Honour Among Punks: The Complete Baker Street

Written by Guy Davis and Gary Reed
Art by Guy Davis

Between 1989 and 1991, Caliber Press published Guy Davis's series Baker Street.  At that time, I was just beginning to experiment with independent comics, and remember reading an article about this book in Comic Scene (please don't ask), but never picked up an issue or gave it a try.  Later, Davis began working on Sandman Mystery Theatre, and I became a fan of his scratchy art and portrayals of women who looked more like real women than what I found in most comics.

I recently came across Honour Among Punks, the ibooks collection of the original series, and knew it was time to read it.

Baker Street is a series about punks, mysteries, and relationships.  Davis and his co-writer Gary Reed transposed Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes into the punk underground of an alternate history Britain.  Our point of view character is Susan, an American studying medicine in London.  She answers an ad for a cleaning woman that included room and board, and meets Sharon Ford, a former police detective who now lives the punk life, and her close friend Sam, who is a ball of punk rage.

As the series progresses, the women get involved in two separate cases that test their friendships and sense of self.  Davis puts together a complicated world of rival gangs, jewel thieves, transvestites, and a serial killer targeting men in the area around the Baskervilles, a rundown theatre that is the heart of the community.

Much of the storytelling here is rough, but Davis's art shows serious growth from the more cartoonish first pages to the scratchy glory of the last storyline.

Sharon is a truly memorable character; devoted to her notions of deduction, invested in protecting her community, but completely unaware of the needs of the people around her.  This is a book worth reading, because of her.

The Marquis Vol. 1 Inferno

by Guy Davis

I have been a fan of Guy Davis's work since I first came across it in the pages of Sandman Mystery Theatre, the excellent Vertigo series that followed the early career of the Golden Age Sandman.  I've also found a great deal of enjoyment from Davis's work with B.P.R.D., but I had never read his solo work, The Marquis.

To be completely honest, I was disappointed.  I had pretty high hopes for this book, because the concept sounded terrific.  Set in an alternate history in a fictional city in 18th Century France, the Church has taken over most aspects of society.  There is an almost fetishistic obsession with confession, and Inquisitors run the show.  This city, Venisalle, has been overrun with demons who are inhabiting the bodies of the citizens.

One elderly man has the ability to see these demons for what they really are, and the ability to dispatch them back to hell.  He takes on the guise of The Marquis, a masked and cloaked figure armed with very special firearms and a sword, and he tracks them down, gaining the attention of the Inquisition at the same time.

It should be really cool, right?  Especially given Davis's incredible artistic skills, and penchant for creating incredibly bizarre creatures.  The problem is that the first story, Danse Macabre, which takes up most of this book, is in fact pretty dull.  The two subsequent stories, 'Hell's Courtesan' and 'A Sin of One' are much better though, and by the time I finished this volume, I was wishing there was more to read.

Davis worked on these comics over many years, and it's clear that over that time, he learned much about the craft of writing comics.  I would not hesitate to pick up a new Guy Davis-written comic (especially if he drew it), but I can't really recommend this book.

Catwoman: Wild Ride

Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Cameron Stewart, with Guy Davis and Nick Derington

This fourth trade is perhaps the best of Ed Brubaker's run, at least the best since the first one, which had the benefit of Darwyn Cooke art.

In this trade, Selina and her sidekick Holly go on a road trip.  This leads them to a number of different locales in the DCU, and some run ins with the people who live in them.  We as readers get to see New York (Wildcat), Keystone City (Captain Cold), Opal City (Bobo Benetti), and St. Roch (Hawkman and Hawkgirl).

There's also a plot line involving an ancient Egyptian cult, a story about a diner heist that goes badly, and Batman and Slam Bradley get into it over Selina.  Brubaker had a good handle on Catwoman, keeping her foray into being a good guy (or at least, not being such a bad guy) interesting.  What really makes this book work though are Selina's relationships with Holly, Bradley, and Ted Grant.  Cameron Stewart's art, as always, is excellent.

Although Brubaker's run on this title continued for a while after this (with Paul Gulacy on art, which would be a pretty jarring shift in tone), for whatever reason, DC has not published any further trades.  Is the rest of the run worth tracking down in back issue bins?

