This issue continues right where the first issue left off; Elizabeth and Teddy running away from a bleeding ghost hanging from a tree.
They make it back to the priest's cabin and Elizabeth begins freaking out and
telling the Professor and everyone else about what they saw. Teddy denies that
he saw anything which doesn’t help the concerned looks she’s receiving from the
Professor. Eventually she calms down and the Professor excuses them for the
day.
Later at the hotel Teddy shows up and takes her away. The
two run across town together before stopping so Teddy can smoke. She asks him
why he didn’t back her up and he tells her that nothing they were going to say
was going to convince the adults. As Elizabeth enjoys spending time with
someone her own age the Professor heads back to the cabin to finish off the
ghost once and for all. We’re then treated to Elizabeth’s shocking past as she
opens up to Teddy. She tells him about the day that her powers manifested and
she killed her entire family. She leans in to kiss him and he backs away, Elizabeth
feels like a monster again and runs away.
Mignola and Scott Allie continue crafting an interesting
story of Elizabeth’s first time out in the world of the B.P.R.D. The
development for her character is very interesting as she’s very angry and
remorseful for the way her life has turned out. You can’t help but feel sorry
for her after what’s she’s gone through, but at the same time be annoyed by the
way she talks to people. Allie and Mignola do a good job of making the
supporting cast for the issue interesting enough that they don’t feel like
fodder, but rather intricate parts of the story.
Artist Karl Moline is a great visual story teller and really
captures the emotions of Elizabeth perfectly. The reader need not rely solely on what
Elizabeth says as they can see it on her face as well; especially the scene in
which she’s expecting to be kissed by Teddy. The pain you see on her face in
that moment of rejection is deeply emotional. Moline has a very consistent art
style and does a great job of making the conversations throughout the issue
interesting by giving them some dimension.
The second issue is definitely better than the first with
Elizabeth’s origin fully explained. It’s a heart-wrenching tale that leaves you
sober afterwards. The idea that this little girl has to live with the fact that
she not only killed her entire family, but all of their friends as well is
chilling. This issue shows why B.P.R.D. is not a book to be missed.
Overall Score –
9.0/10
*Great for New
Readers, but pick up the First Issue as well*