Book Review: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1956 by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1956 stories by Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson, art by Mike Norton, Yishan Li, Michael Avon Oeming, and Paul Grist

1956 is a transition year for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense They are getting more funding, which means hiring more agents and getting better equipment. The small staff has been overworked since WWII ended, so the influx is welcome. Well, mostly welcome. Director Trevor Bruttenholm is a bit concerned with the new hires who are mostly law enforcement transfers. The paranormal research may be out of their league. More concerning is where their true loyalties lie...with the B.P.R.D. or their previous agencies (including CIA and FBI)?

Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, the Special Sciences Service (the Soviet equivalent of the B.P.R.D.) is also struggling with larger government interference. The Politburo wants the SSS to produce results, especially in developing weapons. SSS head Varvara (the demon girl from previous stories) is less interested in bureaucratic nonsense and keeps a tight and terrifying grip on the Service. She is keeping tabs on Bruttenholm and seems more connected with Hellboy's fate as Destroyer of the Universe than with the success of the Soviet programs. Her story runs parallel to the B.P.R.D. story, with the back half of each chapter set in the former Russia.

The story here is less compelling than in other volumes. Things move forward at a snail's pace, with little action and only punctuated moments of drama. The cloak and dagger stuff just isn't exciting. Some developments happen toward the end of the story, including the return of Hellboy from Mexico, but they are not a big payoff. Having separate artists and visual styles for the parallel stories is an interesting choice.

The final story in the book presents one of Hellboy's Mexican exploits--co-starring in a luchador film as The Devil, which is fun but inconsequential.

Mildly recommended. This is a narrative connector piece for larger stories but is not all that interesting in and of itself.

Book Review: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1957 by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1957 stories by Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson, art by Laurence Campbell, Stephen Green, Shawn Martinbrough, Alison Sampson, Mike Norton, and Mike Mignola

Another set of random adventures from the old days of the B.P.R.D.

Family Ties--Hellboy and field agent Sue hunt down a paperback copy of Gustav Strobl's "Witchcraft and Demonology," an authentic text of occult practices. This particular copy is in a Dayton, Ohio, suburb, where a family is suffering from one of the members being possessed. That particular demon causes a lot of trouble. The telling has creepy atmosphere and a build-up that pays off well.

Forgotten Lives--Professor Bruttenholm and Hellboy set out to investigate a haunted graveyard. This particular cemetery has mass graves for the indigent, so finding the right unsettled spirit is much tougher. They wind up at an auction of personal effects from the indigent, which indirectly solves the problem. The story is charming in its way. There's an old security guy who is completely unphased by ghosts since he's seen 'em all already, unlike the newer interment crew. I liked this one a lot.

Falling Sky--Hellboy and cryptozoologist Woody Farrier go on a field assignment to investigate a flying saucer sighting that has resulted in a monster in the woods. Woody has been work for a few years with the Bureau and is dissatisfied, since any weird creature they find has been either a hoax or a demon-crossed regular animal, not an actual new species. Hellboy tries to cheer him up but that is not Hellboy's core competency. They discover the UFO is just a downed weather balloon. The locals are still fearful of something in the woods, so the investigation continues with a mixed-blessing ending. This story is a nice character study, mostly of Woody, but a bit of Hellboy too.

Fearful Symmetry--Hellboy visits an old college friend of Bruttenholm's in India. He teams up with Ginny Payne who had been something like a summer intern for the Bureau seven years earlier. They investigate some animal attacks in a remote village, probably a were-tiger but people aren't sure. It's another monster-of-the-week story for Hellboy.

From Below--Hellboy, Bruttenholm, and Agent Archie go to investigate a noisy, abandoned saw mill in Oregon. The spot has had sporadic sightings or, more precisely, sounds of the supernatural. Archie had investigated seven years ago and came up with nothing. This time, they discover a trap door leading to a basement full of arcane equipment and a symbol of the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra. So something bad is down there. It's another fun venture that uses Archie's background well.

