BBPO Piekło na Ziemi. Tom 5

B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #12-13, 15

by Mike Mignola

Ostatni tom opowieści o piekle na Ziemi. Zmagania Biura Badań Paranormalnych i Obrony z nadprzyrodzonym zagrożeniem dochodzą do punktu kulminacyjnego! Po jednej z misji duch Johanna szuka sensu swego istnienia, a przy okazji wciela się w jednoosobową broń znaną jako Młot. Pirokinetyczka Liz całkowicie poświęca się roli przekaźnika niszczycielskiego ognia. Wizjonerka Fenix wpada w sieć mocy szaleńca pragnącego boskiej wszechwładzy. Mająca trzy tysiące lat Egipcjanka Panya dąży do własnego tajemniczego celu. A doktor Kate stara się kierować całym tym niezwykłym towarzystwem, aby BBPO zdołało obronić świat przed jednym z mitycznych stworów Ogdru Jahad. Agenci muszą zniszczyć i samego potwora, i tworzone przez niego niezliczone bestie. Tymczasem w Nowym Jorku trwa walka z tytanicznym Czarnym Płomieniem. Gdzie indziej Niczajko, dyrektor rosyjskiego biura okultystycznego, podejmuje rozpaczliwą próbę uratowania Ziemi poprzez zwrócenie się o pomoc do potężnej demonicy. W efekcie rusza za nią przez piekło...

Twórcą pomysłu serii i jej współscenarzystą jest sławny Mike Mignola, autor cyklu „Hellboy”. John Arcudi od lat jest głównym scenarzystą „BBPO”. Rysunki są dziełem Laurence’a Campbella, znanego z takich komiksów jak „Punisher” czy „Mroczna wieża”, Petera Snejbjerga i Juliána Totino Tedesco.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure, Graphic Novels Comics

420 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2020

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 5 out of 5]

After 15 volumes Hell on Earth finally comes to a conclusion. The finale was everything I wanted it to be. Full of action, tension, and sadness as things look pretty well hopeless. There's some moments of pathos as cast members go out being heroes. Lots of Kaiju monsters fighting and a fantastic superhero donnybrook throughout New York. Do yourself a favor and read Sledgehammer '44 before starting this.

[Sohan Surag · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start off with, I loved how the Hell on Earth started and wrapped up with this but on the other hand, I have my qualms too. One of the major qualms is something that might be so spoiler-ridden that its better discussed off the forums. All in all though, a good conclusion to an awesome arc. Certain character's absence was felt throughout and that's exactly what the writers intended to, I suppose.

Here's a tip: Read Sledgehammer 44 before you read this last volume since it ties so much with the one shot and will give a much more cohesive experience. Better yet, follow Mignolaversity's updated Reading Order 2019 to give much better overall experience.

Can't wait to read the final conclusion in The Devil You Know saga.

[Maksym Karpovets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Останній том вийшов справді таким, яким би мав бути. Ось це повернення епічності, тривожності й метатекстуальності усього всесвіту, який ми заслуговуємо. Якщо підсумувати увесь цикл, то початок вийшов цікавим, адже нам відкривали усю текстуру пост-апокаліптичного (чи пост-лавкрафтівського) світу із завмерлими ґодзілоподібними монстрами на горизонті та меншими почварами, що лізли з усіх пекельних дір. Також нам представили нову героїню, Фенікс, яка заслуговує на окремий спін-офф, адже не тільки органічно вписалась у всесвіт, але й загалом гідно може конкурувати з іншими героїнями (тією ж Ліз Шерман, яка раніше дещо вийшла на задній план, але тут вона вже роздасть усім фаєрболів). Проте вже десь на середині історія дуже повільно розвивається, хоча й не без цікавих моментів. Напевно, автори намагались призвичаїти нас до ось цього стану перманентної тривоги й бентеги, щоб потім видати феєричний фінал.

