B.P.R.D: PLAGUE OF FROGS
September 20th 2009 22:37
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Production Team: Mike Mignola – story, Guy Davis – art, Dave Stewart – colours, Clem Robins - letters
Cost: AU$15.22/US$17.95
If memory serves me correctly a plague of frogs was one of the Biblical plagues visited upon the land of Egypt as a result of Moses efforts to try and liberate the Jewish people from the clutches of Pharaoh. We all know how that all ended, doom and gloom all around for the Egyptians and many years of wandering around in the wilderness for the Jews. Not exactly the most ideal of all situations but then again I suppose that’s life for you. In this particular graphic novel the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence (BPRD) find that they are confronted by a veritable plague of frogs brought about by various means in order to fulfil an ancient prophecy and thus visit upon the world all manner of apocalyptic carnage and doom. When dealing with elder gods of unhuman provenance this kind of thing is the norm just as you and I would order pizza or a kebab, it’s just what they do.
Events begin in New Jersey; some would say that very fact alone would be a veritable recipe for potential disaster of biblical proportions, at a secret laboratory operated by the BPRD. It seems that in this particular facility there has been kept a fragment of fungus that was taken from the scene of a pervious investigation some six weeks previously by a follow up team. The fungus was allowed to grow in confinement within the laboratory in New Jersey and it began to reach gargantuan proportions; that was when everything started to go to hell. Professor Derby manages to talk his way into the facility as he is a noted authority on all matters fungus related, a lecturer at Cornell University who had written many papers on the subject. What the laboratory personnel do not realise is that the fungus they have allowed to grow has somehow been communicating with the good professor and his visit is not one of professional curiosity but an attempt at liberation.
It seems that despite previous efforts the elder god known as Sadu-hem has managed to avoid destruction and is once again loose in the world, loose within the form of a human being. Professor Derby has become the skin that the entity now wears and uses to walk amongst the society of the mundane world, as for the professor himself well he is literally no more his very being devoured by the entity he has unleashed. Of course Derby is not the only one who has been altered by the sudden release of Sadu-hem into the world at large…oh not by a long shot. When an investigation team comprised of Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, Kate Corrigan, Johann Kraus and Roger the golem arrive on the scene from BPRD headquarters they discover the other unpleasant surprise left behind by the possessed Professor Derby.
By implanting individuals with part of his own essence Sadu-hem can transform them into giant monstrous and decidedly vicious frogs. Several security guards and one of the scientists reveal their amphibious nature once the BPRD team arrived on the scene and begin to poke around in an effort to discover what has actually happened. It’s not the first time that BPRD has encountered such entities; there have been previous encounters where the bureau and its agents prevailed against the frogs. The last encounter also involved that sinister Russian monk, Grigori Rasputin, who has usual was up to his stock standard gig of unleashing things better off left alone. This time it seems that he has managed to get one up on his enemies as the events that are unfolding are a result of his previous efforts, despite them being foiled a seed has been left for the agenda to be carried on by others.
Reading this particular story I could see how there were certain nods to the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft dotted here and there throughout the narrative. Leaving aside the matter of elder gods there is Professor Derby, a nod to the character Nathaniel Pickman Derby then we have the New Temple of Mysteries which echoes the Esoteric Order of Dagon from the Shadow over Innsmouth and the locale of Crab Point, Michigan is reminiscent of that hoary old New England township Innsmouth. I can remember reading that tale, Shadow over Innsmouth, many years ago and being rather chilled at its eventual denouement. Rather eerie, in fact the final part of this particular graphic novel has a similar twist to that story.
