B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: Russia

[thwhtGuardian]

Glad someone else is getting as much of a kick out it as I am. I think I need to re-read it already...

I actually did just that, I went back as far as BPRD 1946 though to get the whole Russian feel. I don't think I gained any further insight from anything but Abyssal Plain but I hadn't reread the 1940's stories in a while so it was still worth it.

Though, with the Russian connection, I do wonder if this arc will play further into the Vampire plot from the 40's somehow.

I have to believe Varvara is still alive in present day, her story about the demon summoned by Tsar Peter who stayed on Earth in a mortal guise would seem to imply she was that demon and in turn that would match up with the Russian scientist's remark about the Tsar right before he finished. Or maybe I'm stretching.

[Middenway]

I actually did just that, I went back as far as BPRD 1946 though to get the whole Russian feel. I don't think I gained any further insight from anything but Abyssal Plain but I hadn't reread the 1940's stories in a while so it was still worth it.

Though, with the Russian connection, I do wonder if this arc will play further into the Vampire plot from the 40's somehow.

Ah, I'd re-read the 1940s series quite recently, so I only went back to the Abyssal Plain. Probably a good idea too since there's a new Abe story comes out next week.

I wonder if we'll start seeing the SSS merge with the BPRD in the future? That'd be pretty cool. I could certainly stand to see more of Iosif. His introduction in the Abyssal Plain was so intimate, he's immediately interesting. I could see him becoming a main character even.

BTW, I love that line, "See? Don't to worry." Perfect way to end such an extreme moment.

As for the vampire plot, I'm not so sure about it coming into play in the modern stories any time soon. I feel there's a lot more in the BPRD's past to tell first. While there aren't many stories where Hellboy encounters vampires, there are a few in which he mentions encounters with vampires (such as in Almost Colossus). So I feel like there's a step in that plotline's development that hasn't been revealed yet.

[brentmcd]

I have to believe Varvara is still alive in present day, her story about the demon summoned by Tsar Peter who stayed on Earth in a mortal guise would seem to imply she was that demon and in turn that would match up with the Russian scientist's remark about the Tsar right before he finished. Or maybe I'm stretching.

Just had a thought -- maybe Varvara is the Russian scientist. There's no reason why a demon couldn't take the guise of a female child and then later decide to take on the form of an older male (maybe to fit in better). Would make sense with some of the things said. Need to go back and do some re-reading...!

[thwhtGuardian]

Just had a thought -- maybe Varvara is the Russian scientist. There's no reason why a demon couldn't take the guise of a female child and then later decide to take on the form of an older male (maybe to fit in better). Would make sense with some of the things said. Need to go back and do some re-reading...!

I was just coming to post that, I didn't think of it last night but while I was rereading it this morning it hit me.

[Middenway]

Russia #1 got a write-up on Things I Like. This issue is getting very strong reviews all round. The wait for the next issue is going to seem very long indeed.

[Kees_L]

I'ma gettin' pretty psyched for Russia, the old Mother.

In a Billibin, Nabokov, Dostojevski kinda way. Or good songs like this one (Alfred Schnittke - Choir Concerto, movement 1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zstgJ...eature=related

Enjoy .

[Middenway]

The making of the cover for Russia #1

[Jackson Brody]

Iosif was a great touch. Hopefully his wife as a ghost is around somewhere.

I got a bit of an Eric Powell vibe from some of the art, primarily the guy who attacks the car. Great stuff, Mr. Crook.

[cantide]

Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention it! The art was great in this issue. I loved it. Felt just right, really.

Looking forward to many, many more pages from this fine gentleman!

[Middenway]

Looking forward to many, many more pages from this fine gentleman!

Agreed. I'd love for Tyler's run on BPRD to be a very long one.

[Jason Abbadon]

Artwise, this was indeed a nice suprise- an improvment over Monsters to say the least, so maybe Tyler's getting his legs on this and going to really take off.
Still getting an odd "Tin Tin in The Dunwitch Horror" vibe, but I think it's intentional.
I think if anything, I'm suffering from a real ink withdrawl- Guy had a lot of lush black on his pages and Tyler's art is more line, with the colorist filling background tones and such, instead of heavy shadows.
Maybe we'll see darker art as time goes by- as the BPRD world slowly posion...er..."influences" his soul.

This was my exact reaction! I'm glad I wasn't alone in being excited to see that Abyssal Plain was not forgotten.

I'm excited to see how his return to Russia was, I hope we get to see his reunion with his wife, though I doubt it went as he had hoped.

I think my biggest hope is to see Varvara again.

Oh, Hell yeah!
Varvara is what got me psyched up for this...and I was hoping for the longest time that we'd get a flashback HB story (maybe 1948?) involving her.
We know HB traveled a lot, so Russia is not out of the question (though a story with him in the USSR would take a miniseries to pull off, I'd think!).

The Russians had a ton of occult goodies they nabbed from the Nazis...I wonder if the cause of this current problem does not stem from the Russians messing with that old stuff?

[Middenway]

I suppose this mainly concerns Russia. Back at the Emerald City Comic-Con, John Arcudi did some video interviews, but I couldn't watch them because MTV locks out Australian viewers (pure evil right there). Anyway, I stumbled across them and I can view them now. No idea why. But anyway, one of these videos, the one dealing with the future of the BPRD, was particularly interesting. Here's the link, and here's the transcript:

A lot of the characters are changing in very real ways. I think fans are going to be either disappointed or shocked by some of the things that we do with some of the characters.