BPRD Hell on Earth - Gods #3

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

There are a couple of things that have happened in this issue of BPRD that I'm not sure how I feel about.  To discuss one would spoil the ending of the comic, so I'm not going to do that, beyond complaining about how it's going to be a few months before we find out what happens to a favourite character, as the next mini-series is going to spotlight Liz Sherman.

The other thing, that I know I don't like, is that Guy Davis is leaving this title with this issue.  Davis's art was part of the draw for me to become immersed in the Hellboy/BPRD universe last year, and I'm really going to miss his portrayal of these characters.  At the same time, I'm always excited to see how new artists interpret established settings and characters, so hopefully it will all turn out for the good.

As for the actual content of this comic that I will discuss, it's really quite good.  Abe and his BPRD team catch up with the Bedouin group they've been tracking, as they hunt for the mysterious young woman named Fenix.  Finding them involves dealing with some giant, bizarre monsters, and some surprising stuff happens in the end.  Mignola and Arcudi make good use of the rivalry between Abe and Devon, which is clearly not as resolved as the last issue led us to believe.  The silent scene with Devon and Fenix is a perfect example of why I'm going to miss Guy Davis on this book.

BPRD Hell on Earth - Gods #2

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

The first issue of Gods barely had any of the Bureau in it, except for the last page, as it instead introduced Fenix, a young girl leading a nomadic group of people across Texas, always steering them away from danger.

This issue shows us what put the Bureau on her tail, as the UN guy (I have no idea what his name is) debriefs the team on the growing number of these nomadic 'Bedouins' and makes a plan to track down Fenix for further study.  Their briefing gets interrupted by crazy old Professor O'Donnell, who has some ideas about how the current situation in the world is connected to the post-Hyperborean age, which has haunted the Mignola-verse for a while now.

Most interesting though is the scene where Abe Sapien and Agent Devon finally discuss Devon's suspicions of Abe.  I've been a huge fan of the character of Kate Corrigan, and like the way she handled this little problem that has been brewing for a while now.

It's nice to see Davis get a chance to cut loose on the art in the flashback sequence, although I would have liked to have seen some space given to Johann and Panya, as they're both up to something lately.

BPRD Hell on Earth - Gods #1

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

There is a lot about this new BPRD Hell on Earth mini that makes it different from the last few.  First, it's the second arc since the book's title was amended to include the 'Hell on Earth' tag, and the first three-issue mini-series I can think of (the comic is usually split into five-issue arcs).

Most importantly, this is the first time I can think of where almost the entire comic has nothing to do with the agents and members of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.  One of them shows up on the last page, but that's it.

Instead, this issue is focused on a teenage girl named Fenix, her boyfriend Jorge, and a ragtag group that are following them across Texas.  It seems that Fenix has some form or precognitive or psychic powers, and she has led her crew away from the different creatures and forms of weirdness that have been roaming across the country since the War of the Frogs ended.

This issue is the first that really takes the time to examine the extent of the damage and changes to the status quo since this title was revised.  Davis does a great job with these new characters, and the Dennis Calero cover is pretty nice.  This would be a decent place for someone to sample this title, if you've been thinking about trying it out.

BPRD Hell on Earth - New World #5

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

There's some pretty interesting stuff going on in BPRD these days, as this issue sheds some light on the origins of the strange creature that's been giving Abe and Daimyo such a hard time in BC, and in turn drops some hints as to what's going on the world over.

While the storyline involving this monster takes up most of this book, there are plenty of other interesting things going on at BPRD headquarters these days that deserve some discussion.  There continues to be more tension between Abe and Devon, who thinks that he's the 'anti-Christ', although the cause of that animosity showing up in this issue turns out to be someone else, who has been acting very strangely of late.

What's kept me interested in this book has always been the strong characters and their sometimes contentious relationships with each other.  Now that the world has been going through so many changes and new challenges, it seems that all of these relationships have been pushed to the limit, making this book ever more interesting.

BPRD Hell on Earth - New World #4

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

Four issues in to the new status quo, and things continue to be pretty interesting.  We get some idea of what has been making people in British Columbia disappear, while Johann and Panya continue to get weirder and weirder back at the home base.

Making the transition to reading this book on a monthly basis has caused me to reexamine it a little.  I love the group dynamics and sense that things could change at any moment, but I find that the chapters are shorter and quicker than I'd realized reading the book in trade.

