Calum Petrie reviews Hellboy and the B.P.R.D: The Seven Wives Club…
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D: The Seven Wives Club, is a beautifully crafted one-shot comic that contains a mysterious adventure with a very familiar face. The adventure takes place in the early 90s, taking the readers to Savannah. The story throws us into the middle of a conversation and then uses the first couple of pages to catch the reader up with the setting.
As the adventure picks up, we find an urban legend of twisted love and the darkness of a human’s soul. Hellboy is attempting to clear the name of a young woman who was tricked into committing a horrific act by forces beyond the understanding of the regular police.
The Seven Wives Club wraps up its story in only 22 pages but is very well crated and takes Hellboy from investigation to problem solving in a very short space of time. Much like the character we cut to the chase and get shit dealt with. Big Red is on top form as the supernatural elements come into play, using his size, ability and gumption to put more than just the current case to rest.
The depiction of the characters in the artwork is incredible and the amount of detail in every panel provides a rewarding re-read over for things we might have missed on first passing. The level of design when setting atmosphere is not the easiest thing to portray in comic books, yet I very much felt like I was with them on the page. Towards the end of the issue the more gruesome elements of the story are delivered in an artistic way, while not just throwing gore at us for the sake of it.
While The Seven Wives Club is short, I do not hesitate to recommend this brilliant story to anyone who might be looking for something different. Alternatively, for someone seeking an introduction into Hellboy comics without having to invest too much time and money, this would make a fantastic place to start.
Rating – 8/10
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