Up for review is B.P.R.D.: The Warning #1 of 5

writer: John Arcudi
writer: Mike Mignola
penciler: Guy Davis
inker: Kevin Nowlan
colorist: Dave Stewart
cover penciler: Mike Mignola

With Hellboy II coming out this summer (I have yet to see it) there seem to have been a lot of Mignola-verse comics out recently. There was Abe Sapien: The Drowning, B.P.R.D. 1946, a couple of B.P.R.D. one-shots, and a new Hellboy mini-series. This series takes the focus back to the current incarnation of the B.P.R.D. and is really a follow up to the previous series B.P.R.D.: The Killing Ground. There are also a lot of returning elements from earlier B.P.R.D. issues. As such, this may not be a great jumping on place for any new reader. In fact, this will most likely just leave them feeling very confused.

The story opens up by showing us what the team are up to post-Killing grounds. Daimio is missing, and it is unknown whether he is in his monster form or human. Abe and a field team are tracking him up in the mountains. Johann Kraus has returned to his spirit form, and is seen clandestinely looking up the surname Daimio, for reasons unrevealed. Liz, Kate, Johann and Panya then hold a seance to discover why Lobster Johnson took control of Johann at the end of the last arc. This leads to the discovery of Liz’s mysterious visitor, and some revelations of Paya’s past.

There is a heck of a lot going on in this issue. Many things are continued from the previous arc, and lots of stuff is also being set up for this storyline. The return of the Frog Monsters from earlier stories is also hinted at, as well the authenticity of Liz’s visions of the apocalypse.

This is really great stuff if you are a fan of the B.P.R.D. series. Mignola and Arcudi craft a wonderful story here, with a nice cliffhanger that makes you wish you had a time machine to get a month into the future I know that neither Hellboy nor B.P.R.D. sell all that well in monthly format, and that most people seem to wait for the trade, but I really don’t think he is writing these to be read in a huge chunk. I believe they are best read in a monthly format, leaving the reader waiting for more, and pondering over the events of the last issue. Brilliant stuff.

On the Art side of things Guy Davis does a wonderful penciling job, and new inker Kevin Nowlan puts a fantastic finish on them. Dave Stewart’s colours are as fantastic as they always are. The cover from the issue was drawn by Mignola, with inks by Nowlan. It is quite an interesting cover, as it doesn’t look like Mignola’s typical style, but more of a combination between his style and Kevin Nowlan’s.

Grade: 9 out of 10

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