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B.P.R.D. #4-5,12
B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs, Vol. 2
In 2001, Hellboy quit the B.P.R.D., leaving Abe Sapien to lead Liz Sherman and a bizarre roster of special agents, defending the world from occult threats, including the growing menace of the frog army, first spotted in Seed of Destruction. Mike Mignola and Dark Horse present the complete Plague of Frogs saga, from Hollow Earth to The King of Fear. This second volume dives deeper into Abe's origin story, introduces the reader to Bureau villains Memnan Saa and The Black Flame, and features the first appearance of fan-favorite Daimio! Hellboy creator Mike Mignola teams up with co-writer John Arcudi (A God Somewhere) for occult adventure drawn by series regular Guy Davis (Sandman Mystery Theatre), with guest artists John Severin (Two-Fisted Tales), Karl Moline (Joss Whedon's Fray), Peter Snejbjerg (Starman), and Herb Trimpe (The Incredible Hulk).
480 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2011
36 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,859 books2,522 followersMike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
March 26, 2019
The Plague of Frogs really ramps up and by the end of this, things will never be the same. BPRD really grows into its own as the team basically takes on the apocalypse. There's some tearjerker moments in here as well. One thing you've got to give to Mignola is he's not at all afraid to kill off characters to further a story. Guy Davis draws some great fantastical monsters even if his bloated humans take a bit to get accustomed to.
February 3, 2025
These Dark Horse B. P. R. D. hardcover volumes are great. It collects the miniseries, one-shots and the various stories that used to MySpace exclusives. The way these stories are collected and arranged provides a greater sense of continuity than the regular trade paperbacks. These hardbacks are very handy, sparing BPRD fans like me from having to track down back issues and non-existing links.
The BPRD as a concept allowed its former lead star, Hellboy, to evolve from its Lovecraft inspired roots to travel more mythic realms. Without Hellboy, this allowed his former supporting cast to shine as characters on their own while allowing Mike Mignola and his team, primarily composed of John Arcudi and Guy Davis, to continue to mine the rich lode of Lovecraftian elder gods and frog men. This gave Dark Horse another title and another franchise to build upon. It was a success. BPRD recently celebrated its 100th issue accumulated from various miniseries and one-shots.
Mignola and Arcudi has managed to create a whole new book from what would seemed to be Hellboy's cast-offs now that Big Red has gone on to his own adventures. With great writing, interspersing character development and supernatural action, the writers managed to make these former cast-offs into characters readers would care about.
Guy Davis has managed to maintain the pulpy feel of Mignola's art while adding his own inimitable style. His characters are flawed and his monsters appropriately hideous as if t to almost drive the reader insane as Lovecraft warned. His consistency and regular presence on the credits helped establish BPRD its own identity.
Mignola and Dark Horse also employed comic art legends like John Severin and Herb Trimpe to help expand Mignola's universe. Mignola and Arcudi wrote to their strenghts, employing their skills on flashback war stories and western tales.
BPRD continues to be a title that delivers. I've read the individual issues, but the convenience of having a ton of story available to be read in one sitting is itself a whole new reading experience. Indeed, this is an argument in favor of waiting for the trades as opposed to following monthly.
Mirrored on my personal comics blog The Raving Asgardian
The BPRD as a concept allowed its former lead star, Hellboy, to evolve from its Lovecraft inspired roots to travel more mythic realms. Without Hellboy, this allowed his former supporting cast to shine as characters on their own while allowing Mike Mignola and his team, primarily composed of John Arcudi and Guy Davis, to continue to mine the rich lode of Lovecraftian elder gods and frog men. This gave Dark Horse another title and another franchise to build upon. It was a success. BPRD recently celebrated its 100th issue accumulated from various miniseries and one-shots.
Mignola and Arcudi has managed to create a whole new book from what would seemed to be Hellboy's cast-offs now that Big Red has gone on to his own adventures. With great writing, interspersing character development and supernatural action, the writers managed to make these former cast-offs into characters readers would care about.
Guy Davis has managed to maintain the pulpy feel of Mignola's art while adding his own inimitable style. His characters are flawed and his monsters appropriately hideous as if t to almost drive the reader insane as Lovecraft warned. His consistency and regular presence on the credits helped establish BPRD its own identity.
Mignola and Dark Horse also employed comic art legends like John Severin and Herb Trimpe to help expand Mignola's universe. Mignola and Arcudi wrote to their strenghts, employing their skills on flashback war stories and western tales.
BPRD continues to be a title that delivers. I've read the individual issues, but the convenience of having a ton of story available to be read in one sitting is itself a whole new reading experience. Indeed, this is an argument in favor of waiting for the trades as opposed to following monthly.
Mirrored on my personal comics blog The Raving Asgardian
February 3, 2025
Evil frogs wreaking havoc!
April 11, 2016
These books are incredible. The fact that Hellboy isn't in them makes the characters more definable.
I do miss Hellboy, but Liz, Abe, Roger and Johann are excellent individuals.
The continued story of the plague of frogs is excellent and always delivers.
Another thing I do love though is the artwork. In this volume some of the artists do change but it all pans out. The inking colour scheme is great as well.
Every time I pick it up I can not put it down.
Love love love these!
I do miss Hellboy, but Liz, Abe, Roger and Johann are excellent individuals.
The continued story of the plague of frogs is excellent and always delivers.
Another thing I do love though is the artwork. In this volume some of the artists do change but it all pans out. The inking colour scheme is great as well.
Every time I pick it up I can not put it down.
Love love love these!
October 27, 2023
Zdecydowanie lepszy niż pierwszy tom zbiorczy, widać, że tutaj już Hellboy został w przeszłości i BBPO idzie w swoim kierunku.
September 15, 2019
(3/5 in Mignolaverse standards, 4/5 in general)
As the first Frogs omnibus spoiled the taste a bit with the diversity of artists and writers, which not all were good or even great, the second one has a peculiar taste to me as well. There is a lot of work done by Arcudi, who Mignola calls "better writer than me", but I beg to differ. And you can see that on parts by Mike alone (E.g. Abe and his wife). But don't get me wrong Arcudi is no sucker. But Mike is just better. With art, it's a little bit complicated. Guy Davis has a completely different style than Mike. And it's fine with me. BPRD is more like the "S.H.I.E.L.D." of Hellboyverse and Davis' art fits the civil tone of that and I personally like this style of comics art. So The first and last third of the book works well for me, even the lost pall of mystery especially in the first third is bit letdown, but the BPRD differs from Hellboy in that sometimes and I accept it, even if I got bored by that here and there. But the middle part threw me out of balance. It's the twelfth book of the series put between fourth and fifth. It is a collection of short stories (fine by me) by a different artist (that could be tricky). So there is e.g. Severin, which his distinctive art reminding me of some older comics like Eerie archives. I can't say it's bad or good, but it's certainly different. But it contrasts very much with following Peter Snejbjerg's neat and clean art. Which I like a lot. The last story from twelfth book closes the whole omnibus. Karl Moline looks like the best from Snejbjerg and Davis and looks close to signature BPRD art. I loved that too and it did justice to the second Plague of Frogs omnibus. For conclusion - I felt the change when the twelfth book came into the story. It makes sense - the omnibuses are as much chronological as it gets. And that helps thicken the story. But after occasional boredoms in the first third, it didn't catch me exactly prepared and it just delayed the excitement I usually feel with Mignolaverse's stories. And that's weird "pull out game" which I blame Scott Allie for. Luckily all around it's still "good shit". Not that premium stuff I got with Hellboy's Library editions, but still tasteful, but a bit complicated.
