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B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth
B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth, Vol. 7 - A Cold Day in Hell
Following the deadly events of The Return of the Master, the zombie director of the Russian occult sciences division leads the B.P.R.D. to go head to head with demons from Hell. Meanwhile, Johann commands a rescue mission to locate the missing agents from The Abyss of Time. What they find is an army of mutated humans. Collects B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #105-109.
* Art by Peter Snejbjerg (Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain, A God Somewhere) and Laurence Campbell (Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine, Punisher MAX).
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2014
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,826 books2,565 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 62 reviews
March 12, 2016
BPRD gets a lot of stick these days and I do understand why, I really do! It's easy to see how people can become disenfranchised with the main BPRD book for the following reasons:
(1) Virtually all of the original cast are no longer in the book. This point is felt even more deeply than it would be in a title like, say, the Avengers, because the characters that have replaced the original cast don't have any supernatural abilities. It's like Ant-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and the Wasp being replaced by Jimmy Woo, Clay Quartermain, Sharon Carter, Phil Coulson and Gabe Jones. The supernatural powers of the original crew was a big part of the draw of the book, to start with.
(2) The story takes an age to 'get anywhere'. I get it; I totally get how it might seem that way and I even agree, to a certain extent.
Here's the thing, though. These things, while totally valid criticisms, just don't bother me as much as they do some people. I don't think it's because I'm not as selective as the book's critics, it's more that I want different things from the book.
I actually quite like the fact that the current crew are just normal folks with a job to do. The severity of the threat actually feels more overwhelming when you know Hellboy isn't just going to step in a couple of pages before the end of the book and pummel the threat to death (not that I don't enjoy that kind of story too). When folks like Hellboy, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman were still around, it was basically a superhero book with a barely-there, gossamer-thin horror comic disguise. With the big guns out of the frame (for now) it actually feels like a horror comic to me! I love that! When I watch the Nightmare on Elm Street films I don't care that the teenaged cannon-fodder are basically interchangeable! Same thing with BPRD. I do realise this kind of thing isn't for everybody though.
As for the stories taking ages to get anywhere... well, yes, to an extent I agree that the books could be improved a bit by the editors wielding their scissors a little more ruthlessly. There is undoubtedly fat here fit for the trimming. I do think, however, that people are looking at this book the wrong way. People seem to want from BPRD what they get from superhero books; there is a 'normal world' status quo, some baddies come along and cause untold mayhem, the heroes fly in and kick the baddies' butts and the 'normal world' status quo is restored. All in the space of six issues, usually.
The Mignolaverse just doesn't operate that way. It's more like the real world, where the huge upheavals caused by the bad guys aren't easily swept under the carpet once the heroes have handed them their arses. The 'normal world' in BPRD Land has gone away... forever. This monster-ridden Hell on Earth (see what I did there?) is the status quo now. The somewhat jollier, greener world Hellboy used to operate in in the early days of this book is not coming back. I think significant lasting change like this is really difficult for us comicbook readers to accept because, apart from rare exceptions like this one, it never really happens in comicbooks! We're all so used to our bi-annual soft resets that when a book like BPRD comes along... well, we have trouble coping with it.
The creators of the Mignolaverse books, on the other (red right) hand, are obviously loving having this rare kind of sandbox to play in... and that's what this volume of BPRD is: creators having a blast playing in this awesome significantly-changeable sandbox. The creepiness is ratcheted up to ten, the blood is flowing, the bones are not just breaking but shifting unnaturally, animals and people (he says as though there's a difference) are going batshit crazy with terror... and I'm sitting here with my popcorn loving every... damned... minute.
Also, there's some mighty purdy artwork on display in these here books. Hats off to the artists in a big way. Anyway, I'm off to buy more popcorn, practise my evil grin and collect that fiver from Mignola...
(1) Virtually all of the original cast are no longer in the book. This point is felt even more deeply than it would be in a title like, say, the Avengers, because the characters that have replaced the original cast don't have any supernatural abilities. It's like Ant-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and the Wasp being replaced by Jimmy Woo, Clay Quartermain, Sharon Carter, Phil Coulson and Gabe Jones. The supernatural powers of the original crew was a big part of the draw of the book, to start with.
