B.P.R.D. Vampire by Mike Mignola and othersB.P.R.D.: Vampire by Mike Mignola (writer), Joshua Dysart (writer), Gabriel Ba (artist), Fabio Moon (artist), Dave Stewart (colorist), and Clem Robins (letterer)

It’s essential to read B.P.R.D: 1947 and 1948 before reading Vampire, which continues the story of Anders, an early B.P.R.D. agent who, after being taken hostage by two vampire sisters, has had a supernatural cure: The spirits of the two vampires have been locked away inside him, and they are trying to get out. Anders asks the professor for the opportunity to leave the B.P.R.D. before he gets even worse. And, primarily, Anders wants to seek out and destroy vampires as his way to seek revenge.

On his journey, Anders traces family bloodlines and history and rumors that will lead him to the gathering of witches and vampires to worship Hecate. When he is assisted by a local young woman who is seemingly naïve in her understanding of the vampires, they both end up in more trouble than they can perhaps wiggle out of. But Anders is the one in the most trouble as he faces down a powerful vampire, showing him the rings of a Vampire killed by his own kind in B.P.R.D. 1947 because of Anders.

This story is a little difficult to follow, so it is important to pay attention to the history lessons we get in the comic: They are central to the plot and explain the sequence of villains and witches that Anders needs to face. It would seem that Anders, a mere mortal, would not be able to hold his own in his battles, but with the power of the two sisters inside of him, he is more than a match for the vampires and witches. These scenes allow for great art from Moon and Ba.

Overall, this comic is well-written and strong on action even at the same time that it has a convoluted history. But it is a fitting end to the story of Anders, and for this reason, it should be seen as another strong five-star comic in the larger Hellboy series.

Author

  • Brad Hawley

    BRAD HAWLEY, who's been with us since April 2012, earned his PhD in English from the University of Oregon with areas of specialty in the ethics of literature and rhetoric. Since 1993, he has taught courses on The Beat Generation, 20th-Century Poetry, 20th-Century British Novel, Introduction to Literature, Shakespeare, and Public Speaking, as well as various survey courses in British, American, and World Literature. He currently teaches Crime Fiction, Comics, and academic writing at Oxford College of Emory University where his wife, Dr. Adriane Ivey, also teaches English. They live with their two young children outside of Atlanta, Georgia.