Happy New Year, Ava Galluci--Hellboy attends a New Year's Eve seance where a shyster medium, the titular Ava Galluci, is guest of honor. The locals want to summon a discredited ancestor with the usual unhappy results. This is a quick story that hits the typical Hellboy horror vibe, with art by Mignola as well as the story.

This collection is a lot of fun, with Forgotten Lives being the standout.

Recommended, highly for Hellboy fans.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Omnibus Vol. 5 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 5 story by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Guy Davis, Tyler Crook, and Duncan Fegredo, colors by Dave Stewart, and letters by Clem Robins

The start of the Hell on Earth saga begins with this volume.

New World--With the U.N. takeover of the B.P.R.D., the agents are running thin. Global coverage is hard to maintain as problems break out all over. Abe gets a lead on where Ben Daimio is, which leads into a backwoods encounter with a disheartening resolution. If that wasn't bad enough, the agents at the Bureau are starting to get on each others' nerves. Johan suspects Panya of personal intrigues. Devon suspect Abe of being the next creature of the apocalypse. It's an unhappy start to the new storyline.

Seattle--Seattle is wiped out by a big demon, though this story is just a conversation between a B.P.R.D. agent and a local cop. They discuss whether this new war can be won or not and what they should do about it. It's a nice bit of human interest and all too brief.

Gods--Survivors from the Houston volcano are following a teen-age girl named Fenix. She has some sort of precognitive ability that's enabled her and people following her to avoid disaster. As the B.P.R.D. catches up to their group, a lot of bad things happen. Kate tries to force Abe and Devon to patch up their differences, though both are very reluctant to move on. In the field, they still are very cool to each other, until Abe gets shot up at one of the monster hunts.

Monsters--Liz Sherman has settled in a trailer park where she hopes to live a quiet life. The locals don't make that possible when they start dabbling in the occult, forcing Liz back toward her "secret agent" life, though she's a long way from the B.P.R.D. Meanwhile, Abe's condition gets worse, as does the world-wide supernatural disasters. While it's nice to know what's happening with Liz, it's not happy news.

Russia--Kate goes to meet with the Russian equivalent of the B.P.R.D., an agency named the SSS or Special Sciences Service. Following the typical Russian stereotype, they are both secretive and invasive. They know a lot more about the B.P.R.D. than they initially admit too and have plans that they do not reveal until the very last moment. Their manipulativeness pays off in some unexpected ways, making for an intriguing story.

An Unmarked Grave--Kate goes to England to follow up on clues to where Hellboy might have wound up. She finds out very little, other than that impending sense of doom is only getting worse and worse. This was quite a downer, even with its very brief page count.

The book ends with a sketchbook of ideas and visual drafts of the various characters and creatures.

Overall, the plot and tone are too bleak to be fun to read. While the characters keep fighting the good fight, the hope of success, either short-term or long-term, has dwindled so much. Having read the ending of the Abe Sapien storyline, I know the bad place they will wind up and just don't have the heart to keep watching the trainwreck.

Mildly recommended, though I probably won't read more of this storyline.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Omnibus Vol. 4 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 4 written by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, and Guy Davis, art by Dave Stewart and Clem Robins

More adventures with the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense!

1. The Warning--Abe has been trying to find Ben Daimio though bigger issues pull him away. Liz Sherman gets kidnapped by the mysterious stranger that has been haunting her, causing a lot of problems for the Bureau and for the world at large. The whole team heads to Germany where they make some very unhappy discoveries. The plague of frogs is not quite over as new players start stirring up trouble and the bleak fate of the world (i.e. the victory of the frogs) looms again. The story is a little choppy and seems more like a transition from one narrative to another, larger narrative. This is one of those plots that need to be read in context to understand what is going on.

2. The Black Goddess--The team pulls out all the stops to rescue Liz from Memnan Saa/Martin Gilfryd, a sorcerer who has been alive since the 1860s. He fought with Lobster Johnson, so Kate interviews the last member of Johnson's gang as Johann and Abe search through Johnson's old headquarters for clues. Their information leads them to a snowy Asian mountain where Memnan Saa is preparing for the war to come. The story ends with a narrative cliffhanger as an old character is reintroduced.

