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B.P.R.D.
B.P.R.D., Vol. 3: Plague of Frogs
After holding it a secret for ten years, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola finally reveals Abe Sapien's bizarre history. Introduced in the first Hellboy book and featured prominently in the film, Abe Sapien has remained one of the most intriguing mysteries of Mignola's celebrated work.
The recent Hellboy film steered clear of any origin story for Abe so that the tale could be told in Plague of Frogs. The story of Abe's origins unfolds as the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense try to stop the monstrous frog men from the first Hellboy graphic novel, Seed of Destruction. The plague begins its spread across America, lending an apocalyptic new direction to Mignola's stories. Collecting the five-issue miniseries.
With art by Guy Davis and a behind-the-scenes look at his sketchbook, this third volume of B.P.R.D. sees Mignola taking over writing chores for the first time and reveals secrets he's kept under wraps since the beginning of the Hellboy saga, and changes that world completely.
The recent Hellboy film steered clear of any origin story for Abe so that the tale could be told in Plague of Frogs. The story of Abe's origins unfolds as the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense try to stop the monstrous frog men from the first Hellboy graphic novel, Seed of Destruction. The plague begins its spread across America, lending an apocalyptic new direction to Mignola's stories. Collecting the five-issue miniseries.
With art by Guy Davis and a behind-the-scenes look at his sketchbook, this third volume of B.P.R.D. sees Mignola taking over writing chores for the first time and reveals secrets he's kept under wraps since the beginning of the Hellboy saga, and changes that world completely.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
11 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,860 books2,525 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 127 reviews
March 18, 2019
The BPRD's story really begins here. It picks up on threads laid back in Hellboy's first story, Seed of Destruction, and lays the groundwork for what's to come over the next 10+ years of stories. There's some brilliant storytelling and world building here. Plus, we get Abe's origin and it's a doozy.
Guy Davis is an interesting artist. His art looks like illustrations from an Victorian era novel. His character work is not that great. Everyone looks kind of bloated and blobby. However, he draws such inventive looking monsters it works.
Guy Davis is an interesting artist. His art looks like illustrations from an Victorian era novel. His character work is not that great. Everyone looks kind of bloated and blobby. However, he draws such inventive looking monsters it works.
October 22, 2017
This is it, the first truly great volume of BPRD that, I would argue, is just as good as anything Mike Mignola did with Hellboy. The series finds its big story by building upon the already established mythos and at the same time, expanding it into new territory. This is also the first volume to feature Guy Davis's excellent artwork that will become the face of the series for many more volumes to come, just like Mike Mignola's artwork was for Hellboy. All around, an outstanding volume, and a turning point for the entire series.
First read: November 3, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★
Second read: October 22, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★
First read: November 3, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★
Second read: October 22, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★
March 5, 2014
Having complained about a lack of underlying plot in the first two books, I should be saying "this is more like it" but somehow this story swings too far in the wrong direction. There are a huge number of plotlines pulled in from all eras of the Hellboy story, dating right back to the first book and the story of frog creatures in a haunted house. I have read those books but it was a while ago so things were a little vague and having so many disparate plot elements being forced into one story left me a bit dizzy. Not only that, but we also have the quite frankly bizarre origin story of Abe Sapien on top of that. It's all a bit too much.
Basically, the plot - the B.P.R.D. are sent to investigate a shooting at one of their warehouses in Jersey, where they encounter the mutated frog creatures from an investigation with Hellboy 10 years ago. Investigation of the shooter leads them to a cult church in Michigan, where they are attacked by more frog creatures, zombies and a weird mushroom creature that has inhabited the body of the shooter. The cult is trying to bring about the return of the old gods, and by the end the frog creatures have escaped and are spreading out into the countryside where they will infect and recruit more creatures.
It is at this point that the story goes from utterly bizarre to WTF territory as Abe, on the point of death, has a hallucination as to his true origin. Is he really . I honestly don't know how I feel about this story line. Abe is one of the more interesting characters in this series, but this origin feels off in some ways.
It remains to be seen how this plot will be resolved, but I'm willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
Basically, the plot - the B.P.R.D. are sent to investigate a shooting at one of their warehouses in Jersey, where they encounter the mutated frog creatures from an investigation with Hellboy 10 years ago. Investigation of the shooter leads them to a cult church in Michigan, where they are attacked by more frog creatures, zombies and a weird mushroom creature that has inhabited the body of the shooter. The cult is trying to bring about the return of the old gods, and by the end the frog creatures have escaped and are spreading out into the countryside where they will infect and recruit more creatures.