(2) The story takes an age to 'get anywhere'. I get it; I totally get how it might seem that way and I even agree, to a certain extent.
Here's the thing, though. These things, while totally valid criticisms, just don't bother me as much as they do some people. I don't think it's because I'm not as selective as the book's critics, it's more that I want different things from the book.
I actually quite like the fact that the current crew are just normal folks with a job to do. The severity of the threat actually feels more overwhelming when you know Hellboy isn't just going to step in a couple of pages before the end of the book and pummel the threat to death (not that I don't enjoy that kind of story too). When folks like Hellboy, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman were still around, it was basically a superhero book with a barely-there, gossamer-thin horror comic disguise. With the big guns out of the frame (for now) it actually feels like a horror comic to me! I love that! When I watch the Nightmare on Elm Street films I don't care that the teenaged cannon-fodder are basically interchangeable! Same thing with BPRD. I do realise this kind of thing isn't for everybody though.
As for the stories taking ages to get anywhere... well, yes, to an extent I agree that the books could be improved a bit by the editors wielding their scissors a little more ruthlessly. There is undoubtedly fat here fit for the trimming. I do think, however, that people are looking at this book the wrong way. People seem to want from BPRD what they get from superhero books; there is a 'normal world' status quo, some baddies come along and cause untold mayhem, the heroes fly in and kick the baddies' butts and the 'normal world' status quo is restored. All in the space of six issues, usually.
The Mignolaverse just doesn't operate that way. It's more like the real world, where the huge upheavals caused by the bad guys aren't easily swept under the carpet once the heroes have handed them their arses. The 'normal world' in BPRD Land has gone away... forever. This monster-ridden Hell on Earth (see what I did there?) is the status quo now. The somewhat jollier, greener world Hellboy used to operate in in the early days of this book is not coming back. I think significant lasting change like this is really difficult for us comicbook readers to accept because, apart from rare exceptions like this one, it never really happens in comicbooks! We're all so used to our bi-annual soft resets that when a book like BPRD comes along... well, we have trouble coping with it.
The creators of the Mignolaverse books, on the other (red right) hand, are obviously loving having this rare kind of sandbox to play in... and that's what this volume of BPRD is: creators having a blast playing in this awesome significantly-changeable sandbox. The creepiness is ratcheted up to ten, the blood is flowing, the bones are not just breaking but shifting unnaturally, animals and people (he says as though there's a difference) are going batshit crazy with terror... and I'm sitting here with my popcorn loving every... damned... minute.
Also, there's some mighty purdy artwork on display in these here books. Hats off to the artists in a big way. Anyway, I'm off to buy more popcorn, practise my evil grin and collect that fiver from Mignola...
January 23, 2018
BPRD, I almost don't recognise you. I used to love this series, but now none of my favourite characters are there, replaced instead by some nameless cardboard cutouts without any personality. The global plot moves at a snail's pace if at all, and every single story arc is the same — a group of nameless agents plus Johann (if you're lucky) gets sent somewhere, encounters monsters, shoots them. Somebody dies, most of them survive. Lather, rinse, repeat. The series made a huge mistake by killing off or incapacitating the entire main cast. Who does that?! Imagine if The Walking Dead would kill off everybody and then focus solely on the most boring background characters — this is exactly what BPRD has done with Hell on Earth. I honestly don't know if I should soldier through the rest of the series at this point...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2014
The first half of the book follows Johann and a smattering of BPRD agents as they embark on a rescue mission to Chicago to discover the fates of their non-communicative colleagues who went in before them. The second half deals with Nichayko, the zombie director of the Russian version of the BPRD, as he reveals more of Varvara’s (the creepy doll-like girl living in a jar) backstory.
