B.P.R.D., Vol. 14: King of Fear

B.P.R.D.

by Mike Mignola, Various (Illustrator)

This collection of 2003's B.P.R.D. one-shots kicks off with an imprisoned goddess in a story by the Bastard Samurai creative team of Miles Gunter and Michael Avon Oeming, joined by series creator Mike Mignola. Artist Guy Davis teams with Brian Augustyn (Gotham by Gaslight). The Flash creative team of Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins create their first Dark Horse work, and Joe Harris, screenwriter of Darkness Falls, and his X-Men collaborator Adam Pollina reunite for Abe Sapien's weirdest adventure yet. Also includes a brand-new short story by Mignola and Cameron Stewart.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2010

About the author

Mike 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.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The BPRD decides to take the fight to the frogs and hyperboreans, returning to the King of Fear's underground lair. I was surprised at the direction the series took. The last issue feels like the end of a TV season, wrapping things up and changing the series direction for the following season. In this case, Hell on Earth. At some point, BPRD has surpassed Hellboy as the main Mignolaverse book. This story has gotten so big. Although I do have confidence that Mignola and Arcudi know what they are doing and know where the series is ultimately headed.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a wrapping up of sorts. The end of the Frog War is dealt with quickly, barely in fact, ready for the next cycle of BPRD stories. There is the culmination of Lobster Johnson's story arc which began in Issue 1 of Hellboy. Then there is the titular character the "King of Fear" who is a character from earlier in the BPRD series. Except when he was introduced back then he was defeated quite easily and so his return and subsequent super power is unfathomable. Liz has a premonition from her old master (see BPRD Vol 2) about the future of the world which seems reminiscent of Hellboy's doom-laden premonitions of the future but much less interesting as it's presented quite vaguely.

I like the BPRD series but felt that Mike Mignola and John Arcudi rushed this. It was a quick ending to a major story line that's been going on for books and books while the minor storylines felt like they were added on as an afterthought. It seemed that these guys wanted to make a start on the next, more interesting, story they've got brewing for the next cycle of BPRD and so "King of Fear" is a hastily added ending of sorts. Definitely not the best BPRD book of the lot but a semi-conclusion for the fans who've been following this series, though in the end unsatisfactory.

[Artemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

And this is it, the finale of BPRD: Plague of Frogs story arc. Apparently, I liked King of Fear a bit more the second time I read it. It's a solid finale, although not definitive — this feels more like the end of a TV show season, where many current plot lines are wrapped up, but the overarching story is still far from over. I honestly don't have a lot to say about this volume otherwise, because everything else might be a spoiler, and I really hope that my re-read-a-thon of the Hellboy universe titles encouraged somebody to give it a read, too. These are some of my favourite comics ever, and it was a blast to come back to them after a couple of years.

I will take a little break for now, but I am looking forward to other Mignolaverse titles in the future — I will finally read BPRD: Hell on Earth once I get the upcoming omnibuses, and maybe some other titles, like Abe Sapien, Witchfinder or Lobster Johnson. I hear that they're not very good, but I still want to give them a chance.


First read: November 15, 2015
Rating: ★★★・・

Second read: November 2, 2017
Rating: ★★★★・

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a decent finale to the plague of frogs arc, but all in all, I wasn't that impressed. I enjoyed it, but it felt like it sabotaged itself, both storywise and artwise.

[Otherwyrld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having skipped from volume 5 to volume 14 makes for a confusing time (though its not as bad as it could be as the three books set in the 1940s are part of the numbering sequence. Sometimes volume numbers in this universe are pretty arbitrary). A lot seems to have happened, even though some things (the frog war) continue. There are a lot of callbacks to the first volume, which is why you always need to pay attention - some seemingly trivial thing in one volume becomes of major importance much later on.

