B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth #135–139: End of Days

[zerodemon]

Eh, not really the stories are usually much clearer. I'm not complaining mind you, I like that it's nebulous and left open to interpretation but to say that kind of ending is the norm doesn't ring true to me as just about every other story was pretty self contained and had just about all the answers revealed by the end of the arc.

Really? I can think of about 10 examples of times where the actual facts are clouded by some nebulous mystery. In fact, I'll list some lingering mysteries. Spoilers obviously.

What the heck is up with the Lobster?
Why did Mr. Boy kill Satan, and why can't he remember? Also, who was that glowy white ghost thing?
Was Frankenstein killed when Liz immolated the Hollow Earth?
Is Daimio inside the Wendigo now, or is it still Daryl?
What happened with Hellboy in Africa?
Abe. I mean, just everything about everything to with Abe for years and years until, like, now, and even then, what?
Howards. Gall Dennar.
What is that right hand even for? The message is pretty mixed.
Was the Black Flame Pope?
How did Kroenen and Kurtz survive? Is Zinco still out there somewhere, wandering about all blind and crazy?
The aliens, right? I mean, they're still out there somewhere, and they must be pretty cheesed off about one of the Ogdru Jahad getting loose.

Hellboy and the BPRD is all questions, and the Lovecraftian slant to the stories means that some of this stuff should be unknown and unknowable. Mignola and co are pretty good at drip feeding us the answers to these mysteries, and with the power of the Ogdru Jahad that is loose appearing to be pretty critical to the ongoing story, and with O'Donnell being very deliberately unconscious through much of this arc, I'd imagine any pertinent answers will be coming our way as and when they're needed.

[highlandhellboy]

Really? I can think of about 10 examples of times where the actual facts are clouded by some nebulous mystery. In fact, I'll list some lingering mysteries. Spoilers obviously.

What the heck is up with the Lobster?
Why did Mr. Boy kill Satan, and why can't he remember? Also, who was that glowy white ghost thing?
Was Frankenstein killed when Liz immolated the Hollow Earth?
Is Daimio inside the Wendigo now, or is it still Daryl?
What happened with Hellboy in Africa?
Abe. I mean, just everything about everything to with Abe for years and years until, like, now, and even then, what?
Howards. Gall Dennar.
What is that right hand even for? The message is pretty mixed.
Was the Black Flame Pope?
How did Kroenen and Kurtz survive? Is Zinco still out there somewhere, wandering about all blind and crazy?
The aliens, right? I mean, they're still out there somewhere, and they must be pretty cheesed off about one of the Ogdru Jahad getting loose.

Hellboy and the BPRD is all questions, and the Lovecraftian slant to the stories means that some of this stuff should be unknown and unknowable. Mignola and co are pretty good at drip feeding us the answers to these mysteries, and with the power of the Ogdru Jahad that is loose appearing to be pretty critical to the ongoing story, and with O'Donnell being very deliberately unconscious through much of this arc, I'd imagine any pertinent answers will be coming our way as and when they're needed.

I love this because you never know when certain characters will reappear or they'll pick up a dangling plot thread and run with it. With B.P.R.D #139 we will no doubt get more answers when they pick up again in May, Until then i'm looking forward to catching up with Strode and finding out where she will fit into the overall story.

[Kees_L]

Really? I can think of about 10 examples of times where the actual facts are clouded by some nebulous mystery. In fact, I'll list some lingering mysteries. Spoilers obviously.

What the heck is up with the Lobster?
Why did Mr. Boy kill Satan, and why can't he remember? Also, who was that glowy white ghost thing?
Was Frankenstein killed when Liz immolated the Hollow Earth?
Is Daimio inside the Wendigo now, or is it still Daryl?
What happened with Hellboy in Africa?
Abe. I mean, just everything about everything to with Abe for years and years until, like, now, and even then, what?
Howards. Gall Dennar.
What is that right hand even for? The message is pretty mixed.
Was the Black Flame Pope?
How did Kroenen and Kurtz survive? Is Zinco still out there somewhere, wandering about all blind and crazy?
The aliens, right? I mean, they're still out there somewhere, and they must be pretty cheesed off about one of the Ogdru Jahad getting loose.