Instead of leaving us with the finale of the BPRD wreaking havoc on the New Temple of Mysteries the team instead round things out with a narrative that presents to the audience the origins of Abe Sapien. It seems that the origins of this enigmatic character have up until now never been detailed in any way shape or form, they certainly present an interesting picture to conclude this graphic novel. It also leads to some rather interesting questions about the individual that Abe Sapien was before his recruitment into the ranks of the BPRD and no doubt provides the potential for future BPRD stories. Here again in this tale we have a homage to HP Lovecraft as it seems that like many characters in the Cthulhu mythos Abe Sapien was an antiquarian and scholar delving into knowledge beyond the ken of normal men and the everyday world, knowledge that seems to have a significant impact on him in ways he could never have imagined.
Mike Mignola has created a finely crafted work of the horror/action genre that is unique in its mythology and background as well as being suitably otherworldly. In fact I’d recommend reading this particular work in the hours of daylight and not during the evening as you might be suitably frightened, especially if you live anywhere near an area where there are a large amount of frogs chirping away…
Production Team: Mike Mignola – story, Guy Davis – art, Dave Stewart – colours, Clem Robins - letters
Cost: AU$15.22/US$17.95
If memory serves me correctly a plague of frogs was one of the Biblical plagues visited upon the land of Egypt as a result of Moses efforts to try and liberate the Jewish people from the clutches of Pharaoh. We all know how that all ended, doom and gloom all around for the Egyptians and many years of wandering around in the wilderness for the Jews. Not exactly the most ideal of all situations but then again I suppose that’s life for you. In this particular graphic novel the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence (BPRD) find that they are confronted by a veritable plague of frogs brought about by various means in order to fulfil an ancient prophecy and thus visit upon the world all manner of apocalyptic carnage and doom. When dealing with elder gods of unhuman provenance this kind of thing is the norm just as you and I would order pizza or a kebab, it’s just what they do.
By implanting individuals with part of his own essence Sadu-hem can transform them into giant monstrous and decidedly vicious frogs. Several security guards and one of the scientists reveal their amphibious nature once the BPRD team arrived on the scene and begin to poke around in an effort to discover what has actually happened. It’s not the first time that BPRD has encountered such entities; there have been previous encounters where the bureau and its agents prevailed against the frogs. The last encounter also involved that sinister Russian monk, Grigori Rasputin, who has usual was up to his stock standard gig of unleashing things better off left alone. This time it seems that he has managed to get one up on his enemies as the events that are unfolding are a result of his previous efforts, despite them being foiled a seed has been left for the agenda to be carried on by others.
Reading this particular story I could see how there were certain nods to the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft dotted here and there throughout the narrative. Leaving aside the matter of elder gods there is Professor Derby, a nod to the character Nathaniel Pickman Derby then we have the New Temple of Mysteries which echoes the Esoteric Order of Dagon from the Shadow over Innsmouth and the locale of Crab Point, Michigan is reminiscent of that hoary old New England township Innsmouth. I can remember reading that tale, Shadow over Innsmouth, many years ago and being rather chilled at its eventual denouement. Rather eerie, in fact the final part of this particular graphic novel has a similar twist to that story.
Instead of leaving us with the finale of the BPRD wreaking havoc on the New Temple of Mysteries the team instead round things out with a narrative that presents to the audience the origins of Abe Sapien. It seems that the origins of this enigmatic character have up until now never been detailed in any way shape or form, they certainly present an interesting picture to conclude this graphic novel. It also leads to some rather interesting questions about the individual that Abe Sapien was before his recruitment into the ranks of the BPRD and no doubt provides the potential for future BPRD stories. Here again in this tale we have a homage to HP Lovecraft as it seems that like many characters in the Cthulhu mythos Abe Sapien was an antiquarian and scholar delving into knowledge beyond the ken of normal men and the everyday world, knowledge that seems to have a significant impact on him in ways he could never have imagined.
Mike Mignola has created a finely crafted work of the horror/action genre that is unique in its mythology and background as well as being suitably otherworldly. In fact I’d recommend reading this particular work in the hours of daylight and not during the evening as you might be suitably frightened, especially if you live anywhere near an area where there are a large amount of frogs chirping away…
| 30 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
