It's weird... I find that I miss Hellboy. I'm a latecomer to the books, and haven't even finished Conqueror Worm yet, but I know that Hellboy has left the B.P.R.D., and while I enjoy the cast that Mignola has cooked up to fill in the rest of the B.P.R.D.'s ranks, without Hellboy, it definitely feels like something is missing. Not something absolutely crucial, however, because this introductory issue of a new B.P.R.D. miniseries is pretty engaging. Mignola is back on writing chores, which means a return to the slightly more surreal and less straightforward plotting, represented in this issue by unusual dreams and hints of Abe Sapien's origins, as well as a return to the frog demons that were such a crucial part of the first Hellboy story. More than Hellboy himself, diehard fans may miss Mignola's artwork, but Guy Davis is a perfect choice to fill in, and his work here is fantastic.
I've read most of the Hellboy canon at this point, but it's still a little dodgy in my mind. Fortunately, Mignola isn't relying on prior knowledge of the fans for this issue. While you might get more of a scary kick out of the return of the frogs if you've read and dearly recall Seed of Destruction, Mignola makes the nature of the B.P.R.D., the characters who make up the cast and the creepy feeling of the bad guys pretty clear to new readers as well as old. A quick recap of B.P.R.D. origins is a nice touch, and it doubles as a foreboding warning of bad things to come for Abe Sapien.
Actually, there's a nice blend here between slightly strange imagery and haunting hints and more straightforward plot development. Abe's dream is just creepy, especially given the dangers that the sunken depths have represented in the Cthulhu mythos which informs Mignola's work on Hellboy. Just as creepy is the appearance of the mushroom and the power it holds over the mind (and body) of its followers. B.P.R.D. might not be overtly scary, but it does have a sort of haunting tone to it that is very interesting.
A lot of the creep factor actually comes from Guy Davis and Dave Stewart on art. Davis can't match Mignola's mastery of shadow, but he brings different skills to bear, namely a more intricate and organic look to the mushrooms and frog demons that makes them more scary, existing in a world that looks more realistic and less bizarre than the one that Mignola typically depicts. Davis also brings a touch of sadness and isolation to these characters, a nice bit of visual subtext for Abe, Roger and Liz, in that their isolation from the normal world isn't really touched upon in the script but comes through loud and clear in the way they walk through their lives.
With a Hellboy movie on the way, it's a shame that there aren't new Hellboy stories out there to greet the comic fans who are jazzed for more of the big red guy. Fortunately, Plague of Frogs will probably hit in the same horror/action mold as the movie, if the trailers are any indication, and while Hellboy is missing, there's an interesting cast, intriguing story and gorgeous artwork to carry reader interest.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