As the first Frogs omnibus spoiled the taste a bit with the diversity of artists and writers, which not all were good or even great, the second one has a peculiar taste to me as well. There is a lot of work done by Arcudi, who Mignola calls "better writer than me", but I beg to differ. And you can see that on parts by Mike alone (E.g. Abe and his wife). But don't get me wrong Arcudi is no sucker. But Mike is just better. With art, it's a little bit complicated. Guy Davis has a completely different style than Mike. And it's fine with me. BPRD is more like the "S.H.I.E.L.D." of Hellboyverse and Davis' art fits the civil tone of that and I personally like this style of comics art. So The first and last third of the book works well for me, even the lost pall of mystery especially in the first third is bit letdown, but the BPRD differs from Hellboy in that sometimes and I accept it, even if I got bored by that here and there. But the middle part threw me out of balance. It's the twelfth book of the series put between fourth and fifth. It is a collection of short stories (fine by me) by a different artist (that could be tricky). So there is e.g. Severin, which his distinctive art reminding me of some older comics like Eerie archives. I can't say it's bad or good, but it's certainly different. But it contrasts very much with following Peter Snejbjerg's neat and clean art. Which I like a lot. The last story from twelfth book closes the whole omnibus. Karl Moline looks like the best from Snejbjerg and Davis and looks close to signature BPRD art. I loved that too and it did justice to the second Plague of Frogs omnibus. For conclusion - I felt the change when the twelfth book came into the story. It makes sense - the omnibuses are as much chronological as it gets. And that helps thicken the story. But after occasional boredoms in the first third, it didn't catch me exactly prepared and it just delayed the excitement I usually feel with Mignolaverse's stories. And that's weird "pull out game" which I blame Scott Allie for. Luckily all around it's still "good shit". Not that premium stuff I got with Hellboy's Library editions, but still tasteful, but a bit complicated.
February 14, 2019
Тут вже добре відчувається, що Джон Аркуді й команда чітко зрозуміли напрямок своєї історії, розвиваючи ідею про псевдо-лавкрафтівського монстра та жабоподібних істот. Зрозуміло, що до цього також додається нацистські експерименти, південна готика й теорія заговору, утворюючи прекрасне й цікаве чтиво. Якщо перший том справді тільки нащупував ґрунт, часто помиляючись, більше уподібнений був до добротної чернетки, то вже цього разу маємо цілісну й продуману історію - від переміщення до бази в замку до поступового відкриття несподіваних схованок жабо-істот (називатиму їх так). Нема жодного провисання у ритмі, читається швидко й захопливо, нагадуючи гарно зроблений бойовик із містичними нотками. Навіть короткі історії не вибиваються, як це часто буває у міньйоловерсі, а доречно роблять паузу серед масштабних і важливих подій.
Що цікавого, цей том несподівано нагадав мені атмосферу "Чужих" Джеймса Камерона із обов'язковим лідером (у Камерона фемінна лідерка, а в Аркуді - маскулінний лідер, але це не так і важливо), великим місиливом і, врешті, появою гігантської самки наприкінці (звісно, що тут це не така вже й самка, але не буду розкривати деталі). Також доречно додалась драматична складова: маємо постравматичний відхідняк Ейба Сапіена після його перебування у прибережному будинку/власних спогадів/минулому, а також несподівано потужну лінію із Роджером, сповненої емоційної глибини й чудово резонуючи із Франкенштейном і взагалі усім готичним дискурсом. Якщо у мене й були сумніви щодо цієї серії раніше, то тепер я чітко бачу її позитивні аспекти, чудово зроблену міфологію на основі Лавкрафта й добре прописані персонажі, які варті окремих спін-оффів.
Що цікавого, цей том несподівано нагадав мені атмосферу "Чужих" Джеймса Камерона із обов'язковим лідером (у Камерона фемінна лідерка, а в Аркуді - маскулінний лідер, але це не так і важливо), великим місиливом і, врешті, появою гігантської самки наприкінці (звісно, що тут це не така вже й самка, але не буду розкривати деталі). Також доречно додалась драматична складова: маємо постравматичний відхідняк Ейба Сапіена після його перебування у прибережному будинку/власних спогадів/минулому, а також несподівано потужну лінію із Роджером, сповненої емоційної глибини й чудово резонуючи із Франкенштейном і взагалі усім готичним дискурсом. Якщо у мене й були сумніви щодо цієї серії раніше, то тепер я чітко бачу її позитивні аспекти, чудово зроблену міфологію на основі Лавкрафта й добре прописані персонажі, які варті окремих спін-оффів.
May 22, 2020
This 2nd BPRD omnibus collects together The Dead, The Black Flame, War on Frogs and a couple of bonus stories and sets them in chronological order.
The main drive is the BPRD (Liz, Roger, Johann) eradicating nests of mutant frog monsters. They have a new mountain base in Colorado and a new leader undead soldier Captain Benjamin Daimio. Both are not without complications: the new base was a secret Nazi military research post with some nasty surprises and military man Daimio butts heads with Liz. Abe, accompanied by Kate Corrigan has gone AWOL to learn more about his past and we get some nice flashbacks where he encounters his dead wife.
The main story is all very apocalyptic with prophesy leading to the resurrection of tentacle elder god Katha-Hem who dwarfs Sadu-Hem (Hellboy Seed of Destruction).
I really liked this volume - Some great character on Abe & Liz and some nice vignettes. I loved Johann encountering the frog ghosts who ask him where they go. And I liked the idea of a frog masquerading as a revivalist little girl miracle healer. Loved the look of Katha-Hem and I thought the whole thing was really well told - There's great upheaval all-round - New location, New boss, main character death, apocalyptic menace. It's not, and is never going to be Hellboy, but the BPRD has taken on a charm all on its own. For those who like lovecraft and weird this series is well worth checking out.
The main drive is the BPRD (Liz, Roger, Johann) eradicating nests of mutant frog monsters. They have a new mountain base in Colorado and a new leader undead soldier Captain Benjamin Daimio. Both are not without complications: the new base was a secret Nazi military research post with some nasty surprises and military man Daimio butts heads with Liz. Abe, accompanied by Kate Corrigan has gone AWOL to learn more about his past and we get some nice flashbacks where he encounters his dead wife.
The main story is all very apocalyptic with prophesy leading to the resurrection of tentacle elder god Katha-Hem who dwarfs Sadu-Hem (Hellboy Seed of Destruction).
I really liked this volume - Some great character on Abe & Liz and some nice vignettes. I loved Johann encountering the frog ghosts who ask him where they go. And I liked the idea of a frog masquerading as a revivalist little girl miracle healer. Loved the look of Katha-Hem and I thought the whole thing was really well told - There's great upheaval all-round - New location, New boss, main character death, apocalyptic menace. It's not, and is never going to be Hellboy, but the BPRD has taken on a charm all on its own. For those who like lovecraft and weird this series is well worth checking out.
September 26, 2017
B.P.R.D. continues to be great, sometimes even more enjoyable than Hellboy. This volume really feels like the story is starting to shape up, as opposed to the first one, which was basically just a collection of pretty good short stories. Excited to see what comes next!
January 30, 2019
"La llama negra" es pulp del bueno. Solo por eso merece las cinco estrellitas.
July 12, 2023
До другої збірки «БПРО: Жаб'яча чума» увійшли три лімітовані серії коміксів: «Мертві», «Війна з жабами» та «Чорне полум'я». Їх було дещо переставлено, у порівнянні з тим, як вони виходили окремими томами. Тут вони розміщені в хронологічному порядку в межах всесвіту, а не за датою їхньої публікації. І це на краще, адже сюжет «Війни з жабами» має найбільший сенс, якщо їх читати між двома іншими лімітованими серіями, які тут пердставлені. Також зрозуміло, що Майк Міньйола віддав уп��авління оркестром Джону Аркуді, який створює власний шлях розвитку команди БПРО. І разом із художником Ґаєм Девісом створюють надзвичайно красиві й добре продумані історії. Давайте тепер заглибиос�� у кожну з них детальніше.
