B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Devil's Engine

[thwhtGuardian]

You know, I thought Ratsputin might have been too obvious a choice to be true but after reading issue two I'm not that certain.

[Middenway]

You know, I thought Ratsputin might have been too obvious a choice to be true but after reading issue two I'm not that certain.

I still hope it's not him, but it could be.

Interesting that Zinco has been following the affairs of the Bureau since the outbreak of the plague of frog monsters in 2004. All that Zinco stuff is such a tease. And I figure issue 3 is going to end with a big Zinco moment to tease Return of the Master. I'm not really expecting any answers this miniseries... well, aside from finding out why Abe had to get shot. I've been waiting for some hint about this for so long.

[thwhtGuardian]

I still hope it's not him, but it could be.

Interesting that Zinco has been following the affairs of the Bureau since the outbreak of the plague of frog monsters in 2004. All that Zinco stuff is such a tease. And I figure issue 3 is going to end with a big Zinco moment to tease Return of the Master. I'm not really expecting any answers this miniseries... well, aside from finding out why Abe had to get shot. I've been waiting for some hint about this for so long.

The zinco parts are the best bits so far, the main story kind of fizzles with me. I liked the reveal of those hammer head monsters, and the conversation they started to have together in the box car at the end but nearly everything else felt kind of blah to me. I feel like some of this story is going to be important latter on but for now its something of a mixed bag.

I'm thinking that perhaps they're trying to raise Ratsputin, the device on his hand looked just like the one he wore way back in seed of destruction, but I think what they'll actually bring back from the other side might be something completely different.

[Thomas Uk]

Weird how Leopold seemed genuinely scared when he said 'will there be punishments?!' what does zinco have on them to make them grovel like that, wonder if its anything to do with their apparent resurection? Who on earth could be the extra help Zinco might have to bring in???

Cool issue. Biggest reveal: bat head monsters will go to any lengths to get frozen chickens, including murdering lorry drivers. The horrible monsters!

[Middenway]

Tyler Crook drawing the last page of issue #2...

[UnravThreads]

Tyler Crook drawing the last page of issue #2...

That's the same video that Dark Horse uploaded about a month ago, and I swear it'd been shown before that but I can't find any evidence for it.

[Middenway]

They showed the pencils video before, but not the inks.

[Storey74]

I agree that the Zinco portions are the most intriguing... I too find both Fenix and Devon a bit annoying as characters, but I have a feeling that there will be a "payoff" for them as the MIGNOLAVERSE doesn't seem to have many loose ends.

I like the reference to Herman Von Klempt by Leopold, "Once I saw him fish a head out of the jungles of South America--." I love that kind of stuff!

[edhopper]

The frankenstein figure at Zinco looks like Roger.

[Kelly Tindall]

This mini is kind of a big nothing so far. We don't know how the Rasputin Nazi dudes are back from the dead (and, frankly, I didn't miss them). We don't know what they're trying to do (why create life so that it may lead them? Why not just, you know, lead?). The bat monsters are terrifying (and extremely well-drawn) and the cliffhanger is intense but nothing really happened in the issue. Devon and Fenix went away, and came back again in a big rush.

Between this, the non-starting Pickens County Horror and the frustrating Transformation of J.H. O'Donnell one-shot I'm really thinking about waiting for the trade on BPRD. This was unthinkable to me a year ago, but here I am.

[Storey74]

We don't know what they're trying to do (why create life so that it may lead them? Why not just, you know, lead?).

I think, and I am probably wrong, that the body would be a host for demon of somesort. Whoever is then in control of the new artificial Right Hand of Doom would be able to bring about Ragnarok. It might take more than a mere mortal to control the Hand...

Middenway... Kees... please set me straight if i am off track! ;)

[Middenway]

Middenway... Kees... please set me straight if i am off track! ;)

Why are you asking me? I have no idea at all!

[Storey74]

Why are you asking me? I have no idea at all!

Ha ha... you two seem to have the best grasp on this stuff. I haven't read some of the tpb's in so long I get a little confused sometimes. I thought I would leave to to the experts!

[Kees_L]

This mini is kind of a big nothing so far. We don't know how the Rasputin Nazi dudes are back from the dead (and, frankly, I didn't miss them). We don't know what they're trying to do (why create life so that it may lead them? Why not just, you know, lead?). The bat monsters are terrifying (and extremely well-drawn) and the cliffhanger is intense but nothing really happened in the issue. Devon and Fenix went away, and came back again in a big rush.

Between this, the non-starting Pickens County Horror and the frustrating Transformation of J.H. O'Donnell one-shot I'm really thinking about waiting for the trade on BPRD. This was unthinkable to me a year ago, but here I am.

I think, and I am probably wrong, that the body would be a host for demon of somesort. Whoever is then in control of the new artificial Right Hand of Doom would be able to bring about Ragnarok. It might take more than a mere mortal to control the Hand...

Middenway... Kees... please set me straight if i am off track! ;)

Why are you asking me? I have no idea at all!

Ha ha... you two seem to have the best grasp on this stuff. I haven't read some of the tpb's in so long I get a little confused sometimes. I thought I would leave to to the experts!

Heh, well, since you're asking for it, I can provide you with my take on things, if you want, although I'm sorry to say I haven't yet been able to aqcuire any of these stories in their entirity, due to a big computer crash at my LCS combined with not having enough time on my hands.

@ Kelly Tindall: maybe those nazis need leadership, even with the key to world domination at their fingertips, because they'd be nazis: stuck-in-their-ways, bigoted-into-full-incompetence, militarized into blank-brained total incapacitatedness?
Like how demons would be needing some human to be whispering truely evil thoughts into their ears, because demons would just be taking evil for granted?

Plus I'd be unclear as to what you'd be suggesting on the general narrative: are you saying they'd have lost their touch? Or that these stories would have to just be less thought out stuff for some reason?
I don't see what would be gained from any such. More rather I'm thinking that "side"-stories such as these may be for conveying or pointing towards the depth of the Hellboy universe as a whole. Big ongoing stories may not have enough room for such. The nazi story may on its own be pointing back at the fact how Hellboy would have been summoned in the first place, for a reason. Even with Hellboy himself not coming into it personally, or either Rasputin, if he'd be to remain dead this time?

@ Storey74 or everyone:
I think much of the strength and uniqueness of all the Hellboy narrative is that it's foremostly all created by one single mind, like Tolkien or Star Wars would more or less be, but another unique thing for the Hellboy narrative would be that the story or any characters amid it sort of are telling it themselves.
Resulting in that each or any individual takes or perspectives on things could be at play. Or how only parts of stories or mysteries would get revealed, so there'd still be much left to be wondering about, just like in real life. Like how anyone could be right or either wrong on a number of things, even demons or heroes or evil leaders or any such - the story would be taking its own course in spite of anything, like in spite of knowledge or power or even destiny. Because only endings, only true resolvement, would be deciding things ultimately.
And the kicker to such would naturally be, that resolvement only comes after the end, but on the other hand that - as such - wonderment would be better than any knowing in itself, even for stories?

So Storey74, it might be your take on things would be having a point to it, although it would seem likely that the story (this one or either the next) might come to be telling it best?

[meorsomeone]

Could the master be Hitler himself?

I'm liking what's going on right now but I am really missing Liz and Abe. I hope they'll be in the next series.

I have this strange theory that it may be Gustav Strobl, who you may remember from Memnan Saa's fireplace.