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brandonadaniels's review against another edition
5.0
1946 is the first of several prequel stories. This one follows Professor Bloom and ties in a lot of elements from Hellboy while still feeling like it’s own thing and not too constrained. It takes place in a unique time in history and does a fair amount with it. Paul Azaceta is a pretty good fit, though I do wish Dave Stewart had colored it.
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
5.0
Don't let the volume 9 on the side fool you, this is the best point to start reading BPRD. A slightly post-War World War II adventure featuring the founder of BPRD (and the guy who raises Hellboy), vampires, demons, Russian soldiers, and a ragtag group of American soldiers.
You can read this having never read any of Mike Mignola's stories and have no problem following the story. And if it's not for you, you can put it down after, imagining it's all been wrapped up in a nice little bow.
I would recommend this to people interested in reading the Hellboy Universe but who haven't dipped their toes (or hooves) in it yet, people who enjoy World War II related scifi/horror (there must be a ton of people who fit this description based on the sheer volume of WWII scifi/horror available), Hellboy fans, people who liked 30 Days Of Night but wish it had Nazis in it, X-Files fans, people who loved Baby Doll from Batman The Animated series but wish she spoke Russian, and people who wish the owls in Harry Potter turned out to be mythological murderers out to avenge dead vampires.
You can read this having never read any of Mike Mignola's stories and have no problem following the story. And if it's not for you, you can put it down after, imagining it's all been wrapped up in a nice little bow.
I would recommend this to people interested in reading the Hellboy Universe but who haven't dipped their toes (or hooves) in it yet, people who enjoy World War II related scifi/horror (there must be a ton of people who fit this description based on the sheer volume of WWII scifi/horror available), Hellboy fans, people who liked 30 Days Of Night but wish it had Nazis in it, X-Files fans, people who loved Baby Doll from Batman The Animated series but wish she spoke Russian, and people who wish the owls in Harry Potter turned out to be mythological murderers out to avenge dead vampires.
kellylynnthomas's review against another edition
4.0
This story takes places at the very beginnings of the B.P.R.D., when Hellboy is still a small child, so it's outside the normal B.P.R.D. continuum. It's kind of a nice break from the rising tension of the Plague of Frogs story line, though it's just as creepy and weird and unsettling as any Mignola book. There are lots of crazy Nazi experiments and contraptions as well.
jonathancrites's review against another edition
4.0
Trying to get back on the BPRD read through - read this as part of the 1946-1948 volume.
I was not sure how much I would care about going back to this period but it ends up being the formative tale of what will become the BPRD. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to 1947.
I was not sure how much I would care about going back to this period but it ends up being the formative tale of what will become the BPRD. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to 1947.
ramonnogueras's review against another edition
5.0
Nazis. Misiles de vampiros. Berlín tras la guerra. Es perfecto.
otherwyrld's review against another edition
3.0
As the title suggest, the story is set in the early days of the B.P.R.D. and features Trevor Bruttenholm (pronounced Broom)as the main protagonist. In this story he travels to post-war Berlin to try and seek any information about his young ward Hellboy. He finds himself stymied at all turns by a similar Soviet paranormal group let by the mysterious child/demon Varvara.
The two groups come together to uncover the horrific story of Operation Vampir Sturm, Hitler's attempt to create a vampire army that he would use to unleash on the world in the event of the fall of the Third Reich. Along the way you get cyborg gorillas, a head in a jar, an old vampire that can turn into an owl, and an experimental rocket designed to send the newly born vampires to America.
It's all very weird and dark, but in the end I felt that it just tried too hard to throw as many ideas into the mix and see what stuck. The mystery of who Varvara is could have been spun out a little bit more as well, but as it is she is a truly creepy creation.
Whilst this story is listed as volume 9, it and its two sequels (1947 and 1948) are self-contained and could be read at any point. Neither does it require any prior knowledge of either Hellboy or the B.P.R.D. so it could be used as a stepping on point for new readers, though some people may be put off by the storyline.
The two groups come together to uncover the horrific story of Operation Vampir Sturm, Hitler's attempt to create a vampire army that he would use to unleash on the world in the event of the fall of the Third Reich. Along the way you get cyborg gorillas, a head in a jar, an old vampire that can turn into an owl, and an experimental rocket designed to send the newly born vampires to America.
It's all very weird and dark, but in the end I felt that it just tried too hard to throw as many ideas into the mix and see what stuck. The mystery of who Varvara is could have been spun out a little bit more as well, but as it is she is a truly creepy creation.
Whilst this story is listed as volume 9, it and its two sequels (1947 and 1948) are self-contained and could be read at any point. Neither does it require any prior knowledge of either Hellboy or the B.P.R.D. so it could be used as a stepping on point for new readers, though some people may be put off by the storyline.
ellstar's review against another edition
4.0
I'm familiar with the Hellboy universe but havent read any BPRD and was advised to start here. An interesting tale of horror and hubris.
mrswhiteinthelibrary's review against another edition
4.0
After the massive buildup in the last few volumes, there is a slight jolt when you realize that 1946 is about the BPRD of the last, specifically, in the year, 1946 (see what I did there?). Still, this is a great installment, filled to the brim and overflowing with nothing but macabre pulp. This follows the adventures of Professor Bruttenholm in the early days of the Bureau, investigating immediate post-war conditions in Berlin, with the shaky aid of Varvara, a strange little Russian girl who drinks whiskey and wards off vampire lords. There are such memorable aspects in this as Nazis (so many), vampires made from the formerly insane, plots for the end of the world, heads in jars, and yes, gorillas. It's been too long seen we've seen a decent hyper intelligent gorilla in these parts. This is a fun, if unexpected collaborative effort between Joshua Dysart, who tries to bring some weight to the story, and Mignola, who of course, refuses to be anything other than tongue and cheek for too long.
Paul Azeceta's gorgeously detailed artwork keeps the tone deliciously macabre, and compliments the otherwise occasionally ridiculous premise so that it feels like a genuine work of art.
Paul Azeceta's gorgeously detailed artwork keeps the tone deliciously macabre, and compliments the otherwise occasionally ridiculous premise so that it feels like a genuine work of art.
kateofmind's review against another edition
5.0
Nazploitation at its very finest. Pulptastically, batshitfully delicious!