Що ж конкретно відбувається тут? Міфічний Оґдру Джахад виринає з безодні хаосу й плодить гігантських кадзю-монстрів майже щохвилини прямісінько з неба, пускаючи з неба комети. Відповідно, гігантські кадзю-монстри у вже звичній нам манері плодять щосекунди інших монстрів, які і є робочою силою в руках апокаліпсису й тотальної деструкції всього людського (читай сущого). Оґдру Джахад знаходиться зовсім поруч біля основного штабу Бюро, тому єдина надія людства теж під загрозою. Навіть оновлений Йоган у формі непробивного костюму й не менш оновлена Ліз Шерман у формі літаючої вогняної бестії не рятують, адже вони просто фізично не встигають знищити безкінечну навалу тварюк. Перед тим ще було місиво із Чорним Вогнем, який хоч і виснажив Ліз й усе місто, але однаково був лише репетицією до основної битви. А ще є стародавня мумія Панья, яка теж зіграє свою роль. Ну й Кейт, голова Бюро, яка мовчки спостерігає як на її очах руйнується увесь світ, як вона нічого не може зробити для його порятунку. Ледь не забув про мою улюблену Варвару, тобто одного із демонів у дитячому тілі, яка також включиться у цей пекельний (у метафоричному й буквальному сенсі) коловорот подій.

Цей масивний, динамічний і справді епічний том повністю завершує пошуки усіх попередніх арок, будучи також певним містком до завершальної частини - The Devil You Know. Цікавою ідеєю останніх арок є не тільки те, що хороші люди помирають, а погані ніяк не можуть (окрім несподіваної кари у вигляді страшних монстрів, майже біблейських левіафанів), а те, що неправильні дії приводять до непоправних наслідків. Справді, а чи всі операції Бюро були проведені розумно? Чи завжди Кейт і команда враховували непоправність своїх планів? Чи все ж таки кожен вибір завжди тягне за собою певні моральні й людські втрати, яких ніяк не уникнути? Ось ця етична складова суттєво вирізняє усю серію від Гелбоя, де акцент більше був зміщений на пошук власної дороги, призначення, тобто філософсько-містичних речей, а тут чітко простежується тема колективної відповідальності за вчинене.

Як бачимо, Міньйола завжди чітко бачить, що він хоче від історії і куди вона приведе. Звісно, він може відволікатись (усе ж разом з ним працюють інші сценаристи, які також вносять своє бачення попри його тотальний контроль), але кінцева ціль йому завжди відома. І це добре, адже усі дірки й недорозуміння у сюжеті повною мірою компенсуються грандіозним фіналом, який, виявляється, є прелюдією до ще однієї битви. Та чи останньої?

[Keith Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I know they said they didn't really have a plan when they started, it doesn't really feel like they ever pulled much of a plan together.

[Gancu · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok/5

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is massive, with three volumes collected in it, as it ends the story of BPRD Hell on Earth. This series has always been interesting to me because it doesn't just stop with the good guys losing, it shows the world collapsing behind a failing holding action, as a few resources still win battles in a war that seems impossible. The psychological impact of that on the BPRD shows through in multiple ways that support the overall story. There are major changes here, character deaths that hurt, and heroes (and villains) that make massive sacrifices. There are moments of vast dark beauty as the falling world is viewed with failing hope. There are major action moments as well, especially with Johann (who really is the center of this collection) and Liz, and others who may not be quite the weapons, but still make major impacts. This also references some of the other related series (Abe Sapien, some of the World War II titles) in ways that are able to make sense even if the reader hasn't read them. I was a little disappointed with the ultimate climax, but only because I was hoping for a different turn (and hero) at the center that ultimately wouldn't have been a good choice for the story. But the story teased it, then twisted a completely different direction.
If you've started the series, this will be a worthy ending. If you haven't, I strongly recommend it. It's a series with a very different theme and goal than your big super Hero worlds, but ultimately tells a powerful story about humanity. And the art is dark and stunning, and definitely worth a look.