«БПРО: Мертві» #1–5. Майк Міньйола, Джон Аркуді, Ґай Девіс
У цій лімітованій серії коміксів «БПРО: Мертві» #1–5, яка входить у другий том збірки «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума», з’являється новий постійний сценарист Джон Аркуді, який згодом налагодить розвиток цієї серії коміксів. Спочатку творчий процес включав Майка Міньолу, який окреслив загальну сюжетну лінію, тоді як Аркуді взяв на себе завдання розширити світ і розробити розвиток персонажів, перш ніж заглибитися у фазу написання сценарію. А головним художником став Ґай Девіс, який добре зарекомендував себе в сюжетній арці «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума» та ваншотом «БПРО: Темні води».
Нацистські наративи є однією із невід’ємних частин коміксів про Геллбоя та БПРО, тому поява сюжету пов’язаного із ними не викликає жодного здивування. В арці «Мертві» команда БПРО облаштовується у своїй добре відомій штаб-квартирі в Колорадо, але виявляє, що її вражають надприродні явища. Ліз, Йоганн і Роджер уперше зустрічаються з Бенджаміном Даймо (новим командиром БПРО), коли намагаються позбавити свою нову базу від спектральних мешканців. Водночас Ейб вирушає в подорож, щоб розгадати загадку минулого, і відвідує своє колишнє помешкання, де виявляє, що воно також населене привидами. Зрештою, у цьому коміксі все виглядає населеним привидами, реальними чи привидами минулого. І якраз під час цих подій Ейб мусить примиритися з примарною присутністю своєї покійної дружини і віднайти внутрішній спокій. Паралельно рухається основний сюжет із нацистським науковцем, який довгий час знаходився у закритій лабораторії.
Дослідження Колорадо й поява Даймо в цій частині розширення світу й різноманітності сюжету. Поряд із цим, розвиток командної співпраці також вийшов хорошим. Темп історії був добре продуманий, що призвело до легкого й захопливого читання. За участю Джона Аркуді помітно посилився гумор, який мені сподобався. У коміксах, де сюжетом займався тільки Майк Міньйола, я такого часто не помічав. Крім того, сюжетна лінія Ейба виявилася відвертою і чуттєвою, яка, не пропонуючи остаточних відповідей, продемонструвала м’якший і трагічніший аспект характеру Ейба.
Мабуть, однією із головних і важливих подій у цій історії (окрім сюжетних стежок звісно) — це введення в команду Бенджаміна Даймо, колишнього «зеленого берета» з багатим військовим досвідом. Проте, він не просто має вражаючу кваліфікацію, а виглядає таким, що повернувся з мертвих. І пережите залишило йому помітні шрами на обличчі. Спочатку це спричиняє обурення в деяких членів команди. Але сам Даймо не надто переймається цим і узагалі прагне асимілюватися з групою детективів. Це достатньо цікавий персонаж, який додав багато колориту команді БПРО. І частка гумору, про який я згадував вище, якраз пов’язана із цим персонажем. Одна із таких ситуацій якраз розгортається із Роджером, який відомо, що не носить одягу. А Даймо сповнений рішучості вдягнути на нього штани.
Ґай Девіс вкотре демонструє винятковий малюнок, показуючи свій непересічний талант. Зображуючи приховані глибини колишнього військового об’єкту, фіксуючи хаос на фермі, де має місце гротескна щупальцева істота, або передаючи інтимність ніжної миті, яку переживають герої в межах вікторіанського кабінету, художник із легкістю переходить між цими різноманітними сценами. Його увага до деталей і вміння відтворити атмосферу подій під час різних сцен по-справжньому оживляє історію, занурюючи в кожну панель під час читання.
Загалом, «БПРО: Мертві» виявився ще однією захопливою сюжетною аркою, яка спирається на фундамент, закладений попередніми коміксами, які були зібрані в перший том цієї довгої серії. Хоча я відчуваю напрям загального сюжету, саме історії окремих персонажів наразі захопили мене найбільше. Взаємодія між великим сюжетом та розвиток членів команди працює дуже добре. Також відчувається, що команда знайшла своє місце після того, як Геллбой покинув БПРО, і легко може існувати без нього. Одним словом, цей комікс цілком виправдав мої сподівання.
«БПРО: Війна з жабами» #1–5. Майк Міньйола, Джон Аркуді, Ґай Девіс, Карл Молін, Пітер Шнейберґ, Герб Трімпе
У «БПРО: Війна з жабами» #1–5, що є частиною другого тому серії коміксів «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума», відбувається тривала війна Бюро Паранормальних Досліджень і Оборони проти жаб’ячих монстрів. Вона розгортається в п’яти номерах, події яких відбуваються перед сюжетною аркою «БПРО: Чорне полум’я». Сценарієм цих коміксів займалися Майк Міньйола та Джон Аркуді, а малювали Ґай Девіс, Карл Молін, Пітер Шнейберґ, Герб Трімпе.
У мене були змішані почуття щодо малюнку, адже після того, як уже посмакував Ґая Девіса, інше виглядає не таким хорошим. Звісно, враховуючи, що ці історії розгортаються навколо різних персонажів під час війни із жабами, то ідея, що вони мають бути виконані в різних художніх стилях, не є аж такою поганою. Але цей аспект вважаю зводиться до особистих уподобань. З іншого боку, побудова світу залишається міцною, особливо в демонстрації широкого охоплення війною із жабами у різних локаціях. Це показує масштабність тої чуми, яка відбувається в різних куточках світу. А кожна історія сприяє глибшому та повнішому розумінню самого конфлікту.
Значну увагу в цих коміксах приділено дослідженню персонажів. Формат одного випуску дає змогу сконцентрувати її на конкретних аспектах певних персонажів. Даймо, Роджер, Ейб та інші постаті займають центральне місце, даючи змогу зазирнути в їхній розвиток і поглибити їхні характери. Хоча мені хотілося б детальніше дослідити цих персонажів, подібно до того, як це можна реалізувати під час довгих сюжетних арок, та все ж, історії залишаються приємними та цікавими. Вони пропонують, як хороший короткий сюжет, так і цінну інформацію про персонажів.
Ці комікси слугують дещо спокійнішою інтерлюдією між більш експансивною світобудовою та драматичними сюжетними арками. Незважаючи на те, що події розгортаються серед хаосу війни із жабами, вони забезпечують вкрай приємне й цікаве читання. Єдиний момент, про який я згадував, це різні художні стилі, які мені не вельми сподобалися. Усе інше дуже гарно.
«БПРО: Чорне полум’я» #1–6. Майк Міньйола, Джон Аркуді, Ґай Девіс
Лімітована серія коміксів «БПРО: Чорне полум’я» #1–5 продовжує сагу про жаб’ячу війну, яку команда БПРО веде проти цих лавкрафтівських жахів. Це вже знову цілісна сюжетна арка, порівняно із попереднім томом, від сценариста Джона Аркуді та художника Ґая Девіса, яка завершує цю другу збірку глобальної серії коміксів «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума».
Історія розпочинається із засідання ради директорів компанії Zinco, яка вирізняється з-поміж інших своєю особливістю. У глибині своїх приміщень, у підвалі, вони проводять експерименти над жабоподібними істотами, намагаючись налагодити комунікацію із ними для подальшого їхнього використання. Та для більшості людей невідомо, що поруч із залою засідань є таємна кімната, де генеральний директор зберігає колекцію предметів, пов’язаних із нацизмом.
Повернувшись до новоствореної штаб-квартири БПРО, ми дізнаємося, що Ейб відійшов від активної польової роботи, незважаючи на наполегливі прохання Кейт про його залучення. Ейба продовжує мучити його минуле, яке було розкрито в попередніх коміксах цього тому. Тим часом у засніженій місцевості Західної Британської Колумбії команда БПРО розпочинає місію з вистежування жабоподібних істот. Ця експедиція дає Роджеру можливість проявити лідерські якості, що знаменує значну трансформацію в його характері, оскільки він стає більш впевненим у собі. В окремій локації Ліз і Йоганн очолюють іншу групу солдатів, які борються проти загрози жаб’ячого монстра. Коли перший випуск добігає кінця, з’являється загадкове Чорне Полум’я, і Ліз отримує таємничий подарунок від посланця, який має більше значення, ніж здавалося спочатку.