Hellboy and the BPRD is all questions, and the Lovecraftian slant to the stories means that some of this stuff should be unknown and unknowable. Mignola and co are pretty good at drip feeding us the answers to these mysteries, and with the power of the Ogdru Jahad that is loose appearing to be pretty critical to the ongoing story, and with O'Donnell being very deliberately unconscious through much of this arc, I'd imagine any pertinent answers will be coming our way as and when they're needed.

Well, first let me say that everyone their own personal reading will be their own. However you feel the storytelling is speaking to you, it will be.

For me, at least the Mignola penned both as drawn pages have their way of exposing themselves. As proving a constantly evolving and growing collection of different stories.

There have been stories where graphics might pop up as actual goings on or either as just sudden mood enhancements more rather. Like a cat looking on or an owl or a robin (bird) whistling. Which tells me as a reader or onlooker that I must try and be aware of who the storyteller is or who is doing the looking in the first place.

Because just like the sudden cat or owl or robin there will be characters or factions getting shown who needn't prove but linearly part of the storytelling, in that they might actually be someplace else or as not belonging to the same time yet with still being noteworthy to the storytelling as going on.

I look at these instances as 'archeology'. Like how and when Hellboy or the BPRD interact with 'the paranormal' they do not know or understand all. Hellboy stumbles into Hell and onto what might be Satan, without knowing exactly what is what. With the stories being either HiH or Frankenstein Underground as carefully coming back to shedding light on how the Satan guy may indeed have been somebody.
And the 'archeology' part means that it will be cool to suppose or assume things due to what the story could be proposing with however not losing sight to how it would be supposition and assumption or potential only.
Because then not a single or linear way of storytelling would be possible, but multiple! Letting storytelling be organical in that it would be telling itself, would be more intense both as more realistical, much more interesting too.

Because any people in their everyday life have to do this all the time. It would be weird and pretty much stupid if Hellboy would just walk into Hell with knowing everything. Or that everybody interacting with him would only be telling him factually correct both as interpretable things.

When Rasputin or the Baba Yaga or Hecate or Bromhead are ranting their own mouths off they aren't necessarily accurate or omnipotent and any BPRD members aren't either. When an alien is found as clearly abandoned or potentially as not supposed to be there in the first place, that won't necessarily mean that Hellboy or the BPRD are gonna be able to make just perfect sense of that, let alone the reader.
Plus in this way it's possible for Hellboy to build up some level of understanding with some of the characters, such as for instance the Baba Yaga and Edward Grey. Of all the mysterious folk the Baba Yaga wouldn't be one to lie to him or prove full of crap, same as Mabh and Edward Grey. But Edward Grey both as Mabh appear very conscious at what to share both as what not to share with Hellboy on things.
As making the white ghostal apparition in Hell as a tell-tale sign onto how Edward Grey is not the boss of his own manifesting, he might want to confide to Hellboy more but can't.

The old geezer clubs like the Bro's of Ra are potentially the most full of themselves as they seem to think they have it all down and know everything as do most of the demons also, but the more stories you read, the more it becomes evident they don't know everything.

That's not being mysterious, or hard to get, but it all points towards meticulous both as generous and well thought-out storytelling more rather, I'd be to feel. It doesn't seem to me more answers are due so much as I myself will need to read and re-read things better all the time.

But I would agree that at times I also feel to be needing answers or clarity mostly for stories that aren't Mignola penned both as drawn. The BPRD or Abe stories are great, like I intensely enjoy the Arcudi/Davis stories for instance and the Allie Abe I'll get to as well, but for those it seems I need to adopt to them in a way of itself.

This seems not easy but at the same time it also seems a wealth. As if the Mignolaverse thanks to all different names involved teaches me what comics can be to entail.

[Donald]

Really? I can think of about 10 examples of times where the actual facts are clouded by some nebulous mystery. In fact, I'll list some lingering mysteries. Spoilers obviously.

How/why did Liz go from unable to light her own cigarette to the human torch?

Some of these have been going on so long they've go past mysteries to dropped plot lines. Mike is very good at leaving mysteries dangling in his stories, unanswered questions left after the main story is resolved. I think the BPRD writers are trying to emulate this, but are leaving gaping holes in the stories that hurt the overall narrative. The gaps between question and answer are too wide and loose impact from being left unanswered too long. There's just too much going on for any of it to be enjoyable to me.

Was Frankenstein killed when Liz immolated the Hollow Earth?

I'd say no. Liz burned up south east Asia and the Monster went underground in Mexico. It doesn't look like the Monster traveled far enough while captive to be in the blast zone.