REVIEW: 'Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1957: Forgotten Lives' by Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson, Stephen Green, and Dave Stewart

 

HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D.: 1957: FORGOTTEN LIVES 

Writer: Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson

Artist: Stephen Green, Dave Stewart

Letterer: Clem Robins

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Release Date: February 9, 2022

Cover Price: $3.99

Hellboy and Professor Trevor Bruttenholm team up for some quality father-son time at a New York potter's field where they try to unravel the mystery of a spectral being haunting the packed graveyard. Upon arrival, the two of them quickly realize there may be more things haunting the buried poor at the mass grave than meets the eye . . . Celebrated writer Mike Mignola and longtime collaborator Chris Roberson bring you another exciting Hellboy one-shot, with exquisite art by Stephen Green and Dave Stewart!

Score:

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Since I've been lucky enough to review an occasional Hellboy comic from time to time, I've never been disappointed. There's just something wholesome and entertaining about the Hellboy universe Mike Mignola created. The stories can be small and quiet driven by characters that are smart and thoughtful in an otherwise supernatural world. The comics aren't always about an epic event but it doesn't stop it from being a satisfying journey. 

'Forgotten Lives' is a one-shot in the same quiet vein where the story matters more than spectacle. Hellboy and Professor Trevor Bruttenholm investigate a reported haunting at a pauper's graveyard. An apparition haunts the newest mass grave of the penniless dead to be interred there and their mission is to find out who this is and what's keeping them around. 

The investigation reveals some sad facts about what happens to the deceased who have no family or next of kin to speak of. Their near anonymous passing is relegated to resting with nameless others in a large grave. It's a depressing prospect but Hellboy and the Professor are able to lend some dignity to this particular lost soul. The dead, even those poor individuals who've fallen through the cracks of society, are worthy of remembrance and eternal peace. 

Stephen Green and Dave Stewart provide a warm and intimate canvas for this melancholy story. Probably nothing is more powerful or affecting than the looks of sadness and concern on the Professor's face. This display of empathy and determination brings a level of humanity to the story that it requires while Hellboy's memories triggered by the possible identity of the ghost bring a heartwarming connection. 

'Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.:1957: Forgotten Lives' is a wonderful one-shot with a lot of heart and warmth. Once again, Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson put together a satisfying tale serving as comfort food for the soul. It's all the more effective by the art of Stephen Green and Dave Stewart. There's no such thing as a bad Hellboy comic and this one proves that once again.