Сценарист Джон Аркуді майстерно грає з нашими припущеннями в раптовій сцені, наслідки якої створюють відчуття невизначеності, що зберігається впродовж усіх випусків. Ліз, Роджер, Ейб, Дайміо та Йоганн починають рухатися в різних напрямках, що ставить під загрозу єдність основної групи БПРО. Тим часом загроза, що насувається від Саду-Гема, стає ще більш небезпечною, оскільки професор організації попереджає, що жаб’ячі монстри намагаються прикликати Кату-Гема, істоту ще більшу за розміром і силою, ніж Саду-Гем.
«БПРО: Чорне полум’я» — ще одна надзвичайно цікава частина грандіозної та амбітної всеохоплюючої розповіді, яка простягається на п’ять великих збірок «Жаб’яча чума». Хоча цю лімітку можна читати і як окрему історію, її справжня глибина посилюється завдяки знанням, отриманим із попередніх коміксів. Багато в чому вона слугує чудовим вступом для тих, хто прагне відчути смак усієї серії.
Ще на останок скажу, що вже після прочитання цієї лімітки, можу впевнено сказати, що шлях, у якому розвивалися комікси про БПРО вибрано правильно. І сценарист, і художник підібрані напрочуд вдало.
Подивившись на роботу Джона Аркуді та його команди у цій збірці, відчувається, що вони чудово розуміють, як розвивати свою історію. Вони створюють концепцію псевдо-лавкрафтівського монстра, жабоподібних істот, які наподобі саранчі, з'являються у всіх куточках світу. Це все добре вплітається в сюжет. Зрозуміло, що перший том був лише пошуком напрямку, і часто звертав не туди. Але якісна робота над лімітованими серіями коміксів, які містяться в цій збірці, свідчить про розвиток авторів, їх вміння глибше вникнути в сюжет, пропонуючи цікаві повороти подій та ��озширюючи всесвіт. Не знаю, коли будь-яка серія про команду БПРО почне виходити українською мовою, але вже пора.
«БПРО: Мертві» #1–5. Майк Міньйола, Джон Аркуді, Ґай Девіс
У цій лімітованій серії коміксів «БПРО: Мертві» #1–5, яка входить у другий том збірки «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума», з’являється новий постійний сценарист Джон Аркуді, який згодом налагодить розвиток цієї серії коміксів. Спочатку творчий процес включав Майка Міньолу, який окреслив загальну сюжетну лінію, тоді як Аркуді взяв на себе завдання розширити світ і розробити розвиток персонажів, перш ніж заглибитися у фазу написання сценарію. А головним художником став Ґай Девіс, який добре зарекомендував себе в сюжетній арці «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума» та ваншотом «БПРО: Темні води».
Нацистські наративи є однією із невід’ємних частин коміксів про Геллбоя та БПРО, тому поява сюжету пов’язаного із ними не викликає жодного здивування. В арці «Мертві» команда БПРО облаштовується у своїй добре відомій штаб-квартирі в Колорадо, але виявляє, що її вражають надприродні явища. Ліз, Йоганн і Роджер уперше зустрічаються з Бенджаміном Даймо (новим командиром БПРО), коли намагаються позбавити свою нову базу від спектральних мешканців. Водночас Ейб вирушає в подорож, щоб розгадати загадку минулого, і відвідує своє колишнє помешкання, де виявляє, що воно також населене привидами. Зрештою, у цьому коміксі все виглядає населеним привидами, реальними чи привидами минулого. І якраз під час цих подій Ейб мусить примиритися з примарною присутністю своєї покійної дружини і віднайти внутрішній спокій. Паралельно рухається основний сюжет із нацистським науковцем, який довгий час знаходився у закритій лабораторії.
Дослідження Колорадо й поява Даймо в цій частині розширення світу й різноманітності сюжету. Поряд із цим, розвиток командної співпраці також вийшов хорошим. Темп історії був добре продуманий, що призвело до легкого й захопливого читання. За участю Джона Аркуді помітно посилився гумор, який мені сподобався. У коміксах, де сюжетом займався тільки Майк Міньйола, я такого часто не помічав. Крім того, сюжетна лінія Ейба виявилася відвертою і чуттєвою, яка, не пропонуючи остаточних відповідей, продемонструвала м’якший і трагічніший аспект характеру Ейба.
Мабуть, однією із головних і важливих подій у цій історії (окрім сюжетних стежок звісно) — це введення в команду Бенджаміна Даймо, колишнього «зеленого берета» з багатим військовим досвідом. Проте, він не просто має вражаючу кваліфікацію, а виглядає таким, що повернувся з мертвих. І пережите залишило йому помітні шрами на обличчі. Спочатку це спричиняє обурення в деяких членів команди. Але сам Даймо не надто переймається цим і узагалі прагне асимілюватися з групою детективів. Це достатньо цікавий персонаж, який додав багато колориту команді БПРО. І частка гумору, про який я згадував вище, якраз пов’язана із цим персонажем. Одна із таких ситуацій якраз розгортається із Роджером, який відомо, що не носить одягу. А Даймо сповнений рішучості вдягнути на нього штани.
Ґай Девіс вкотре демонструє винятковий малюнок, показуючи свій непересічний талант. Зображуючи приховані глибини колишнього військового об’єкту, фіксуючи хаос на фермі, де має місце гротескна щупальцева істота, або передаючи інтимність ніжної миті, яку переживають герої в межах вікторіанського кабінету, художник із легкістю переходить між цими різноманітними сценами. Його увага до деталей і вміння відтворити атмосферу подій під час різних сцен по-справжньому оживляє історію, занурюючи в кожну панель під час читання.
Загалом, «БПРО: Мертві» виявився ще однією захопливою сюжетною аркою, яка спирається на фундамент, закладений попередніми коміксами, які були зібрані в перший том цієї довгої серії. Хоча я відчуваю напрям загального сюжету, саме історії окремих персонажів наразі захопили мене найбільше. Взаємодія між великим сюжетом та розвиток членів команди працює дуже добре. Також відчувається, що команда знайшла своє місце після того, як Геллбой покинув БПРО, і легко може існувати без нього. Одним словом, цей комікс цілком виправдав мої сподівання.
«БПРО: Війна з жабами» #1–5. Майк Міньйола, Джон Аркуді, Ґай Девіс, Карл Молін, Пітер Шнейберґ, Герб Трімпе
У «БПРО: Війна з жабами» #1–5, що є частиною другого тому серії коміксів «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума», відбувається тривала війна Бюро Паранормальних Досліджень і Оборони проти жаб’ячих монстрів. Вона розгортається в п’яти номерах, події яких відбуваються перед сюжетною аркою «БПРО: Чорне полум’я». Сценарієм цих коміксів займалися Майк Міньйола та Джон Аркуді, а малювали Ґай Девіс, Карл Молін, Пітер Шнейберґ, Герб Трімпе.
У мене були змішані почуття щодо малюнку, адже після того, як уже посмакував Ґая Девіса, інше виглядає не таким хорошим. Звісно, враховуючи, що ці історії розгортаються навколо різних персонажів під час війни із жабами, то ідея, що вони мають бути виконані в різних художніх стилях, не є аж такою поганою. Але цей аспект вважаю зводиться до особистих уподобань. З іншого боку, побудова світу залишається міцною, особливо в демонстрації широкого охоплення війною із жабами у різних локаціях. Це показує масштабність тої чуми, яка відбувається в різних куточках світу. А кожна історія сприяє глибшому та повнішому розумінню самого конфлікту.
Значну увагу в цих коміксах приділено дослідженню персонажів. Формат одного випуску дає змогу сконцентрувати її на конкретних аспектах певних персонажів. Даймо, Роджер, Ейб та інші постаті займають центральне місце, даючи змогу зазирнути в їхній розвиток і поглибити їхні характери. Хоча мені хотілося б детальніше дослідити цих персонажів, подібно до того, як це можна реалізувати під час довгих сюжетних арок, та все ж, історії залишаються приємними та цікавими. Вони пропонують, як хороший короткий сюжет, так і цінну інформацію про персонажів.
