BPRD Hardcover

[Kees_L]

Slightly sideways for a moment, writing this post got me thinking about what Scott Allie had previously said about how the latest B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth stories would be collected...... Perhaps the shorter side-stories like The Pickens County Horror won't be collected immediately. Pickens after all is picking up on the vampire plotline, and I'm pretty sure it's not going to end there, so perhaps at some point in the near future further B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth vampire stories will be collected together with it. Considering that Jason Latour is sticking around (according to a recent Hellmail), he may even be doing the next part of the ongoing vampire story. And I know after Exorcism Cameron Stewart has suggested he may do another story with Ashley Strode, so there may be an entire trade full of stories with her.

Just a theory though. I've got nothing whatsoever to back this up.

I'd say to me your theory sounds pretty plausible there.
To me it seems the trades are developed as acting to be presenting the main narratives (to either Hellboy, or the BPRD, or be it the Lobster or Abe, Witchfinder, 19somethings or any of it) into sort of accessible or overseeable chunks, fitting together - more or less - where sometimes uncollected remainders fit into trades upon reaching such a point (like the frogs-thing with Trimpe both as Severin on it) - eventhough that story as a whole took years before it reached completion.
As if a trade can also be to bring about extra logics and sense to how stuff could get read.
Because for Hellboy both as the BPRD - or any of it - it might be very much a purposeful thing that THERE WOULDN'T BE BUT ONE READING ORDER NEEDED. As if it would be better - or good at least - that stuff could get read for itself, because perspectives or new takes on things might offer themselves up as how they might. On anyone's own good time. Any such wouldn't have to be bad, but all good more rather.
I believe mr. Mike has said himself a number of times how he himself would feel to be seeing new perspectives on certain stuffs - eventhough he would have thought it all up, to a very large extent at least.

Anyway, I'm guessing that the making of stuff into trades would be done so that it would be purposeful, without seeming conflictive or weird too much. And like Middenway says, with a little waiting here and there, with some puzzling and some thought, Dark Horse is capable of such. But then, that's what they do: presenting books or sequential installments to them, in a captivating fashion.
And also comics seem to dictate themselves into containing never too much all at once.
So logically stuff remains untold, leads getting left into needing tyings up, so naturally the titles would expand or take turns with needing all the room. Which only adds to the idea that for comics it will be cool to NOT be telling things too linearly or straightforward-like all the time.
Like maybe hinting at certain BPRD stuff in Witchfinder, or expanding on something Hellboyish in a BPRD title, because stories or realities or wonderments don't necessarily act only according to typical "superhero continuity". As adding any inventiveness or creativity to such would be good more rather than bad - or at least it would be allowed.
I'd think Hellboy etc. for being creator-owned - for being what it is - supercedes mere traditional comic book continuity: it is innovating it. By being nòt just a row of numbered similarly-seeming books.

(A diversity or variety which will have to be allowed in comics, because comics never amount to being just similarly seeming books. Spider-Man comes in any size and shape, not in any way bearing much sequentiality but strictly. As neither does Batman. Or any other comic book title.
Comics are ruled by variety. Since comics amount to being but one giant messy fiesta of hardcovers into floppies into prestige format glow in the dark out of the box A5 to A4 to A3 and back again, in 4 / 8 / 256 or 1244526.8 colored black and white bookies, ever shifting. One ongoing variety of strict diversity galore.
Comics or either well vacuumed carpets MUST be the obsessive or OCD-ist's nightmare... Which must be why the gods invented them, together with stamp-collecting and dustbins in the first place: so people might learn to be finding their own way or take on things. "Wanna be neat? Just try it buster, I dare ya...")

[UnravThreads]

Before you get too excited, that was a "he may" not a "he will".

I know, but I doubt he'd say that if Mignola et al hadn't agreed to the possibility.

[Middenway]

The cover of volume 4:

[PreacherCain]

The cover of volume 4:

Lovely cover!

I look forward to hearing what they have planned once the Plague of Frogs omnibi are complete. Presumably a bit of a break. There are surely enough 'loose' stories out there to compile into a bridge edition before Hell on Earth!?

[weeks]

is there a release date for volume 4 to look forward to?

[Middenway]

November 7th.

I look forward to hearing what they have planned once the Plague of Frogs omnibi are complete. Presumably a bit of a break. There are surely enough 'loose' stories out there to compile into a bridge edition before Hell on Earth!?