I've never been a trade waiter by nature (too damn impatient), and while I like getting a more regular dose of this book, I do wish it would take a little more time to read each issue.

At the same time, in this one, Daimio goes wild, and Darryl makes a reappearance.  It's good stuff.

BPRD Hell on Earth - New World #3

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

As much as I've enjoyed BPRD in the past, I think I'm beginning to enjoy it even more since it's become "BPRD Hell on Earth".  This has always been a title where unpredictable things can happen, but I feel that they've really removed any sort of safety net now, and made the book even more random in terms of wanton destruction and the chance that characters won't survive.  For example, in this issue, a volcano suddenly appears and kills millions in Texas.

What makes this book so strong is the interactions between the characters.  I loved seeing Abe working with Daimyo again, as they deal with some kind of tentacle-y thing in BC, and the conversation between Kate, Johann, and the UN guy (does he have a name yet?) is priceless.  As the world starts falling apart all around them, this book is funnier than it ever was before.  I appreciate that.

BPRD Hell on Earth - New World #2

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

I really like this new direction for the BPRD.  This is a very character-driven arc, which I always appreciate, especially after the Bureau has been through so many changes.

Kate's feeling overworked and is spending too much time having to manage her staff, especially as Johann keeps getting weirder and weirder, and Panya is starting to demonstrate that she's not as trustworthy as previously believed.  I've found Panya, the reanimated Egyptian mummy, to be an interesting character, and I like that she is getting a larger role in the comic.

Most interesting this month is the return of Ben Daimio.  It's unclear as to how affected he has been by the Wendigo, and the conversation between he and Abe is very nicely handled.

This arc is not terribly new-reader friendly, which is odd when you consider that the Hell on Earth era is supposed to be a totally new direction, but this is still a very good comic.

BPRD: Hell on Earth - New World #1

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

It's been a few weeks since I finished reading through the entire back catalogue of BPRD and Hellboy comics, and I am finding it kind of exciting to be able to read these in 'real time', although it's also frustrating, because as soon as this issue finished, I wanted to read the next one.

This comic is the first with the new, permanent BPRD: Hell on Earth title, as the Bureau adjusts to the new, post War of the Frogs status quo.  The Bureau now operates under the aegis of the UN, and with that comes any number of bureaucrats and paper work, at a time when the world has changed significantly.

This issue doesn't dwell much on how the main characters are dealing with all of these changes, but it does set up hints as to where these characters are headed.  Kate is working too hard and trying to hold everything together, while Johann seems to be flaking out again.  Abe has become distant and takes off on a mission of his own, while Devon becomes increasingly suspicious, and maybe a little paranoid.

This is a great start to a new direction for this book, and while it might not be terribly easy for a new reader to jump on at this point, it's worth checking out where this book is headed.  Even if you don't understand everything, you'll get to see further proof of Guy Davis's genius.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #1-5

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

This is a huge BPRD arc in so many ways.  We get the last major confrontation between the Bureau, the Frogs, the subterranean dudes, and the Black Flame, which looks to have massive repercussions for future story arcs.  We get some really interesting character moments, like the ones between Kate and Bruno that happen in the first issue, as they work to lay Lobster Johnson to rest and hopefully restore Johann.  There's also some very cool stuff happening with Abe Sapien.

As usual, this is an excellent comic, but this arc is extra special because of the way it finishes off so many storylines and sub-plots, some of which had been running for sixteen years.

As often happens in stories like this, the actual final confrontation feels quick and anti-climactic, but I read this book for the characters, and in that sense, this story didn't disappoint at all.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. War on Frogs #1-4

Written by John Arcudi
Art by Herb Trimpe, Guy Davis, John Severin, Karl Moline, and Peter Snejbjerg

I'm getting very close to the end of my Hellboy Project, where I've been reading one or two Hellboy or Hellboy-related story a day, in their original order of publication, the vast majority for the very first time.  I've gotten to the point where I've mostly bought individual issues instead of trades, and am beginning to think about the long view when I talk about these series.

War on Frogs was a mini-series that came out between other BPRD arcs, each issue focusing on one of the core BPRD characters who don't usually get much play, and fills in some of the things that happened during the BPRD's string of operations against the Frogs, the creatures that have been plaguing them since their title's inception.  This series was also unique because it is the first that doesn't give Mignola a writing credit, and for the wide stable of artists that it brings into the fold. 