BPRD: Hell on Earth has officially stalled. The series has been steadily becoming less and less interesting, especially in the last couple of volumes, but this seventh book was by far the worst. The Johann story was dull at best and read like so many other BPRD stories that I kept pausing to ask myself “have I read this before?”. And yes, this is the addendum to the tedious Abyss of Time story arc from Volume 5: The Pickens County Horror.
Reading Johann’s story made me realise what BPRD has bizarrely become: Starship Troopers. All those giant bugs appearing from the ground and the skies with the BPRD agents firing guns at them just felt exactly like the Starship Troopers movie/awful CGI TV show. And that’s all that seems to happen in BPRD books these days: bland characters with guns firing at bland monsters. Johann’s not a bad character but he’s written here as just another grunt – the person we’ve gotten to know for so long has disappeared.
The good news is that Abe Sapien’s back from the dead. The bad news is that he’s in the book for a whopping two pages before disappearing. Why does this series need Abe? Because the cast are a series of non-descript human characters who I couldn’t care less about. We need Liz, Abe, and Hellboy back or we need Johann to at least be written like he used to be! We need something more than nothing.
The other story with Nichayko is only slightly more interesting but still doesn’t feel like it deserved the space it got – it was just too forgettable. Nichayko goes to an outpost, monsters attack, BPRD go in and save him, the end. It’s about as rote a BPRD story as you can get. Sure there’s some ok stuff about Varvara’s real identity but it’s so fleeting that it doesn’t make up for the dreariness of the rest of the story.
BPRD: Hell on Earth desperately needs two things: a plot and characters worth reading about. The last couple books have been complete stinkers but this latest one is so shockingly boring and uninspired that the only positive is that the only way this series can go is up.
BPRD: Hell on Earth has officially stalled. The series has been steadily becoming less and less interesting, especially in the last couple of volumes, but this seventh book was by far the worst. The Johann story was dull at best and read like so many other BPRD stories that I kept pausing to ask myself “have I read this before?”. And yes, this is the addendum to the tedious Abyss of Time story arc from Volume 5: The Pickens County Horror.
Reading Johann’s story made me realise what BPRD has bizarrely become: Starship Troopers. All those giant bugs appearing from the ground and the skies with the BPRD agents firing guns at them just felt exactly like the Starship Troopers movie/awful CGI TV show. And that’s all that seems to happen in BPRD books these days: bland characters with guns firing at bland monsters. Johann’s not a bad character but he’s written here as just another grunt – the person we’ve gotten to know for so long has disappeared.
The good news is that Abe Sapien’s back from the dead. The bad news is that he’s in the book for a whopping two pages before disappearing. Why does this series need Abe? Because the cast are a series of non-descript human characters who I couldn’t care less about. We need Liz, Abe, and Hellboy back or we need Johann to at least be written like he used to be! We need something more than nothing.
The other story with Nichayko is only slightly more interesting but still doesn’t feel like it deserved the space it got – it was just too forgettable. Nichayko goes to an outpost, monsters attack, BPRD go in and save him, the end. It’s about as rote a BPRD story as you can get. Sure there’s some ok stuff about Varvara’s real identity but it’s so fleeting that it doesn’t make up for the dreariness of the rest of the story.
BPRD: Hell on Earth desperately needs two things: a plot and characters worth reading about. The last couple books have been complete stinkers but this latest one is so shockingly boring and uninspired that the only positive is that the only way this series can go is up.
May 7, 2019
I think this is the volume where I realized our heroes are probably not going to win this. At this point the world is too far gone and it's a war to protect the remnants of humanity at best. With this trip to Chicago you really realize how much of humanity is gone. It's really bleak with some heart-wrenching moments. I did like the return of Howards. I enjoyed Cold Day in Hell as well. I like the little peaks into the Russian version of the BPRD, plus we get to find out the deal with the girl in the jar.
March 19, 2014
This is a placeholder review until I can fill in some of the gaps in my reading. The review and the rating may change after a reread.
There are two separate stories going on here. In the first, Johann and a B.P.R.D. team head on foot towards their office in Chicago after their plane crashes. They find themselves in a world not totally unlike "The Walking Dead", with monsters at every turn, mostly humans that have been mutated. Finally reaching a devastated Chicago, they come across the team we met in the last book, and this explains why that story seems truncated, as the lone survivor of that story makes use of his new weapon.