Ці комікси слугують дещо спокійнішою інтерлюдією між більш експансивною світобудовою та драматичними сюжетними арками. Незважаючи на те, що події розгортаються серед хаосу війни із жабами, вони забезпечують вкрай приємне й цікаве читання. Єдиний момент, про який я згадував, це різні художні стилі, які мені не вельми сподобалися. Усе інше дуже гарно.
«БПРО: Чорне полум’я» #1–6. Майк Міньйола, Джон Аркуді, Ґай Девіс
Лімітована серія коміксів «БПРО: Чорне полум’я» #1–5 продовжує сагу про жаб’ячу війну, яку команда БПРО веде проти цих лавкрафтівських жахів. Це вже знову цілісна сюжетна арка, порівняно із попереднім томом, від сценариста Джона Аркуді та художника Ґая Девіса, яка завершує цю другу збірку глобальної серії коміксів «БПРО: Жаб’яча чума».
Історія розпочинається із засідання ради директорів компанії Zinco, яка вирізняється з-поміж інших своєю особливістю. У глибині своїх приміщень, у підвалі, вони проводять експерименти над жабоподібними істотами, намагаючись налагодити комунікацію із ними для подальшого їхнього використання. Та для більшості людей невідомо, що поруч із залою засідань є таємна кімната, де генеральний директор зберігає колекцію предметів, пов’язаних із нацизмом.
Повернувшись до новоствореної штаб-квартири БПРО, ми дізнаємося, що Ейб відійшов від активної польової роботи, незважаючи на наполегливі прохання Кейт про його залучення. Ейба продовжує мучити його минуле, яке було розкрито в попередніх коміксах цього тому. Тим часом у засніженій місцевості Західної Британської Колумбії команда БПРО розпочинає місію з вистежування жабоподібних істот. Ця експедиція дає Роджеру можливість проявити лідерські якості, що знаменує значну трансформацію в його характері, оскільки він стає більш впевненим у собі. В окремій локації Ліз і Йоганн очолюють іншу групу солдатів, які борються проти загрози жаб’ячого монстра. Коли перший випуск добігає кінця, з’являється загадкове Чорне Полум’я, і Ліз отримує таємничий подарунок від посланця, який має більше значення, ніж здавалося спочатку.
Сценарист Джон Аркуді майстерно грає з нашими припущеннями в раптовій сцені, наслідки якої створюють відчуття невизначеності, що зберігається впродовж усіх випусків. Ліз, Роджер, Ейб, Дайміо та Йоганн починають рухатися в різних напрямках, що ставить під загрозу єдність основної групи БПРО. Тим часом загроза, що насувається від Саду-Гема, стає ще більш небезпечною, оскільки професор організації попереджає, що жаб’ячі монстри намагаються прикликати Кату-Гема, істоту ще більшу за розміром і силою, ніж Саду-Гем.
«БПРО: Чорне полум’я» — ще одна надзвичайно цікава частина грандіозної та амбітної всеохоплюючої розповіді, яка простягається на п’ять великих збірок «Жаб’яча чума». Хоча цю лімітку можна читати і як окрему історію, її справжня глибина посилюється завдяки знанням, отриманим із попередніх коміксів. Багато в чому вона слугує чудовим вступом для тих, хто прагне відчути смак усієї серії.
Ще на останок скажу, що вже після прочитання цієї лімітки, можу впевнено сказати, що шлях, у якому розвивалися комікси про БПРО вибрано правильно. І сценарист, і художник підібрані напрочуд вдало.
Подивившись на роботу Джона Аркуді та його команди у цій збірці, відчувається, що вони чудово розуміють, як розвивати свою історію. Вони створюють концепцію псевдо-лавкрафтівського монстра, жабоподібних істот, які наподобі саранчі, з'являються у всіх куточках світу. Це все добре вплітається в сюжет. Зрозуміло, що перший том був лише пошуком напрямку, і часто звертав не туди. Але якісна робота над лімітованими серіями коміксів, які містяться в цій збірці, свідчить про розвиток авторів, їх вміння глибше вникнути в сюжет, пропонуючи цікаві повороти подій та ��озширюючи всесвіт. Не знаю, коли будь-яка серія про команду БПРО почне виходити українською мовою, але вже пора.
October 4, 2023
What an epic story. I still really miss Hellboy, but these characters have a real charm to them. The frogs are an interesting enemy with the seemingly endless hordes of them.
Black Flame was a cool super villian type of addition as was the giant monster.
Overall this was an excellent volume. Excited to start the 3rd
Black Flame was a cool super villian type of addition as was the giant monster.
Overall this was an excellent volume. Excited to start the 3rd
April 19, 2025
4.5 Stars
I think I might like the BPRD series better than I did Hellboy. The first BPRD volume was a little disjointed as we had several random stories in one volume. This volume, however, is anything but. This is a long, cohesive story that for the most part sticks to a single narrative, and it really works that way. Frog monsters are trying to take over the world, and the BPRD is trying to stop them. We also get more information on Abe Sapien's orgin.
Overall a very strong volume of a very good series.
I think I might like the BPRD series better than I did Hellboy. The first BPRD volume was a little disjointed as we had several random stories in one volume. This volume, however, is anything but. This is a long, cohesive story that for the most part sticks to a single narrative, and it really works that way. Frog monsters are trying to take over the world, and the BPRD is trying to stop them. We also get more information on Abe Sapien's orgin.
Overall a very strong volume of a very good series.
May 30, 2015
This is the second of the omnibus editions collecting together a number titles from the BPRD series and linking them together for the Plague of Frogs series.
The book is an impressive volume number over 400 pages and collecting a number of the titles together (and all their various instalments) in to one massive book charting the events of the BPRD.
As with the previous book the artwork is highly stylised and personally all the better for it (although there are couple of entries which are penned in a different style and although not bad do stick out simply because they do not carry the same "feel" as the rest). The storyline is still a roller coaster which still is able to throw a few surprises and shocks along the way - I dont want to spoil the fun but after reading this volume I did have to stop and process all that had happened - all the victories and the losses.
One thing I will say though is that even after only the second volume (there are 4 in total) I wonder how the next omnibus edition will try and top this and if it succeeds what devastation will be left in its wake. I know that the series was promoted as a world changing event in the BPRD universe but I just wonderful what they can do next - I guess I know what I will be doing next - saving up to buy Volume 3.
The book is an impressive volume number over 400 pages and collecting a number of the titles together (and all their various instalments) in to one massive book charting the events of the BPRD.
As with the previous book the artwork is highly stylised and personally all the better for it (although there are couple of entries which are penned in a different style and although not bad do stick out simply because they do not carry the same "feel" as the rest). The storyline is still a roller coaster which still is able to throw a few surprises and shocks along the way - I dont want to spoil the fun but after reading this volume I did have to stop and process all that had happened - all the victories and the losses.
One thing I will say though is that even after only the second volume (there are 4 in total) I wonder how the next omnibus edition will try and top this and if it succeeds what devastation will be left in its wake. I know that the series was promoted as a world changing event in the BPRD universe but I just wonderful what they can do next - I guess I know what I will be doing next - saving up to buy Volume 3.
November 6, 2022
Absolutely Entertaining....................
BPRD Omnibus is an absolutely entertaining graphic novel, which gives you a taste of horror, thriller, action and adventure. The first two volumes are filled with action and horror. The plot picks up right from the start. Also, the graphics are nice which adds on extra adventure element. The third volume is a little bit slow. But, do not expect Hellboy in any of these volumes. Very interesting plots with emotions makes the book a must read.
Definitely, 4 stars to the all the volumes. Thanks to Edelweiss and Dark Horse Books for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.
Read more on https://bibliophileverse.blogspot.com...