My guess is after 1948 has been out in trade paperback format for a while there will be an omnibus collecting 1946, 1947 and 1948. I hope so.

[UnravThreads]

Bear in mind that the November date might only relate to comic stores (this happens with a few publishers/series), as it might not be released from stores like Amazon, the Book Depository et al. until early December.

[UnravThreads]

Okay, I'm gonna drag the How-Long-Has-Kate-Been-In-The-B.P.R.D. Discussion back up, 'cos I have the answer.

Joined B.P.R.D. as an independent consultant in '83,
Met Hellboy in '84,
Started to interview him for her books in '85,
Agreed to Hellboy's proposal of fieldwork in a part-time position in '94,
Joined full-time in '98,
Promoted to assistant director of field ops in '99,
Became director of field ops after Manning's promotion in '02,
Replaced by Daimio as director of field ops when the frogs broke out; became special liaison to enhanced talent task force in '04

The Plague stuff largely is set in 2005, so by then she'd been with the B.P.R.D. in some capacity for 22 years, as a full-time member for 7. For the 11 years before full-time, she was a consultant within the B.P.R.D. but as a sort of side-project to her teaching position.

Hellboy Companion to the rescue, eh?

Also, bring on PoF 4. NOW.

[Kees_L]

Okay, I'm gonna drag the How-Long-Has-Kate-Been-In-The-B.P.R.D. Discussion back up, 'cos I have the answer.

Like you say yourself, the Hellboy Companion as well as the narrative of the books themselves offer the answers, both as a lot of questions to ask.

You were given multi-interpretable answers or other than singular responses the first time, for good reason.

Why not let other readers be to find stuff out for themselves? Or would that be too much to ask?

Discussion or geeking out over stuff will be fine, but listing how everything should be panning out necessarily and to every detail would not be. Narrative means to get interpreted, not getting pinned down and dissected through and through, I'd say. Read the Companion introduction if you don't get what I'd be meaning here.

[UnravThreads]

Beeeeeecause a lot of that doesn't come out clearly through the comics, if at all, and it's an interesting aside? It's written as fact in the Companion, which suggests there's no room for interpretation on it whatsoever.

[Kees_L]

Beeeeeecause a lot of that doesn't come out clearly through the comics, if at all, and it's an interesting aside? It's written as fact in the Companion, which suggests there's no room for interpretation on it whatsoever.

It's an interesting aside for readers to be finding out FOR THEMSELVES. It's for getting interpreted by anyone on their own.
It's terrific you found an answer to your question but just don't list it. Don't create a f###ing Wiki about it.

Stuff isn't all meant to "come out clearly through the comics" - for a reason: because it is narrative, for readers to find out for themselves. And if people can't wait then they can go read the Companion. For themselves.
It's all put in the books, painstakingly, so best leave it there, how you found it.

Just because people become to be comic fans doesn't mean they have to become daft and insensitive to how there still might come to be other readers besides them?

The Companion has an introduction on itself written by Scott Allie. Read it. Read why he was very against it.

[Middenway]

It's an interesting aside for readers to be finding out FOR THEMSELVES. It's for getting interpreted by anyone on their own.
It's terrific you found an answer to your question but just don't list it. Don't create a f###ing Wiki about it.

Stuff isn't all meant to "come out clearly through the comics" - for a reason: because it is narrative, for readers to find out for themselves. And if people can't wait then they can go read the Companion. For themselves.
It's all put in the books, painstakingly, so best leave it there, how you found it.

Just because people become to be comic fans doesn't mean they have to become daft and insensitive to how there still might come to be other readers besides them?

The Companion has an introduction on itself written by Scott Allie. Read it. Read why he was very against it.

Kees, you're over the line. Aggressive language is not acceptable on this board, even in its censored state. If you disagree with someone, disagree in a civil manner. I don't want to hear excuses or explanations for your outburst, just make sure you don't do it again. Its not cool.

[Kees_L]

Kees, you're over the line. Aggressive language is not acceptable on this board, even in its censored state. If you disagree with someone, disagree in a civil manner. I don't want to hear excuses or explanations for your outburst, just make sure you don't do it again. Its not cool.

You are declaring or deciding I am being uncivil to either you or the person I was responding to, because of me using a censored adjective relating not to any person but to the notion of "Wiki's"?