It is at this point that the story goes from utterly bizarre to WTF territory as Abe, on the point of death, has a hallucination as to his true origin. Is he really . I honestly don't know how I feel about this story line. Abe is one of the more interesting characters in this series, but this origin feels off in some ways.
It remains to be seen how this plot will be resolved, but I'm willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
February 9, 2023
Re-read 2023: I'm really enjoying my re-reads of Mignola's work, and the chance to read them closer together.
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The B.P.R.D. are put on a weird murder case after a research doctor is murdered by a seemingly deranged professor. The object of the doctor’s study are the eggs found in Cavendish Hall (from the first volume of Hellboy) which have grown into a bizarre sporous growth. Coming into contact with it is now turning people into giant humanoid frogs.
Amidst this, Abraham Sapien is having odd dreams. Dreams where he’s being beckoned by bells...
Ooouuu, it’s fun seeing the series getting a larger over-arching story.
As always, Mike Mignola’s storytelling is top-notch -- the perfect blend of fantasy, horror, and folklore. It’s fun seeing threads from earlier stories coming into play here, though, to be honest, a lot of this went over my head as I’ve been reading the volumes of this and Hellboy pretty far apart. However, the story still held up really well for me despite this.
I liked Guy Davis’ art. I read in another review that it looks like illustrations from a Victorian novel and I completely agree. There’s something slightly uncanny about his style that makes it a good fit for this creepy tale.
I’m really looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
---------
The B.P.R.D. are put on a weird murder case after a research doctor is murdered by a seemingly deranged professor. The object of the doctor’s study are the eggs found in Cavendish Hall (from the first volume of Hellboy) which have grown into a bizarre sporous growth. Coming into contact with it is now turning people into giant humanoid frogs.
Amidst this, Abraham Sapien is having odd dreams. Dreams where he’s being beckoned by bells...
Ooouuu, it’s fun seeing the series getting a larger over-arching story.
As always, Mike Mignola’s storytelling is top-notch -- the perfect blend of fantasy, horror, and folklore. It’s fun seeing threads from earlier stories coming into play here, though, to be honest, a lot of this went over my head as I’ve been reading the volumes of this and Hellboy pretty far apart. However, the story still held up really well for me despite this.
I liked Guy Davis’ art. I read in another review that it looks like illustrations from a Victorian novel and I completely agree. There’s something slightly uncanny about his style that makes it a good fit for this creepy tale.
I’m really looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
July 19, 2020
If someone else drew "plague of frogs" (maybe Duncan Fegredo?), the story would be almost as awesome as Mignola's top Hellboy stories, with Abe's origins story etc. With Guy Davis (an artist who's art some people call creepy, to my surprise) it never got to the levels it deserved.
July 6, 2015
This was the arc, this was the arc that made me addicted to 1) BPRD and 2) Guy Davis.
I remember Plague of Frogs distinctly, why? Because of a couple of reasons: 1) This was the first full arc illustrated by Guy Davis, 2) This arc introduced Caul (no spoilers), and 3) This arc came out about the same time the Hellboy movie did so I was drowning in Mignolaverse bliss. To this day this 5 issue arc is still one of my favorite BPRD tales and is one of the best examples to non Mignolaverse readers why this series is bloody fantastic:
World: Guy Davis, holy shit can he drawn monsters! There's something about his art, when you first look at it, it's weird. The line work is super scratchy (which I normally don't like), the facial expressions are a bit odd (normally a deal breaker for me), and framing is fairly static and there is no great sense of motion (which for an action book is required). But for some reason his art in it's entirety just works...and holy jeez his monsters are amazing! If Mignola's style is the ID of HB, I will argue that Davis' style is BPRD's, he is the standard for which all other BPRD artist must strive for in terms of tone and look. Ok, I like the art, but enough of that, how's the world building? It's fucking fantastic! It's dense, it's lovecraftian, it give you answers but also poses so many more (Caul!). I don't want to go into spoilers as the world building is a big part of the story this time around, the things introduced here set the ball in motion for what is essentially the massive Plague of Frogs story. Amazing!
