Reprinted from Green Man Review.
Mike Mignola: Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder: In the Service of Angels (Dark Horse, 2010)
Mike Mignola, et al, B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs (Dark Horse, 2010)
Fans of Victorian detective stories will find much to like in Mike Mignola’s graphic novel In the Service of Angels, which features an original character, Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder. Grey, an occult investigator serving Queen Victoria, finds himself called into action when a series of violent and bizarre murders befall the members of an expedition recently returned to London with an (presumably) animal skeleton of unknown origin. He travels deep into the seedier areas of the city, racing to find the now missing bones and destroy a fiendish creature deadset on reuniting with those bones. Along the way, he meets a beautiful medium, visits the infamous Bedlam mental hospital and runs afoul of the mysterious Heliotropic Brotherhood of Ra.
Familiar elements abound in Witchfinder — a mystical weapon, magic rites, a spirit guide — but it definitely has Mignola’s stamp, in the distinctive art (here provided by Ben Stenbeck), the eclectic mix of characters and the subtle ties to the Hellboy universe. The story is atmospheric, suspenseful, fast-paced and, regretably, over far too soon, and Mignola seems to preclude any further adventures by tying up the remainder of Grey’s life in a few quick panels. A pity, as this is a genre — and Grey the type of character — that could be revisited for other dark adventures.
Also included in the volume is a short story — Grey versus a trio of witches set on killing Her Majesty — referenced in the main story. Alas, it’s just the tail-end of the case, and nothing of the lead-up. Another short comic follows, this time a flashback to another Witchfinder, Henry Hood, mentioned in both the main story and an earlier Hellboy series. Wrapping up the volume is a collection of rough sketches.
B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs is a collection of shorts featuring Bureau for 
Paranormal Research and Defense characters and the frog monsters from the B.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs storyline. Mike Mignola and John Arcudi pen the dialog for each story, but a different artist handles each one. Abe Sapien and Dr. Kate Corrigan, at B.P.R.D. headquarters, show up in several of the stories, providing continuity as they hand out frog-related assignments and take updates from the field. First up, in a story illustrated by Herb Trimpe and Guy Davis, is Roger the homunculus, sent by Abe to upstate New York to deal with a pair of frogs protecting something rather unusual (well, unusual for frogs, at least).
Next, in another Guy Davis-illustrated story, is Captain Benjamin Daimio (deceased) who’s on the trail of a pint-sized faith healer intent on spreading the froggy faith. The third story (art by John Severin) features a platoon of B.P.R.D. soldiers, trapped on a vessel with one deadly frog. Abe is helpless to do much but listen in as the men are picked off one by one. Psychic empath Johann Kraus is forced to deal with a cadre of very insistent frog spirits in the following tale, illustrated by Peter Snejbjerg. The final story features Liz Sherman, pyrokinetic (art by Karl Moline). In the present-day setting, she’s nearly catatonic, a walking zombie courtesy of events that take place during the “Black Flame” story arc. In the flashback sequences, though, readers see her as a formidable foe to frogs everywhere, thanks to her ability to sling fire around.
Each of the stories stands on its own as an entertaining read, although previous B.P.R.D. exposure would certainly enhance the experience as there are references to previous B.P.R.D. adventures. Included at the end of the volume is a sketch book of rough sketches.
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