I will leave a more detailed review until I can read some more of the intervening volumes and make a bit more sense of what is going on. The rating may change as well.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tension is really mounting in this volume of BPRD. I've not read many comicbooks that have better conveyed such a sense of IMPENDING DOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
I can't wait to see where this is going.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bprd vol 14 focuses on the aftermath and repercussions of what happened in the previous volume. It settles and closes many plot points explored before, but also paves the way for many more new questions.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is meant to mark the close of one lengthy chapter for B.P.R.D. (that would be the frogmen) and open another. And it's certainly a spectacular way of doing it. I'll be honest, I'd been getting a little tired of the frogmen, so it's kind of nice to see that they won't be a real issue anymore. And it ends on a very compelling note. It definitely looks like there will be some exciting things ahead. But the way that we got there felt a little rushed, a little confused. Like maybe Mignola and Arcudi had no idea how they were going to resolve this until it got put on paper. Or like they were ending it much more quickly than they'd planned on doing.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another example of missing pieces - according to the volume list, this one follows directly after the War on Frogs collection, but there seemed to be a huge gap between the two. And the story callbacks were to even further into BPRD's past. I remember bits and pieces so I think I've gotten the whole story, but I don't think I got as much resonance as I would have if I'd read it closer together. Still an interesting story, and fairly epic, I just felt lost with much of it.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever wondered what goes on when Hellboy isn't around to mind the store and kick the butt of the current world threating crises? Well now you can read the other side of the story with the B.P.R.D. series. nice story arc and art. Recommended

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anti climatic is an understatement with this book, you have to think Mignola wanted a bigger confrontation but gave into pressure to keep the series growing. The book has great moments, character moments that are interesting but when everything has been building to a certain point, this was a slightly disappointing ending. I'll continue reading the series after investing so much time in this series, hopefully they can course direct and not give us a ending that is only a cliffhanger. I knew the series wasn't ending but the new series is Hell on Earth, you can't help but feel misled.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Plague of Frogs storyline comes to a close in a spectacular fashion

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW! Great piece! Thrilling end to the War on Frogs! The return of The Black Flame! Lobster Johnson reaches his final "resting" place! (Maybe we'll see him again. I certainly hope we do.) Johann has resumed his "form" and has been released from the ghost of the Lobster. We've got hints of a future where Hellboy has returned to his position with the B.P.R.D. - photograhic evidence of the future! The Ogdru Hem are gone, for a while at least. Let's catch our breath with something a bit different for now. Some crazy international stuff, with political intrigue!

Questions regarding Abe's species: I can't *believe* that he would be a future incarnation of the frog people, but in this universe, it does seem a likelier story than being inhabited - taken over? consumed by? - an alien species, especially since his origin story comes nearer the beginning of this series. But I just don't feel that this storyline had so much plotting to it to have allowed for such a major revelation to have been so carefully planned... I don't feel like Davis and Mignola write these characters with a clear idea of who they are going to become and where they're coming from. They are so organic and human.

Questions regarding Liz' powers: So... she's in Bangkok (and, as a side note, what's with the dickish French?) and she needs a light for her cig? She's never been one for masking her power in public, which I kind of love about her. Does the new, international gig, sanctioned by the UN, disincline her to scare people with flaming fingertips? Or is this the big bang, grand finale of the firestarter that we've been waiting for? Memnan Saa has hinted that this was the battle she was born to fight - and win. If we've won, does Liz no longer have any powers because they would no longer have a purpose?

Just great. Just absolutely great. 'Scuse me now, while I go get the B.P.R.D. emblem tattoed onto my body.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good gravy. The only thing I can really compare this to is the finale of the short-lived sci-fi series "Threshold" -- one story ends, seemingly with triumph, but this triumph is illusory. Massive, horrible things are coming, and the actions of the protagonists aren't preventing them; they're actually teaching the antagonists how to win. You can't defeat the inevitable. It's like the Ragnarok of comics.

[Mohammed Abdikhader Firdhiye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im a longtime fan of Hellboy/B.P.R.D and this storyarc was the best in years and got me caring about their universe again. Since i dont follow Hellboy series anymore.

Thrilling end to the War on Frogs cycle.