Meanwhile, in Russia Kate Corrigan has been rescued by the head of Russia's occult science division, only to have him drag her into a mission to stop demon child Vervara from escaping the prison she has long been held in.
In other news, This will no doubt have major repurcussions in the future, but at the moment this is a hanging plot thread.
3 1/2 stars and getting better
There are two separate stories going on here. In the first, Johann and a B.P.R.D. team head on foot towards their office in Chicago after their plane crashes. They find themselves in a world not totally unlike "The Walking Dead", with monsters at every turn, mostly humans that have been mutated. Finally reaching a devastated Chicago, they come across the team we met in the last book, and this explains why that story seems truncated, as the lone survivor of that story makes use of his new weapon.
Meanwhile, in Russia Kate Corrigan has been rescued by the head of Russia's occult science division, only to have him drag her into a mission to stop demon child Vervara from escaping the prison she has long been held in.
In other news, This will no doubt have major repurcussions in the future, but at the moment this is a hanging plot thread.
3 1/2 stars and getting better
January 2, 2023
Although this volume lets the reader know the state of the world in the series, and there are some new developments, overall it feels like the main plot is getting dragged at this point.
March 11, 2016
Shit your pants world building.
World: Campbell and Sneljbjerg's art is different but also absolutely perfect for this series. The framing and the character designs are great, with Campbell with his gritty and dirty lines in Wasteland to Snejbjerg's stylistic and stark linework for Cold Day in Hell...amazing. Stewart's colors, he's the best. The world building for this arc is absolutely phenomenal, without spoiling anything for readers it's fucking amazing. This ties in with Hellboy in Hell and it gave me goosebumps on the implications of where the story is going to go because of the world building. The pieces that have been in play boggles the mind at Mignola and Arcudi's writing skills.
Story: The two tales are great, they take place right after the last arc and gives us the next chapter in the stories there. I would have expected the bigger threat to be dealt with, but no, much like this series' best stories, these two tales are grounded on characters. What happens in Chicago is tragic and grim, while what happens in Russia is nerve wracking and creepy, these stories are so good.
Characters: Gervesh and Giarocco get the most of the character building. I liked that cause I found the last arc a bit light on the character side (especially Giarocco) and now we get a dose of her, it's great. I'm not going to go into detail on another long standing character which gets some massive development (the one in a glass jar...and another whose also in a glass tank). The characters are great.
I can't say much cause this arc is just so good in terms of development in character and world building. It seems like two simple tales but they are deceptively deep.
Amazing!
Onward to the next book!
World: Campbell and Sneljbjerg's art is different but also absolutely perfect for this series. The framing and the character designs are great, with Campbell with his gritty and dirty lines in Wasteland to Snejbjerg's stylistic and stark linework for Cold Day in Hell...amazing. Stewart's colors, he's the best. The world building for this arc is absolutely phenomenal, without spoiling anything for readers it's fucking amazing. This ties in with Hellboy in Hell and it gave me goosebumps on the implications of where the story is going to go because of the world building. The pieces that have been in play boggles the mind at Mignola and Arcudi's writing skills.
Story: The two tales are great, they take place right after the last arc and gives us the next chapter in the stories there. I would have expected the bigger threat to be dealt with, but no, much like this series' best stories, these two tales are grounded on characters. What happens in Chicago is tragic and grim, while what happens in Russia is nerve wracking and creepy, these stories are so good.
Characters: Gervesh and Giarocco get the most of the character building. I liked that cause I found the last arc a bit light on the character side (especially Giarocco) and now we get a dose of her, it's great. I'm not going to go into detail on another long standing character which gets some massive development (the one in a glass jar...and another whose also in a glass tank). The characters are great.
I can't say much cause this arc is just so good in terms of development in character and world building. It seems like two simple tales but they are deceptively deep.
Amazing!
Onward to the next book!
