David: You guys, 2013 is almost over, and the Mignolaversity year has come to a close. It was a monster year – literally – and one that maybe rivals the best the Mignolaverse has ever seen. What did you guys think of the year and about the direction things are going as we head into 2014?
Mark: It did get bigger with four issues coming out most months and adding the new spin-off Sledgehammer 44. Not only that, but Abe Sapien and B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth are now in tandem, and there’s more crossover plotlines happening than I can ever remember happening before. It’s simultaneously more sprawling and more connected. So, yeah, it’s been a huge year. And I know you guys aren’t up to speed with Baltimore, but I have to say, this year was its best. That series is really firing on all cylinders.
Plus I got to join Mignolaversity this year, so from my point of view, that was pretty big!
As for 2014, right now all I can think about is “The Reign of the Black Flame.”
Brian: This year was, hands down, the most diverse year of the Mignolaverse. Lots of stuff set in the past (“Sledgehammer ’44,” “The Midnight Circus,” “Vampire”), lots of stuff dealing with the modern age, and lots of Hell. All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic year. In fact, I might call this my favorite year of Mignola fandom. Shall we get to our “awards” then?
David: Sounds good to me! Below you can find Brian, Mark and myself sharing our picks for a number of categories about the things we loved in the Mignolaverse in 2013. Take a look, and please, share your picks in the comments below.
Favorite Arc
Brian: I wrestled with this one a lot, jumping between my eventual choice and “Wasteland,” but ultimately, I felt the arc I chose, “A Cold Day in Hell,” was the most unique arc of the year. Iosif is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters in the book, and this arc put him firmly in the “good” category, after having him somewhat on the fence, allegiance wise. Seeing him risk his life for the good of his fellow agents/the greater good was a surprising and fascinating turn of events. Plus, having Peter Snejbjerg on art is a rare treat that should be celebrated.
David: It has to be “Wasteland” for me. This was the coming out party for much of the human cast of the book, introducing a lot of future staples to us as readers (at least in a full fashion) while giving us a good look at what the status quo is going forward. Most notably though, it was Laurence Campbell informing us just how dark – literally – the world has gotten in the most beautiful way possible. I still remember my reaction to the first shot of Chicago in “Wasteland”, and what a sight it was. A horrible, nightmare inducing sight, but a sight no less.
In a great year filled with big moments, a small story about a group of B.P.R.D. agents trying to rescue some of their own comes out on top for me.
Mark: I feel like I’m taking the easy answer for this one, but I don’t see how I could pick anything other than “Hellboy in Hell” #1-4. Issue 1 blew my mind with Sir Edward and Eligos fighting, then again with the puppet show moment. Issue 2 pushed it further as Hellboy explored Pandemonium and then returned home, where it was revealed how he got the Right Hand of Doom. I thought you couldn’t top that, but then Hellboy meets his siblings and learns that he killed Satan. Satan is dead. You can’t possibly beat that, right?
Well, apparently you can because then Mignola unexpectedly starts exploring Sir Edward Grey and what happened to him that changed him from an occult investigator to a masked sorcerer whose destiny is somehow entwined with Hellboy’s.
Each issue of this arc has ripples that go out into practically every corner of the Hellboy universe. And on top of that it just looked beautiful. Mignola’s return to the ongoing Hellboy story was nothing less than an utter triumph.
Continued belowFavorite Artist
Brian: This question is shockingly hard, but I think if we’re going on just 2013 output, I’ve gotta give it to Laurence Campbell. “Wasteland” was such a visually affecting arc – need I say more than “mother in striped hoodie” to give you chills? – and his work on “Sledgehammer ’44 – The Lightning War” has been absolutely revelatory. His style is totally distinct and vastly different from everyone else in the Mignola crew, which helps him to stand out among the sea of amazing artists. Plus, with 5 issues released this year, he’s up there with the Twins, Ben Stenbeck and Tyler Crook for most Mignola-work produced this year.
David: The Mignolaverse is undoubtedly one of the most amazing places to find great art in comics, but in a year where we saw Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, Laurence Campbell, James Harren, Tyler Crook, Mike Mignola himself, and many others bring standout work to the table, I have two other picks acting as a tie for me: Duncan Fegredo and Dave Stewart.
Fegredo may have provided less work than others, but he was the second best artist in all of comics in 2013 for me, and his work on Hellboy: The Midnight Circus was the best work of his career in the Mignolaverse in my book. The fluid styles, the usage of ink washes, the mix of reality and fantastical horror…it was all incredible and made that book something to behold.
It helps that he had Stewart color him, and in many ways, Stewart is the dominant artist in the Mignolaverse. He works on all of them bringing a uniform quality to the books that few books can match. I mentioned this recently in a review, but he owns the color red as a colorist, as we identify with the very specific hue he uses. Stewart is a brilliant, brilliant colorist, and the tie that binds in terms of Mignolaverse art.