Story: Pretty dense for 5 issues. There is the world building to set up the greater story, but there are also great character development moments found in this arc. The pacing is amazing, the dialog full of character and wit, this is just a great adventure tale. The final issue is the most fantastic of them all, focusing clearly on character, giving us answers but teasing us with so much more, plus the massive consequence at the end of issue 4!!! Really entertaining!
Characters: Caul, that's all I need to say. Well to add to that, there were many great character moments and the team dynamic and personalities of each member is starting to become more defined and developed, it's all good here!
Yeah, this arc is amazing! It's the arc that made me a lifelong BPRD devotee. I can't say enough good things about it. If you've read any Mike Mignola HB/BPRD stuff you will know what I mean when this shit got real! But for new readers, this is actually not a bad place to get a sample of what BPRD and the greater Mignolaverse has to offer.
Onward to the next book!
I remember Plague of Frogs distinctly, why? Because of a couple of reasons: 1) This was the first full arc illustrated by Guy Davis, 2) This arc introduced Caul (no spoilers), and 3) This arc came out about the same time the Hellboy movie did so I was drowning in Mignolaverse bliss. To this day this 5 issue arc is still one of my favorite BPRD tales and is one of the best examples to non Mignolaverse readers why this series is bloody fantastic:
World: Guy Davis, holy shit can he drawn monsters! There's something about his art, when you first look at it, it's weird. The line work is super scratchy (which I normally don't like), the facial expressions are a bit odd (normally a deal breaker for me), and framing is fairly static and there is no great sense of motion (which for an action book is required). But for some reason his art in it's entirety just works...and holy jeez his monsters are amazing! If Mignola's style is the ID of HB, I will argue that Davis' style is BPRD's, he is the standard for which all other BPRD artist must strive for in terms of tone and look. Ok, I like the art, but enough of that, how's the world building? It's fucking fantastic! It's dense, it's lovecraftian, it give you answers but also poses so many more (Caul!). I don't want to go into spoilers as the world building is a big part of the story this time around, the things introduced here set the ball in motion for what is essentially the massive Plague of Frogs story. Amazing!
Story: Pretty dense for 5 issues. There is the world building to set up the greater story, but there are also great character development moments found in this arc. The pacing is amazing, the dialog full of character and wit, this is just a great adventure tale. The final issue is the most fantastic of them all, focusing clearly on character, giving us answers but teasing us with so much more, plus the massive consequence at the end of issue 4!!! Really entertaining!
Characters: Caul, that's all I need to say. Well to add to that, there were many great character moments and the team dynamic and personalities of each member is starting to become more defined and developed, it's all good here!
Yeah, this arc is amazing! It's the arc that made me a lifelong BPRD devotee. I can't say enough good things about it. If you've read any Mike Mignola HB/BPRD stuff you will know what I mean when this shit got real! But for new readers, this is actually not a bad place to get a sample of what BPRD and the greater Mignolaverse has to offer.
Onward to the next book!
September 19, 2011
"Plague of Frogs" begins the main BPRD storyline that continues up to the present book, Vol 13 "King of Fear". The plot is that some eggs found at the site of Cavendish Hall (from Hellboy Vol 1) are taken back and studied. The result is a large plant like creature developing the lab, taking seed in a human body, and spawning humanoid frogs. Thus the plague of frogs is unleashed and it's up to the BPRD (minus Hellboy) to bring these frogs down.
The book features a great script from Mignola but Guy Davis takes over illustrating duties on this and many other BPRD books. There is also the origin story of Abe Sapien included at the end and it is quite... different than you'd have thought. I won't give it away, but it does give you and insight into Abe's personality at times. It's a nice addition after the beginning of the main storyline.
It's a good place to start and explains a lot of what happens in the following books. A good read and great supernatural fun (especially for this time of year!), join the BPRD saga!
The book features a great script from Mignola but Guy Davis takes over illustrating duties on this and many other BPRD books. There is also the origin story of Abe Sapien included at the end and it is quite... different than you'd have thought. I won't give it away, but it does give you and insight into Abe's personality at times. It's a nice addition after the beginning of the main storyline.
It's a good place to start and explains a lot of what happens in the following books. A good read and great supernatural fun (especially for this time of year!), join the BPRD saga!