July 22, 2024
And so the next part of the story marches on - I will say it may be a personal thing but this feels a little slower in pace - which is actually a good thing. This way more time and attention can be given which I think gives a much more deeper impact from the events that are happening. The is widespread devastation around the world and there seems to be two groups - those that want it to happen and those who are trying their best to stop it.
So now you have the development on the next great power struggle - which as I have previously stated I am not sure is from a new direction or just some old characters finally making their move either way its going to be epic - after all we are now technically half way through the series
So now you have the development on the next great power struggle - which as I have previously stated I am not sure is from a new direction or just some old characters finally making their move either way its going to be epic - after all we are now technically half way through the series
July 16, 2020
Ну, все. Апокаліпсис більше не "сімейний/кухонний". Світові гаплик, техніка не працює, монстри всюди, і постапокаліптика з виживальництвом почали переважати над містикою. Цей том значно ближче до зомбі-горору чи серіалу "Штамм" від Дель Торо, де зло є ще й розумним.
Фокус тепер теж зміщено на інших персонажів, бо супергерої у світі тотального п*ецю вирішують не більше простих смертних.
Я сподіваюся лише на дві речі:
1. Вони не стануть відкатувати руйнацію світу та містичним чином повертати його до норми
2. Вони не стануть перекреслювати завершення "Геллбоя в Пеклі" його поверненням, бо тоді я вважатиму для себе сюжет завершеним саме на тій арці, як, наприклад, вважаю, що "Надприроднє" завершили на 5му сезоні.
Фокус тепер теж зміщено на інших персонажів, бо супергерої у світі тотального п*ецю вирішують не більше простих смертних.
Я сподіваюся лише на дві речі:
1. Вони не стануть відкатувати руйнацію світу та містичним чином повертати його до норми
2. Вони не стануть перекреслювати завершення "Геллбоя в Пеклі" його поверненням, бо тоді я вважатиму для себе сюжет завершеним саме на тій арці, як, наприклад, вважаю, що "Надприроднє" завершили на 5му сезоні.
January 12, 2020
The fun side of Bureau nobodies wandering off in the countryside shooting critters kinda wears off after a while. Same goes for russian nobodies wandering off the russian countryside.
For now the series clearly lost its momentum.
For now the series clearly lost its momentum.
August 1, 2016
I have seen a lot of negative reviews of this volume and while I think the timing for another volume of shorter stories is not great, I actually liked both of these stories. The Russian Director is a character who seems cool but I wonder if he will be revealed to be a villain at some point. I liked the longer story of the two here which was basically an apocalypse survival tale. While it isn't as deep as say The Walking Dead goes or The Road (which I know is an unfair comparison), it still was interesting and a nice change of pace. The grimness of the story and the realistic art (think Alex Maleev) were both very welcome changes. It was also nice to see Johann as a strong leader again. The previous couple of volumes made him seem weak or not like the character who seemed so cool at the beginning of B.P.R.D. This volume is not amazing, but does have some strong points and does just enough to earn four stars. B.P.R.D. is morphing into a book that you either love or hate and at this point, if you're reading this deep into the series, you probably know which side of that fence you're on.
November 11, 2019
I expect some people will argue with my classifying this as urban fantasy, but I remain thinking that the BRPD Hell on Earth and Stross's Laundry Files series are telling very much the same story, but using different cultural landmarks (Stross obviously using many British landmarks). In both series the end of the world is near, or has happened. Old ones have returned to Earth, or are on the verge of doing so.
Whereas the Laundry seems resigned to this fate, the BRPD in American fashion (well at least before Trump) is going down fighting. This installment sees BRPD agents meeting up with their Russian counterparts. Where the Russians, are in my view, typically fatalistic, the Americans remain very much damn it we don't give up on the situation or anyone.
Which considering the state of the world, and comparing this to the Laundry (keep in mind I like both series) is a nice refreshing change.
