Is It Good? BPRD Vampire #2 Review

Vampire #2. B.P.R.D. Mignola and Ba and Moon. Big bam badoom. Let’s get started.

B.P.R.D. Vampire #2 (Dark Horse Comics)

This issue is very history laden. It reads a lot like The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which is a historical take on the Dracula legend. So most of this puppy is agent Sam Eagle…

…in Czechoslovakia, getting a history lesson.

The art is fun, if cartoony. I’m still bothered by agent Simon Anders’ nose, but he looks English, so that would make sense, what with the schnoz and all. At least they don’t look as much like weird pointy nips, as the noses in Sledge-hammer 44 did. What really grabbed me was the atmospheric quality of the art in the issue, much like last issue. This issue we don’t just get creepy woods, but we also get a huge-ass castle.

The way the characters interact with the castle and the surrounding village gives the whole piece a vast, sweeping sensibility.

Is It Good?

8.5

• Sweeping, atmospheric art
• History blended in to this tale of vampires makes things seem more realistic

• History for many pages
• Vampires are discussed, but not seen

Yeah, it’s pretty good. Not a lot of action, but the history is woven into the narrative in a fun Mignola way, where it makes the whole vampire thing seem more plausible. The art is atmospheric and shadowy. I think my only issue with this (don’t use the word issue again) um, select installment, is the fact that we don’t see much vampire tomfoolery. We hear about plenty, and we see someone in flashback rumored to be a vampire, but we don’t get no bitin’.

Still, it is an exciting period piece, as it takes place in 1948, though how could you tell in Czechoslovakia? Honestly, it could be present day for all I know about Czechoslovakia. At least this fucker is a good five issue arc. We can really get some build up, and some meat in this sandwich. I’m not sure what the build up would be in this analogy sandwich. Cheese? Veggies? Whatever, go read.