[Pavel Pravda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Král strachu" je vyvrcholením trilogie "Spálená země". Je také knihou návratů. Děj se vrací do kláštera Agarta, kde série Ú.P.V.O. začala v první knize "Dutozem", a také k hradu Hunte, kde se s úřadem rozloučil Hellboy. Především se zde ale uzavírá příběh "Žabího moru". Příběh tak opsal dlouhý dějový oblouk, aby se na konci vrátil na svůj počátek. Musím říct, že takový konec jsem nečekal. Jistě, čekal jsem apokalyptické vyvrcholení, ale ne takhle. Vždyť ani pořádně nevíme, co se stalo a proč. Očekával jsem zkázu. Nečekal jsem ale hromadu nových otázek (a španělskou inkvizici, tu nečeká nikdo). Otázek, které jsou skvělým cliffhangerem před navazujícím cyklem "Peklo na Zemi". Tato kniha nastavila nové status quo a já jsem velmi zvědavý, co z toho vzejde.

[Tiag⊗ the Mutant · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lackluster ending to the Plague of Frogs story arc, not bad, but I wanted a whole lot more, oh well, onto the next B.P.R.D. cycle, may this series continue for a long time.

[Wing Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full circle, but everything is not the same anymore.

Wow, so this is the end of the Plague of Frogs. Isn't it wonderful when the finale of a grand arc ends with a conversation instead of a fist?! This is the end and man what an end it was.

World: Guy Davis is Art God, just look at this shit!!! Full circle, that is all there is to say. All the stories and tales since Hollow Earth, Seed of Destruction actually, are paying off here. All the things predicted in the beginning have not come to pass and Mignola is not playing around. This sandbox which Mignola has been playing with now is laid to waste and out of the ashes comes a new but same sandbox. He was not kidding when he said that his world had consequences and that things change unlike superhero books with their endless rebooting and safety nets for their heroes, this world is now so messed up and different, I can't wait to see where we go from here.

Story: Man it's amazing, not because of the consequences and what happens in the end of this book, cause that's also amazing, but we get to have a finale where it's dialog. It's not gigantic action scenes and a face off in the end, but it's all about the fallout, it's all about the status quo, it's all about what's to come. We've been moving towards this end since Plague of Frogs and now we see the culmination of it. It's paced wonderfully, it's told well and the story is massive and different. I am a bit numb after this arc much like the rest of the Mignolaverse as things will never be the same. Brilliant.

Characters: Deep and payoffs are rewarding. All these years we've been reading about Abe and Liz and the rest of the crew, and finally we see where this all leads. Sure the story is not over, it's a new world now and these characters will have to survive in the new setting, but the journey they started with in Hollow Earth and where they are now wow...just look at Abe. Liz, is nothing but a tragedy and a huge sense of a circle. Just read the bloody book.

A wonderful end to the Plague of Frogs and opens up now for Hell on Earth. Astounding! Mignola, Arcudi, Davis I doff my cap to thee.

Onward to the next book!

[Orrin Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I had my sights set too high on this one. With the build-up of it being the culmination of the "Plague of Frogs" storyline, and after The Black Goddess, which I thought was one of the best volumes so far, I was really, really looking forward to King of Fear. (If nothing else, you can't beat that title!) And I'm not going to say it disappointed, exactly, but I didn't think it was as good as The Black Goddess.

It wraps everything up with more questions than answers, really, changing up the status quo pretty drastically and paving the way for the next B.P.R.D. series. There are definitely a lot of nice moments and touches throughout, like the laying to rest of Lobster Johnson, or Liz's vision of Hellboy.

One of my favorite things about the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. collections is the generous sketchbook material and notes in the back, and this one's no exception. The sketchbooks here are particularly great, showing the back-and-forth between Mignola and Guy Davis in designing some of the new monsters for this book. Since they're two of the best monster designers around, that'd be worth the cover price all by itself.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text piece at the end lays out what this volume of B.R.P.D. This 14th volume marks the end of a cycle, and the a new cycle is set to begin. Abe, Liz, Kate and the remaining members of the organization have grown beyond being Hellboy's supporting characters (for a like series see Gotham Central). The threat keeps growing bigger, but that is all right because the same is happening in Hellboy's series. Forces have been unleashed, and now the Bureau answers to the UN. and not the U.S. military (because of the U.S. armed forces narrow focus and own shortsightedness). I ahve hopes for more strong stories to come from co-writers Mike Mignola and John Arcudi.

