Severe lack of finesse

The Nazi Germany is no longer, Berlin fell and was divided into 4 zones: one for French and one for US and one for Russian and one for English. Trevor Bruttenholm landed in the American sector to carry out a mission on behalf of the BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) that has just been created. Its aim is to gather as much information about the supernatural weapons developed by the Third Reich, from the archives collected in the rubble. He is assisted by 5 inconvenient soldiers who do not understand why they can not return home now that the war is over. Fortunately for Bruttenholm, one of them was present at the first appearance of Hellboy in East Bromwich in December 1944 (in Seed of Destruction). Unfortunately, the Russians started the demining operation (and recovery) of weapons of sorcery before and Bruttenholm finds paring records without interest. He attempts a reconciliation with Russian and breaks the teeth on their head: a young prepubescent girl playing with dolls. The working paperwork however eventually uncover deliveries with liquid nitrogen to an insane asylum theory closed for several years. Bruttenholm discovers the still living remnants of the operation "Project Vampir Sturm".

This volume is therefore a break in the general history of the war against frogs monsters. Mike Mignola has built the foundations of history with Joshua Dysart, and he let him finish the story and write the dialogues. From the first pages, the tab Mignola is easily recognizable: the Nazis, a vampire, the mad scientist experiments, etc. For this particular story that does not fit directly into the thread of the series, he chose to work with another writer John Arcudi. Joshua Dysart is a full-fledged writer, best known for his work on the series Unknown Soldier. This very competent gentleman faces two major challenges: (1) this is his first foray into the world of Hellboy + (2) only Trevor Bruttenholm is an already established character. For my taste, Dysart can not make the characters exist beyond one or two little nuanced character traits. Bruttenholm could be replaced by any other agent versed in the occult arts, it does not make much difference. Only floats interest in Hellboy. Similarly, the character of Varvara loses interest once his true nature is revealed. In fact, the indications and the creations of Mignola clearly appear as choice cuts amid an unappetizing brew concocted by Dysart Mignola to link elements together. Admittedly Dysart is not helped by a cast of characters without any thickness and in the absence of a team dynamic. Forget the complex relationships between Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, Johann Kraus, Ben and Kate Daimio Korrigan; 3 people here who are strangers to each other working together somehow not really create a link between them.

The illustrations were entrusted to Paul Azaceta, also new to the adventures of the BPRD (seen in episodes of Spider-Man and Daredevil). The first episode begins rather well: Azaceta monkey with a little personality style eaten by a flat-black Mike Mignola. And page after page, the faces lose precision to be limited to sketches in broad strokes having lost all sensitivity, every nuance. It becomes impossible to distinguish an emotion on those frozen faces. The monsters have their features melt away to be more generic and bland. Only sets retain a strong identity from the beginning to the end. Compared to the usual work of designer BPRD (Guy Davis), these pages are missing nuances and precision. Even Nick Filardi (the director in color) applies color on large surfaces with a trowel, without any shade. The colors are nice and blend well with the history, but the job is rude and it drowns every page in a uniform mud little pleasing to the eye.

After the 5 episodes of the miniseries, volume closes with a history of any magical object possessed with Trevor Bruttenholm, published on the occasion of Free Comics Book Day. This story is performed by the same team as the rest.

This volume is the first real disappointment in this series. Fortunately the usual team Mignola Davis + + Arcudi resumes in hand in BPRD BPRD 10: The Warning, the next volume.