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: The Sword of Hyperborea by M. Mignola et al.

The Sword of Hyperborea written by Mike Mignola and Rob Williams, art by Laurence Campbell, and colors by Quinton Winter

Hyperborea is an ancient civilization in Mike Mignola's Hellboy universe. A recurring relic from that civilization is a split-end sword with a rough handle. This book shows some moments of the sword's travel through history, looking at four people who wielded it for good or ill. Gall Dennar is an ancient warrior who somehow mystically travels through time and is present at the end of the human world (so he covers ancient time and humanity's bleak future). Graf Ling de Gotha is an Asian woman who is adopted by German man. She works during World War I and comes afoul of the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra, who want the sword and a Vril crystal (it has ancient magical powers) for their own purposes. Victor Olsen is a deep-sea diver during World War II, trying to recover the sword and crystal for the Brotherhood. Elijah Bone is a 1950s musician who's sold his soul to make it big, but the devil he sold it to has an interest in the sword as well. 

The stories are diverse, giving a lot of different settings and characters. This book is more like an anthology with some on-going narrative. There's enough story and style here to satisfy human interests and horror fans. It's an engaging and creative. The art is not exactly Mignola; however, it has the shadowy horror resonances of Mignola's style and fits well with other work in the Hellboy universe.

Recommended, highly for Hellboy fans. If you aren't a Hellboy fan, it will feel less significant.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know Vol. 3 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know Volume 3: Ragna Rok story by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, art by Christopher Mitten, Laurence Campbell, and Mike Mignola, and colors by Dave Stewart

The big finale is here as Rasputin returns to bring about the destruction of mankind's Earth. Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Liz Sherman stay behind in what's left of New York City to fight him while the remnants of humanity flee to caves. The hope is to preserve humanity in some way. That all depends on Hellboy--will he fulfill his destiny as the world ender or will he fight against Rasputin? The answer is pretty obvious given the long history of Hellboy (and the even longer history of hero stories). Even so, the story leads to a satisfying conclusion for the characters. I was worried with the last issue that the creators had run out of ideas. What they really have done is run to the end.

Highly recommended for Hellboy fans. It won't be nearly as satisfying for casual readers.

Book Review: B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know Vol. 2 by M. Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. The Devil You Know Volume 2: Pandemonium story by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, art by Sebastian Fiumara and Laurence Campbell, and Colors by Dave Stewart

Hellboy is literally back from the grave as the B.P.R.D. heads to New York City. That's where the little Russian girl/demon Varvara is gathering remnants of humanity in the hopes of recreating Pandemonium. Pandemonium was the capital in Hell, though Hell has been mostly emptied out after Hellboy killed Satan back in his Hellboy in Hell days. Hellboy has a slow boot-up as the heroes gather to take down Varvara. She has brought along Hellboy's old enemies Kroenen and Von Klempt, hinting at the arrival of another long dead and forgotten character.

This book starts with a couple of pages of Mignola's art as Hellboy is summoned back out of Hell (where he seemed to be taking it easy). Hellboy's unease as he leaves the afterlife is only hinted at. He's reluctant to get back into field work though he's in full swing by the end of this five-issue story arc. While it is fun to see Hellboy back, it's also a little disappointing, like a movie franchise that keeps going after they have a great ending to their story. Bringing back the old enemy only reinforces my impression that they've run out of ideas. Maybe they can pull it together for the finale.

Mildly recommended.

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)!