September 26, 2017
Continuing the story of Hellboy Seed of Destruction, this BPRD volume focuses mostly on Abe Sapien as he learns about his origin, while the others try to stop the frog monsters. I like the fact that his origin is mysterious and I hope they don't over explain it in the future.
March 1, 2018
This begins the long story arc that runs through both the B.P.R.D. and later Hellboy comics. Seems the entire Hellboy comic storyline has been building up to this arc. Good gothic horror. Recommended
October 16, 2013
Now, this is more like it. Unlike the previous volume, it's a single, connected story. And it's completely written by Mignola. It brings back from the frog creatures from an early Hellboy adventure, which is nice. And the last chapter shows Abe's origin. Which, in true Mignola fashion, raises more questions than it answers. And it doesn't feel like an evasion, just a deepening of a mystery that seemed like it was getting solved. I do like that, and I think it must have been given careful thought to strike that balance between revealing so much that the sense of mystery and wonder is destroyed and revealing so little that the reader feels cheated.
June 28, 2021
The third volume of BPRD stands high and mighty on the foundation built by its first two volumes. The story is gripping , the characterization is great (especially Abe's unique origin and the way its portrayed), and Guy Davis' art complements the series' overall atmosphere.
September 21, 2015
This was worth reading just to see Abe Sapian's origin story. Also picks up from Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. Great art as always, and a good story.
February 1, 2017
This volume is where B.P.R.D. moved from being a bunch of middling one-off stories to a more cohesive arc. This first one is a bit of a misstep, though, as it tries to gather a bunch of disparate threads from the Hellboyverse and weave them into one tapestry. But it feels somewhat disjointed--and it's been a while since I read some of those threads, so my memory of them is just awful. Still, I like where this is going, and the parts with Abe and his backstory are compelling and unexpected.
February 24, 2018
Yes ! The bad taste of those first 2 volumes is immediately washed away with a powerful cocktail of excitement, horror, adventure of the most compelling kind. Guy Davis proves to be capable to bring the most crazy horror fantasies to life on paper. Yummie! (This volume is the start of me liking the B.P.R.D more than Hellboy)
March 21, 2021
Een ijzersterke verhaallijn van BPRD, een spinoff van de Hellboy comics. Hellboy zelf doet niet meer mee en dit verhaal volgt de andere leden van het Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense., Waaronder een vismens, een vrouw die met vuur speelt, een spook in een soort duikpak en een soort golem. Ook al zijn deze comics niet getekend door Mignola, ze zijn wel door hem geschreven en de stijl benadert die van hem heel scherp, met een iets minder zwaarmoedige hand... En dat past uitstekend bij deze reeks. In plague of frogs ontwaakt een oude god via een schimmel die mensen verandert in kikkerachtige monsters.
Het is op zijn zachtst gezegd Lovecraftiaans maar minder problematisch in de moderne tijd . De illustraties zijn prachtig, met veel zwarte vlakken, kleine textuur markeringen en meer suggestie dan detail. Ieder plaatje is genieten.
Het is op zijn zachtst gezegd Lovecraftiaans maar minder problematisch in de moderne tijd . De illustraties zijn prachtig, met veel zwarte vlakken, kleine textuur markeringen en meer suggestie dan detail. Ieder plaatje is genieten.
July 2, 2007
Mike Mignola returns with this book, though I have to say I'm not all that thrilled with the story he wrote.
It's still great Mike Mignola form, however, every time he begins a story arc it's shaky. I'm probably being a bit unfair to him, so I should knock it up to 4 stars instead of 3, however, I just can't do it.
My major complaint is this delusion of mind control in comics. I'm getting tired of these gods/demons suddenly and inexplicably controlling others' minds by injecting a drug or something into them. In the way it is represented in many books, is that this control suddenly gives the controller all the information they want of the person, allowing them to make the person do whatever they want while retaining all of that knowledge. That just doesn't mesh.
Someone who remembers everything also remembers their emotional and chemical states. To control another person it'd be more likely if those memories were repressed, or if the body itself were being directly manipulated (such as the Borg in Star Trek manipulating all of the neurons while repressing the majority of brain functions which have the memories/personality). But even then there has to be a central controlling factor, and after that factor is destroyed they should revert back to normal or just collapse under the body's inability to function. All of these issues are ignored for the sake of the story in "Plague of Frogs", and it just irritates the hell out of me whenever this is done in any kind of story.