Whereas the Laundry seems resigned to this fate, the BRPD in American fashion (well at least before Trump) is going down fighting. This installment sees BRPD agents meeting up with their Russian counterparts. Where the Russians, are in my view, typically fatalistic, the Americans remain very much damn it we don't give up on the situation or anyone.
Which considering the state of the world, and comparing this to the Laundry (keep in mind I like both series) is a nice refreshing change.
October 2, 2015
This volume seems to start a plateau for BPRD; things are bad but they don't seem to be getting too much worse for once. BPRD and its Russian compatriots have two shorter stories here, with the titular story focusing on rescuing a digital recording that is keeping monsters at bay, while the first story brings back one of the survivors of the previous volume in a rather spectacularly visceral fashion. Both stories move quickly and balance action and lore well, while keeping a sense of the graphic style that has always been an aspect of the series. A good if not particularly memorable installment of the series.
January 1, 2019
Técnicamente el fin de esta historia, por ahora, ya que no tengo más tomos de la saga. No queda mucho mundo que salvar y casi ninguna esperanza de hacerlo.
April 24, 2025
I've been very curious about how she was captured
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2020
A Cold Day In Hell
We're back in Russia. BPRD Agent Girc ... really repays her favor and gives new meaning to the phrase "leave no man behind". I find myself liking her more and more. There's a short segue in Hell, which was also impressive for different reasons. Tiny little girls who are super feisty just make me grin in admiration. It seems a particular character's absence from Hell is actually a good thing! Now, we get more of Varvara's back story. Intriguing.
Wasteland
A team is dispatched to search for the team that went out of contact after The Abyss of Time, one of the more interesting BPRD mini series. During their journey, they pick up a father and son who have survived being transformed or eaten by monsters. I was totally against picking up stragglers just because kids don't know how to (1) follow orders instantly (2) behave (3) minimize the risk to the group. Most are too selfish to do that. As usual, I hate it when I'm proved right.
Overall both stories were solid additions to the BPRD Hell On Earth Series.
We're back in Russia. BPRD Agent Girc ... really repays her favor and gives new meaning to the phrase "leave no man behind". I find myself liking her more and more. There's a short segue in Hell, which was also impressive for different reasons. Tiny little girls who are super feisty just make me grin in admiration. It seems a particular character's absence from Hell is actually a good thing! Now, we get more of Varvara's back story. Intriguing.
Wasteland
A team is dispatched to search for the team that went out of contact after The Abyss of Time, one of the more interesting BPRD mini series. During their journey, they pick up a father and son who have survived being transformed or eaten by monsters. I was totally against picking up stragglers just because kids don't know how to (1) follow orders instantly (2) behave (3) minimize the risk to the group. Most are too selfish to do that. As usual, I hate it when I'm proved right.
Overall both stories were solid additions to the BPRD Hell On Earth Series.
July 22, 2019
3.5
B.P.R.D has been a main stay in my reading library year after year and after a long break, thanks to the library, Mignola is back. This book is visually amazing and that is a common tick for this series. The issue I tend to find is the stories aren't hitting the high quality and skipping a few volumes ahead, volume 8 and 9 hit that high quality. Volume 7 is the stepping stone for the next volumes and judging from the path they are creating, it will be one hell of a ride.
Why the 3.5?
Quality wise, this struggles to maintain consistent story beats. It's still a solid book, but comparing it to everything else, it is still not the high quality of the best of the series. I enjoyed the book and by the conclusion there is room to breath for the next volumes. It feels more like an isolated storyline, like a monster of the week story like the X Files. Good fodder but not essential to the core series arc.
B.P.R.D has been a main stay in my reading library year after year and after a long break, thanks to the library, Mignola is back. This book is visually amazing and that is a common tick for this series. The issue I tend to find is the stories aren't hitting the high quality and skipping a few volumes ahead, volume 8 and 9 hit that high quality. Volume 7 is the stepping stone for the next volumes and judging from the path they are creating, it will be one hell of a ride.
Why the 3.5?
Quality wise, this struggles to maintain consistent story beats. It's still a solid book, but comparing it to everything else, it is still not the high quality of the best of the series. I enjoyed the book and by the conclusion there is room to breath for the next volumes. It feels more like an isolated storyline, like a monster of the week story like the X Files. Good fodder but not essential to the core series arc.
