The last B.P.R.D. one-shot, War on Frogs, was disappointingly generic. B.P.R.D.: The Ectoplasmic Man is far superior, and fits the world of the B.P.R.D. back into its unique groove.
Ectoplasmic Man tells the origin story of Johann Kraus, the B.P.R.D.’s expert psychic. During a 2002 séance, Kraus’s body was destroyed by an unexpected attack. In the wake of his “death,” Kraus’s ghost encounters a particularly nasty devil who survives by eating human souls. Initially reluctant to preserve his soul with the help of (guess who?) the B.P.R.D., the psychic’s near-digestion experience drives him to the Bureau, and that cool-looking antique diving suit thing they use to preserve his spirit.
The recent War on Frogs, a John Arcudi solo product, suffered for the lack of Mike Mignola’s presence. Ectoplasmic Man reunites Arcudi with series creator Mike Mignola, and demonstrates the quality Mignola and Arcudi are capable of together. Mignola’s beautifully untamed imagination acquits itself well in Hellboy solo stories, but for longer, sustained narratives, he benefits from Arcudi’s attention to phrasing and detail. Ectoplasmic Man displays that same clockwork partnership.
Artist Ben Stenbeck’s craggy pencils and intricate backgrounds replicate Mignola’s gothic style admirably, and Johann Kraus’s mix of resignation and rage are competently rendered. There’s an enjoyably unnerving full-page image of a soul swallowing demon that even channels a bit of Guy Davis. The art’s good, but, like most B.P.R.D. penciling, it resembles either Mike Mignola or Guy Davis. This suits the tone of the series well, but it would be interesting to see some different approaches—like those that used to appear in the Hellboy Weird Tales series—enrich the one-shots and side stories of the B.P.R.D. universe.
Worth the money? A definite yes for Hellboy fans and supernatural/horror fans.
