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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 5, 2015 11:40:05 GMT -5
If you're a fan of Severin's work you should also try BPRD: War on Frogs #1 as it plays on Severin's war story talents. Oh OK, never heard of that. I'll check it out though. It's less stand alone in that it deals with an infestation of the frog monsters first introduced in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction but other than that it's a one shot featuring a cast of "regular" BPRD agents that have never been featured before. Hmm, I just looked it up and it looks like that since it was collected it has been renamed War on Frogs Chapter 2. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2015 1:46:06 GMT -5
Hmm, I just looked it up and it looks like that since it was collected it has been renamed War on Frogs Chapter 2. I noticed this the other night while trying to figure out how many issues the second PoF omnibus contains. It says it collects War on Frogs #1-4, but that section has five chapters. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 6, 2015 18:06:21 GMT -5
Hmm, I just looked it up and it looks like that since it was collected it has been renamed War on Frogs Chapter 2. I noticed this the other night while trying to figure out how many issues the second PoF omnibus contains. It says it collects War on Frogs #1-4, but that section has five chapters. They made the Black Flame #1 into War on Frogs #1, it's a little weird but it works well. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2015 18:14:47 GMT -5
Weird. I may be wrong (my omnibus is upstairs), but Black Flame is in that same omnibus and I'm pretty sure it has six chapters.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 6, 2015 18:20:30 GMT -5
Weird. I may be wrong (my omnibus is upstairs), but Black Flame is in that same omnibus and I'm pretty sure it has six chapters. Yeah, they include the first issue, then they do War on Frogs #1, Revival from MySpace/Dark Horse Presents #8 and #9, then War on Frogs #2 and curiously #4 then Black Flame #2-6 and finish it up with War on Frogs #3 which they call Black Flame: Epilogue. Reading all that would make you think that it was all rather muddled when it came out but that couldn't be further from the truth. It all comes about because the War on Frogs stories were originally just these one shot exercises for different creative teams that had little connection to anything else but people loved them so much that when it came time to collect them it was decided that they should try and find a way to wrap them up in the larger story and by and large I think they did a pretty seamless job. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 10, 2015 21:59:18 GMT -5
BPRD: Vampire #2Dark Horse, 2013 Written by Mike Mignola, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá Art by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá Inked by Dave Stewart  Year: 1948 Summery: After going through his dreams and describing the meeting place the vampires took him Anders and the Professor narrow the location of the temple complex down to a single location in Austria...just outside Cesky Krumlov, the home of Princess Eleonora Von Schwarzenberg. Upon arriving at Cesky Krumlov Anders is met by Hana Novarov who claims to be his contact from the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia who is to assist him his research. After initially seeming to scoff at Anders vampire hunt Hana makes a strange about face as she takes Anders to Krumlov Castle and paints him a picture of an undead lord who ruled the land under several different names for 300 years. Upon seeing the picture of Wilhelm Von Rosenberg Anders recognizes him as one of the vampires he met before at the party, linking this location positively to the temple he has been looking for. However, other than the story Hana has no more information and with that Anders flies off into a rage but just as all seems to be lost a beggar woman approaches him and after cryptically telling him to "follow the serpent to its heart." before thrusting a set of rings that once belonged to Baron Koeing into his hands and departing. The Next day Anders and Hana head into the woods to follow the Vltava river where guided by the spirits of the vampire sisters trapped in his head Anders uncovers the temple ruins he was brought to before.
Review: Once again we get a lot of set up, only while last issue served to set the tone and mood with its incredibly expressive art this issue set the plot and while forward momentum wise it only plodded along the history it wove was beautiful. As soon as I read that they were going to Cesky Krumlov I just knew it was going to be good, ever since I first learned about Cesky Krumlov and Princess Eleonora Von Schwarzenberg on Leonard Nimoy's "In Search Of..." I've been fascinated by the idea of that Stoker may have been inspired to write Dracula partially by the death and autopsy conducted by the royal physician on the princess' corpse to make sure she did not rise again. However, instead of going with that easier connection with vampire lore Mignola decided to take that familiar story and twist it with the idea that rather than being a vampire the princess was the victim of a vampire lord and the idea of that vampire living for hundreds of years and using various different names to hide that fact was fascinating. Further, looking at various portraits Mignola's fiction is very compelling as the three men he lists do bear a strong resemblance despite their differences in age. That level of historical accuracy lends this tale a very uncanny feeling that makes it a joy to read, even if Anders falling for a mysterious female government contact that seems to know too much has been done already.
