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Post by earl on Oct 9, 2015 11:31:48 GMT -5
Thinking about that, I figured the Roswell incident could be something that could be integrated into the Hellboy myths. I'd think the whole 50s UFO/atomic paranoia would be a good backdrop for a early Hellboy/BPRD story and one they haven't really used yet.
I really liked the Hellboy/BPRD 1953 tale and would really like to see them do quite a bit more stories with the pre-Hellboy series version of the BPRD.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 10, 2015 11:12:26 GMT -5
Thinking about that, I figured the Roswell incident could be something that could be integrated into the Hellboy myths. I'd think the whole 50s UFO/atomic paranoia would be a good backdrop for a early Hellboy/BPRD story and one they haven't really used yet. I really liked the Hellboy/BPRD 1953 tale and would really like to see them do quite a bit more stories with the pre-Hellboy series version of the BPRD. It certainly would, they did do one 50's alien abduction story but it featured your classic grey alien not the ones seen before. And they are totally doing more early adventures of Hellboy, I think there's another one starting either later this year or early next. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 22, 2015 16:10:17 GMT -5
BPRD #121 "The Devil's Wings" Dark Horse, 2014 Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi Art by Laurence Campbell Colored by Dave Stewart  Year:1949 Summery: The agents quickly take down the demon dog, but as Breccan begins to walk towards them menacingly Stegner finds that he's misplaced his spare ammo clip leaving them defenseless. Laughing at their predicament Breccan unfolds his plan, taunting the agents before blowing them off his lawn with a spell...all except Professor Bruttenholm who foresaw this kind of attack and brought along a pocket full of herbs which made him immune to this first attack. Undaunted Breccan ups his game, blowing up his own home to chase the professor away. The agents regroup behind their car, trying to figure out their next move when three shots ring out and as Archie, Stegner and Bruttenholm peer over the edge of the car they see Breccan's dead body and young Hellboy literately holding the smoking gun as it turned out he was totally immune to the powers of Breccan but although he saved the day Hellboy leaves feeling very conflicted. With Breccan dead however there is no one left to question about the souls he trapped, and so Bruttenholm placed his dog tags in the BPRD file hoping that the names he had printed as the next of kin but after attempts at contacting them fail they are deemed "gibberish" and the file is abandoned until J.H. O’Donnell read it aloud in his attempt to digitize all of the old BPRD files which unknowingly released Breccan's spirit revealing the "gibberish" to be a necromantic spell that is only defeated when O'Donnel exercised it.
Review: This arc definitely wasn’t a game changer by any means, but it had a little bit of everything that makes the series special. The great cast of characters , phenomenal art, a great use of magic, and li’l Hellboy finally getting his chance to go out and kick some ass. So yeah, nothing "important" to the overall mythological cycle of Hellboy but I don’t subscribe to the idea that comics have to be “important.” I’d prefer them to just be good and this story certainly was. What's really fun though is how this story brilliantly bridges the stories from the 40's with the stories that are to come focusing on an adolescent Hellboy coming to terms with his abilities in the early 50's; you see his eagerness to follow in the footsteps of his father but his uncertainty in the consequences which is a beautiful tug of war to see.
Grade:A |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 22, 2015 18:07:11 GMT -5
I had a little extra time today and so decided to finally link all the stories I've reviewed so far to their respective points on the time line for easy browsing .
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,868
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Post by shaxper on Nov 23, 2015 5:02:23 GMT -5
I had a little extra time today and so decided to finally link all the stories I've reviewed so far to their respective points on the time line for easy browsing . Well done! |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 23, 2015 17:21:43 GMT -5
I had a little extra time today and so decided to finally link all the stories I've reviewed so far to their respective points on the time line for easy browsing . Well done! It wasn't as time consuming as I had thought actually, but I'm glad I did it now rather than later. |
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Post by earl on Nov 23, 2015 18:54:08 GMT -5
Just finished BPRD Omnibus vol. 2. The Dead and Black Flame arcs are pretty great, one of the best 'superhero' team stories I have read in a while. The pacing was excellent.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 23, 2015 20:28:46 GMT -5
Just finished BPRD Omnibus vol. 2. The Dead and Black Flame arcs are pretty great, one of the best 'superhero' team stories I have read in a while. The pacing was excellent. Those omnibuses are amazing, being able to read the whole story in one sitting like that is definitely the way to experience it. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Nov 23, 2015 21:34:29 GMT -5
Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland #1Dark Horse, 2014
Written by Kim Newman and Maura McHugh
Illustrated by Tyler Crook
Colors by Dave Stewart
Year: 1881
Summery: A body is found in London and it is originally thought to be a common drowning until one of the doctors examining the body recognizes the over powering smell of a popular health tonic called Poole's Elixir and electrical burns on his neck. Odd as that may sound, Sir Edward Grey did not feel this was a case for him, even if the victim was a servant of the crown but the Queen herself takes Poole's Elixir and so the case is forced on Grey under a quest to protect the crown. In Hallam, the new industrial town that has sprung up around the production of the health tonic, Grey is greeted by the manager of Poole's and the local constable who offer him a tour of the town and its history before escorting him to his hotel. The town it seems was once a backwards fishing village in the middle of a marsh but when Poole's first born son, Hallam, drowned he" banned" the marsh by draining it where in he discovered the healing powers of the water.
