What's next? Rampant speculation, that's what.

Hey guys

Since the terrible, awful, horrible news about the end of Hellboy in Hell, Hell on Earth and Abe Sapien, no news of what is to come, and Mike taking a year off, I've been in a bit of a funk.

To cheer myself up, I have been rampantly speculating to myself, and now I'm going to share that rampant speculation with you.

HELLBOY!

First up, and with no justification whatsoever, I'm speculating that the end of Hellboy in Hell does not mean the end of Hellboy. His time in hell is, much like in all great adventure stories, (probably, hopefully) a transient period. If Hellboy were to follow the Hero's Journey, Hellboy in Hell is the time at which Mr. Boy would reach apotheosis, achieve his "goal," and begin his journey home.

If any place is his home, it would be the B.P.R.D., right? Maybe he won't come leading the armies of hell, maybe he will, but either way, I think he's coming home. I hope.

But what is this goal? Hellboy is conspicuous by his lack of any real motivation. His conflict has mostly been against his own nature? Does he become what he was destined to become, or does he go home and stand by his friends as the world ends despite him.

HELLBOY AND THE BPRD

I feel like this is going to continue. We've got announcements as far as 1956 (thanks Middenway for pointing that out.) but what comes next. 1954 is interesting as it marks Hellboy's first run in with the Osiris club, and him "slaying" a dragon. Will they show up? What does the rest of 1954 hold?

BPRD 3RD CYCLE

I genuinely have no idea. I guess it depends heavily on what Arcudi does next, and how Hellboy in Hell and Abe Sapien wrap up. I'd like to see the gang all back together, just like in Liz's vision, but what does that mean? Might Mike be writing this himself after his year off? I'm sure art duties would be handed over if this was the case.

OTHER STUFF

I'm sure we are getting more LoJo and Witchfinder.

I'm hoping for a Gall Dennar ongoing.

Also, Ashley Strode gets an occasional miniseries.

I think there's a good chance we get that Gall Dennar series at some point. He seems to be getting a lot of love and it's a great idea. I'm hoping we get some more Sledgehammer and Ashley Strode. Super psyched that Witchfinder looks to have a lot in the pipeline as well.

[QUOTE=zerodemon;1703955]

BPRD 3RD CYCLE

I genuinely have no idea. I guess it depends heavily on what Arcudi does next, and how Hellboy in Hell and Abe Sapien wrap up. I'd like to see the gang all back together, just like in Liz's vision, but what does that mean? Might Mike be writing this himself after his year off? I'm sure art duties would be handed over if this was the case.
[/QUOTE]
I wonder if the third cycle of BPRD that has been mentioned in interviews is [I]Hellboy and the BPRD[/I]. The way things are going, it seems like the modern-day adventures of the BPRD are wrapping up, especially with the other two series ending at the same time. I might be wrong, though.
Interesting thread!

[QUOTE=LobsterJohnson;1704402]I wonder if the third cycle of BPRD that has been mentioned in interviews is [I]Hellboy and the BPRD[/I]. The way things are going, it seems like the modern-day adventures of the BPRD are wrapping up, especially with the other two series ending at the same time. I might be wrong, though.
Interesting thread![/QUOTE]
No, the third [I]B.P.R.D.[/I] cycle is definitely set in the modern era.
[QUOTE=jackstar;1703983]I think there's a good chance we get that Gall Dennar series at some point. He seems to be getting a lot of love and it's a great idea. I'm hoping we get some more Sledgehammer and Ashley Strode. Super psyched that Witchfinder looks to have a lot in the pipeline as well.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I'm ridiculously excited about [I]Witchfinder[/I]. There's very good stuff ahead...
[QUOTE=zerodemon;1703955]HELLBOY AND THE BPRD

I feel like this is going to continue. We've only got announcements as far as the first story in 1954 (roll on FCBD,) but what comes next. 1954 is interesting as it marks Hellboy's first run in with the Osiris club, and him "slaying" a dragon. Will they show up? What does the rest of 1954 hold? Will we get 1955 onwards? Until somebody says otherwise, Mike said the plan was to keep going. I think it will.[/QUOTE]
Actually, in my last interview, Mike confirmed up to [I]1956[/I].

Thank you for pointing that out Middenway! Exciting! I edited OP to reflect.

Well, with Hellboy and the BPRD confirmed to at least 1956... that's probably a three more years of comics, right? I'll start panicking as we approach that.

... then the inevitable [I]reboot[/I].

Kidding! I'm kidding!

The new version of Hellboy in the reboot is a svelte 120lbs, wears a leather jacket, paints his nails, smokes clove cigarettes and wears a sparkly silver glove which allows him to harness the power of love, which manifests as rainbows. He only shaves down one of his horns, has long hair that he sweeps over one eye, and he hates that nobody gets him.

He also has a dog called Helldog, and a sidekick called Hellgirl. They're both from the same planet as him; Planet Hellton.

What I heard is that after ending Abe Sapien and BPRD they taking half a year off.

[QUOTE=Alise;1704976]What I heard is that after ending Abe Sapien and BPRD they taking half a year off.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, [I]B.P.R.D.[/I] will be going on a break after [I]Hell on Earth[/I] and [I]Abe Sapien[/I] ends. I can't say more than that.

[QUOTE=middenway;1704443]No, the third [I]B.P.R.D.[/I] cycle is definitely set in the modern era.
[/QUOTE]

Oh. Well, that's certainly exciting!

[QUOTE=middenway;1705002]Yeah, [I]B.P.R.D.[/I] will be going on a break after [I]Hell on Earth[/I] and [I]Abe Sapien[/I] ends. I can't say more than that.[/QUOTE]

Well even if you could say more I wouldn't be able to parse it.

Since where I'm at as a reader is that Hellboy appears to ultimately be to set foot onto the field of Vigrid for a final or ultimate time.

With roles reserved for potentially Liz or Roger or Abe as well as Edward Grey still to some degree in the process.

With for a metafysically envisionable metaphore a new Life Tree as sprouting from out of the bowels of Hell,

as apparently standing for new life although not necessarily as already existing life but more rather an all new life.

If old Langdon Caul will have any such new life inside of him, it seems definitely all new and different from what life

is to be washed away in Hellboy's long awaited, yet perhaps not alltogether anticipated Doom, as established by the final Ogdru Jahad.

Or something like that.

If Hellboy or the B.P.R.D. would be destined for stuff other than the above, I'm not as yet seeing it coming.

Have they announced which issue number will be Abe Sapien's last? I've searched, but can't find anything.

[QUOTE=jackstar;1703983]I think there's a good chance we get that Gall Dennar series at some point. He seems to be getting a lot of love and it's a great idea. I'm hoping we get some more Sledgehammer and Ashley Strode. Super psyched that Witchfinder looks to have a lot in the pipeline as well.[/QUOTE]

I don't think we will get more Sledgehammer, at least in the pre-modern era. It's been pretty rounded out by the current BPRD stuff.

[QUOTE=timaximus;1723761]Have they announced which issue number will be Abe Sapien's last? I've searched, but can't find anything.[/QUOTE]
No, they haven't announced it. But it will end this year.