Some of the human characters are going to be taking on bigger roles because we're expanding the universe somewhat. We're not slighting anyone, we're not slighting Abe or Johann, but we're expanding the role of the other agents, the human agents, because the threat is bigger and we felt like if we expand the universe somewhat — which is why it will be easier for Guy to come back and do more stuff with us — if we expand the universe somewhat we can tell more stories about what's happening and how the world is falling apart.

In the next big series we're making really big changes with Johann. Really big. We're moving into another continent. I don't know if Mike has discussed this with you guys or not, but we're over to another continent where we see how this struggle has been affecting other parts of the world, not just what the BPRD is trying to do about, but what other agencies, in other countries, the way that they've been trying to handle it.

And we'll be reintroducing an old character that I'm pretty sure no one expects to see, and then it'll get really crazy. And then we're doing some really good stuff where we're introducing another character that no one expects to see, but both of these characters will show up in very different iterations for the way we saw them originally.

But it's getting bad. I mean, things are going bad really fast. We didn't want to do that originally, but Mike and I talked about it and we decided we have to really mess things up quickly.

You know there was a time not too long ago where I was a little worried about that, to be perfectly honest. Just in the past six months, the direction that we're taking it is so different, and some of the ideas that I've had and that Mike's had and that we've had together — because we talk a lot — it really feels fresh to me and Mike and therefore one hopes to the readers.

It's exciting. We do have an end in mind. I think that probably helps. If you're doing The Avengers month in month and you've got to maintain certain trademarks, I could see how that would be a grind. But this isn't going to go on forever. It's a big, big story and the decisions we make to get us there, they have to always be surprising. So it changes a little bit. Like, you know, it always a little bit to the left or right of the big ending we have planned, but we still know where we're going. And I think that helps.

[Jr. Wormwood]

Oh, wow, that is really exciting to read, Middenway. Thanks for sharing!

[Donald]

Devon is a top agent? Kate needs to read more reports or Arcudi has forgotten everything he's written about Devon.

I think if anything, I'm suffering from a real ink withdrawl- Guy had a lot of lush black on his pages...

No, he didn't.

[Kees_L]

Artwise, this was indeed a nice suprise- an improvment over Monsters to say the least, so maybe Tyler's getting his legs on this and going to really take off.
Still getting an odd "Tin Tin in The Dunwitch Horror" vibe, but I think it's intentional.
I think if anything, I'm suffering from a real ink withdrawl- Guy had a lot of lush black on his pages and Tyler's art is more line, with the colorist filling background tones and such, instead of heavy shadows.
Maybe we'll see darker art as time goes by- as the BPRD world slowly posion...er..."influences" his soul.

No, he didn't.

Like Donald I must admit to hardly feel agreement, to how you seem to be describing either mr Guy's black bits, or describing what mr Tyler would seem to be displaying, Jason. Not that I'd feel offended or anything, but consider this:

I think that any BPRD pages have in common to be very well layered and intricate in displaying themselves, their imagery and buildups, their style or styles and their diverse moods.
I will agree that Guy Davis will have been very influential style-wise but mr Mike will have been also, as to be developing the BPRD title to be fitting diversity style-wise, as long as the imagery adds to or hinges on delivering very intricate storytelling.

I'd say it's logical when artists are as thoroughly dealing with storytelling and moodiness, with being typically as conscious and versatile regarding their stylisation as Guy Davis, or either Mike Mignola, Paul Azaceta, Jason Alexander, Gabriel Bà/Fabio Moon, or Tyler Crook (and that won't be all of them), that the title of the BPRD as a whole will be to stand for stylistic richesse and diversity.

I heard so many people say that because Mignola's art would be so distinctive that any other artist involved would surely be causing an unwanted and unmeritable stylistic breach as a rule.
If anything the comics did it would be proving any such to being nonsense.
People can dig Guy Davis and Duncan Fegredo and Richard Corben and John Severin with no sweat.
People can dig Azaceta or Alexander or Dave Johnson with no sweat.
Tyler Crook seems to pose no exception in this respect.

If in BPRD: Monsters - which I haven't read yet - things would seem different regarding Liz or whatever than that will be because things are different. Liz isn't her "normal up-to-date self" as being at the Bureau with her mind elsewhere - that's what would be up in the first place.

And the "dots-for-eyes" is not something uncommon for Guy Davis or Ba/Moon or either Mignola for that matter. Stylisation used optimally or either niftily isn't merely a "realism VS unrealism thing" or anything as narrow -
I'd think BPRD as a title will typically be to showcase such.

I'd say Guy Davis isn't necessarily about heavy blacks at all. He's about using stylisation optimally, for conveying what needs conveying - which typically wouldn't be "look how juicily *realistic* I can draw stuff".

None of the artists involved with either Hellboy or the BPRD seem to be about any such. Art or at least comic art isn't only about making stuff look overly juicy or *realistical*, like Alex Ross or Adam Hughes or Simone Bianchi or whatever. Not when it's primarily about story and enticement and stylisation in the first place.