When Grey does get to the hotel where the agent died he finds it has been cleaned leaving no clues, but the constable claims to know what happened, but when questioned by Grey his theories border on the imbecilic and Grey quickly dismisses them. All seems lost until he discovers that the agents journal is missing several pages and when he shakes it he uncovers a slip of paper that says, "Go to Unland" which as he learns is the name of the last remaining marsh. The constable then changes tracks saying that he's heard of Grey's "Adventures" and believes he's a charlatan while factory boss suggests that he finish his investigation back in London, but grey brushes these aside and vows to uncover the mystery. If his hosts behavior didn't make him feel unwelcome enough what occurred after they left definitely cemented it as a trio of giant eels crash through his window and although they are thwarted they leave with an ultimatum, "Leave or die!"
Review: This is an interesting piece of the Hellboy universe in that it that it is the first story that "matters" that has zero involvement from Mignola. Now, I previously reviewed some young Hellboy stories that Mignola had no part in but although I love them and consider them canon they are not actually treated as such but this story is which is unprecedented. Mignola has collaborated with many different writers and artists over the years but this hands off approach is completely new and it yields a story that certainly feels unique. Kim Newman and Maura McHugh really strike off in unknown territory here, bringing a real penny dreadful feel to Grey, which although was always an influence was never really reflected in the tone itself which is fantastic. There's a pervasive darkness here, but also a lot of humor and that contrast makes for an interesting read. The real selling point though is the mystery, again although the last few stories had a mystery premise they quickly deviated from that and became more action focused but this story really sticks to mystery, slowly unfolding the setting, introducing the players and teasing a hidden layer just below the surface. It's incredibly tantalizing and it makes the issue feel much shorter than it actually is with the speed it forces you to turn the pages at.
Grade:A |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 5, 2015 20:58:39 GMT -5
Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 #1Dark Horse, 2014 Written by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi Penciled and Inked by Alex Maleev Colored by Dave Stewart  Year:1952 Summery: A bizarre series of murders in Brazil leads the U.S. State Department to send the BPRD to investigate as an obligation under O.A.S. (Organization of American States). Bruttenholm gathers Angents Stegner and Archie along with new BPRD members Susan Xiang(a former FBI analyst) and Robert Amsel( an analyst from Princeton) and not only informs them of their latest mission but that they will be taking Hellboy along with them. Stegner objects, saying that Hellboy is too inexperienced for a dangerous mission but Archie thinks it's a great opportunity for Hellboy to grow and relishes the task of waking Hellboy up and telling him to suit up. But while Archie is sparring with Hellboy over what to wear, Amsel dashes away to make a secret and ominous phone call before they head out to Brazil. After landing they pass by an old,abandoned Portuguese prison that was supposedly the object of God's own divine wrath, and possibly the source of their attacks but when pressed for more information their host would only steer the discussion to how tired they must be after their trip leaving the team to believe that it must truly be bad if she would not speak about the terrors in the dark.
Review: This issue is pure setup, but unlike a lot of expository issues there isn't a single scene that feels drawn out or unnecessary. Mignola and Arcudi put all the players in the field and give readers enough description of all the parties for readers to go on with out going into overkill mode, providing us with just enough to allow us to form our own connections and theories about what is about to unfold. And there's a lot to theorize about, who was Amsel talking to? What did he mean, "I've got him!" Is the castle really supernatural, or is this going to turn out to be a scooby do situation?