3. King of Fear--Kate and Johann work to resolve the Lobster Johnson situation as Abe and the rest of the crew work wind up fighting the titular King of Fear, who turns out to be The Black Flame. The Black Flame has been living underground for years and is working with the frog people and the Hyperboreans to get ready for the next step in evolution, something the rest of the world, and certainly the B.P.R.D., probably doesn't want to happen. The story is exciting with a lot going on and many portents of doom. Having read most of the stuff that comes after, it's both disheartening and impressive to see how early a lot of plans were laid. I enjoyed the development of the characters, especially some minor ones like Devon (a regular human B.P.R.D. agent).

These stories mark the transition from the Plague of Frogs storyline to the Hell on Earth saga. The personal stories of Liz and Abe are the most interesting, though both of them are moving to darker futures. 

Mildly recommended--you have to be a fan of the series to get what's going on.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 3 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 3 stories by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi; art by Guy Davis, and Dave Stewart; letters by Clem Robins

Another series of stories featuring the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, the place where Hellboy grew up and worked for years (though he is no longer with them in these stories). These tales naturally come after Volume 1 and Volume 2.

The Universal Machine--With the plague of frogs under control, the team assesses the damage. The biggest loss is the death of Roger the Homunculus, though Johann thinks he is not permanently dead. Kate Corrigan goes in search of an ancient tome that might have some way to bring Roger back, though the small, east European town she travels to has a lot more trouble than she bargained for. Meanwhile, back at HQ, Ben Daimio tells how he came back from the dead, a harrowing tale from the jungles of South America. The other staff tell horror tales from their past too. The overall story has a lot of character development for everyone with an unhappy ending for Roger.

The Garden of Souls--Abe gets another clue to the shrouded history of Everett Langdon Caul, his previous identity. He receives a strange message with a map to an Indonesian island. He and Daimio go there but find little in the city. Then Abe is approached by a little girl who gives him information about a secret island where Caul's former associates are waiting for his return. Abe takes an old boat provided, leaving Daimio in the dark about where he's gone. Daimio does some investigating on his end (because there's a bigger conspiracy taking place) as Abe sees the scientific horrors and ambitions of his old occult buddies. The story does a good job maintaining excitement and intrigue as the plot moves forward. A new recurring character is introduced, expanding an already rich cast. Abe's past is also very interesting, making the world of the B.P.R.D. larger and richer.

Killing Ground--Part of the transfer from Connecticut to Colorado for the B.P.R.D. headquarters is moving a prisoner. In a previous story, they had captured a Wendigo, a Canadian creature that takes the soul of its latest victim as its own. The soul has some control for a while but eventually the monster completely takes over. That's happened with this creature. Daimio has a weird fascination with the creature, so when it breaks out and starts killing, he has a lot of trouble (as does the rest of the Bureau). It's another melancholic tale that provides a lot of interesting moments and yet another sad ending, this time for Daimio.

The stories are becoming more personal, fleshing out the characters that have been introduced to the story. The developments with Abe Sapien, Kate Corrigan, and Ben Daimio are the most interesting. These volumes are a bit more pessimistic than the Hellboy stories. Hellboy struggles to overcome his fate of bringing about the end of the world. The B.P.R.D. struggles too but there seems to be less hope of success. The gore is very strong in this series, so it is definitely not for little kids.

Recommended.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Omnibus Vol. 2 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 2 stories by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi; art by Mike Mignola, Guy Davis, and others; letters by Clem Robins

Another series of stories featuring the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, the place where Hellboy grew up and worked for years (though he is no longer with them in these stories). These naturally come after Volume 1.