The first issue has a Roger story, drawn by Herb Trimpe.  It's nice to see Roger in action again, and it reminds us of his humanity.  The third issue spotlights Liz Sherman, although it's told from the more interesting perspective of a female BPRD operative who looks up to her, but finds her impossible to relate to.

The best issues of the series are the second and fourth.  The second issue, with art by the legendary John Severin, doesn't really feature any of the main characters in an important role, and instead tells us what happened to a squad of operatives who were checking a boat for Frogs.  This story borrows heavily from Alien, as the single Frog picks off the soldiers.  Arcudi writes with the same suspense and tension of that famous movie, and Severin's more realistic art style helps add to the level of terror and believability.  The final issue, about Johann Kraus, is drawn by Peter Snejbjerg, and it looks fantastic. The story, about some Frog spirits that don't depart when their bodies are killed, is interesting. 

I like the way this series sort of reminds us of what the stakes are as we move into the big King of Fear arc.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.11: The Black Goddess

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

There's little better in comics than when a long-running storyline starts to reach its conclusion, and tons of disparate plot threads connect and overlap, just as the pace and energy of the book goes through the roof.

That's basically what happens here, as the BPRD, with a contingent of American soldiers travel to the Chinese/former-Soviet border to track down Liz Sherman and her kidnapper, only to face off against a massive force of frogs and the creatures that they fought way back in Volume 1.

There are giant yeti, golden dragons, monks that seem to appear and disappear at random, and huge subterranean bug-like creatures.  There is also Martin Gilfryd, who now calls himself Memnan Saa.  Gilfryd is an interesting character - he's been set up as a villain (especially in the Lobster Johnson mini), but as you read through this book, you have to question if he hasn't perhaps been misjudged.

In amid all the chaos of this book, the writers have found plenty of time to focus on the characters.  Johann is not acting like himself these days, and Kate demonstrates her strengths in a terrific scene where she interviews a former partner of Lobster Johnson to learn about Gilfryd.  As I read more of these books, I find that I love them more and more.  I can't wait to see how this whole thing wraps up in the King of Fear.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.8: Killing Ground

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

What I like best about BPRD is the strong focus on the characters and their interactions with each other.  This volume gives us more character development and change than any previous three volumes put together, as the makeup of the team shifts again, and some secrets get revealed.

Johann is now inhabiting one of the soulless bodies that Abe found in Indonesia, and he has become a bit of an unstoppable hedonist in the bargain, which has caused him to completely ignore his responsibilities to the team.  Liz is crippled by her ongoing dreams in which she speaks with a mysterious stranger who seems to know a lot about what the future holds.  She really only feels safe now when she is with Panya, the immortal Egyptian mummy woman.

And then there is Daimio, the central figure of this arc.  Since he first arrived, there have been a number of questions about his background, and the mysterious Asian man who provides him with massages and other strange-looking treatments.  All of this is explained, as Daimio runs afoul of the Wendigo character introduced in the previous arc.

This is a pretty exciting and fluid story, with typically brilliant Guy Davis art.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.7: Garden of Souls

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

This volume is one of the strangest and coolest of the BPRD stories I've read to date.  Abe receives a cigar case that belonged to Langdon Everett Caul, his former self.  He figures out that it was mailed from Indonesia, and travels there with Captain Daimio.  He ends up alone on a strange island populated by bizarre hybrid creatures and populated by three of Caul's old friends, kept alive in Victorian-era metal suits that make them look vaguely like submersible robots.  This book also introduces Panya, an ancient Egyptian mummy.

While this story is nicely nuts, it's also pretty compelling and very character-based.  Abe is slowly becoming the man he was before he discovered his origins, and Daimio is integrating much better onto the team (even while Johann is learning things about him that could become a problem later on).

The design work on this series is brilliant.  There are a number of strange creatures that Davis had to design for this book, but his Victorian cyborgs are brilliant, as is the crumbling mansion they live in.  I like how this book is frequently a brighter counter-point to Mignola's Hellboy work, and this volume stands out as one of the most gorgeously-drawn to date.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.6: The Universal Machine

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis and Mike Mignola

This volume of BPRD is unlike the previous ones, in that Mignola and Arcudi are more focused than ever before on the characters in the story, and the plot is quite secondary.