Grade: B+ |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 14, 2015 19:15:14 GMT -5
Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever #2 Dark Horse, 2011 Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi Art by John Severin Colored by Dave Stewart  Year:1880 Summery: Jumping from the shadows the were-bison appears...and is revealed to be a dumb giant of a man named Isac who is the traveling companion of Morgan Kaler. The three retreat to Kaler's camp where they dine and exchange stories; Kaler tells a tale of a young girl named Eris who possessed a book of witchcraft that she has used to ensnare the local native population and whom Kaler believes is behind the burning of the church. In response to this Grey tells of how when he was a boy of 12 he investigated the death of several cattle only to uncover a werewolf was behind the killings and although he killed the werewolf he did so not with injury, being bitten as the beast died and he only escaped the curse through the aid of the best doctors and the power of God. After swapping stories they start out on their journey only to come under fire from an unknown assailant, Kaler returns fire with his rifle but appears to miss as the other party rides off. They give chase and finally corner him at night only to discover that it was Lord Glaren...and that Kaler did not miss as there is a gaping bullet wound in his chest leaving Glaren a zombie menace!
Review: This issue starts on a weird note with the were-bison turning out to be just a guy dressed as a buffalo for no real reason other than it amuses him. It isn't connected to the story, and it doesn't really characterize Isac either...it's just a weird little episode that just seems to exist to give Severin something fun to draw. I mean, it is reminiscent of the cliff hanger endings of the serials but it isn't very satisfying. With a weird start though the rest of the issue really crackles with the two opposing stories being really well told; especially Grey's story which acts as an origin of sorts for Grey. I love a good werewolf story and although this one is short it has all the classic hallmarks; the aristocrat just returned from a long journey, the family crypt being desecrated and the slaughtered cattle. On top of that it gives Grey an interesting element, he was bitten by the werewolf and although he was spared the transformations the taint is still with him making him a monster hunting other monsters. The ending though is probably the best part though, after the two serious tales by Grey and Kaler, the subtle humor that came with the reveal that shot didn't miss was a nice touch.
Grade: B |
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Post by Confessor on Feb 16, 2015 22:59:52 GMT -5
Issue #2 of Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever is another fairly quick read, although the dialogue is very good and natural sounding and there's more meat in the plot to chew on than there was in the last issue. John Severin's artwork continues to look lovely, but Dave Stewart's colouring has a little less of the wow factor than it did in issue #1.
The cliff-hanger at the end of last issue was really gripping, with this strange, supernatural bison-like creature leaping out of the shadows to attack Edward Grey and Morgan Kaler. So, it's a little disappointing to find that it was a fake out and instead of some damned, supernatural monstrosity, we get the simpleton Issac messing about in a bison suit. I really can't make up my mind whether this fake out with the were-bison is a neat trick or just frustratingly lame. Having the hero attacked by a were-buffalo would've been awesome, so inevitably the reader feels a little cheated. Like you say, thwhtguardian, the incident has no impact on the story at all and I can't help thinking that Mignola and Arcudi inserted the scene simply to have a cliff-hanger at the end of issue #1, no matter what.
On the plus side, I think it's interesting having Sir Grey be the subject of a lurid "penny dreadful" publication. This serves a useful purpose to the new reader, like me, because it shows us that Grey's reputation precedes him and random members of the public would've heard of him...even as far away as America! That said, I have no idea if or how the tale of Sir Grey and the Soho Vampires found in the penny dreadful relates to the first Witchfinder mini-series, but as a new reader, I assume it's just an exaggerated take on something that may've had some root in truth, rather than a direct reference to the earlier tale.
On the subject of being a new reader, I liked the handy recap of Grey's origin and his run in with a werewolf as a 12-year-old. Again, I've no idea if this was already shown in the earlier mini-series, but for a new reader like myself, it's a most welcome introduction to the character's origin. It's also intriguing that Grey has lost someone very close to him, in some part due to his work investigating the supernatural. No idea if the hanged woman we see in a flashback is Grey's wife or lover or a beloved family member. But again, it clues the new reader in on the fact that there is a heavy cost to Sir Edward's work.