The Dead--The B.P.R.D. headquarters moves from Connecticut to Colorado, partly as a cost-saving measure, partly because the plague of supernatural frogs is moving west across the United States. Director Manning hires a new guy named Benjamin Daimo to run the team while Kate Corrigan and Abe Sapien are on a different assignment. The Colorado facility is an old scientific research center built just after World War II. Unfortunately there's a lot of stuff that goes bump in the night in the several sub-basements. Meanwhile, Kate and Abe research Everett Caul, who is the person Abe was before something happened to change him into a fish man. Abe has no memories of that time. After consulting with a Connecticut librarian, they go to a seaside house that Caul built. Caul moved there and married, though his widow committed suicide soon after Caul's disappearance. Abe visits the abandoned house on a dark and stormy night. He meets the wife's spirit and has to struggle with what to do.

The parallel stories are both interesting since they delve into different histories and different personal dynamics. Liz Sherman and the others have a hard time accepting Daimo, who is a former soldier and very much a shoot-first-ask-question-later guy, along with his dismissive attitude toward Roger the Homunculus. I enjoyed both stories very much. Guy Davis's art is distinct from Mignola's style and became the standard for the B.P.R.D. stories. It's less dark and spooky but still creepy.

War on Frogs--Five separate stories of fighting with the frog monsters highlight different situations and different characters. Roger is getting overly influenced by Daimo, turning into a soldier of fortune. Abe has decided to forego field work which spooks out the regular B.P.R.D. agents. Johann has his own problems dealing with the ghosts of frogs who were killed just after being changed from humans. 

The stories provide no real forward movement for the main storyline, just a bunch of creepy character moments for everyone involved.

The Black Flame--Zinco Corporation's head Mr. Pope is a fan of Nazi Germany, but only the occult extremism. He has a secret office with memorabilia and records from World War II. His research references various occult allies like the Crimson Lotus. Pope is interesting in becoming the new Black Flame, a Nazi occult warrior. Zinco's R&D department has captured some frogs for experiments, like making them speak in English. Meanwhile, the B.P.R.D. has its hands full assaulting various nests of frogmen across the U.S. Roger is gung-ho at fighting while Abe sticks to paperwork at headquarters. Liz is slowly turning into a living weapon, only interested in roasting the frogs. When the Black Flame tries to claim the frogs as his own followers, they merge into an even greater and more horrible monster. 

Here's the forward motion missing earlier. Things move at a relatively quick pace. A lot of people's lives are changed and the big finale leaves a lot of damage on the Earth and in the B.P.R.D. roster. It's an exciting finale...at least I hope it's the end for the war on frogs.

Epilogue--A story told from the perspective of a B.P.R.D. recruit who tries to befriend Liz. Ashley Strode is her name. She has a hard time dealing with Liz's off-putting attitude after the events of the Black Flame storyline. It's interesting and melancholic.

The book ends with some sketches and commentary from the artists. The stories are fascinating and the character arcs are interesting. I enjoy the B.P.R.D. characters a lot and they get their due here.

Recommended.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Omnibus Vol. 1 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 1 stories by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Geoff Johns, and others; art by Mike Mignola, Guy Davis, Cameron Stewart, and others; letters by Clem Robins, Michelle Madsen, and others

A series of stories featuring the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, the place where Hellboy grew up and worked for years (though he is no longer with them in these stories).

The Hollow Earth--Liz Sherman has been gone from B.P.R.D. Headquarters for a couple of years. She wanted to learn to control her powers and wandered off to a snowy monastery. But now she's in trouble and has sent a pyschic distress signal to Abe Sapien. He rushes off to find her just as he and Roger the Homunculus are considering leaving the B.P.R.D. They are joined in the snowy search by Kate Corrigan and the Bureau's newest addition, Johann Krauss, a disembodied medium who travels in an old-fashioned diver's suit. They find the monastery in ruins with a weird passage into the middle of the Earth. The adventure is interesting and Mignola's art looks great.

Abe Sapien Vs Science--Roger the Homunculus is seemingly dead and all efforts by the B.P.R.D. scientists have failed to revive him. Well, maybe not all efforts. They plan to switch over to autopsy to learn more about how Roger was made but go for a cigarette break. Abe slips in and saves the day. It's a poignant little tale that I like a lot.

