B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth (volume 7): A Cold Day in Hell by by Mike Mignola (writer), John Arcudi (writer), Laurence Campbell (art), Peter Snejbjerg (art), Dave Stewart (colors), & Clem Robins (letters)

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth: A Cold Day in Hell by Mike Mignola and othersIn this seventh volume, Kraus leads a B.P.R.D. crew to Chicago. Unfortunately, on the way there, their air transport is taken down when they are attacked by a giant monster. Once they are grounded, they are attacked by smaller monsters that we’ve seen in previous volumes. These monsters are smaller than the giant monster that attacked them in the helicopter, but these are still large, several sizes larger than an elephant even. They defend themselves, killing a few creatures, but then they have to head out on foot the rest of the way to Chicago. Not far into their journey, they find horses and continue on horseback. Kraus narrates the journey for us, but they don’t reach their destination until the third issue in the collection.

In the third issue, the end of the “Wasteland” story, they find what they were looking for, but things were worse than what they expected. However, they find one man, Howards, who we saw in an earlier issue. He found a magic sword, and he continues to wield it to protect the B.P.R.D. from the creatures attacking them. One of the members of the B.P.R.D. appropriately refers to him as “Conan” since he’s so good, and violent, with the sword he found. “Wasteland” is another dark chapter in the B.P.R.D. series. Really, all the stories are getting darker and darker in this apocalyptic comic book.

In “A Cold Day in Hell,” Abe wakes from his coma and sees the news showing the apocalyptic events happening around the world. He hides on base and only Panya sees him to talk with him, and she doesn’t reveal to the rest of the B.P.R.D. that she’s seen Abe. Abe stays in hiding, and the B.P.R.D. search for him without luck. Meanwhile, a B.P.R.D. team is in Russia with Director Iosif Nihayko who, once he lands at a Russian base, tells two young soldiers about Varvara, whom he still has as a captive. We’ve met Varvara before—she started the special sciences service in Russia. Iosif lets the soldiers know that the continuous broadcast they oversee is part of what keeps Varvara captive. There are a few battles and demons from hell are involved in the story as they help serve a “new master.”

These two stories, particularly the second, do not advance the overall plot that much, but smaller pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. It’s an essential volume in the series, but it doesn’t stand on its own as well as some other volumes. For that reason, I give it a solid four stars. The art is beautiful, even in its horrific way, and Campbell and Snejbjerg are able to create art that is in keeping with the art of the larger Hellboy universe.

Author

  • Brad Hawley

    BRAD HAWLEY, who's been with us since April 2012, earned his PhD in English from the University of Oregon with areas of specialty in the ethics of literature and rhetoric. Since 1993, he has taught courses on The Beat Generation, 20th-Century Poetry, 20th-Century British Novel, Introduction to Literature, Shakespeare, and Public Speaking, as well as various survey courses in British, American, and World Literature. He currently teaches Crime Fiction, Comics, and academic writing at Oxford College of Emory University where his wife, Dr. Adriane Ivey, also teaches English. They live with their two young children outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

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