Comics
Review: ‘B.P.R.D.: Vampire’ #3
BPRD: Vampire explodes into action in this week’s issue as Agent Anders’ finds himself in the presence of an ancient undead evil. The previous two issues of this story arc have been lacking the luster that Mike Mignola has built his universe upon. This third issue really makes up for lost time in that sense. The most disturbing thing about this issue is that there are two issues to follow it and with all the plot advancement and action that takes place, I’m truly at a loss as to which direction the story will go.
WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola, Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon
ART BY: Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
RELEASE: May 29th, 2013
PRICE: $3.50
We ease into this issue slowly as Anders attempts to track down the illusive Lord Wilhelm, soon enough magical powers surrounding the protagonist begin to activate he soon finds himself in the confrontation he’s been looking for. This issue answers some questions revolving around this story but it happens to introduce several big new ones. But the issue holds a lot of plot advancement and gives great insight into the character of Agent Anders, particularly his link to the vampires he seeks. Upon the completion of the issue we are left with some resolution but it’s clear that the ensuing issues will hold key answers to important issues.
The writing is spot on. There is a slow build to the banter between Anders and Wilhelm. It’s as if Anders is playing by the old saying “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. The presence of the ghostly apparitions adds additional dimensions to the dialogue going on for the bulk of the story. This book is no-where near as slow as the previous issues. It has that same slow build quality to it but the climax of the book is reached much more quickly and takes up a solid three quarters of the book. The book is action packed but with proper spacing between panels as not to go against the grain of the average BPRD book.
At first I was not a fan of this book’s artistic style. I felt the simplistic cartoony look of the characters took away from the sinister feeling that accompanies BPRD, but as the book progressed I found that the artistic style has grown on me. This is especially prevalent with Lord Wilhelm. He looks like one bad ass vampire and the contrast between him and Anders gives off that sinister dimension I mentioned previously. The setting of this book is drawn wonderfully, up close the ruins of the dank dungeon and abandoned upstairs are detailed but the back ground is left more with blank colour to give the effect of extreme darkness and large unknown territory left out of panel. When it comes to colours and shading this book is clearly that of the Migonla legacy, soft pallet with a hefty amount of shading and darkness gives the proper mood and effect.
I definitely like this issue the most out of the bunch and I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the arc develops.
3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GreenBastard
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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