Having said that, I enjoyed Abe's origin story (last chapter of the book). It was fun.
I am very glad Mike is back writing, and I'm sure that this large story arc will have a satisfactory conclusion. However, this beginning arc was a bit under-par for Mike. He can do so much better!
It's still great Mike Mignola form, however, every time he begins a story arc it's shaky. I'm probably being a bit unfair to him, so I should knock it up to 4 stars instead of 3, however, I just can't do it.
My major complaint is this delusion of mind control in comics. I'm getting tired of these gods/demons suddenly and inexplicably controlling others' minds by injecting a drug or something into them. In the way it is represented in many books, is that this control suddenly gives the controller all the information they want of the person, allowing them to make the person do whatever they want while retaining all of that knowledge. That just doesn't mesh.
Someone who remembers everything also remembers their emotional and chemical states. To control another person it'd be more likely if those memories were repressed, or if the body itself were being directly manipulated (such as the Borg in Star Trek manipulating all of the neurons while repressing the majority of brain functions which have the memories/personality). But even then there has to be a central controlling factor, and after that factor is destroyed they should revert back to normal or just collapse under the body's inability to function. All of these issues are ignored for the sake of the story in "Plague of Frogs", and it just irritates the hell out of me whenever this is done in any kind of story.
Having said that, I enjoyed Abe's origin story (last chapter of the book). It was fun.
I am very glad Mike is back writing, and I'm sure that this large story arc will have a satisfactory conclusion. However, this beginning arc was a bit under-par for Mike. He can do so much better!
December 24, 2015
This is the first of the BPRD trades that has lived up to the Hellboy comics IMO.
The art by Guy Davis is wonderful, detailed but not too realistic.
As for the story, it was nice to have something with some substance. In the past trades I always felt like the short stories were rushed, so you never got to delve into them. While the main plot of this trade felt short, it set up enough future story lines that it didn't feel pointless. And it was nice to get a Liz who didn't need rescuing, and some more Abe back story. I actually think what we witnessed of Abe's origin was some of the best parts of this, I hope we get some answers in the future.
The art by Guy Davis is wonderful, detailed but not too realistic.
As for the story, it was nice to have something with some substance. In the past trades I always felt like the short stories were rushed, so you never got to delve into them. While the main plot of this trade felt short, it set up enough future story lines that it didn't feel pointless. And it was nice to get a Liz who didn't need rescuing, and some more Abe back story. I actually think what we witnessed of Abe's origin was some of the best parts of this, I hope we get some answers in the future.
August 12, 2012
Great story, great art! Loved it.
June 26, 2020
I recently re-read the full Plague of Frogs saga as detailed in the B.P.R.D. comics by Mignola, Arcudi, Davies, and others.
As others have mentioned, Vol 3 is where it really gets good.
The first two volumes (with necessary readings from some past Hellboy comics which are unfortunately collected elsewhere) start some needed plot points and introduce these fully three-dimensional characters (albeit drawn beautifully on 2-D pages). When you get to Vol 3 you're already a fan of Abe, Liz, Kate, Roger, Johann, and the rest.
The Universal Machine does a fantastic job of outlining origin stories while detailing an adventure starring Kate Corrigan. While finally hearing Daimio's backstory is great, I really enjoyed the idea that by using her knowledge, Kate is just as capable of surviving in the field as Abe or Hellboy himself. Sometimes there's no need to punch problems to get to solutions. And all of it circles back to Roger's fate from the last volume - in a sense, this first part of the book is just about friends mourning the passing of a loved one. It's poignant.
Garden of Souls is a great Abe tale with some striking visual designs (those robots are fun). It also gives us more Daimio, which is necessary given the final part, Killing Ground.
Killing Ground is possible my favourite B.P.R.D. limited series. Johann's story arc is tragic here, while being brilliantly comical. The way past plot points come together, the questions of what does it mean to be human? To be a hero or villain? Good vs. bad... there's a lot of deep themes explored. The art feels claustrophobic when needed, there's a solid action-movie vibe to many of the scenes. The ending isn't as much of a shock as Vol 2, but is still pretty unexpected.
