Well I’m pretty sure that the world of Hellboy and B.P.R.D. are forever changing and it is very exciting! The second issue of Hell on Earth: Monsters is full of reveals and leaves the book on a major cliffhanger that is sure to tie into Hellboy: The Fury or at the very least pick up in the next B.P.R.D. series. Elizabeth has been slumming in a trailer park where after trying to escape her crazed life at the B.R.P.D. has stumbled upon a cult of sorts in the very trailer park she’s staying in. Talk about a crappy choice. Currently she finds herself with a shot-gun pointing at her from one of the men she’s been staying with. It’s really unclear what her relationship is with the two men, be it romantic or just some strange living arrangement. She manages to take down both psychos she's up against before turning her attention to the mob outside the trailer about to perform a lynching. The sequences of events in this issue are non-stop and every scene holds a deeper meaning to the world of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.
I’ve never been much of a fan of the B.P.R.D. something about them always fell flat to me, but lately I can’t get enough of the series. The last series The Dead Remembered was an interesting mini full of great storytelling and highly crafted art and this newest series is not different. Mignola and John Arcudi make a great writing team as they keep the filler out of the comic and truly fill each page with substance while staying true to the world and the series.
There’s not much to say about the art other than newcomer Tyler Cook continues doing a great job on the series. He’s an amazing new talent that has stepped into the title and filled the shoes of artists before him. If he stays on the series I look forward to seeing him grow as an artist and add a new level of detail to his art and tackling some of the true “monsters” of the Hellboy-verse.
This is a no-brainer if you picked up the first issue, you won’t be disappointed and frankly the reveals that this issue contains for the Hellboy-verse are shocking and nothing that’s even been hinted at in the first issue. The only thing I would say is that it comes across a bit like a tie-in to Hellboy: The Furywhich is great for those reading that series as well, but not perfect for people that may only be reading B.P.R.D.
Score – 4/5
Writers: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Artist: Tyler Crook
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.50