Selected Book
B.P.R.D. Volume 2: The Soul of Venice & Other Stories (v. 2)
- Paperback
- Author: Mike Mignola, Michael Avon Oeming, Guy Davis
- Publisher: Dark Horse
- Release Date: September 2004
- ISBN-10: 1593071329
- ISBN-13: 9781593071325
- List Price: $17.95
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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryWithin these pages you'll find bizarre investigations into haunted trains, Nazi war criminals, vengeful spirits of drowned witches and an imprisoned sewer goddess as well as an all-new short story by Mike Mignola with Catwoman artist Cameron Stewart. Featured creative teams include Miles Gunter and Michael Avon Oeming (Bastard Samurai) along with Mike Mignola; artist Guy Davis and writer Brian Augustyn (Gotham by Gaslight); Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins (The Flash); and Joe Harris (screenwriter of Darkness Falls) and his X-Men collaborator Adam Pollina (Big Daddy Danger). And if that ain't enough we've included a sketchbook featuring all five artists! |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Graphic SF Reader
Rating:
This collection is basically an anthology. A different creative team on each story, and a one and done type of tale in each.
Naturally, one is set in Venice, and handled by Michael Avon Oeming.
Abe and Roger have to go to a 'small New England town.' That is never going to be fun.
A small appearance by Lobster Johnson in a Geoff Johns story with Liz and Roger.
Abe has to stop some toy monsters doing bad things to kids.
It ends with your garden variety zombie cull.
The Gang's All Here... Again
Rating:
What do three accused witches, a train blown up by a Nazi saboteur, the patron goddess of love and waterways, plush toy monsters, and zombies have in common? The answers can be found in this second B.P.R.D. collection of stories.
B.P.R.D. stands for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, a secret U.S. agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. It is a spin-off title from Mike Magnolia's popular Hellboy comic book series, and details the adventures of the agency's other "special" operatives.
The team includes Abe Sapien, a blue-skinned gill-man with a mysterious past; Liz Sherman, a neurotic pyrokinetic; Johann Kraus, a German psychic whose body was destroyed while his spirit was visiting the astral plane; and Roger the Homunculus, a medieval golem with tremendous strength and a child-like personality.
This collection has a completely different flavor from the previous one. Instead of one main story and a few back-up features it showcases five individual stories written and drawn by five different creative teams.
The Soul of Venice is written by Miles Gunther and Michael Avon Oeming and drawn by Michael Avon Oeming. Something is fouling up the canals of Venice, and the entire team is called in to solve the problem. This story is the most Mignola-esque, as it features all manner of strange creatures and a special appearance from a demon tied to the Hellboy mythos. Oeming's drawing style is very blocky, mirroring Mignola's artwork.
Dark Waters, by writer Brian Augustyn and artist Guy Davis, features Abe Sapien and Roger the Homunculus. They are visiting a New England town that has just literally dug a dark secret from its past. This is my favorite entry. There are red herrings, strange monsters, and theological debates all rolled together into a nice little story.
The Night Train, written by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins and drawn by Scott Kolins and Dave Stewart, features Liz Sherman and Roger the Homunculus. These two characters have an up-and-down history together, and this story explores those issues while also incorporating a mini Lobster Johnson adventure. The art for this story is very different from the usual dark style one would expect. I liked the contrast, and actually think the use of color enhanced the feeling of otherworldliness.
There's Something Under My Bed, by writer Joe Harris and penciller Adam Pollina, features Abe Sapien versus toy monsters that have somehow sprung to life and are terrorizing little children. This is a nice little story that makes you wonder what exactly makes a monster. I didn't like the art in this one so much, the figures looked too lanky and their faces looked too unfamiliar.
Another Day at the Office, written by Mike Mignola and drawn by Cameron Stewart, is a special piece written just for this collection. It features Abe Sapien once again, this time partnered with Johann Kraus. This story seemed way too rushed to make any sense or have any impact. It's just the guys fighting some random zombies. (But then again, maybe that's the whole point.)
Abe, Elizabeth, Roger and Johann are Back
Rating:
Like the previous BPRD book (and the Hellboy books), this is a collection of stories. Abe Sapien, Elizabeth, Roger and Johann must continue to fight the forces of darkness, and their own inner demons, without Hellboy by their side.
In The Soul of Venice, the team journeys to the title city where the waters have gone bad and worse. An interesting look into some of the characters.
In Dark Waters the team is called when a New England town finds the bodies of witches at the bottom of a pond they have drained. The team must fight the supernatural, mud worms and fanaticism.
Night Train spans decades and includes Lobster Johnson and a train destined for the Manhattan Project. Roger must do some real soul searching.
There's Something Under My Bed has the team investigating a pattern of child abductions. You may not look at your toys the same way again.
Finally, in Another Day At The Office (a short story), Abe and Johann look into a town beset by zombies. Just another day in the offices of the BPRD.
A nice collection of stories, but not one appropriate for someone unfamiliar with the characters. Past demons are stirred up and a knowledge of earlier Hellboy stories is a necessity. The artwork is typical of the Hellboy/BPRD stories of the past and is, in my opinion, nothing to write home about.
Still, it is a nice collection of eeriness for fans of the genre. Check it out.
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