The ending, where Grey and Kaler come face to face with an apparently undead Lord Glaren is a nice, creepy touch. However, the way that Glaren looks in the final panel very much reminds me of the undead Wild Bill Hickok that featured in Joe R. Lansdale and Tim Truman's Jonah Hex mini-series Two-Gun Mojo. To be honest, this isn't the first time I've been reminded of that mini-series while reading Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever and I wouldn't mind betting that Mignola or maybe Severin is a fan of that comic and is consciously homaging it here.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 17, 2015 6:25:50 GMT -5
Issue #2 of Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever is another fairly quick read, although the dialogue is very good and natural sounding and there's more meat in the plot to chew on than there was in the last issue. John Severin's artwork continues to look lovely, but Dave Stewart's colouring has a little less of the wow factor than it did in issue #1. The cliff-hanger at the end of last issue was really gripping, with this strange, supernatural bison-like creature leaping out of the shadows to attack Edward Grey and Morgan Kaler. So, it's a little disappointing to find that it was a fake out and instead of some damned, supernatural monstrosity, we get the simpleton Issac messing about in a bison suit. I really can't make up my mind whether this fake out with the were-bison is a neat trick or just frustratingly lame. Having the hero attacked by a were-buffalo would've been awesome, so inevitably the reader feels a little cheated. Like you say, thwhtguardian, the incident has no impact on the story at all and I can't help thinking that Mignola and Arcudi inserted the scene simply to have a cliff-hanger at the end of issue #1, no matter what. On the plus side, I think it's interesting having Sir Grey be the subject of a lurid "penny dreadful" publication. This serves a useful purpose to the new reader, like me, because it shows us that Grey's reputation precedes him and random members of the public would've heard of him...even as far away as America! That said, I have no idea if or how the tale of Sir Grey and the Soho Vampires found in the penny dreadful relates to the first Witchfinder mini-series, but as a new reader, I assume it's just an exaggerated take on something that may've had some root in truth, rather than a direct reference to the earlier tale. On the subject of being a new reader, I liked the handy recap of Grey's origin and his run in with a werewolf as a 12-year-old. Again, I've no idea if this was already shown in the earlier mini-series, but for a new reader like myself, it's a most welcome introduction to the character's origin. It's also intriguing that Grey has lost someone very close to him, in some part due to his work investigating the supernatural. No idea if the hanged woman we see in a flashback is Grey's wife or lover or a beloved family member. But again, it clues the new reader in on the fact that there is a heavy cost to Sir Edward's work. The ending, where Grey and Kaler come face to face with an apparently undead Lord Glaren is a nice, creepy touch. However, the way that Glaren looks in the final panel very much reminds me of the undead Wild Bill Hickok that featured in Joe R. Lansdale and Tim Truman's Jonah Hex mini-series Two-Gun Mojo. To be honest, this isn't the first time I've been reminded of that mini-series while reading Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever and I wouldn't mind betting that Mignola or maybe Severin is a fan of that comic and is consciously homaging it here. The penny dreadful bit is really fun, and the so-ho vampire case is something I'd really like to see as a flashback in like Dark Horse Presents or something. As for his origin, this was a first for everyone; it had been hinted at in the last mini-series but it was only here that we saw it out right and it was a lot of fun. I'm a sucker for were-wolf stories and Mignola doesn't disappoint. The image of the hanged woman was a known element from the past though as she was Mary Wolf, the medium that Grey met in The Service of Angels; while Grey was recovering the Brotherhood of RA, a group that Glarion belongs to, brought all of Grey's associates to gruesome ends which is why Grey hunts them so doggedly. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Feb 27, 2015 18:32:55 GMT -5
BPRD: Vampire #3 Dark Horse, 2013 Written by Mike Mignola, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá Art by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá Inked by Dave Stewart  Year: 1948 Summery: When they awaken Hana and Anders find themselves in the middle of a huge, underground temple complex. As they begin to wander around searching for an exit Anders once again finds himself once again drawn on by the voices of his twin tormentors; as Hana goes one way he follows their voices down another path and when Hanna realizes this and doubles back to find him we see that the path Anders i[p;' is now mysteriously blocked off. Meanwhile, Anders comes closer to his goal; he stalks quietly across a thrown room littered with bones and cobwebs finding his quarry the vampire lord Wilhelm seemingly asleep in his seat of power but as he prepares to stake the creature his hand shoots up and stops Anders. Rather than attempt to kill Anders though, Wilhelm simply throws him aside and tells him to leave but Anders is not satisfied by that and confronts him, naming him, "the Vampire who killed his own wife." which causes Wilhelm to burst forward in a fit or rage. As he throws Anders around Wilhelm explains that he had to leave Eleonora because the Vampire Council decreed that they must all go to ground until they were forgotten, not knowing of her husband's vampiric nature she went to the crossroads and promised Hecate her mortal soul if her were returned to "life" assuming he was dead. Hecate granted her wish and Wilhelm appeared once more just in time to see his wife begin to perish, but Wilhelm intervened and promised Hecate many souls in exchange for his wife's but rather than stay with her he left once more so that she would be safe from him, thinking to save her...only to learn from the spirits of Katharina and Annaliese killed his wife out of jealousy after he left causing Wilhelm to rage against their patron Baron Koeing. But before Wilhelm could fly off for revenge Anders raised himself from the rubble and informs him that Koeing is dead and offers up his rings as proof before he launches his attack anew..only this time his eyes glow red and he exhibits super human strength which he then uses to rip Wilhelm's still beating heart from his chest.