BPRD Omnibus is an absolutely entertaining graphic novel, which gives you a taste of horror, thriller, action and adventure. The first two volumes are filled with action and horror. The plot picks up right from the start. Also, the graphics are nice which adds on extra adventure element. The third volume is a little bit slow. But, do not expect Hellboy in any of these volumes. Very interesting plots with emotions makes the book a must read.
Definitely, 4 stars to the all the volumes. Thanks to Edelweiss and Dark Horse Books for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.
Read more on https://bibliophileverse.blogspot.com...
March 31, 2019
Holy crap, things really shift into a higher gear. We've gone from moody and atmospheric to action and suspense. And it's still got mood and atmosphere to spare.
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May 15, 2020More excellent stories. These issues mark the start of Mignola co-writing with John Arcudi and Guy Davis taking over as the main artist. This is surely a great creative team. First up is “The Dead,” which sidesteps the Plague of Frogs storyline as B.P.R.D. moves their headquarters to Colorado. Shortly after the move they discover a German scientist in a secret sub-basement who may or may not be a little nuts and harboring a long-lost WWII secret. We also meet no-nonsense (and once dead) Captain Daimio, and get more insight into Abe’s past (it’s heartbreaking). While I enjoyed these issues, I found myself agreeing with Daimio that try should be punching frogs by now. Still, it’s a fun read with plenty of an action and right touches of humor and emotion.
“War on Frogs” contains five stand-alone stories taking place early in the war. I get a true sense that this is a war from these issues, with soldiers taking on frogs all over the country (no international frogs yet). My favorites are the last two stories, about a new soldier and Johan, respectively. The latter offers an intriguing glimpse at ghost frogs: where they go when they die and if they still have any humanity left in them.
Things get even bigger in “The Black Flame.” The mythology deepens, the war reaches farther than before, and a new villain - the Red Skull-esque Black Flame - enters the game. This arc has one or two gut-punches. Also, I love that Liz gets the spotlight here. Mignola and Acudi are taking her in such interesting directions, and the epilogue issue nicely spotlights her humanity. She’s probably the most complex character in B.P.R.D. Like “The Dead,” this is an exciting five issues that deftly balances action and emotion, making me rush to pick up the next book.
While I was reading this, I realized I didn’t miss Hellboy. Liz, Abe, Roger, and Johan are fantastic characters on their own.
“War on Frogs” contains five stand-alone stories taking place early in the war. I get a true sense that this is a war from these issues, with soldiers taking on frogs all over the country (no international frogs yet). My favorites are the last two stories, about a new soldier and Johan, respectively. The latter offers an intriguing glimpse at ghost frogs: where they go when they die and if they still have any humanity left in them.
Things get even bigger in “The Black Flame.” The mythology deepens, the war reaches farther than before, and a new villain - the Red Skull-esque Black Flame - enters the game. This arc has one or two gut-punches. Also, I love that Liz gets the spotlight here. Mignola and Acudi are taking her in such interesting directions, and the epilogue issue nicely spotlights her humanity. She’s probably the most complex character in B.P.R.D. Like “The Dead,” this is an exciting five issues that deftly balances action and emotion, making me rush to pick up the next book.
While I was reading this, I realized I didn’t miss Hellboy. Liz, Abe, Roger, and Johan are fantastic characters on their own.
November 20, 2018
++ for Abe's backstory and other emotional weight (don't wanna spoil it)
July 23, 2023
Es extremadamente entretenido, utilizando con mucha inteligencia muchísimos tropos del género, e integrando mil historias diferentes en una gran trama cohesionada y funcional. Es justo lo que le pido al cómic de aventuras. Tiene tantas influencias, tiene tantos matices, que a pesar de ser una relectura (lo leí originalmente en su versión americana a grapas) es casi como leerlo por primera vez. Mi lectura confort.
Mignola suelta un par de ideas al aire, Arcudi las convierte en guiones impolutos, entendiendo el medio del cómic como pocos contemporáneos suyos, y Davis convierte esos guiones en un fenómeno visual, en una dinámica narrativa trepidante. En una noche ha caído el segundo volumen completo. ¡Vamos a por el 3!
Mignola suelta un par de ideas al aire, Arcudi las convierte en guiones impolutos, entendiendo el medio del cómic como pocos contemporáneos suyos, y Davis convierte esos guiones en un fenómeno visual, en una dinámica narrativa trepidante. En una noche ha caído el segundo volumen completo. ¡Vamos a por el 3!
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October 9, 2019In several of my Hellboy reviews, I've commented on the repetitiveness of the adventures, which I think is both a fair and unfair assessment. In many ways, Hellboy is an iconic hero (in Robin D. Laws's terms): a hero like Conan, Sherlock Holmes, or James Bond who doesn't grow in the stories -- in fact, doesn't need to grow -- but who sets the world right according to their ethos. (So: Holmes uses logic to return civilization to order and sense, while Conan uses his barbaric strength of heart to avoid the snares of corrupt civilization.)
And in many ways, Hellboy and his cast of characters fit that mold: Abe is a sensitive friend, Hellboy is a brash kick-down-the-door feeler, Liz is the haunted psychic always torn between the fire and fear of it, and they can go through each adventure in exactly the same way.
But then there's also some attempts at change -- at making the heroes grapple with the horrors they faced, and either overcoming or succumbing to their trauma. Liz goes to a monastery to be at peace with the fire inside, Hellboy realizes that he's not just a human and the people around him aren't always the good guys, Abe gets wrecked by the pressures of leadership and the revelation of his past self.
Which is maybe part of the reason why we introduce Captain Daimio here, the standard hard-bitten military leader, as a potential iconic hero -- he's gonna chomp cigars and kick butt -- only to have him deal with his role in the death of the one man he came to love like a brother. It's the struggle between iconic and dynamic characters, right there.
Anyway, the first book of this omnibus is Abe learning about his past, the introduction of Daimio, and the move of the BPRD to new HQ, which have their own problems. I wasn't interested in this story that much, and it brings up another sometime crutch of the Hellboy stories: the heroes face a horror, and then are saved by some external supernatural 3rd party.
The second book is a bunch of vignettes that take place during the War on Frogs, and this was very interesting and nicely illustrates the breadth of the war by examining little stories within it: a religious revival and the people drawn to the monsters, a military horror story about the grunts trapped on an abandoned battleship with one of the frogs, a newbie interested in Liz, and Johann Kraus dealing with frog ghosts.
The Black Flame, the third story, changes the War on Frogs to a war against Zinco, leading the frogs to revive some terrible monster, which is destroyed with, ta-da, a little help from a supernatural being. Is the War on Frogs over? And who is the mysterious mystic who helped the team defeat the new monster? That's maybe what saves this story in the end -- it's not tied up, the solution brings a certain sense of dread, especially the last few pages, where Johann, who has been promising the resurrection of the dead, can't do anything other than sit with his friend.
And in many ways, Hellboy and his cast of characters fit that mold: Abe is a sensitive friend, Hellboy is a brash kick-down-the-door feeler, Liz is the haunted psychic always torn between the fire and fear of it, and they can go through each adventure in exactly the same way.
But then there's also some attempts at change -- at making the heroes grapple with the horrors they faced, and either overcoming or succumbing to their trauma. Liz goes to a monastery to be at peace with the fire inside, Hellboy realizes that he's not just a human and the people around him aren't always the good guys, Abe gets wrecked by the pressures of leadership and the revelation of his past self.
Which is maybe part of the reason why we introduce Captain Daimio here, the standard hard-bitten military leader, as a potential iconic hero -- he's gonna chomp cigars and kick butt -- only to have him deal with his role in the death of the one man he came to love like a brother. It's the struggle between iconic and dynamic characters, right there.
Anyway, the first book of this omnibus is Abe learning about his past, the introduction of Daimio, and the move of the BPRD to new HQ, which have their own problems. I wasn't interested in this story that much, and it brings up another sometime crutch of the Hellboy stories: the heroes face a horror, and then are saved by some external supernatural 3rd party.