Ultimately, Vol 1-2 are build-up, and the action escalates so much in Vol 4 that the pacing feels a bit off. This, Vol 3, is the epitome of a good B.P.R.D comic and why I enjoy this series so much - it's a collection of flawed individuals doing their best to figure out their own stories and place in the world, while struggling with the weight of fighting wars they don't understand or even know they're a part of. That's the Mignola secret - his protagonists, and readers, only ever get a glimpse into what seems like nothing short of an epic, fantastical world of magic, prophecies, and mythical creatures. The revelations start to build, there's great character development, and then finally everything blows up.
As others have mentioned, Vol 3 is where it really gets good.
The first two volumes (with necessary readings from some past Hellboy comics which are unfortunately collected elsewhere) start some needed plot points and introduce these fully three-dimensional characters (albeit drawn beautifully on 2-D pages). When you get to Vol 3 you're already a fan of Abe, Liz, Kate, Roger, Johann, and the rest.
The Universal Machine does a fantastic job of outlining origin stories while detailing an adventure starring Kate Corrigan. While finally hearing Daimio's backstory is great, I really enjoyed the idea that by using her knowledge, Kate is just as capable of surviving in the field as Abe or Hellboy himself. Sometimes there's no need to punch problems to get to solutions. And all of it circles back to Roger's fate from the last volume - in a sense, this first part of the book is just about friends mourning the passing of a loved one. It's poignant.
Garden of Souls is a great Abe tale with some striking visual designs (those robots are fun). It also gives us more Daimio, which is necessary given the final part, Killing Ground.
Killing Ground is possible my favourite B.P.R.D. limited series. Johann's story arc is tragic here, while being brilliantly comical. The way past plot points come together, the questions of what does it mean to be human? To be a hero or villain? Good vs. bad... there's a lot of deep themes explored. The art feels claustrophobic when needed, there's a solid action-movie vibe to many of the scenes. The ending isn't as much of a shock as Vol 2, but is still pretty unexpected.
Ultimately, Vol 1-2 are build-up, and the action escalates so much in Vol 4 that the pacing feels a bit off. This, Vol 3, is the epitome of a good B.P.R.D comic and why I enjoy this series so much - it's a collection of flawed individuals doing their best to figure out their own stories and place in the world, while struggling with the weight of fighting wars they don't understand or even know they're a part of. That's the Mignola secret - his protagonists, and readers, only ever get a glimpse into what seems like nothing short of an epic, fantastical world of magic, prophecies, and mythical creatures. The revelations start to build, there's great character development, and then finally everything blows up.
June 23, 2020
BPRD - a Hellboy series without Hellboy being present in it, stars members of the BPRD - Kate, Abe, Roger, Johann and Liz. Surprisingly the experiment proved super successful since with great writing and storytelling it's been proved that other stories in the Hellboy universe can be equally as successful as the main Hellboy storyline. Kudos to all the writers and artists.
This volume started slow but boy did it end well! A classic Mignolaverse story, it begins with the hubris of researchers meddling in stuff they have no business experimenting on, and as usual, the experiment gets away from them and now there's a problem only the BPRD is equipped to deal with.
There is a section explaining how we all know of Liz's, Johann's and Roger's origins, but Abe's beginnings are still a mystery. There's teases of Abe getting flashbacks, dreams, nightmares or premonitions he doesn't quite understand. When this is hammered home in chapter 5 of Plague of Frogs my estimation of this Trade Paperback that started with 4 stars is now 5 stars. Just wow! I can't wait to find out what happens next.
This volume started slow but boy did it end well! A classic Mignolaverse story, it begins with the hubris of researchers meddling in stuff they have no business experimenting on, and as usual, the experiment gets away from them and now there's a problem only the BPRD is equipped to deal with.
There is a section explaining how we all know of Liz's, Johann's and Roger's origins, but Abe's beginnings are still a mystery. There's teases of Abe getting flashbacks, dreams, nightmares or premonitions he doesn't quite understand. When this is hammered home in chapter 5 of Plague of Frogs my estimation of this Trade Paperback that started with 4 stars is now 5 stars. Just wow! I can't wait to find out what happens next.
November 19, 2017
My first delve into the Hellboy off-shoot. I definitely enjoyed it. Once again, I think I'm reading this is out of order, but it hasn't really been an issue so far (no pun intended).