Review: While the beginning of this issue evoked the pacing of the earlier exposition laden chapters it quickly explodes of the page in a visceral battle between Anders and Wilhelm that is not only visually stunning in its kinetic force but also in the intense characterization it delivers in its dialog. With lines like, "I don't care about winning, Lord Wihelm...as long as you lose" from Anders and "Death is the goal of my weary soul..." from Wilhem provide us with powerful views into he hearts and minds of these two characters and that such views are delivered among such vivid action is all the more impressive. Usually it's one or the other, you get thrilling action or great characterization, but here you get both and it just blows me away. This is one of those moments that I point to Mignola and say, "This is why he is the best." the ability to find a balance between dynamic action and characterization is something you just don't see everyday so when it happens it really makes you just stop and stare.
Aside from those elements though there is even more to love in that it answers some of the questions raised earlier about the vampire council, and Wilhelm's relationship with Eleonora but also raises many more in the form Anders' new found powers, is he a vampire? Or is he something greater and far darker? It offers no answers to that here but the image of Anders standing in the dark with Wilhelm's heart in one hand, the binding symbol glowing on his chest and the vampire sisters shadows cast behind him is both incredibly striking and promises yet more twists to the tale.
Grade A+
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Post by thwhtguardian on Mar 30, 2015 17:51:47 GMT -5
Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever #3 Dark Horse, 2011 Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi Art by John Severin Colored by Dave Stewart  Year 1880 Summary: Cornered in his camp by Edward Grey and Morgan Kaler, Lord Glaren opens fire on the two heroes forcing them to seek cover behind some rocks. Seeing their bullets are useless against the zombie Kaler gets a new idea, while Grey distracts the creature with a renewed round of gunfire Kaler sneaks up from behind and lassos Glaren and drags him into the fire where his body is consumed. Though Grey is concerned by the return of Glaren from the dead Kaler is less concerned, seeing him not as a returned soul but only a corpse being used as a puppet, a what he explains is a"Zonbi" a creol term, but he's unconcerned by that and more with where and why the puppet was meant to lead them to the ravine. As they sit there wondering why the witch Eris would lead them here, whom the believe to be the zonbi's master, a massive red demon dog attacks them and it only through the timely intervention by Isaac who uses his massive strength to defeat the beast that the two are saved, though at great expense to Isaac.
Meanwhile at the Indian camp Eris leads the tribe to the one they call Kaipa the Ancient, who turns out to be the priest who vanished from the town. At first the natives are apprehensive, doubting the truth of Eris words as they cannot believe that their God would be a white man, but as he speaks their ancient language that only their wise woman knows they begin to believe.
Review: I've spoken previously about Mignola's tendency to hit a slump in the middle, and this is yet another example of that fault. The story here just seems to meander with out any sense of urgency or purpose. There are a lot of little events with interesting action courtesy Mignola and Arcudi, but nothing to sink your teeth into, nothing that feels meaningful and Isaac continues to be frustratingly enigmatic yet again for no real reason. The art though? Simply amazing!
From the very first panel of the book Severin is firing on all cylinders; a cloud of smoke billowing around a revolver being fired by the "Zonbi", we've got something special. There's so much detail crackling in this image; the dead eyes, the startled horse pulling back in fear, the wisps of the wisps of smoke of the camp fire, even the scrub grass in the background. Every milimeter has some detail to it and yet there is no sense of it being cluttered. It's the amount of work that people would put into a huge splash page, but it's just a single panel in a single page of a comic. It's just stunning. More than all the equisite details, or the fun monsters what is truly awe-inspiring about his work is the menace that he is able to give to Kaipa the Ancient. He's this mundane looking priest, but there is something the the way he stands dark in the middle of the bright field and the lack of any emotion on his face that just makes you feel that this guy is some how evil. There are no words to convey that menace, its done wholly by Severin's art and it astounds me.