[Ozan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Volume of Hell on Earth was really one hell of conculusion. lol The Hell on Earth story was 5 Omnibuses long in total. A very long great read. B.P.R.D. fought against many Ogdru Hem and the Black Flame himself and one really gigantic Ogdru Jahad which was summoned by The Black Flame. As it was described in the book, the scale of the catastrophe in America in the story was 9/11 times 100.

I really liked the Robot Armor, Johan Kraus used as a host in the last parts of the story. It was bad ass. I wonder what will happen with Varvara, the Demon Russian little girl who had the knife covered with Satan's blood in the end. It was always fun to read about her and Iosif's interactions. Only Ted Howards, Fenix Espejo and Liz Shurman left alive from the super natural team members of the B.P.R.D. in the end. Apocalyps was prevented, but with a big cost. Abe Sapien's whereabouts and condition were unknown. I really applaud Mignola and the crew for making B.P.R.D. such a good read even without Hellboy. (there were minor Hellboy appearances with flashbacks etc. though) read even without Hellboy.

[Ruz El · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one wraps up the story and maybe the series? I've only been reading the hardcover collections. Anyways, I really liked it. Great art, lots of action that furthers the story. It may not make the most sense but it made enough to be satisfying.

If they put out anymore hardcover collections, I'm sure I'll read them. If this is it for my journey with the Hellboy world, it was a great ride.

[Benedict Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because the writing was fine and the art was good, but I just wanted this arc to end. But that's how much I hate these kind of plots and not actually a thing this comic was doing 'wrong'.

Now it's over and maybe actual adventures can happen again instead of just one endless despair slog.

[Zardoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final volume of the Hell on Earth storyline. Hard to review this without spoiling it, but some major characters die and others have to step up to take over their roles. Great writing and art. Glad I saved this one for Halloween.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang.

[Václav · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4,3 of 5 for less intense finale and art of Laurence Campbell)
This is the final instalment of the Hell on Earth series. I must say I enjoyed this grim apocalyptic series, it has awesome spots and also some weak ones, but overall the atmosphere, which is heavy and desperate, was perfectly transferred to me. The final "omnibus" wasnť as intensive as I expected, especially in the finale. But I really enjoyed it.
Talking about art, I'm not that excited about Peter Snejbjerg, his art is a bit too cartoonish, with aesthetics reminding me of polished Corben, but without all those rough grim elements. But worse for adjusting to me was Campbell. This '90 Vertigo thick ink messy dark art style somehow feels like a throwback and for me in not a very good way. Also, Campbell following Snejbjerg didn't create a nice transition, the contrast between the art styles was a bit displeasing to me. I'm not saying the art is bad, but it took me a bit of adjusting.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sticks the landing.

[Ming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa

[Nate]

“Nowhere, Nothing, Never” is a powerful story about Johann and the cost of leadership in war. Arcudi’s writing is wonderfully nuanced, and I really like this character-driven vignette in the middle of battle. B.P.R.D. is at its best when honing in on characters like this.

Then we get “Modern Prometheus,” which continues Johann’s story and ties into the Sledgehammer ‘44 miniseries. It’s a satisfying turn of events not only for Johann but the Hellboy world as a whole. Mignola and Arcudi were clearly planning on this happening with the vril suit from the start, and it’s awesome looking back at the seeds planted in Lobster Johnson’s series. These guys know how to play the long game.

“End of Days” is where it starts to go down. The Ogdru Jahad, Black Flame, and more finally come to a head. This is an intense five issues that immediately ramps up the stakes and brings together so many previous storylines. It’s a bit convoluted honestly, but the big moments hit hard and it feels like a culmination.