Drums of the Dead--A shipping line is plagued by sharks, which is not so bad. Their real problem is when their crews hear drums in the middle of the ocean. Invariably, one or more crew members start speaking in a strange language, attack the other crew members, and jump overboard. The B.P.R.D. is called and Abe Sapien comes with a new agent (a psychic) to investigate. The story has a good blend of horror and history, making it a very good read.

The Soul of Venice--The B.P.R.D. team is dispatched to Venice, where the pipes are exploding and the water is disgusting. The supernatural cause is not immediately obvious but does stem from the ancient Roman roots of the town (as in Roman gods). The story has some good twists though it is a fair standard adventure.

Dark Waters--A Massachusetts town that's not Salem (which is nearby) is draining the town square pond, only to discover three perfectly preserved women in shackles at the bottom. They are dead but their memory brings out the worst in a few of the town folk. The B.P.R.D. is called in and they help to resolve the situation through smarts and heart.

Night Train--Roger and Liz go to investigate a spooky train that has been terrorizing a neighborhood in the American South. The story starts with a Lobster Johnson adventure about a train wrecked by a Nazi in the American Southwest. Are the stories related? Obviously, though I found the ending tried to cram in too much stuff, making it feel rushed and choppy. They need some more pages of exposition and action!

There's Something Under My Bed--Kids are being abducted from a small town in the middle of the night after complaining about "a monster under the bed." The team comes in to investigate, though Abe Sapien, being a fish man, is not so enthusiastic about kids dealing with monsters. The story makes some good points about the difference between being a monster and acting monstrously. It's also a fun tale that resolves well for all.

Another Day at the Office--Abe and Johann investigate a zombie outbreak in an Eastern European city. As the title suggests, this story is a typical adventure for the gang. It's short and works well.

Plague of Frogs--A long, ongoing storyline starts here as the team discovers and then fights an outbreak of a fungus that turns humans in to frog-like humanoids. The story is creepy and delves into Abe Sapien's past, since he's got a bit of the amphibian in him too. Guy Davis is the artist and his style became the template for the B.P.R.D. stories. It looks a bit more like regular comic books (as opposed to the stark visuals from Mignola) and works well.

This is a very entertaining collection, providing a lot of different stories that show the characters and the world they live in. Even though there is plenty of references to previous storylines, they are easy to follow and help newcomers get up to speed.

Highly recommended.

Book Review: Abe Sapien Dark and Terrible Volume 1 by M. Mignola et al.

Abe Sapien Dark and Terrible Volume 1 story by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, and John Arcudi, art by Sebastian Fiumara and Max Fiumara, colors by Dave Stewart, and letters by Clem Robins

Abe Sapien has woken from his coma in the middle of the B.P. R.D. Hell on Earth storyline. He's less human-looking than before and has left the Bureau. The United States (and indeed, the rest of the world) has turned into an apocalyptic landscape. Abe wanders around trying to understand more about himself and his role in what's going on, if any. He goes to the Salton Sea where a water-themed elder god arose and to Rosario, Texas, where he took the bullet that put him in the coma. Meanwhile, Gustav Strobl is also wandering the United States looking for answers about Abe's role, though he clear has sinister motives and is upset that he does not have the mystical control that he once had before. He only takes up a quarter of the narrative, most of the focus is on Abe.

The story is very bleak. Abe has given up on the Bureau and the bigger mission of saving the world. He does help people along the way. But the aid is fairly minimal and some people are beyond help. Abe is not very successful in finding information though he is starting to remember his life as Langdon Caul. Caul lived during the American Civil War and transformed into Abe when he found some underwater relic. I found the stories hard to read (this volume is about 400 pages) with the ongoing dismal tone and the lack of progress on any front.

Not recommended.

Book Review: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Beast of Vargu and Others by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Beast of Vargu and Others stories by Mike Mignola with art by Duncan Fegredo, Christopher Mitten, Adam Hughes, and Ben Stenbeck

Some more adventures from Hellboy's past...

