Customer Reviews

B.P.R.D., Vol. 1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories (Hellboy)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Hellboy has left the BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) but that doesn't mean they are gone. Now the BPRD have their own stories. This volume collects Hollow Earth and several shorter adventures.

Hollow Earth - Abe Sapien travels to the Himalayas and below to find and rescue Liz. The journey takes them do a world of darkness that threatens the surface. I really enjoyed the Journey to the Center of the Earth ending. Also touching were there Hellboy flashbacks and how he endeared himself to various characters (I loved the lollipop).

Hollow Earth Teaser - A three-page teaser that sets up one of the new characters at the Bureau.

The Killer in my Skull - This story stars Lobster Johnson, a hero who uses the lobster claw of justice. In this story he is confronted with some locked-door murders that lead to an unexpected killer.

Abe Sapien vs. Science - Having been the subject of scientific investigation in the past, Abe Sapien is against the use of "scalpels and microscopes" for advancing knowledge of living things. This time the subject is Roger.

Drums of the Dead - Another Abe Sapien adventure as shipping routes are being terrorized by sharks and drums.

Summary:

This is the fist collection of stories about the adventures of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) without Hellboy, who obviously dominated previous comics. BPRD is the government agency that adopted Hellboy and used him as an agent, and three of the main characters of Hollow Earth (Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Roger the Golem) had their first appearances in previous stories (Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil). The fourth, Johann Kraus, is introduced in a three page advertisement for "Hollow Earth," one of four stories reprinted here. All four stories deal with something resembling the supernatural: subterranean races, telekinesis, and primitive gods drive this anthology. The creator of Hellboy wrote two of these stories and helped plot "Hollow Earth." Three of the four stories look almost too much like Mignola's artwork, even though his artistic contribution includes only character sketches and inking one of the shorter comics. Beyond the four full stories and the advertisement, some nice sketches by Mike Mignola and "Hollow Earth" artist Ryan Sook.

"Hollow Earth"

The centerpiece of this collection is the sixty-six page title story written by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, and Tom Sniegoski and drawn by Ryan Sook and Curtis Arnold, both in mysterious combinations. "Hollow Earth" depicts an adventure story, the trek of three BPRD members, Abe, Roger, and Johann, to find the fourth, who, while meditating at a temple, is kidnapped by a race of subterranean engineers. Liz, who has some elemental connection with fire, has her soul stolen and used to power Giant War Robots, and the others must restore her essence to her before she dies. The plot is similar to a Hellboy story with slower pacing, but the story has two ulterior purposes: the first is to introduce the team and the second is to give brief origin stories for the members of BPRD. Abe and Liz each have a flashback sequence that shows why Hellboy was such an important part of their lives, and Johann has a normal origin story. This leads to some corny dialogue, "It sounds as if he was a good friend as well as a good leader." Roger's origin is only alluded to but can be found in "Almost Colossus" in The Chained Coffin and Others and "Abe Sapien versus Science," below. Most of the dialogue is low on emotion, and BPRD certainly lacks a personality with the bravado of Hellboy or some other interesting characteristic, but the script fits the characters and doesn't embarrass itself. Ryan Snook's art looks a little bit took much like Mike Mignola's, especially in the blocky figures and big lips, but has the appropriate tone for the story. On its own, it's a good if uninspired story and would earn four stars.

"The Killer in My Skull"

This is a Lobster Johnson story written by Mike Mignola and drawn by Matt Smith and Ryan Sook. "The Killer in My Skull" is a supernatural detective story set in 1938 wherein scientists are being mysteriously and systematically murdered by someone who can leave a room locked from the inside. The story is adequate for its ten pages, but feels a little hurried: there isn't enough time to raise doubts about the identity of the killer and there isn't enough action in the closing sequence. The art, again, looks too much like Mike Mignola's and the script has a low point coinciding with the ending, "Be glad you're not me, because I've seen worse than this." The overall effect weak, and alone it's worth three stars.

