Hellboy and The B.P.R.D.: 1957 — Fearful Symmetry | Writer: Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson | Artist: Alison Sampson | Letterer: Clem Robins | Cover Artist: Laurence Campbell
Sometimes the references within the vast Hellboy universe are so obscure that one has to take to the unofficial Wiki site to know who each person is.
That was the case with agent Virginia Payne… and the particular way in which she ended up inside the B.P.R.D.
It is 1957, of course, and Hellboy was called to India. I think this is one of the few instances of him within such a vast and rich culture, and he surely deserves more time in it.
Here the concept of weretigers is a common one, and villagers are not too happy about the beasts’ attacks and the ensuing mayhem. Hellboy is still young, and Virginia is there as a liaison—when she’s not recording folk tales and learning Hindi under a sky as different from her regular western one as it can be. (Not to mention that heat!)
The atmosphere is so well constructed—and the dialogues so rich—that it’s easy to forget about the tigers harassing the small village and just focus on the core characters.
That is a significant achievement with such scant material, but Mignola is also a genius when it comes to choosing artists, and this is no exception. Alison Sampson is an incredible artist with a masterful grasp of both color theory and emotion.
Hellboy and The B.P.R.D.: 1957 — Fearful Symmetry is available on June 28, 2023.
On sale June 28, 2023
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
UPC: 7 61568 00921 7 00111
Featured image by Alison Sampson, all images belong to Dark Horse Comics
