B.P.R.D. Vampire #1 Review
Writing: Mike Mignola, Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon
Art: Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon
Review by Melissa Megan
Teaming up with Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon for this new series, Mike Mignola conjures up a new chapter in the chronicles of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Agent Anders is plagued with terrible dreams which he suspects contain more visionary truth than dreamy fiction. He’s angry and unsettled and decides to set out to find the creatures who haunt him, hoping to find peace for his soul no matter what it takes.
It’s easy to guess what sort of creatures we’re dealing with in this story. The issue opens up with a little introduction to the family: a pair of beautiful sisters and an aristocratic chaperon. They prowl the night, feasting on the blood of young virgins and filling the wilderness with their hollow, dead corpses.
This first issue doesn’t offer up a whole lot in terms of story but it’s flowing with atmosphere. The art is the real star here, creating the perfect mix of creepy fog and dream-like darkness. The colors are rich but soft at the same time. The vampires wander the forest dripping in blood and the blood leaves a trail of bright, red death behind them. The cover of this issue, in which the vampires are only visible in the blood, is a perfect opening to what’s to come inside.
Verdict: Buy it. B.P.R.D. is always a fun series to follow, regardless of the specific material chosen to feature, but this one should be a little extra satisfying with the creative team of Mignola, Ba and Moon. The artistic style is a departure from what we’re used to seeing in this series, in my opinion a very nice one. I look forward to reading more of Vampire and seeing what comes next.
