Saturday, June 28, 2008

B. P. R. D.- Killing Ground by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and Guy Davis

After Johann's discovery in the last Graphic Novel of Captain Benjamin Daimio's past ancestor, they are questioning him pretty heavily, which he objects to. Johann has taken control of one of the soulless bodies made to house the spirit of Langdon Caul's former friends and the spirits of thousands of others, allowing him to eat, drink, breathe and live in a way he has not been able to in a very long while.

As Damio storms out from his questioning in disgust, a man who is being posted to the Denver office of the B.P.R.D is attacked, his computer, briefcase, identity and car stolen. The question is, why? And the facility takes delivery of a Wendigo named Darryl, who Abe Sapien and Hellboy once met. He once remembered his name and life as a human, even if it was hard for him not to act on his instincts as a Wendigo. But even though the scientists at the B.P.R.D. have been trying to reverse the process and turn him human again, his humanity seems long gone, rendering him just a Wendigo.

Liz's visions continue, despite her not wanting to trust Rasputin, and she has been taking to talking to Panya, as the mummy has had her own visions of the Apocalypse.

But when Darryl escapes, Johann, entranced by his new body, has gone off base against orders to carouse and pick up girls. Damio and Abe go in search of Darryl, who manages to escape the base in a blinding snowstorm, only for Damio to go crazy and become some kind of jaguar-monster thing that knocks Liz out. The search for Darryl becomes a search for Damio and an attempt to awaken Liz, who remains unconscious despite nothing apparently being wrong physically.

Who was Damio, really, and what happened to him? Why has this transformation happened, and how can it be stopped? Can they ever get back the man they knew or is it a hopeless task? And does Damio even know what has happened to him?

Another excellent graphic novel. Damio has been such a staunch member of the B.P.R.D. that although when he was introduced I fully expected him to be some sort of monster or infiltrator, that expectation has dimmed with the passage of time, only to now see it bear fruit was a bittersweet experience at best.

Although I didn't actually like the character, I did feel rather sorry for him and what happened to him. But it was hard to feel sorrow when I realized that he knew what was coming, more or less, and kept it from his fellow members of the B.P.R.D., which wasn't good at all.

Of course, the story doesn't end in this volume, but the questions continue, as always. And I'll be there to see them pursued.

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