year of Vril. With both Johann and Liz supercharged, and with Howards as the absolute beast that he is, the Bureau hasn’t looked this stacked, manpower wise…well, ever.
Could this finally be the turning point in the war that has consumed the Bureau for so long? Could I be…excited?
Final Verdict: 8.3 – A strong issue, full of development, but also a great teaser for what is to come.
