Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Return of Effie Kolb and Others TPB Review
Summary: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. investigate a number of cases from what seem like basic hauntings to locations of past exploits... frequently with explosive repercussions.
4.8
Bureau Business
I’m a big fan of having the entirety of my comic stories in one go… not spread out over many issues. One shots are a great way to get that kick of comic storytelling… but what’s better still is a collection of stories all in one book, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Return of Effie Kolb and Others is exactly that and there are some great stories here.
Not surprisingly (given the title) the collection starts with The Return of Effie Kolb and if you wanted to start with a boom… this is how to do it, not only that but it sets up further stories in a very intriguing manner. From what seems like fairly mild weather in the Appalachians we head over to the snowy landscape of Russia and a curious hunter who isn’t entirely what he seems to be at first. Hellboy then travels (magically) from Connecticut to France to repay an old debt. Arguably my favourite of the lot though is The Seven Wives club, excellent art and an intriguing story that seems to get darker as it progresses… and a fun partnering for Hellboy too.
Finally there is the Sketchbook, a great section for aspiring comic creators and arts fans alike. The insight into the design process is always fascinating and it can be quite impressive to see panels in earlier drafts. I have a particular interest in the first image for The Seven Wives Club… the facial expression is so well done, conveying a lot of emotion/thought with arguably quite little, the crinkled brow and scrunched up mouth saying volumes.
If you are new to Hellboy or just want a few quick stories to dip into rather than some of the longer stories available… Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Return of Effie Kolb and Others is a good option.
Final Thoughts
There is a good mix of stories here and some nice pairings… people Hellboy finds himself working alongside either by choice or circumstance. A great collection and worth grabbing!
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Mike Mignola,
Artist: Zach Howard, Adam Hughes, Matt Smith, Tiernen Trevalion
Colourist: Dave Stewart
Genre: Horror, Crime, Action/Adventure
Format: 152pgs, FC, TPB
Release Date: 9th November, 2022
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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