"Abe Sapien versus Science"

"Abe Sapien versus Science" connects the origin stories of Abe Sapien and Roger the Golem by analogy through the callous actions of BPRD scientists, who don't seem to learn anything from experience. The story has no action and carries a disturbing, anti-science message. Written and Inked by Mike Mignola and drawn by Matt Smith, this eight page story is the low point of the anthology, but is still worth two stars.

"Drums of the Dead"

A twenty-two page story by Brian McDonald and Derek Thompson, "Drums of the Dead" is one of a handful of stories where Abe Sapien's powers are actually used and the only one I've read where they are required for the resolution of the plot. Abe and a telepathic colleague are sent to investigate mysterious possessions in shark-infested waters. The art is looser than in most of these stories, but it doesn't look like Mike Mignola's and it has a 70s horror story feel to it. There are several corny elements, including a century-and-a-half out of date moral, but the story and its pacing hold up well. Because it's a little preachy and the sharks all have Sand Tiger Teeth, even when they have the bodies of other species, this comic loses a star and is worth only four.

Conclusion:

As a whole, the two longer stories more than make up for the shorter comics, and this comic book is fun reading, so I give it four st

Is there something rending the fabric of time and space asunder above your newly furnished kitchen, or perhaps a society of bedeviled mermen taking residence in the lake outside your abode? Do you or someone you love find yourself bewitched by a troublesome necromancer seeking to call out the Seven-forms of Ogdru-Jahad? Well, if the shoe fits and you find yourself longing for the one tried-and-true method to cure that which ails you, perhaps you should enlist the aid of the B. P. R. D. The B. P. R. D. specializes in most forms of manifestation and malevolence, providing cure-alls that sometimes work in the most subtle of fashions and that sometimes provide the most groundbreaking of results, keeping Britain and much of the world free from the oppressive grasp of those who would seek to bind her.

Before I continue with explanations, the guides to our operations (comics) collected in this Trade Paperback include: "BPRD: Hollow Earth" from BPRD: Hollow Earth #1-#3, "BPRD"- the strip from Dark Horse Extra #42-#44, "Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead" from Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead, "Lobster Johnson: Killer Inside My Skull" from Hellboy: Box Full of Evil #1, "Abe Sapien vs. Science" from Hellboy: Box Full of Evil #2, and depictive illustrations in a Mike Mignola and Ryan Sook sketchbook.

So, you might be ask, what does B.P.R.D. stand for and who exactly are they? Well, the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is composed of many individuals from the lowest operatives to field agents and beyond that strive to keep the world safe from those unclassified menaces, great and small. Within those ranks we have many people with special talents, including the currently inactive Hellboy (see the end of Conqueror Worm for detail), Abe Sapien, Roger the Homunculus, "Liz" Sherman, and newer agents that sometimes find themselves only temporary additions to the roster because of, um, unforeseeable circumstances. In the installment that directly deals with this agency and all the mainstays involved ("BPRD: Hollow Earth" from BPRD: Hollow Earth #1-#3), Liz Sherman finds herself with a dilemma of the soul because of her pyrotechnic talent and her inability to always control it, and is seeking remedies that the B. P. R. D. cannot provide. So, following Hellboy's lead and walking away, she heads for the solace of the Ural Mountains and a place where "dreams dwell." While there, she finds the peace she has sought, but only for a time before something comes seeking her and the aid of the agency is needed.

To understand another agent and his respective incorperation/the talents he bring to the Bureau, there is also additionally provided documentation on that as well. One of the pivotal cornerstone we use, Abe Sapien (Homo Aquaticus), has led to many contributions within the organization and is one of the finest stars ever forged in the detective sky. He found out that the "Roger" wasn't simply a mass of discarded science after the incident with the "incident" with the giant ("Abe Sapien vs. Science" from Hellboy: Box Full of Evil #2 - occurring after Almost Colossus), for instance, and, in an incident where madness and the cries of something within the depths of the ocean almost claimed he and one of our telepaths, he managed to thwart what was amounting to be the doom of many a sailor ("Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead" from Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead).

