One note about our review: somehow both Brian and I forgot the origin of this mini’s Wendigo character, which screwed us at the time of the review. We’ve since corrected ourselves, but our original discussion? That’s still the same.
You can find our thoughts on this mini after the jump.
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Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Illustrated by James HarrenIn a frozen camp full of slaughtered agents, two monstrous, long-running characters go head to head in a life-and-death battle!
* From the pages of Hellboy!
* The Wendigo vs. the Jaguar God!
“Eighty issues in, and B.P.R.D. is still going strong.” –Comic Book Resources
Fellow MC writer Brian Salvatore and I are back with another edition of Mignolaversity, as we take a look at the series closer of B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Long Death, bringing James Harren’s first work on the series (officially – he did an Abe Sapien mini) to a close.
David: The last issue of “B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Long Death” is here, and it is at least the clubhouse leader for longest title of the year. This arc wraps up Johann’s journey for revenge against Daimio as well as featuring one of the more violent comic fights in recent memory. How’d it wrap up the story for you? Did it do the job, or did you find it lacking?
Brian: Let me tell you something, DH – I was NOT expecting such an epic action sequence to be the centerpiece of this issue. That said, it was a pretty glorious battle. I thought the issue brought the mini to a close in a totally unexpected, yet pretty ingenius, way. What say you?
David: I was expecting it, but mostly because in our previous interview with artist James Harren, he sort of hinted at it. He said the entirety of this issue was a highlight for him personally, and it’s hard to disagree: this was an incredibly badass visual issue. Harren killed it, and the sadness of the Wendigo combined with the sadness of Daimio added a layer to the fight that you wouldn’t normally get in your average comic fight. It was a great finish, although, am I dumb or was the explanation of why the Wendigo was the one that had to kill Daimio a little hard to understand? (Editor’s note: we figured out that we’re dumb)
Brian: Yeah, I agree – in fact, I’m still not totally sure why things went down the way they did. That said, I enjoyed the hell (pun intended) out of the battle and, as you said, the sadness was palpable and borderline tragic. I just wish there was a more clear explanation.
David: I couldn’t agree more. If any Mignola folk read this and can explain, we’d love to know.
That said, it didn’t harm the comic really at all. I think a certain degree of confusion was meant to be in this case, as the two BPRD agents camping with Johann’s suit also are in the dark when Johann pulls his “more secrets” routine. Maybe that’s just the role we were designed to play, as well.
I hate to beat this drum anymore though, but good god – JAMES HARREN. Did he not make the Wendigo a tangibly tragic character? Just the posture Harren has him in as Daimio approaches is just haunting. Then, that two panel showdown between a silent Wendigo and his eyes and Daimio, verging on tears, imploring “I can’t all right?” to the beast…it’s just uncanny work. If Harren doesn’t end up winning Eisners (emphasis on plural) in his career, it will be a damn shame. The guy has a gift, and in this issue it manifests it in powerful, emotional visual storytelling amidst arguably the most intense fight I’ve seen in comics.
JAMES HARREN!
Brian: I concur – Harren takes what should be an adrenaline-pumping sequence and turns it into a bitter elegy for these two creatures. His work throughout is nothing short of amazing, and he’s only 25 years old! The sky’s the limit for Harren, and I can’t wait to see what he’s up to next.
Continued belowSo, back to the story itself – what started off as a study in Johann’s humanity turned into an epilogue for Captain Daimio. As the long term B.P.R.D. fan here, does this properly resolve the story line for you?
David: Oh yeah, and it’s an ending that really befits the character. Daimio was always a hardcase, but it wasn’t really his intent to destroy Johann’s body or anything like that. He’s a man destroyed by the fact he’s a monster. He wanted death, and it was a death he was long waiting for. I think we finally were given the true meaning of the title in this issue, and it was pretty stellar stuff.
The ending, with Johann calmly discovering Daimio destroyed body and then telling his team they could go home now, was pretty much spot on. I think in a lot of ways everyone got what they wanted out of the deal, even if two of the characters ceased to exist when it was all said and done. What about you? As the more recent BPRD fan, did you get a lot out of the story?
Brian: I did – for any series to survive, it has to be somewhat new-reader friendly, and B.P.R.D. does a good job of giving you enough information built into their storylines to make new fans not feel like they’re missing out, but also aren’t so exposition heavy that it feels like a Golden Age comic.
I also like how literally this fits into the “Year of Monsters” theme (which, I have to say, hasn’t been as overt as I thought it would be).
David: Agreed entirely. It was a really damn solid wrap up to this mini-series, which I think was tremendous. Even though I have to dock it points for not making the Wendigo/Daimio connection easy to understand, it still gets an 8.5 for me. What about you?
Brian: Drawn by anyone else, this is a 7 – but, to me, Harren bumps it up to an 8. That is how great his work has been.
David: James Harren for President! JAMES HARREN!
