B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Devil’s Engine #3
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writers: Mike Mignola & John Arcudi
Artist: Tyler Crook (cover by Duncan Fegredo)
Colorist: Dave Stewart
This double-barreled story closes out with this issue, and on one front, Fenix and Agent Devon are fighting for their lives against beasts of unimaginable horror. On the other front, there’s the sinister company Zinco, and their foul experiments. They seem to be on the edge of a breakthrough, and it also seems that this breakthrough may lead to death and destruction! That is still a bit of a mystery that will surely bear fruit soon. Back in the action with the others, we see not only some great scenes with Fenix and Agent Devon battling the monsters, but we get a glimpse into why Fenix shot Abe. It was pretty much explained over the last couple of issues, but now Fenix and Devon actually discuss it out loud. The result of this conversation is basically that Abe’s future as a member of the BPRD is in serious jeopardy, as is his health currently.
This certainly wasn’t the best of the recent mini-series with the BPRD, but it did serve a purpose, and was a fun ride, too. Pickens County Horror and Exorcism are better for sure, and most would agree on that. Every chapter (mini) so far has more than entertained, and they’ve also shown us glimpses into the near future for the BPRD. Mignola and Arcudi have shown us these abominations that are running loose, plus the fact the Zinco is about to unleash something evil upon mankind. This coupled with the events from the other books, is all leading down a path that is more explosive than C4!
As usual, the team of Crook and Stewart do a masterful job on the artwork. The beasts are scary enough that if they were real, you’d crap your pants if you ran into one. Agent Devon and Fenix look like two frightened rabbits as the monsters are attacking. The backdrops in this book aren’t as important, nor do they have to be, so they don’t really stand out. Stewart adds his usual mix of colors, accented with some fantastic bright reds when the blood starts to spray! Duncan Fegredo is on cover art again, and he’s really starting to mix very well with this group of creators. (Alternate cover below by Mike Mignola) Rating 3.5/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