September 12, 2020
The trick to appreciating the entirety of the Mignolaverse is knowing that volumes will drop that either pause to dive deeper into certain characters, or to introduce new ones. And that’s what we have here. The first half gets into what the Russian version of the BPRD must do to keep its biggest assets in line, while the second half feels like a routine mission but ends with the (re)introduction of field agent Ted Howard’s, who will become a surprisingly entertaining and important cast member throughout the rest of the Hell on Earth cycle.
July 12, 2017
While this volume overall is pretty good, the real meat is in the first half, in a storyline called Wasteland. Wasteland is quite simply a B.P.R.D. take on The Walking Dead, and it's wonderfully written, and wonderfully drawn. (though ironically the whole story takes place within 50 miles on Chicago, rather than the deep south) I'm not nearly as impressed with the second half of the book, but Wasteland is so good, it's practically worth the price on its own.
March 3, 2016
Dues històries de l'AIDP en plena apocalipsi. La primera, Erial, és TERRORÍFICA. Molt en la línia de les històries clàssiques de zombies, aquí barrejada en aquest Armaggedon chtlhunià que serveix d'arc argumental.
La segona ens revela alguns secrets de Varvara i l'agència russa, que eixamplen l'univers de la sèrie.
La segona ens revela alguns secrets de Varvara i l'agència russa, que eixamplen l'univers de la sèrie.
February 22, 2015
Two small stories in the same ongoing tale, both with possible implications for future volumes
July 7, 2016
It was nice to finally learn about that little girl (I guess her name is Varvara) and I definitely should have waited at least until this volume to read Abe Sapien
October 25, 2025
B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth, Vol. 7, A Cold Day in Hell
Dark Horse, Collects issues 105-109
The B.P.R.D. are dispatched to Chicago on a search and rescue mission. A B.P.R.D. squad has gone MIA. Johann leads the mission. It’s not going well. Too many monsters.
They meet Nelson and his son Lucas. Nelson informs the B.P.R.D. on what he’s witnessed – People mutating into Monsters. They run into some of them. Not all of the B.P.R.D. survive.
Lucas wanders off. They find the missing squad. Only one survivor, Howards and he’s comatose.
Lucas wanders back, with his mutated Mother and more mutants.
Howards wakes up to save the day, like a Mignola-Created Conan.
Cut to Russia. Back from the dead, Director of Russia's Special Sciences Service. Nichayko has his own mission involving Varvara, ex-director of the Special Sciences Service and illegitimate daughter of Rasputin. A radio tower has gone down. The station broadcasts an audio file, day and night. The crew asks Nichayko “Why.” He tells them. The broadcast is an incantation that weakens Varvara and keeps her imprisoned.
The radio station is under siege by the Hammerheads. The B.P.R.D. withstand the attack.
Love the covers. Two separate stories this volume. Lots of extras.
Best quotes:
Agent Nichols – “I felt like Hell havin’ to shoot you, You gotta know that.”
Agent Enos – “Mutant Zombies dogging us. Monsters hunting us on foot like this we’re doomed.”
Agent Carla – “You know as Russians go, you’re kind of a Punk.”
Nichayko – “I’ve been dead for sixty years, and I’m still here.”
Dark Horse, Collects issues 105-109
The B.P.R.D. are dispatched to Chicago on a search and rescue mission. A B.P.R.D. squad has gone MIA. Johann leads the mission. It’s not going well. Too many monsters.
They meet Nelson and his son Lucas. Nelson informs the B.P.R.D. on what he’s witnessed – People mutating into Monsters. They run into some of them. Not all of the B.P.R.D. survive.
Lucas wanders off. They find the missing squad. Only one survivor, Howards and he’s comatose.
Lucas wanders back, with his mutated Mother and more mutants.
Howards wakes up to save the day, like a Mignola-Created Conan.