So all in all its a fairly weak entry...but its a weak entry with Severin art! If every book that only had an "okay" plot had art by Severin the world would be a better place. Seriously, he's that good.
Grade:B- |
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Post by earl on Apr 12, 2015 22:33:58 GMT -5
I read and really liked the first few Hellboy TPBs and read the first two BPRD trades, but other than re-reading the early Hellboy's and the 1948 BPRD and the recent 1952 Hellboy & the BPRDhadn't really read much in a few years.
I just read "Darkness Calls" - Hellboy Vol. 8 and have started Vol. 9 "The Wild Hunt". WOW...things really start to come together in this series.
While I thought they were ok, I never really got into the BPRD series but it sounds like it really picked up as it went on, so I am now curious.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 29, 2015 16:53:23 GMT -5
I read and really liked the first few Hellboy TPBs and read the first two BPRD trades, but other than re-reading the early Hellboy's and the 1948 BPRD and the recent 1952 Hellboy & the BPRDhadn't really read much in a few years. I just read "Darkness Calls" - Hellboy Vol. 8 and have started Vol. 9 "The Wild Hunt". WOW...things really start to come together in this series. While I thought they were ok, I never really got into the BPRD series but it sounds like it really picked up as it went on, so I am now curious. The Wild Hunt is one of my all time favorites, I love that English cult society. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Apr 29, 2015 19:53:30 GMT -5
BPRD: Vampire #4Dark Horse, 2013 Written by Mike Mignola, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá Art by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá Inked by Dave Stewart  Year: 1948 Summery: Emerging victorious from the temple structure bloodied and shirtless Anders goes from bad to worse as he is confronted by a horde of witches who see him as an abomination in the eyes of Hecate. They call down a lightning storm to stop him but as the clouds clear we see the glowing mark in the shadows which causes the witches to draw back in surprise, Anders warns them to leave but they press to attack again at which shadowy spider like tendrils emerge from his chest which quickly dart out and begin killing the witches. Knowing his power comes from the sisters the witches reanimate the corpses of all the women they killed in life, as well as all the dead witches sacrificed at the temple in the past. It seems grim, but Anders only responds with, "I don't fear live witches, so why should I fear the dead?" and then he torches them all before heading back the village to get his revenge on Hana for setting him up.
Review: After three issues of mostly set up we finally get the meat of the story in that we see what having the spirits of two of the worst vampires in history trapped in his soul has done to him. We see that not only is he feared by his peers for what he is but also by the monsters he faces which sets up an interesting question, what does one do when feared by both sides? There's a boat load of action here that is beautifully rendered, its alien but not un-intelligible. The tendrils whipping out and the fire and lightning are beautiful, and while the last few chapters have felt slightly like wading through a morass this was one of the fastest reads I've ever encountered and yet it didn't feel unsatisfying in the least.
Grade:A
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 28, 2015 19:42:50 GMT -5
Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever #4Dark Horse (2011)
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by John Severin
s 
Year:1880
Summery: In their hunt for the Eris the witch, who previously sicked her demon dog on Grey and Morg, our heroes follow the prophetic dreams of Sir Edward Grey to an ancient coal mine where they hope to locate the lost parishioners. Along the way Morg and Grey have time to discuss some philosophy, such as how Grey’s Christian God isn't really all that different from the Indian’s Sky Father, and that the black magic that Grey despises is remarkably similar to the Christian exorcism rituals that saved Grey from becoming a werewolf. At the mine Grey and Morg do find what they sought...only the townsfolk are zombies much like they fought earlier, and there are a lot of them hidden away in the mine leaving Grey and Morg is a show down with an undead legion that they only just barely escape from with help of some dynamite. Unfortunately it's out of the frying pan and into the fire as they escape the mines just in time to face a lightning powered Eris and yet another demon dog!
Review: As with the previous issues Severin's art is the real star of the show here as Mignola's stranger in a strange land story continues to meander. To be sure, the conversation about Grey's Christian views being but a small picture of the greater world were interesting but the story continues to lack a real sense of purpose other than to show case John's wonderful art. And what a feast for the eyes it is, his level of realism is amazing; the horses look totally photo-realistic, and the rocks and shrubs spring directly from nature. But the best part? Here, in this story, we see Severin's art at it's absolute best; in his heyday though his art was just as real as it looks today it was ham-stringed by the coloring processes available at the time, which often meant that his art looked either really flat, or completely garish in its tone...but here, paired with Deve Stewart we finally see his art in a wash of a color that is perfect. For that alone this is all worth while, even if thew story is flat.
Grade:B |
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