The Beast of Vargu--Hellboy goes to Romania and encounters the titular beast at Vargu Castle. A local gypsy woman also tells him his own adventure via a puppet show which is bizarrely tied to the defeat of the beast. The tale is weird but not particularly satisfying. The art by Duncan Fegredo is great and makes up for other failings.

Saturn Returns--In 1974, a remote New England woodland grove is home to dozens of corpses. People had been vanishing or "leaving town" for decades. The rock wall of the grove is covered with occult symbols, so Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. have been called in to help the investigation. The fresher corpses show their rib cages pulled out and their hearts missing. Meanwhile, Liz Sherman makes an escape from the Connecticut headquarters and runs into trouble. Hellboy is pulled off the investigation to help out Liz. The stories are loosely tied together. The supernatural investigation is more interesting than the teenage runaway plight.

Krampusnacht--Hellboy faces off against the Krampus, a legendary Christmas monster who is interested in punishing those on Santa's naughty list. They face off a couple of days before Christmas in a remote Austrian home. Mignola does a great job building up some character and mythology for the Krampus, with the typical spooky and violent ending. The story is a fun cross of "monster of the week" and "Christmas special."

Return of the Lambton Worm--Hellboy and the Professor investigate a medieval knight's grave. The knight claimed to have defeated a dragon that he accidentally summoned to his neighborhood. The tomb of the knight has a few surprises in store. It's a fun, very short story.

Recommended--an enjoyable collection!

Book Review: B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know Vol. 1 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know Volume 1: Messiah story by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, art by Laurence Campbell, and Colors by Dave Stewart

In the aftermath of the Hell on Earth series, the remnants of the B.P.R.D. are still fighting off the remnants of the Ogdru Hem that went inert when their mother, the Ogdru Jahad, was defeated. The agents are checking the various Ogdru Hem to make sure they are dead. Creepy supernatural activity still happens around the inert, gigantic bodies. If that wasn't bad enough, creepy Russian girl Varvara is gathering people from across the world to New York City. She sends out dreams summoning them. When they get there, the people are expecting a heaven on earth, though Varvara seems bent on establishing the opposite. Didn't the B.P.R.D. just stop that?

The story is interesting but a little convoluted. I haven't read the Hell on Earth series, so I was surprised by some of the revelations (like major characters who had died) and confused by some of the new characters (who were established in the previous series I assume). My befuddlement is comparable to skipping two or three seasons of a television show and then jumping back in. I may tough it out anyway since the ending establishes the return of a central character hinted at by the title. I go on to Volume 2 soonest!

Mildly recommended--this is not a good jumping on point, especially if you are just starting the B.P.R.D. (which is the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense)!

Book Review B.P.R.D. Vampire by Mike Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Vampire written by Mike Mignola, written and illustrated by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon

The B.P.R.D. has a long history of collecting misfits and using them as field agents. Hellboy is a demon child summoned by the Nazis at the end of World War II to change their fortunes. Abe Sapien is a fishman from the American Civil War era. Roger the Homunculus was grown in a German castle as a slave for bad guys. In B.P.R.D. 1948 Agent Simon Anders was a normal human until the souls of two crazy vampire sisters were imprisoned in him, turning him into a vampire. In this sequel, it's still 1948 and all Anders wants to do is hunt down other vampires. He's had dreams of a bizarre ceremony of vampires killing witches, nightmares inspired by the sisters' memories. Professor Broom sends him to Soviet Czechoslovakia to investigate a site of possible vampire activity. Anders goes on his own, hoping to wreak some vengeance.

The story is a fine blend of creepiness, sadness, and mythology that is so common in Hellboy and B.P.R.D. stories. The art does a great job of mimicking Mignola's style and telling the story without a lot of dialogue. It's well worth reading.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. 1948 by Mike Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. 1948 written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Max Fiumara

B.P.R.D. Agent Anders, after a harrowing experience with vampires in 1947, is brought along by Professor Bruttenholm to research and eliminate some otherworldly monsters disrupting nuclear testing in Utah. Some scientists are using nuclear weapons to power space ships, but the initial test has released the nasty things. One of the scientists, quantum physicist Anna Rieu, thinks the testing should stop, partly because of the inter-dimensional gate she theorizes about and partly from an anti-nukes attitude. She's pretty and the Professor has some feelings for her but they go through some awkward moments along the way.

