And we conclude my deeper re-read of the B.P.R.D Omnibus series, which is part of the Hellboy Universe. I won’t repeat everything I said about the B.P.R.D., so read the first posting.
The B.P.R.D. comic series had changed, now being called Hell on Earth, with the new phase in the approaching Ragna Rok happening. Then the final storyline was titled The Devil You Know and gives us the return of Hellboy (!) and the conclusion to Ragna Rok. So originally these two omnibus were B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth, Vol. 5, and B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know before being renamed and renumbered as Vols. 9 and 10 of the new overall omnibus series.
There have been a lot of shake-ups for the B.P.R.D., though they have new allies with the Russian S.S.S., led by Director Nichayko, and their super aircraft. Captain Daimyo is dead. Abe is on his quest in his own title, but his truly final purpose is shown here. Liz is back, and we learn her final fate. Fenix is back. What about Ted Howards and his sword? And the other regular B.P.R.D. agents? Some will be answered here.
Omnibus Vol. 9 gives us three volumes. The first one has two stories, both focused on ghostly agent Johan Krauss. The first has him leading a mission into Kansas to wipe out a monster lurking in a motel, sadly being protected by some kind of cult. While ultimately a success, it comes at a cost, some to Krauss. In the second part, we find Krauss having dug up, so to speak, the old vril armor suit that was featured in an early Lobster story, as well as in its own mini-series. The events from that series are cover, but Krauss uses it to give himself a new containment suit that now gives him the power of vril.
The next story brings us back to the main storyline in a big way with the arrival of one of the seven Ogdru Jahad on Earth. This brings together not just the B.P.R.D., including the new Johann and Agent Howards, but the S.S.S. and its director, but a new player with the last of the Oannes Society who arrives with a new weapon. But they wind up facing up against the new Black Flame. Who hands them their asses, until Johann steps in. Who will win? And we get the return of another character at the end as well.
The final story in the volume has the military trying to destroy the Ogdru Jahad. Meanwhile Director Nichayko and Varvara travel to Hell, where they find Satan dead, and take the knife that slayed him. The B.P.R.D. headquarters in Colorado is evacuated, but Kate and Panya stay. And the First Watchers, the ones who oversaw the creation of the Ogdru Jahad and been sent to Hell, emerge to fit the Ogdru Jahad. Johann confronts the Ogdru Jahad and pays the ultimate fate to defeat it.
At the end, it seemed like things were back to normal. But Varvara is still out there. Is the monster defeated? Has Ragna Rok been stopped?
Omnibus Vol. 10 brings it all to a conclusion. What really is Ragna Rok? What was the true mission of Rasputin? For many characters, we learn their final fate, and what happens to the rest of humanity. What is the true purpose of Abe? What is Hellboy’s purpose and fate? What’s the deal with Varvara and how does “she” fit in? What happens to Agents Howards, Fenix, Strode, and others? And we see the return of folks like Herman von Klempt and Kroenen, as well as the Osiris Club.
And what is the fate of mankind and what about the next “race of men”? This is all revealed in its own way in this volume.
One thing in reading various Lovecraftian stories is the questions, “What would happen if these outer/other worldly entities did succeed and take over? What would be our fate?” Few have tried to answer that, and most haven’t, IMO, been that satisfying. Here we do get that final conclusion to the end of the mankind… and a new beginning.
And that’s it. We get two minis that answer some questions about what happens next. There is the Acheron/Koshei in Hell series and the Frankenstein series, which I already reviewed. Sadly, I have no idea when or if we will see more from the Hellboy Universe.
We haven’t gotten any more Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. stories, nor new Young Hellboy. The Frankenstein series we got left things open for more, which I’d like to see. But Mike Mignola seems to have moved on to other things. Time will tell.
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