Cut to Russia. Back from the dead, Director of Russia's Special Sciences Service. Nichayko has his own mission involving Varvara, ex-director of the Special Sciences Service and illegitimate daughter of Rasputin. A radio tower has gone down. The station broadcasts an audio file, day and night. The crew asks Nichayko “Why.” He tells them. The broadcast is an incantation that weakens Varvara and keeps her imprisoned.
The radio station is under siege by the Hammerheads. The B.P.R.D. withstand the attack.
Love the covers. Two separate stories this volume. Lots of extras.
Best quotes:
Agent Nichols – “I felt like Hell havin’ to shoot you, You gotta know that.”
Agent Enos – “Mutant Zombies dogging us. Monsters hunting us on foot like this we’re doomed.”
Agent Carla – “You know as Russians go, you’re kind of a Punk.”
Nichayko – “I’ve been dead for sixty years, and I’m still here.”
February 9, 2023
Everything starts to fall down for BPRD. First Johann leads the expedition to Chicago to figure out what happened with the team that went incommunicado while investigating strange old house (two issues back). Moment they move on, they start dying off like flies and creepy mist starts mutating everything around them.
Story is what you might call standard zombie survival story (small kids, protection instinct, dont worry everything is going to be OKkkkkkkaghhhhhh) - if we weren't suffocated with the similar stories (Walking Dead, when will you end :)) this one would be interesting. But truly in how many different ways can you tell story of people going through cities destroyed by monsters and fighting off mutations or monsters (maybe both?:))
Parallel to this, second BPRD troop is sent to Russia to assist Russian's version of BPRD to contain Varvara (little child monster). I am still not sure was the ending OK or catastrophe. Hopefully next volume will shed more light.
Of other events, Fenix must be what people imagine to be independent teenager but what I would call somebody in dire need of couple of days hard disciplining. I truly do not know how people tolerate her constant mood swings and sewer personality ... I do not know. Maybe she develops into something worthy at the end, although I ... very doubt much doubt it.
Grim volume, but keeps me hooked to see where it goes from here.
Story is what you might call standard zombie survival story (small kids, protection instinct, dont worry everything is going to be OKkkkkkkaghhhhhh) - if we weren't suffocated with the similar stories (Walking Dead, when will you end :)) this one would be interesting. But truly in how many different ways can you tell story of people going through cities destroyed by monsters and fighting off mutations or monsters (maybe both?:))
Parallel to this, second BPRD troop is sent to Russia to assist Russian's version of BPRD to contain Varvara (little child monster). I am still not sure was the ending OK or catastrophe. Hopefully next volume will shed more light.
Of other events, Fenix must be what people imagine to be independent teenager but what I would call somebody in dire need of couple of days hard disciplining. I truly do not know how people tolerate her constant mood swings and sewer personality ... I do not know. Maybe she develops into something worthy at the end, although I ... very doubt much doubt it.
Grim volume, but keeps me hooked to see where it goes from here.
November 15, 2023
Switching from omnibus volumes to the smaller trade collections for a bit. The first arc is oddly short, especially because there is quite a bit going on here. It was exciting and bleak, and the art is solid. The second, longer half, Wasteland is even more bleak. The story and art are much more Walking Dead than the average BPRD story. It works, but it is much slower paced than the first half.
August 15, 2017
Dismantling of the world one volume at a time. This one threatens to bring back one of the characters that I most wonder about. And I am now on board with the destruction of the world. Bring it on, BPRD.
October 24, 2022
Not as good as volume 6. This volume includes smaller self contained stories within the broader context that volume 6 unleashed on the characters. The art is ok but the best thing is the explanations for some of the hanging plot points from other volumes.
February 12, 2024
The first story is just kind of about how Johann is now just a hardened soldier (much less interesting than when he was a thoughtful ghost medium) second story however is a great expansion of the larger arch.
February 17, 2017
This contains two action packed stories that I really enjoyed. A lot happened in this volume and it seems to set up a lot of plot points for the future.
October 1, 2018
I miss the chemistry that made BPRD awesome but this is still an entertaining read.
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