It's all very tantalizing, which is fun but the big pull is simply seeing Hellboy interact with a team again which is something that perhaps those following along with the order of my reviews won't fully grasp, but is an element that I've been missing since Hellboy left the BPRD after the Conqueror Worm back in 2001. I've loved the long, strange, solo trip he's taken since then but I miss having a group of people for him to bounce off of personality wise and getting that here is like a trip home again.
Grade: A |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2015 23:07:13 GMT -5
I need to pick up that series. I just read the first 2 Hellboy volumes this week (See dof Destruction & Wake the Devil, and I loved Hellboy even more than I remembered from the stuf fI sampled a while back. Filling in the holes in my Mignolaverse books has moved way up the priority list for 2016 goals  -M |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 6, 2015 10:03:00 GMT -5
I need to pick up that series. I just read the first 2 Hellboy volumes this week (See dof Destruction & Wake the Devil, and I loved Hellboy even more than I remembered from the stuf fI sampled a while back. Filling in the holes in my Mignolaverse books has moved way up the priority list for 2016 goals -M The Hellboy and the BPRD series is fantastic, it has all the energy of the early stories that originally made me fall in love with the character along with the more mature character work that Mignola has developed over the years so it's the best of both worlds. |
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Post by Arthur Gordon Scratch on Dec 6, 2015 12:26:41 GMT -5
Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 was IMHO the first slightly disappointing series in the Mignolaverse in a long time. It felt quite close to the very first hellboy mini series from way back : great eye-candy but very cliché plot. It was a fun read, don't get me wrong, but the general plotting in the BPRD main series has been extraordinary for a long time, maybe the best ever long running plot in an american comic book. The art was really good and well-suited, but that really was the main attraction to this series.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 6, 2015 17:55:31 GMT -5
Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 was IMHO the first slightly disappointing series in the Mignolaverse in a long time. It felt quite close to the very first hellboy mini series from way back : great eye-candy but very cliché plot. It was a fun read, don't get me wrong, but the general plotting in the BPRD main series has been extraordinary for a long time, maybe the best ever long running plot in an american comic book. The art was really good and well-suited, but that really was the main attraction to this series. It was a bit more simplistic plot wise than the plots running congruently BPRD at the time, feeling as I said like it could almost be a scooby doo like fake out, but the formula of, "something weird shows up...and then Hellboy punches it" will never get old for me. It's just good old fashioned fun, and although Hellboy has advanced beyond that I'll never begrudge Mignola for wanting to go back and do weird and whacky stories like he used to. That said, though not in this issue, we do get a good amount of development in Hellboy which is the main draw in these "early" appearances. We already know the character he becomes, as the stories with him as an adult were published first, but showcasing the journey to that adulthood is fun. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 10, 2015 22:09:11 GMT -5
Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland #2
Dark Horse, 2014
Written by Kim Newman andMaura McHugh
Art by Tyler Crook
Colored by Dave Stewart
Summery: Recovering from the previous night's attack Sir Edward Grey decides that in order to get to the bottom of the mystery he needs to tour the factory himself. Once there he meets Edmund Poole, Horace Poole's surviving son, and is given the grand tour during which he makes contact with Diggory Finn, who over sees the factory. Noticing that Finn's writing matches that on his secret note he secretly corners him and is told to meet at 6 on the lesser bridge.
Elsewhere we see the constable and a hooded figure called the Mere meeting with the eels who attacked Grey. The Mere chastises the eels for striking too soon and too publicly, but they say they are tired of waiting and don't believe the Mere represents the best interests of Unland any longer and move to attack. However, with a few quick words of an incantation from the Mere tiny worms sprout from the mud and consume the eels right down to the bone before they can attack. Meanwhile at the bridge Diggory begins to tell Grey that there is something wrong with the filtration of the elixir that is letting something into it, but before he can say more he too is devoured by worms leaving Grey with more questions than he had before.
Review: The dry wit of Edward Grey is presented beautifully here, especially in the scene where he was questioned about who attacked him by the constable, "Ruffians...Probably foreign" summed up his contempt for the constable's earlier 'theories" in a way that gave me an ear to ear smile which is rare in a comic. From there we once again get more set up, meeting Poole's son and his mysterious looking wife and then the antagonist behind the murder; the Mere. But although it is largely expository, like the first issue was, the pacing is much faster here giving it the feeling of a thriller just ready to explode. I think that's what makes this comic so fun, in the first series we got a traditional horror story, in the second we got a western and in this third chapter we get a thriller and yet they all feel natural.
Grade: B+ |
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