Defeats & wins, inescapable destiny or not

This volume constitutes the conclusion of the trilogy "Scorched earth" (Volume 1 and Volume 2 The Warning The Black Goddess). It includes 5 episodes of the miniseries of the same name, as well as preparatory sketches for Guy Davis, with some brief comments.

Tom Manning (director of BPRD) is received in Washington with Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien. A small committee takes stock of their intervention in Mongolia and decides that henceforth the BPRD will no longer have recourse to the US armed forces. Kate Corrigan made a trip to Austria in human company she met in Munich, and a compact spectrum. Liz Sherman undergoes lifts dating back memories of his stay in Agartha. Panya chatting with Andrew Devon. After these clarifications, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman (with a team of field workers) back into the underground located under Agartha to conduct a cleaning operation. The mission is more dangerous than expected: they fall on a major enemy resistance pocket, plus the presence of Black Flame (M. Pope, former CEO of Zinco). Memnan Saa found a way to come back to say a final note to Liz Sherman. Borneo has been wiped off the map. A gigantic monster moved to the location of the Salt Lake Salton Sea in California.

Upon publication in episodes, Mike Mignola and John Arcudi had announced that this volume marks the end of the first era of modern adventures of the BPRD, implying a form of closure to the war against frogs monsters. In reading, it turns out that this volume is a continuation of previous incidents with a quantity of which does not diminish and still taking suspense. Already in The Black Goddess, the BPRD had won a significant victory against his opponents, while paying a high price. Logically, they lead their action after returning there. But Mignola and Arcudi does not simply return to the scene of the crime, they continue to change the situation and the characters. The story is part of a dynamic progression, thereby escaping the clichés comics whose heroes change only the better to return to the starting point a few months later. In the series of the BPRD, there never return to a status quo comfortable. Thus the war against the monsters frogs took on global proportions and this volume returns to the position of the BPRD in this global conflict. It goes even for the characters. There is no return to a previous state comforting. Abe Sapien continues to evolve atypical field leader. Liz Sherman continues to suffer the consequences of manipulations Memnan Saa. Mignola and Arcudi also provide last episode in the life of Lobster Johnson closes its operations satisfactorily. Each main character should have his moments under the spotlight that allow it to evolve perfectly consistent with the events he lived and his psychological profile. With this book, Mignola and Arcudi also back on the notion of destiny. As in the Hellboy series, several individuals act in the belief that the future is already written (especially the many predictions Memnan Saa in previous volumes). BPRD the agents must also bear this burden and choose whether they want to defy predictions, and if they have power.

Guy Davis continues to work in appointed illustrator of the series for my greatest visual pleasure. He continues to draw a little more loosely, more sketched, as he had already begun to do in the previous volume. His quick strokes have gained a little more efficient and it has gained capacity suggestion he has lost finesse. For the rest, it has preserved the meaning of the relevant details in the right place and the right measure sets. In the first scene (Manning of the hearing by policymakers in Washington), the setting for the meeting room based on some few elements (table, chair and paintings on the wall). Dave Stewart of colors layout perfectly complements the few traits to give Davis a palpable texture with armchairs. As soon as the characters come out in the hallway, Davis strives to put some more elements to give a real identity to that portion of space. When moving drive from Kate Corrigan, the decor is more or less developed depending on the attention she and passenger wear it. The next scene takes the reader on the basis of the BPRD in Colorado, and there Davis brings out each wall, each case and each forklift to convey the level of activity and the closed atmosphere of this place. Each new scene, Davis found a balance between what it shows, and it outlines what it leaves aside. This subtle balance provides a reading that allows the reader to project into each environment, while maintaining a high fluidity in the decryption boxes and planks. He still crunches as effectively human faces and deformities monsters. With too rapid glance, her illustrations give the impression of too rapid and unsightly sketches; but reading the emotions are evident on the faces and inhumanity supernatural creatures becomes plausible, while still foreign to humanity.

Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Guy Davis and Dave Stewart encircle the BPRD agents by visions of the future relentless. Again, their knowledge takes the reader alongside these very human hero, facing monsters with complex motivations. Another very good tome.