Also, to help one conceive of the blights confronting our agency, we've added in information on one of the mysterious cases that the reputed Lobster Johnson worked on, proving that sometimes it really is mind over matter ("Lobster Johnson: Killer Inside My Skull" from Hellboy: Box Full of Evil #1). We feel that, by opening case files of someone considered a mythological hero and combining it with who our bureau is and what we do, we can better protect the world and thereby protect you, the newly inaugurated, protect themselves.

And now you know.

The other reviewers have done a pretty comprehensive job describing the stories in this trade paperback, but what really bugs me about it is that with the exception of ONE story that is INKED by Mignola, NONE OF THE ARTWORK IS BY MIGNOLA!!!

Some of the artwork is highly Mignola-esque, and some of the panel breakdowns are surely his. But when I buy a graphic novel that is listed under an artist's name, I want that artist's work. I get a kick out of Mignola's tongue-in-cheek take on the Cthulhu mythos, but what I'm really looking for is his terrific artwork!

This is the second time I've been burned buying a "Mignola" book (I'm likewise underwhelmed by C.Golden's Hellboy novelizations, with a handful of Mignola illos.) I'd REALLY like to see a better description in the Product Description. At this point, I don't feel I can buy "Mignola" books on-line!

This trade paperback collects Dark Horse and Mike Mignola's first experiments in expanding on the Hellboy universe with stories of the B.P.R.D. and its agents without using Hellboy as the main character. Certainly we (and the characters) miss Hellboy, but these stories provide a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the other fantastic characters in the Hellboy universe.

This volume includes four B.P.R.D. stories, as well as nine pages of concept sketches. Note that the cover is drawn by Mike Mignola, but Mike did not draw any of the stories in this collection. He did contribute writing for each of the stories, with the exception of "Drums of the Dead." Most of the artwork in this volume is done in the style of Mike Mignola, but is obviously not his work. I prefer Mike's art on anything Hellboy-related, however, I understand that he doesn't have time to draw everything. (How far along is cloning technology?)

The Highlights: "Hollow Earth" is a great story with lot of character development. It is notable for the first appearances of characters Johann Kraus and the King of Fear. This is the longest story in this volume, and my personal favorite. "The Killer In My Skull" is the first appearance of Lobster Johnson, and features an out of control brain! It's a little creepy, but a lot of fun! "Abe Sapien Versus Science" is a fantastic little story about Abe and Roger. Mike did the inks for this one and it shows! "Drums of the Dead" is the most unique in tone and art style of these stories. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the others. The art is well done (though personally I don't love the style). This story focuses on Abe (whom I do love, so maybe I'm extra picky). The sketchbook at the end of this volume is spectacular. It contains some great sketches by Mike Mignola and Ryan Sook.

Things to consider: This may not be the ideal place to start if you want to get into Hellboy, but if you've read a few Hellboy comics and like the characters, then this is a great book for enjoying them more! There are also a few images of naked backsides. I did not find them offensive or gratuitous, but if you are extra-sensitive to that sort of thing, beware. There is a little bit of blood and gore (mostly in "Drums of the Dead"), but it is pretty tame as far as graphic novels go. FYI this book wasn't written for young children.

All-in-all a great collection if you are interested in expanding your Hellboy knowledge! The only reason I give it four stars is that there are even better Hellboy-related TPBs out there!

The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, or B. P. R. D., are the organisation Hellboy and co. work for and here, minus Hellboy, it's given it's own series. The focus is on the other members of the Hellboy world: Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, and two new characters, Roger the golem, and Johann Kraus, a disembodied medium.

The first volume introduces each character giving them their origin stories. We find out how Abe's first days at the Bureau were like, Roger's reanimation came about, and Liz's first meeting with Hellboy. Johann Kraus' backstory is included here too along with a funny Lobster Johnson short story about a killer brain.