Meanwhile, back at B.P.R.D. Headquarters in Connecticut, the young Hellboy has to get ready for a visit from President Truman. Hellboy is going through some growing pains and without the Professor there, things get tough.

Overall, this is an interesting book with more character examination than myth building. Readers learn a bit more about Prof. Bruttenholm and what drives him. The art is good with some forays into monster horror as the B.P.R.D. team goes hunting and gets hunted in the Utah desert.

Sample Text--where the Professor blows it with the girl...

Click to enlarge

Book Review: B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth Vol. 1: New World by Mike Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth Vol. 1: New World by Mike Mignola et al.

Having finally defeated the Plague of Frogs, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense has gone public in a big way. They've even been commandeered by the United Nations, which is a very mixed blessing. Sure they have more funding, but instead of choosing what occurrences they will investigate, they now have to investigate everything, everywhere. The agents are stretched out across the globe investigating every subterranean monster that pops up as well as every freak volcano that erupts where it shouldn't (sorry, readers from Houston, but your city is wiped out).

Dr. Kate Corrigan is left in charge of the B.P.R.D. and tries her best to keep the team together. Abe Sapien is off investigating the Pacific Northwest, where he discovers a monster that has been stripping small towns of their populations. Out in the woods, he finds an old friend who helps unravel the mystery and explain the unthinkable horror that has descended upon them.

The book mostly follows Abe's exploits, though the internal dramas at the Headquarters are followed as a b-story, presumably setting up future story arcs and conflicts. The horror is delivered both on the psychological level and on the visual level, with Cthulhu-esque monsters prowling around the globe. I'm ready to see more of the gang picking up the pieces in the aftermath of near-world destruction by the frogs. Send more quick!

Book Review: Being Human

B.P.R.D.: Being Human by Mike Mignola et al.

This volume of B.P.R.D. stories recounts the first missions of Liz Sherman (pyrokinetic ward of the B.P.R.D.), Roger (a homunculus discovered in Romania by Hellboy), and Johann Krauss (a medium whose body was killed while on a "out of body" experience yet continues on as an ectoplasmic man).

Liz has been a ward of the B.P.R.D. since she was seven or eight, when she accidentally killed her family with her fire-starting abilities. Hellboy encourages his mentor and father figure, Professor Bruttenholm, to take her out on a simple assignment--investigating a haunted house in Massachusetts. Haunted from the Salem Witch Trial days! The professor just wants to help the uneasy spirit move along. But does it want to? The real focus of the story is Liz as she befriends a local boy and gets caught up in the spooky proceedings. Can she grow out of her shell-shock and start to live a more normal life? A short story set much later gives a few extra answers.

Roger the homunculus is a simple soul with a yearning to learn more about life. He also has been kept under wraps at the B.P.R.D. until Hellboy suggests he come on an assignment, just to get out of HQ. They go together to investigate an old southern mansion where the dead family members keep coming out of their graves and sitting at the dining table of their abandoned home. Every time they are put back in their graves, they arise the next night. Again, the focus of the story is Roger's search for some evidence that he is not just a living being, but a human being as well. The resolution of the story is not particularly deep but is satisfying.

For Johann Krauss's story, we see the incident that makes him a disembodied spirit. Will the loss of his body rob him of his humanity? He vacillates between accepting his own death and wanting to help people with his own gifts. He tries to intervene for other spirits in between death and the afterlife but is powerless to provide any comfort or aid beyond words. He ultimately finds he must work with others in order to have a meaningful life.

The book provides a lot of interesting background on the main characters of the B.P.R.D. Even though several artists with their own styles worked on the various stories, there's still a consistent overall approach that works well with the horror and supernatural elements of the stories. I found it to be a very enjoyable read.