B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #118 Review

Now that we have the fourth entry, does this world still resonate with its audience? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

With the Russian bureau director on the brink of death, the B.P.R.D. somehow manages to stand their ground against Zinco’s forces, while Liz Sherman and the Black Flame fight fire against fire in the skies of New York, Akira style.

Two titanic forces are facing each other without thought or care for the debris that might get in their way. What struck me most about this is the fact that the creative team has been able to keep the action focused without sacrificing the core mechanics that have allowed this title to endure as long as it has. It’s a battle royal and we’ve lucky enough to get front row seats!

I have to hand it to both Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, they’ve crafted another script that’s dealing with characters that can be easily described as otherworldly but I never felt lost. It’s a rarity and both of the authors kept a frantic pace from beginning to end that kept me glued to my chair. It was awesome watching Liz Sherman light the sky in a spectacular bout with the Black Flame, it was back and forth carrying an epic scale that easily sold the actions of our players therein.

The visual component in this particular jaunt became more important than ever as chaos erupted, the illustrator had to push hard and deliver with a minimal amount of text. Panels full of detail were the gift of James Harren and I tip my proverbial hat to the talent because this issue contains some of his best looking renditions. Combined with the colors done by Dave Stewart it becomes apparent that there’s a science to this even as hundreds of monsters fill these dynamic pages.

B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #118 is superb entertainment so much so that I’m honestly tempted to give it a perfect score, the only thing that holds me back is that I know this team can do even better. Highly recommended.