Under the brackets the word I was using would be *f-i-b-b-i-n-g* (or was it forking? Fussing? Fonding?) and using such as relating to the notion of Wiki's can hardly be pointed out as attacking or disrespectful to any person.

You don't want explanations. But there they are anyway, because explaining oneself may be considered civil.

If you experience any unhappiness or dissatisfaction take it up with someone who would be a moderator here, would be my advice.

[Middenway]

You are declaring or deciding I am being uncivil to either you or the person I was responding to, because of me using a censored adjective relating not to any person but to the notion of "Wiki's"?

Under the brackets the word I was using would be *f-i-b-b-i-n-g* (or was it forking? Fussing? Fonding?) and using such as relating to the notion of Wiki's can hardly be pointed out as attacking or disrespectful to any person.

No, you didn't insult UnravThreads directly, but you used aggressive language to insult her point of view. And that's disrespectful. You don't have to agree with her, but when you disagree, it must be in a civil manner. And don't pretend that "f###ing" isn't as bad as writing the word outright. Everyone knows what word you are using. Don't be coy about it. Don't joke about the word being "fibbing, forking, fussing or fonding". This ISN'T funny.

Do you know what's insulting about swearing? Believe it or not, it's not writing the word. That combination of letters is actually quite innocuous. It's the intent of the word. You may have censored the word, but your intent was obvious and vicious. You used aggressive language to silence someone on the board, to stop them from talking about something just because it isn't something you're interested in. You don't get to dictate what people get to talk about on the boards. There are people on this board that work hard on the Hellboy Wiki, people that would probably be very interested in what Unrav has to say. HorrorOfSorts and ThomasUK have both been doing exceptional work on the Hellboy Wiki and you've insulted their work because it's something you don't appreciate. I very much doubt they'd feel very welcome in this thread. You've effectively killed a topic of conversation because no one wants to have to deal with an enormous passive-aggressive post from you.

This forum should always endeavour to be welcoming.

You can't act like this. It alienates people and it means they avoid talking on the board just so they don't have to deal with one of your outbursts telling them how they should and shouldn't be a proper fan. If some people want to make wikis and lists and talk about backstory in the Hellboy Companion, so what? Let them! If you disagree, then post one post, a SINGLE post, politely and respectfully saying why don't agree then let it lie. Don't return to it. Don't keep restating your point over and over again, trying and convince people further, especially with enormous posts that add nothing new to the conversation. That sort of thing steamrolls the conversation on the board. You are always the first person to point out there are many kinds of readers. Well, there's many kinds of fans too, and collectively they like to talk about a much more diverse range of topics than your rigid mindset allows.

And just so you know...

You don't want explanations. But there they are anyway, because explaining oneself may be considered civil.

...making excuses for bad behaviour is neither civil nor polite. Politeness is about putting the needs of the others before yourself. Your statement was entirely self-serving. You didn't even attempt to apologise or to smooth over any hard feelings. Instead you hardened your stance, insisting you were in the right, as if anyone offended by your behaviour is the one acting aggressive. That's the way a petulant child acts, not a respectful adult.

I did not want to write this message, I really didn't. I'd rather have avoided this thread and let you talk to yourself until you burn out (because I assure you, UnravThreads has not been back to this thread since your last post. Good work scaring her off there). It really annoys me that I have to tell you this stuff. You are not a child. You should know better. I did not want to have lecture you on proper behaviour, but you really have to pull your head in. Suck it up, be a better person, and learn to bite your tongue every now and then for the benefit of the others around you.

I don't want to post about this again. That I had to do it at all is extremely disappointing to me. But I could not sit by in silence while you intimidated another member of this board. I will not tolerate that sort of harassment.

[Skinkie]

Yeah, not to drag this out, but I"m totally with Middenway on this one, the tone in your post came across quite harsh, especially considering that I find UnravThreads interesting and worthy to the discussion.

Speaking of which, thanks for putting that info up here, when Kate shows up in Hellboy its implied that's she's been working with Hellboy for some time, though they don't really specify how long. I wonder if we will ever see any pf her earlier adventures at the BPRD. Although I guess she didn't reallly do any field work till the Wolves of St August case so it would just be research stuff. Probably not the important. But it would still be nice to see her in the background of an early Hellboy story or something.