The second book is a bunch of vignettes that take place during the War on Frogs, and this was very interesting and nicely illustrates the breadth of the war by examining little stories within it: a religious revival and the people drawn to the monsters, a military horror story about the grunts trapped on an abandoned battleship with one of the frogs, a newbie interested in Liz, and Johann Kraus dealing with frog ghosts.
The Black Flame, the third story, changes the War on Frogs to a war against Zinco, leading the frogs to revive some terrible monster, which is destroyed with, ta-da, a little help from a supernatural being. Is the War on Frogs over? And who is the mysterious mystic who helped the team defeat the new monster? That's maybe what saves this story in the end -- it's not tied up, the solution brings a certain sense of dread, especially the last few pages, where Johann, who has been promising the resurrection of the dead, can't do anything other than sit with his friend.
April 6, 2018
Hmmm... I'm not sure I'm going to finish the Plague of Frogs four-book cycle. There are elements I like, such as the characters themselves (although I sometimes grow weary of Liz's self-pity), Davis's visuals, specific actions sequences. The War on Frogs stories were all quite good.
Yet I didn't find this book very satisfying. That the answer just came to Liz in a dream, and all she had to do was find some trinket in Roger's room and focus her fire through it seems ... easy. Lazy even. I dislike prophecy and visions in general, so the creators are steering into an area I generally consider the realm of cheap resolutions. I suppose more can come of Liz's dreams in future books, but I found this one anti-climatic. The finale of the BPRD's move into their new headquarters - with the crazy Nazi scientist in the basement - also thudded somewhat.
It's a good book, but suffering a bit from diminishing returns, and it's way too early for that to be impacting my enjoyment. I'll have to think long and hard about committing to more BPRD.
Yet I didn't find this book very satisfying. That the answer just came to Liz in a dream, and all she had to do was find some trinket in Roger's room and focus her fire through it seems ... easy. Lazy even. I dislike prophecy and visions in general, so the creators are steering into an area I generally consider the realm of cheap resolutions. I suppose more can come of Liz's dreams in future books, but I found this one anti-climatic. The finale of the BPRD's move into their new headquarters - with the crazy Nazi scientist in the basement - also thudded somewhat.
It's a good book, but suffering a bit from diminishing returns, and it's way too early for that to be impacting my enjoyment. I'll have to think long and hard about committing to more BPRD.
December 30, 2017
My favorite thing about these hardcover editions is that it provides so much more continuity than reading the original trade paperbacks. That said, the *lack* of continuity in artwork is hard to miss here. It's not that I dislike the interim(?) artists, because they're all independently good; it's just that Guy Davis's style is so well suited to Mignola's story (not to mention being very similar to his art) that I was more dissatisfied by the multiple-artist thing than I was in volume 2. The story moves on, with Abe isolating himself and Benjamin Daimio taking his job as team leader, and while in some ways this is an interim story, it's still as gritty and exciting and emotionally draining as the first volume.
April 22, 2024
Utterly brilliant. Every time I put this down I couldn't wait to pick it back up. Every moment bursts with originality. It's rare that I read anything with such a clear, unique vision. The humor is great, the horror is tense, and the story constantly moves forward in unexpected ways without ever feeling contrived. Can't recommend this enough.
August 31, 2016
Another great volume in the BPRD graphic novels... this is the second time I've read this and I like it even more than the first. creepy and a little gory, but very well done... now on to volume 3!
March 8, 2021
BPRD finally has direction. After the random assortment that was Vol 1, it's good to see the team being built up with an all encompassing narrative.
April 12, 2024
So I'm planning to read the third omnibus volume when I get access to it, but I'm starting to have doubts on if I actually want to read more B.P.R.D.: it just feels like it is way too much mooks shooting monster frogs, and that just isn't particularly interesting to me. Technically it is only about 2/3rds full of frog battles, but I don't find the first section much better: after a short prologue story which has the team battling a fossil spirit monster, and which introduces an item that turns out to be an important MacGuffin though the story seems otherwise completely unconnected to anything else, there is then the story titled "The Dead" which doesn't have frogs, but feels like it does. This section has two disconnected storylines: in one, the team moves to a new old base in Colorado to be better positioned to fight frogs, but has to deal with former inhabitants and forgotten mystical military projects; in the other Abe deals with his origin, sort of. I like the idea of clearing out a haunted old military base (especially given the weird-wars aspect of the Hellboy universe), and I really like the creepy insectoid seraph that shows up, but the story both feels like it isn't given enough time for all the potential in it, but also gets too much attention for how it is just a speedbump on the way to more frogpocalypse. And the Abe Sapien storyline (following up on a vision he had at the end of the last volume) is not at all compelling; it is an explanation for his origin that explains nothing, and there's nothing relatable or interesting in him going on visiting the undead wife of the human that apparently morphed into him; he even says that he has no memories of her, so it just doesn't make sense that he is so fixated on this. Or, I can see his desire to have some past to work with, but the storyline offers no meaningful resolution for the character or the reader.
Of course, the later part of the book isn't just irksome for all the repetitive frog-on-soldier action, there are other issues as well. The characters have inconsistent personalities for one. Liz is just all over the place, usually acting as the opposition to decisions made by higher ups, which means that she sometimes seems to contradict herself. The writers don't seem to know what to do with Roger, alternating between having him as a big, dumb lunk, or weirdly having him imprint to the point of mimicking another character; neither option really does him justice, nor seems consistent with how he was depicted earlier . Abe spends much of the volume moping about in the office, though honestly that isn't a bad choice: he is one of the main supernatural characters, but his powers are irrelevant to 99% of the action; he made sense mostly in connection with Hellboy, as his friend and fellow non-human agent, so the only reason he would belong in the field is because he has more experience than many grunts. And the story seems uneven. The 4th chapter of "War on Frogs" has a single frogmonster take out a squad, Predator like, with an implication that they are getting smarter or more powerful, but then in "The Black Flame" we're back to hoards of nearly mindless frogmonsters and lots of guns. And part of the original horror of the frogmonsters is that they are transformed humans; there's even a suggestion that maybe the person inside is calling for help (though maybe not, as they always go on to attack afterwards), but that just gets brushed aside. So obviously the frogmonsters are reproducing independently and very rapidly, which kind of shifts the nature of the problem, but it is a matter than is never addressed well. And then there's the whole MacGuffin thing that somehow augments Liz's power to torch the big nasty that shows up at the end; it really comes out of nowhere and has no explanation, though maybe one is forthcoming in the future. But it feels very random.
Of course, the later part of the book isn't just irksome for all the repetitive frog-on-soldier action, there are other issues as well. The characters have inconsistent personalities for one. Liz is just all over the place, usually acting as the opposition to decisions made by higher ups, which means that she sometimes seems to contradict herself. The writers don't seem to know what to do with Roger, alternating between having him as a big, dumb lunk, or weirdly having him imprint to the point of mimicking another character; neither option really does him justice, nor seems consistent with how he was depicted earlier . Abe spends much of the volume moping about in the office, though honestly that isn't a bad choice: he is one of the main supernatural characters, but his powers are irrelevant to 99% of the action; he made sense mostly in connection with Hellboy, as his friend and fellow non-human agent, so the only reason he would belong in the field is because he has more experience than many grunts. And the story seems uneven. The 4th chapter of "War on Frogs" has a single frogmonster take out a squad, Predator like, with an implication that they are getting smarter or more powerful, but then in "The Black Flame" we're back to hoards of nearly mindless frogmonsters and lots of guns. And part of the original horror of the frogmonsters is that they are transformed humans; there's even a suggestion that maybe the person inside is calling for help (though maybe not, as they always go on to attack afterwards), but that just gets brushed aside. So obviously the frogmonsters are reproducing independently and very rapidly, which kind of shifts the nature of the problem, but it is a matter than is never addressed well. And then there's the whole MacGuffin thing that somehow augments Liz's power to torch the big nasty that shows up at the end; it really comes out of nowhere and has no explanation, though maybe one is forthcoming in the future. But it feels very random.
May 18, 2023
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.