The best story here is "Hollow Earth" following Liz, Abe, Roger, and Johann as they descend to the centre of the Earth to battle Morlock-type creatures from activating millenia old machines that could take over the world. The other stories here are excellent too with Abe battling ancient slave monsters in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

If you're a Hellboy fan and wondering if BPRD is a series that can match the quality of Hellboy's, have no fear, this is an excellent series and "Hollow Earth" is a great introduction to it.

I am happy to read Mignola BPRD type tales whenever he comes up with them, or the cows come home, whichever comes last. These are Hellboyless, but have some other characters. A homunculus, and a ghost man who wears a suit so that he can interact with the physical environment, and a new field leader hard bitten, deformed military man type.

Some of this is to show the relationships between the characters, and how the BPRD humans are increasingly alienating them. It shows how Hellboy rescues Abe from test after test after test, and then Abe does the same thing for Roger the Homunculus, from the very same scientists, a couple of decades later.

They also have to rescue Liz, who appears in a sending, after being gone yet again, for a couple of years.

Just the tip of the iceburg! Great start to a promising series. If you like Hellboy, you will enjoy this.

I have been a loyal reader of HELLBOY from the very beginning. However, once the HELLBOY universe branched out into a companion BPRD series I made a conscious decision to ignore them. One Hellboy comic a month (or so) was good enough for me. Now, nearly a decade late, I picked up the first BPRD volume and I love it! I will be buying and reading all of them that I missed. "The Hollow Earth" is the main story collected here along with some back ups originally run in the HELLBOY series. "The Hollow Earth" introduces Johann Krauss to the Hellboy Universe and is a page-turning read! Highly recommended! Don't miss out like I did!

Hollow Earth

The first B.P.R.D. mini-series was written by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski with art by Ryan Sook and Curtis Arnold and was published from January to June 2002.

Hellboy novelist Golden and his long-time writing partner Sniegoski wrote the story with regular input from Mignola. Sook was chose to draw the book following a meeting with Mignola at a convention in Oakland, CA in 1995 and saw it as a chance to have a book all to himself although Arnold joined as inker when schedules started running tight halfway through production.

A three-page newspaper-format teaser for the series called B.P.R.D. was published in Dark Horse Extra from December 2001 to February 2002 and is also included in this collection.

The story features Dr. Kate Corrigan, Abe Sapien and Roger the Homunculus on a mission to rescue Liz Sherman and features the first appearance of Johann Kraus and flashbacks of Hellboy.


The Killer in My Skull

Lobster Johnson made his first appearance in this story by Mike Mignola, Matthew Dow Smith and Ryan Sook (in his first contribution to the series) which was originally published as a back-up feature in Hellboy: Box Full of Evil #1 (September 1999).[5]

In the story Johnson and his sidekick investigate a series of bizarre deaths which appear to have been committed using telekinesis.[1]


Abe Sapien versus Science

Abe Sapien made a solo appearance in this story by Mike Mignola and Matthew Dow Smith originally published in 1999 as a back-up feature in Hellboy: Box Full of Evil #2 (September 1999).[6]

In the story Sapien rescues and reanimates Roger the homunculus when B.P.R.D. scientist Dr. Roddel threatens to dissect him just as Abe recalls he threatened to do with him when he was first discovered.

Drums of the Dead

Abe Sapien made his first solo appearance in this story by Brian McDonald and Derek Thompson originally published as the main feature in the one-shot Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead (March 4, 1998) with new Hellboy short story Heads by Mike Mignola as the back up feature.

Series editor Scott Allie had been in discussions with Brian McDonald about his next project after the success of Harry the Cop and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola had been considering using Derek Thompson on a Hellboy and so it naturally evolved that the two friends should end up working together on this project.[1]

In the story weird deaths in the South Seas expose an ancient tragedy linked to the trans-Atlantic slave trade.