Interesting characters, and there are definitely easter eggs for those who have read the previous series. Heavily focused on the super-natural and Lovecraftian themes, it is dark and creepy.
As I'm getting more in to the series, I'm going to try and get them in order as there seems to be more of a long term liner story line.
A good start.
Interesting characters, and there are definitely easter eggs for those who have read the previous series. Heavily focused on the super-natural and Lovecraftian themes, it is dark and creepy.
As I'm getting more in to the series, I'm going to try and get them in order as there seems to be more of a long term liner story line.
A good start.
February 26, 2024
To give this story anything short of a 4-star rating would be sacrilege. This is comics. The art, the pace, the dialogue, the plot itself - all of the pieces needed to make a great story are here. I could see how someone who didn't read Hellboy might have a harder time with some of the Easter eggs within, but as someone who read HB first, this is candy to my eyes, especially after the first two volumes of bprd which felt lackluster at best. I'm excited to see the series hop on these tracks (night train joke), and I'm looking forward to seeing the next destination!
March 5, 2019
Трохи екшону є, екурс у минуле присутній, а ось розвивати характер персонажів - зуськи (натякати на передісторію ≠ поглиблювати характер).
Та й вступ до тої "чуми" видався не таким вже й епічним, а зміна художника між номерами однієї арки здається перебором. Атмосфера, звісно, все ще зберігається, але на загал серія все більше нагадує третій сезон колись класного серіалу, що тепер тримається більше на фанатському гайпі, аніж на сценарних ідеях.
Та й вступ до тої "чуми" видався не таким вже й епічним, а зміна художника між номерами однієї арки здається перебором. Атмосфера, звісно, все ще зберігається, але на загал серія все більше нагадує третій сезон колись класного серіалу, що тепер тримається більше на фанатському гайпі, аніж на сценарних ідеях.
January 23, 2025
This is what I've wanted the previous BPRD volumes to be: a solid, mythology building story with stakes, connection to the larger story, and exploration of the characters beyond Hellboy. Absolutely loved the focus on Abe, loved seeing Kate and Liz in action, loved seeing Roger grow, and liked seeing a sense of Johann's powers. Also loved seeing BPRD procedure and understanding a bit more why Hellboy left. Looking forward to more now.
July 20, 2025
Absolutely epic - the start of the most prolific BPRD story. Tied a lot of loose ends together into a new and massive story. We learn a little taste of who Abe was and what possibly changed him. The little tidbit of a boy who can miraculously heal people, who grows into a twisted cult leader is a great example of the Hellboy universe, little things lead into huge events or pitter out, you never really know!
February 9, 2019
Another Fantastic instalment in the BPRD universe.
Spooky, creepy, funny and utterly enthralling, the team continues to expand and evolve its rich mythology as we discover a few origin stories along the way.
The Wendigo is a welcome addition and a wonderful story.
I feel like 5 stars is high praise but I can't find fault with the art or story development.
A truly wonderful read.
Spooky, creepy, funny and utterly enthralling, the team continues to expand and evolve its rich mythology as we discover a few origin stories along the way.
The Wendigo is a welcome addition and a wonderful story.
I feel like 5 stars is high praise but I can't find fault with the art or story development.
A truly wonderful read.
August 30, 2020
The grand first act of the BPRD meta-story finally kicks into gear, with detail on Abe Sapien's strange personal history. Plus, we now see that the frog-monsters Hellboy, Abe and Liz Sherman tangled with way back at Cavendish Hall are more than a throwaway monster. They are a danger far, far greater than anyone suspects.
October 28, 2020
PHENOMENAL. So gross. I have always found frogs so gross, I can't even imagine touching one. For me, this is the perfect horror. The Abe origin is confusingly engrossing in the best way. The sheer terror, the ending, it's all amazing. A great volume and imo, a must-read for Hellboy fans. I am not a fan of the art, it's too sketchy for me, I prefer Mignola's big bold clean strokes but it doesn't hinder it. Truly terrified me with it's claustrophobia and just sheer sense of impending doom.
February 25, 2023
After two trades of experiments, this is the beginning of the series proper. It was clear from the previous two trades that, if someone had to draw the series other than Mignola, Guy Davis was the clear pick. Dave Stewart can’t go unmentioned here either. The combination of Davis and Stewart are what really make this book work. The story has a little bit of everything you want in a BPRD story.
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