Finally, there’s “Cometh the Hour.” This is the real battle, where B.P.R.D. (mainly Liz and Johann) fight the Ogdru Jahad, along with a few surprise players. We also see Iosef and Varvara’s journey in Hell, tying in nicely to the Hellboy in Hell series. This is a great conclusion. It’s perhaps a little rushed but nonetheless exciting and emotionally resonant. Now to read the *actual* end in The Devil You Know.

A final note: this collection largely focuses on Johann. I didn’t expect him to be such a major player at the end, and admittedly he hasn’t been my favorite character. So I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed his journey here. And I know I keep saying it, but I love how Mignola and Arcudi bring together so many elements from past storylines. It’s some awesome, long game storytelling.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series: B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth Vol. 5
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good

In this conclusion to the Hell on Earth series, the B.P.R.D. must defend the earth from the Ogdru Jahad. The agents take another shot at the Black Flame, Johann gets another body, and the Russian director follows a demon to hell.

This was a good ending for this story arc. Sadly there was a great loss of life in this volume and we lose more main characters. I also finally started liking Johann again in this volume. He takes over the viril suit, which is introduced in Sledgehammer 44 and I recommend reading it before this volume, and uses it to help defeat the Ogdru Jahad.

The Russian director ends up releasing the demon he has held captive and they take a trip to hell. This was fascinating because it is the first glimpse of hell we have seen since Hellboy in Hell. It is very different now and I kind of hope we see more of it in future stories.

While the ending of this series was kind of sad, it was a strong ending for the series. They won a great victory against the monsters but there's still a lot left. I wonder how the survivors of the B.P.R.D. will get on now that some of their main members are gone.

You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the end of Hell on Earth, though not quite the end of the Hellboy series. Hell on Earth managed to lose it's focus during parts of it's run and spin it's wheels, but here it focuses on it's strongest moments and characters to give an emotional send off. B.P.R.D maintains the same tone it has held for it's entire run, so fittingly, a lot of characters don't make it. The standout characters are Johann and Iosef. This is their swan song, and looking back on Hell on Earth, these two slowly took center stage over the series to become the pivotal characters in this final arc.

Endings are hard to do, and there were some elements that seemed to come out of left field. Everyone is getting desperate, but the B.PR.D.'s plans are simple and uninspired. This is heavily tied to my least favorite issue, Sledgehammer '44, but to it's credit this collection makes me like Sledgehammer a little more.

[Luke Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of buckwild comic book madness that makes me want to say a list of things that are in it.

Like Johan Krauss inhabiting a haunted suit of armor used as a superweapon in World War 2 by channelling the Vril energy harnessed by the lost hyperborean society that lived inside the hollow earth. Or how he makes friends with an 18th century scientist/cultist of the sea god Oannes who has survived beyond his years in a steampunk diving suit who built an old timey submarine that harnesses the souls of the dead and uses them to power an energy cannon that kills Kaiju. And then a few pages later you're following a zombified former KGB agent through Pandemonium, the Capital city of hell, lead by a small child/ancient demon on a quest to find the knife that killed Satan.

And on top of being a long list of delightful shit to see pictures of, it actually works and lands and packs several emotional wallops that make this whole wild journey feel worthwhile.

Comics are so wonderful

[Camilo Guerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh por dios!!!, todo se acelero y desemboco de una manera...años, y años de lectura, una guerra en la que estaba en juego el destino de la humanidad, con Hellboy muerto, Abe Sapien fuera del foco, todo termina en un ataque brutal de las fuerzas del mal, que nos lleva a un montón de momentos terribles y desastrosos, que nos sorprenden por varias partes:

-Todo esta perdido, no hay como ganar
-Hace falta James Harren y Tyler Crook,aunque Totino Tedesco esta inmenso.
-Una cosa es la muerte de un personaje importante, pero acá ...

A mi me gusta que las historias se terminen, que se cierren ciclos y años y años de lo que se veia en Hellboy , esta a punto de cerrar CON TODO.