[Matt Sabonis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mignola changes everything up here, and provides an interesting new status quo for the series to shift into, one where the apocalypse is now an everyday occurrence. The volume serves as more transition between the previous status quo (War on Frogs) to the new one (Hell on Earth). It exists not so much as a story as a series of narrative points. The interesting thing is that these series of narrative points work so, so well. As usual, the character work is great, and Guy Davis' art is fantastic. Definitely for anybody who's a fan of Mignola's Hellboy series.

[Arlomisty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another graphic novel in the BPRD series.. a Hellboy offshoot story. Dealing with monsters and the weird is what they do... Usually kind of a creepy storyline, but fun to read. I'm looking forward to the next one...

[Sonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

So so good! I am absolutely in love with the art of Guy Davis, and the writing team of Arcudi and Mignola have been building up this story nicely for some time now.

The joy of Horror!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/4 stars

[Octavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia en sí meh, pero es que además me he metido en medio de un mundo gigante sin entender la mitad de las referencias ni de lo que hablaban.

[Ripley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wraps up the plague of frogs story line and ushers readers into the next phase, the end of the world.

[Augusto Bernardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally back to the main story line which I was excited about and this volume had some big reveals, tying up knots from the past volumes and setting up elements for the future. Started off a little slow with something that was a consistent part of this volume which was the governments involvement in the BPRD. It showed a realistic angle on these classic special task forces that come with a lot of bureaucracy. But thankfully by the end of the volume, the BPRD comes out on tp and gets a promotion as the war is about to intensify. Kate is with her German police boyfriend in Europe trying to return to the castle in which the Lobster died in. The Lobster is manifested physically in Klaus' spirit. So they bring him back to the castle with little trouble actually, Klaus comes back and the lobster spends the rest of eternity fighting off his Nazi enemies. I actually really liked a more personal angle of the Lobster, despite it still being short. He is very mysterious and has very random out of place phrases that seem like the ultimate action character. Liz is back but she's in a bad head space again and more confident with her ultimate powers. Abe, Liz and Andrew along with a few other task force members travel back to the place where they found the red cave men and Liz gets lost in the caves. To her dismay, she is reunited with the spirit of Memna Saa ( if that's how you spell his fucking name) and sort of gets trapped in her vision/future of the giant monsters in the metropolis wasteland. The rest of the team gets captured by the red men and the frogs and are reunited with THEIR old enemy too, the black flame. He seems to have fused with his armor and tapped into other ultimate powers. His great reveal though was that Abe is supposed to be the leader of the frog men and not him. As this huge creature is about to be revealed, A mysterious cave man that's been in Liz's visions saves Liz and the team, teleporting them away as Liz's fire devastates all the rest.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So ends the war on frogs, in epic style and form. Knowing how much is left to come, this feels like what it is meant to be: a definitive turning of the page on the first half of the story, and the final frames before the second half, where all we have seen thus far is but a taste of what is to come. Here, we fully transition from a world of gloomy premonitions and ill omens to clear and present dangers of apocalypse. Here is where the BPRD really seems to take the role of the Mignolaverse’s lead book, rather than Hellboy. And here is where we begin to see an all-encompassing bleakness present itself. We have been told so many times that there are forces at work that will spell the end of humanity’s days. Now, we see that we have not been lied to.

[Luke Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to dig in and really love this series in more than a pretty fun monster-of-the-weeky sort of way, but I'm finally there. I think the key is to view the BPRD more as an ongoing TV show than a standalone film, the way Hellboy books feel. No single collection lives up to any single Hellboy collection, but as a whole, there are more good episodes than bad ones, and I'm starting to really love the cast, and it feels like it's all going somewhere. I've also fallen head over heels for Davis' art, which I used to resent for the crime of not being Mignola. Also: I full blown LOVED the Lobster Johnson subplot in this one. Glad I'm finally getting into all these.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of the Plague of Frogs arc, and the start of the Hell on Earth arc (more or less). Liz has another encounter with Memnan Saa, who may or may not be a spooky ghost, while Abe, Devon, and a BPRD team encounter the Black Flame and the Hyperboreans. This is a tipping point for both Abe and Liz, the later of whom is now missing from the BPRD again. Kate, Manning, and Johann attend a UN meeting and the BPRD becomes an international organization (which they really should have been from the start) in the wake of massive kaiju-like creatures emerging globally and numerous cities (and countries) being destroyed. A busy entry to the series!