Kate Corrigan, a generally underused character to this point, travels to a remote region in France to see about purchasing an incredibly rare old book, which may have the answer to reviving Roger, the homonculus killed in the previous volume.  This being a Mignola story, the rather odd bookseller is of course a long-lived Marquis who lives in a painting and who has lured her there as a way of acquiring another homonculus for his collection.

While Kate deals with this on her own, the usual members of the team get together in a coffee room and share stories about their pasts.  We finally learn how Captain Daimio was killed (although not how or why he came back), and see other glimpses into Liz and Johann's lives.  In Abe's case, he tells a Hellboy story featuring a Wendigo, largely because he's not ready to share what he has recently learned about himself.

I really liked the way this story slowed down and helped build up these characters.  Daimio's inclusion into the book was abrupt, and this is the first that the reader had any chance to gain some insight into his personality beyond the brusque military man we usually see.

Davis's art is as great as ever.  I love the way he draws his women - they are so much more realistic than 95% of the women in comics, and somehow so much sexier because of it.  Mignola provides the epilogue to this story, which is very touching and flawlessly executed.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.5: The Black Flame

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

With this volume, Mignola and Arcudi make it clear that they are willing to really shake things up in the BPRD.  They kill off a pretty central character in their war on the Frogs, and then give another central character an expanded role and new importance, as Liz starts having strange dreams and visions involving an old Asian man who seems to have a lot of hints, clues, and cryptic suggestions for how to deal with the Frogs.

Meanwhile, the Frogs get a potential new boss in the form of the Black Flame. The Zinco Corporation CEO, in a very cool looking bad guy suit, helps bring about the coming of Katha-Hem, another gigantic Lovecraftian monster.

While the action goes pretty wide-screen here, the best parts of this book involve the different reactions to the aforementioned characters death from the other members of the team.  It is Johann's stubborn optimism that the character is not actually dead that I found most endearing.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol. 4: The Dead

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Art by Guy Davis

This is the first of the BPRD trades co-written with John Arcudi, and he brings a very different pacing to the story.  In the wake of the revelation of the Frogs outbreak, the Bureau gets a new field commander and opens up a new office in some ex-military base up high on a mountain.

Captain Daimio is a bit of a jerk, but he's ex-military so it's all good.  He also was dead for a while, but not much is explained about that.  The new base has some secrets, including a sealed-up ex-Nazi scientist who has a plan to bring heavenly bug angel things into our world.

Much of this arc exists to set up Daimio and his relations with the other members of the team.  Roger is written as pretty dumb in this book, which doesn't exactly fit with her earlier characterizations, and felt kind of off.  Other than that, the story works quite well, even if it's a little more decompressed than this title was before.

There is a long sub-plot involving Abe Sapien tracking down the house he'd lived in before his transformation; a house still inhabited by the spirit of his dead wife.  Their scenes together, while short, form a nice juxtaposition to the rest of the story, and are kind of touching in their way.

The Hellboy Project: B.P.R.D. Vol.2: The Soul of Venice & Other Stories

Written by Mike Mignola, Miles Gunther, Michael Avon Oeming,Brian Augustyn, and Joe Harris
Art by Michael Avon Oeming, Guy Davis, Adam Pollina, Guillermo Zubiaga, and Cameron Stewart

I find it sort of odd that so early into its existence as a separate, non-Hellboy entity, Mike Mignola would hand over the reins to such a variety of different creators.  But that's exactly what he did, in the form of three one-shot stories (joined here by a new story).

Each of the stories follow the usual Hellboy/BPRD set-up of a town under siege by some sort of weirdness, followed by our heroes showing up to deal with it.  There's nothing out of the box about any of the stories, but it's cool to see such a variety of talented artists work in Mignola's playground.  I especially like seeing Adam Pollina drawing Abe Sapien - he seems to just get the character, and makes him quite unique.

After reading his story here, it's not hard to see why Guy Davis was picked to be the semi-regular artist on this title, as he turns in some great work.  The only story here that doesn't really do it for me is the Geoff Johns/Scott Kolins piece, but I've always had an issue with Kolins's art, so it's not a surprise that I didn't like it.