[Lacee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart...hurts. It's really difficult to gather my thoughts for this volume, I feel like I have a reading hangover. The conclusion was beautiful in many ways but I'm not feeling as satisfied as I had hoped. Let's just say I will forever feel bitter toward how they handled some character arcs, but on the other hand some feel so, so right! This entire series was a ride and I'm so grateful I got the chance to experience this wild story.

[Rob Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final volume strays a little too far into superhero territory for what is ostensibly a horror book, but it delivers truly satisfying moments and sets the stage for the grand finale. What more could you want?

[Matt Maielli · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Welcome to oblivion."

when you track this story all the way back to 'Seed of Destruction' it all seems insane. Extremely fun to watch Mignola and Co. throw literally everything they have at a story and somehow make it work.

[Ross Alon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a freaking ride that is BPRD. A lot is lost, but quite a lot else is gained. Some sad and very few happy ones. We could stop here and I would have been happy, but apparently there some more BPRD stories to tell.

[Etain · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something so wonderful about these books how the writers and artists can make a somber story about death and decay and fill it with so much life. You want to visit hell and you want to see your favorite characters die because it's done so beautifully.

[Freder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling and mostly satisfying conclusion to this 11-year-long End of Days saga; with losses both expected and unexpected.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hell on Earth arc has had its ups and downs but the final volume ended it really well. Now I just hope they didn’t crap the bed with the final arc.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly devastating! Now, onto the final volume...

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real "that's it?" vibes.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much, much better than the preceding four volumes. This is really what I always wanted this Hell on Earth storyline to feel like, in that it also feels like all the BPRD volumes that arrived before the series made the mistake of going monthly. Almost every event in this book feels significant and dire and tense, tying in to various Mignolaverse threads from throughout the years seamlessly. It's also got fantastic art that really fits the tone of these stories perfectly.

But, the fact that this, the final volume of this "epic" storyline, seems like it could be read completely on its own, skipping almost everything that came before it, doesn't really make the run itself feel like it was worth reading. It's pretty wild how many characters that got a monumental amount of backstory just kind of fizzle out here without ever having made a substantial difference to anything, or grew into characters we're meant to love. I mean, I know there's one volume left, but I find it hard to believe I'm ever going to care about Fenix, who has basically just become a woman with a gun who helped accomplish exactly nothing, or Panya, who has been drawn in every volume since her first appearance as a scheming, manipulative wild card who, I guess it turns out just kind of wasn't? She was just a team player? I don't know, man, some of these wrap-ups feel incredibly weak.

Also, I think there are about 20 deus ex machinas in here. Every time it feels like the characters are down and out, a new ally or superpower appears completely out of nowhere, with no setup whatsoever, to solve all the problems and save the day (at least temporarily). The fight with the Black Flame felt undercooked and a little out of nowhere, as did the one with the Ogdru Jahad. It's frustrating, cheap writing that undermines an otherwise great, emotional, and climactic story.

But, ultimately, I still flew through this. The character work for Liz, Johann, Nichayko and Varvara are the standouts here, and worth the price of admission. Everyone else is kind of a wash, but I was always really reading this for Liz and Johann in particular. Here's hoping the final volume is as good as (or even better than) this one.

[Erik Dahle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed the story and conclusion but found myself to be a bit tired of the focus on Johann for what felt like the thousandth time. I think this may just be because the bprd series is the only series where they can explore his character to this extent but I grew a bit tired of Johann questioning his humanity again and again. That being said I did enjoy his conclusion and I definitely thought that it was effective in portraying his character, this is definitely his book though with less emphasis on the other characters. The death of Kate and Panya felt impactful and did give a feeling of finality to the story line. The conclusion of Fenix felt apt for the overall story and the end of this apocalyptic doomed state of the world while leaving enough open about Abe and what will happen next, after all they only defeated one ogdru jahad and at a great cost. I am excited to read the devil you know and see how the whole series ends