Review- ” B.P.R.D: 1946-1948″- Vampires, Russians, and Nazis

B.P.R.D. 1946-1948; Writer: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Joshua Dysart Artist: Gabriel Ba, Fabio Moon, Paul Azaceta, Max Fiumara Colorist: Dave Stewart, Nick Filardi Cover Artist: Mike Mignola

B.P.R.D. 1946-1948 is truly a collector’s item.

In 1944 Hellboy arrived to this world. In 1994, we saw him in “Seed of Destruction.”

What happened in between?

As we now know, there are several plot lines that started moving backwards and forwards in time in order to answer that question. Here in the site we covered the Cold War period starting in the Fifties: the first adventures in the BPRD headquarters, and the Soviet Union’s advances on dark magic lead by the demon child Varvara.

I felt that was a bit slow; however, B.P.R.D. 1946-1948 is pure gold. Young Hellboy is growing up, Professor Bruttenholm is sent to Germany to investigate Post war remnants of the Nazis obsession with the occult, and Chapter 1 has everything to do with Hitler’s top secret Project: Vampir Sturm.

I loved each and every minute of this. War weary veterans that were in over their heads on secret stuff; the Professor’s realization of how his recently funded team would need a lot more guns than he previously thought necessary; the origins of the demon child Varvara…

This is a masterpiece.

The second volume deals with the secret history of vampires, the realization that the team needs more preparation and the decision Professor makes in order to save a man’s soul, a decision that he may regret later.

As for the third volume, we come back to the American’s nuclear projects and the paranormal substance known as enkeladite.

For the narrative, this is the starting point that will derive in the huge consequences faced by BPRD much later in the timeline in War on Frogs, (which appeared ten years ago, this plot lines are tricky).

Filling all the pages in Hellboy’s history is a temptation too great to be ignored. The work of the wonder twin teams of Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba and the Fiumara’s brothers is outstanding. Go ahead and grab a copy, I’m looking forward to do the same.

This TPB collects B.P.R.D.: 1946, 1947, and 1948.

‘B.P.R.D.: 1946-1948’ is on sale since March 4th, 2020.

Publication Date:
March 04, 2020
Format: FC, 472 pages; TPB; 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″
Price: $24.99
Age range: 16
ISBN-10: 1-50671-433-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-50671-433-2
Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

Featured image by Mike Mignola, all images belong to Dark Horse Comics