Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North B.P.R.D. Vampire is always a minimalistic book, but this issue in particular is. It’s not a bad issue, that’s not what I’m getting at. It is merely succinct. It establishes and creates exactly what it means to with art, characterization and story and nothing more. That said this is a fine issue.

Detective Anders is in a pickle, down and out in a derelict tomb and abandoned by his tour guide he has nothing but anger and wits to propel him forward. And he’ll need them, as in this issue he comes into contact with the famed vampire Lord Wilheim. Who, if I can just say is actually successfully made hella scary when we’re introduced to him, sitting motionless in a crumbling throne. The fact that he’s moving seems wrong. He’s a figure all grey and lifeless like a thing mummified—except the eyes-- whose contrasting ember red actually manage to feel like a real threat to our agent. We do not envy his position. When Wilhelm snatches him up and he looks more like a scared ass-less Charlie Brown than a hard case special agent, we don’t blame him.

From here our hero is tossed around like a kid’s toy and it isn’t until the intervening of the jealous ghosts of some of old Wilhelm’s old girls on the side that agent Anders manages to stand a chance. Anders allows himself (I think) to get possessed and from there wipes his ass with his crusty old adversary. It was a weird scene though, story wise. Anders takes on a different personality when the ghosts merge with him. What exactly is happening? Do the ghosts make him a hard-ass? It just seems like he gets much more knowledgeable and cocksure suddenly. A panel near the end where the agent stands, backed by vast black space, holding the vampire’s heart while standing over him and watching his dying breaths is one of the most kick ass I’ve seen in quite a while.

Kudos to the art team who does a wonderful job on the issue as always and to the writers too, who make the absolute most out of only a few words in these books.  This is another solid and gorgeous issue for Mr. Mignola and his team.

Score: 4/5

Writers: Mike Mignola, Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon Artists: Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 5/29/13