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.
November 16, 2023
Though I liked the way the pieces were laid out in the first B.P.R.D. omnibus, the heart of the "Plague of Frogs" story only really kicked off in the tail end of that collection. This second omnibus continues the saga and marks a bit of an improvement, but I still couldn't quite connect with the main narrative of this ongoing spread of the frog plague. There is much more of a looseness to the storytelling across the first two omnibus collection of the title that hasn't appealed to me the same way Mignola's Hellboy series does.
"The Dead" has Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense relocating to the remote Colorado mountain ranges and expanding their cast. As the newer members of the team explore the caverns of their new base, Abe Sapien follows up on what he learned about his previous life. This mostly serves as more set dressing for the continued narrative in "The Black Flame", where Mignola and Arcudi return to staples of their universe - Nazis.
The threads picked up here involve the villain Landis Pope who is a callous company director that funds the research into the frog creatures comprising the "Plague of Frogs". Pope sets himself up as the chief antagonist to the B.P.R.D., who find themselves occupied with containing the frog infestations. Liz Sherman experiences strange dreams that serve mostly as foreshadowing of things to come.
"War on Frogs" sets a portion of the B.P.R.D. team on an abandoned ship to take on the frog beings as individual members take on missions of heightened tension. The more notable subplot is that of Roger the Homunculus who discovers that the frogs may not be directed on mindless instinct and that there is much more to Pope's machinations.
Guy Davis does much of the art in this omnibus, and it's all great stuff. Davis' work is a departure from Mignola's aesthetic that other collaborators have often mimicked, but it still does a great job bringing the mythology and Lovecraftian iconography to life. Davis' linework is much looser and flowing compared to the highly angular and geometric vision Mignola employs. The colors are also more vibrant than the color palette found in Mignola's Hellboy series, making this title feel a bit more unique in that regard. The "War on Frogs" storyline also features the artwork of John Severin and Peter Snejbjerg who do a great job as well, but it's really Guy Davis' contributions to B.P.R.D. that stand out for me.
"The Dead" has Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense relocating to the remote Colorado mountain ranges and expanding their cast. As the newer members of the team explore the caverns of their new base, Abe Sapien follows up on what he learned about his previous life. This mostly serves as more set dressing for the continued narrative in "The Black Flame", where Mignola and Arcudi return to staples of their universe - Nazis.
The threads picked up here involve the villain Landis Pope who is a callous company director that funds the research into the frog creatures comprising the "Plague of Frogs". Pope sets himself up as the chief antagonist to the B.P.R.D., who find themselves occupied with containing the frog infestations. Liz Sherman experiences strange dreams that serve mostly as foreshadowing of things to come.
"War on Frogs" sets a portion of the B.P.R.D. team on an abandoned ship to take on the frog beings as individual members take on missions of heightened tension. The more notable subplot is that of Roger the Homunculus who discovers that the frogs may not be directed on mindless instinct and that there is much more to Pope's machinations.
Guy Davis does much of the art in this omnibus, and it's all great stuff. Davis' work is a departure from Mignola's aesthetic that other collaborators have often mimicked, but it still does a great job bringing the mythology and Lovecraftian iconography to life. Davis' linework is much looser and flowing compared to the highly angular and geometric vision Mignola employs. The colors are also more vibrant than the color palette found in Mignola's Hellboy series, making this title feel a bit more unique in that regard. The "War on Frogs" storyline also features the artwork of John Severin and Peter Snejbjerg who do a great job as well, but it's really Guy Davis' contributions to B.P.R.D. that stand out for me.
May 20, 2017
English (but not so good) / Italiano
Ok, Benjamin Daimio is simply an awesome new entry (Roger agrees, Liz less), and sure he isn’t a rookie… but isn’t the only one.
I love every single element of this squad, and their offices in Colorado, the places they visit and the characters they come across, the stories that they live or who have lived. Do we want to talk about enemies then? Just say a name: the Black Flame. Encloses in itself past, present and future about the adversity which strike the Bureau and the entire planet. Liz Sherman seems to be the solution to this dramatic event.
Italiano
Ok, Benjamin Daimio è una new entry semplicemente eccezionale (Roger è d’accordo, Liz meno), e di certo non è un principiante… ma non è il solo.
Adoro ogni singolo elemento di questa squadra, e i loro uffici in Colorado, i luoghi che visitano e i personaggi in cui si imbattono, le storie che vivono o che hanno vissuto. Vogliamo parlare dei nemici poi? Mi basta fare un nome: la Fiamma Nera. Racchiude in sé passato, presente e futuro delle avversità che colpiscono il Bureau e l’intero pianeta. Liz Sherman sembrerebbe essere la soluzione a questa drammatica vicenda.
Ok, Benjamin Daimio is simply an awesome new entry (Roger agrees, Liz less), and sure he isn’t a rookie… but isn’t the only one.
I love every single element of this squad, and their offices in Colorado, the places they visit and the characters they come across, the stories that they live or who have lived. Do we want to talk about enemies then? Just say a name: the Black Flame. Encloses in itself past, present and future about the adversity which strike the Bureau and the entire planet. Liz Sherman seems to be the solution to this dramatic event.
Italiano
Ok, Benjamin Daimio è una new entry semplicemente eccezionale (Roger è d’accordo, Liz meno), e di certo non è un principiante… ma non è il solo.
Adoro ogni singolo elemento di questa squadra, e i loro uffici in Colorado, i luoghi che visitano e i personaggi in cui si imbattono, le storie che vivono o che hanno vissuto. Vogliamo parlare dei nemici poi? Mi basta fare un nome: la Fiamma Nera. Racchiude in sé passato, presente e futuro delle avversità che colpiscono il Bureau e l’intero pianeta. Liz Sherman sembrerebbe essere la soluzione a questa drammatica vicenda.
June 27, 2020
Vol 2 of B.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs is excellent... it's just not as good as it gets.
After a Vol 1 that feels like a bridge between old Hellboy material, with different writing/art teams plus Mignola trying to figure out what to do with B.P.R.D., in Vol 2 we actually get going.
You see this in the plot - The Dead begins with a big move of the B.P.R.D. HQ to Colorado and the introduction of (great character) Daimio. Plus we start to explore the origins of Abe. It's a cohesive, strong tale, with great art by ongoing artist Guy Davies. You start to see the potential here.
Then comes War on Frogs, and again, it's 5 short tales around a central theme. It's a good character exploration, the art isn't as great on some of the issues unfortunately, and it feels less grand and less fun for me.
And then we get The Black Flame. This is one of my favourite B.P.R.D. stories, and I won't spoil anything. It's got a fantastic villain (his ending is brilliant), lots of character development for Abe and Roger, and a big, big ending. Black Flame elevated B.P.R.D. from a good comic series that's worth collecting to one that's a must-read and requires regular revisiting.
Vol 2 isn't perfect, it stumbles a bit in the middle, but it's still fantastic. And it gets even better next.
After a Vol 1 that feels like a bridge between old Hellboy material, with different writing/art teams plus Mignola trying to figure out what to do with B.P.R.D., in Vol 2 we actually get going.
You see this in the plot - The Dead begins with a big move of the B.P.R.D. HQ to Colorado and the introduction of (great character) Daimio. Plus we start to explore the origins of Abe. It's a cohesive, strong tale, with great art by ongoing artist Guy Davies. You start to see the potential here.
Then comes War on Frogs, and again, it's 5 short tales around a central theme. It's a good character exploration, the art isn't as great on some of the issues unfortunately, and it feels less grand and less fun for me.
And then we get The Black Flame. This is one of my favourite B.P.R.D. stories, and I won't spoil anything. It's got a fantastic villain (his ending is brilliant), lots of character development for Abe and Roger, and a big, big ending. Black Flame elevated B.P.R.D. from a good comic series that's worth collecting to one that's a must-read and requires regular revisiting.
Vol 2 isn't perfect, it stumbles a bit in the middle, but it's still fantastic. And it gets even better next.
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