Mark:
I can’t wait for this one to go to a library edition because the sketchbook section for this one is going to be something else altogether.
Favorite Plotline
Brian: This is a vague answer but, I think I’ve most enjoyed the reconstituting of the Bureau. People like Giarocco and Howards moving into roles of prominence, the reunion of three of the “big 5” in the Bureau (Johann, Liz and Kate), and having the Russians join up have given the Bureau a very different look this year. The operation seems leaner and more ready to deal with some serious shit at a moment’s notice. #114 felt like a reunion in so many ways, and was a perfect way to cap off a year of real change – by getting back to the Bureau being under one roof, ready to move forward. However, the constitution of the people under that roof has changed considerably, and appears to be permanent.
David: The ascent of Agent Howards, for me. When we were first introduced to him in “The Abyss of Time”, we didn’t know anything about him, nor did he seem like anything special. Now? He’s a Hyperborean sword toting mega badass that is the first pick in B.P.R.D. fantasy team draft lists. His rapid development from literal nobody to an absolute game changer has been a sight to behold, and one that I really feel will continue to pay off going forward. Plus, he’s a complete mystery, and it’s fascinating to see him interact with the rest of the cast. So yeah, that’s my jam, and I won’t tell him that Mark and Brian didn’t pick him because there might be some sort of reckoning.
Continued belowMark: “Favorite Plotline?” That’s such a cruel question. I can think of a few for several reasons, but since I’m only allowed to pick one, I’m going to pick out the one that’s furthest from what we’ve seen before. Patrick Redding’s journey in “Sledgehammer 44” and “Lighting War” opened up a new corner of the Hellboy universe that had only been teased before, and was pulled off with such a great sense of 40’s adventure. It feels so very different from Hellboy, B.P.R.D., and all the other spin-offs, and yet it fits comfortably next to them.
The recent Dark horse solicitations announced the trade, which was happily a “volume 1,” so it seems there shall be more Sledgehammer…
Favorite Moment
Brian: This is going to sound silly, but the crow saying “Hecate” in the very beginning of “Vampire” #1. It is a one-panel moment, but it signaled the tone and mission statement for the mini. As David pointed out at the time, it was the most “Hellboy”-ish moment in a B.P.R.D. story in quite some time, and it was one of the more defining moments of the year.
David: I mentioned this before, but this time I will share a picture!
That first view of Chicago in “Wasteland” from Laurence Campbell was undoubtedly a jaw dropper. Remarkably well done, and so damn memorable.
Mark: I think this one is best said with a picture:
You may consider that a thousand words.
Standout Character
Brian: I never, ever, thought I’d say this, but Fenix’s journey this year has been incredible. Her journey to understanding/accepting her place in the Bureau, from working with Panya, to somehow escaping the Bureau, to her return in #114, has been satisfying in every way. Her connection to Liz is, perhaps, the thread I’m most looking forward to exploring in 2014. Her transformation from pariah to favorite was, and is, remarkable.
David: This was a late breaker, but a returned to form Liz Sherman who also is coming back to the Bureau? How can she not be my standout character? “Lake of Fire” was an amazing arc, and seeing Liz get her groove back and her fire within – literally and figuratively – was something I’d been hoping to see for a long time, and ultimately what was delivered to us was better than I could have imagined. Spectacular.
Mark: Agent Simon Anders. “B.P.R.D.: Vampire” was a powerful piece of writing. I really got into Simon’s story, and watching him struggle, I never doubted for a second that he’d keep fighting. I never expected him to give into the darkness inside of him so utterly, and if this hadn’t been the year of “Hellboy in Hell” starting and “The Midnight Circus,” this would have easily been my favourite story for the year. The opening pages of the first issue were comics storytelling in its purest form.
I wanted to mention Abe Sapien, or Agent Howards/Gell Dennar, or Liz Sherman because of her return to the Bureau at last… but the character whose story shook me to my bones was Simon Anders. Plus he rode off on a mystic bear. How often do you see that?
Sneaky Plot Point That Will Pay Off Most Going Forward
Brian: I think Varvara is going to be a major player next year. Her focus in “A Cold Day in Hell” and her appearance in “1948” seem to be laying the seeds for her to emerge as one of the major players in the Mignolaverse next year. Mark my words – 2014 will be the year of Varvara.
David: Professor Mark Tweedale has talked about this, and I doubt this even counts as “sneaky”, but come on guys, when the jig is up, I really feel the Sledgehammer suit and its Vril powered beast modeness is going to drop the hammer on some Ogdru Hem. I think my sneaky plot point is that a lot of the side stuff? The Ashley Strodes, the Simon Anders, the LoJo’s, the Sledges? That will ultimately be more important than we realize, even if it is heavily driven by the creators who work on them right now. As we’ve learned, chess pieces aren’t just put on the Mignolaverse board to be stagnant. Everything has a purpose. I think we’ll see the truth behind that some day.
Continued belowMark: Technically this plot point was introduced late 2012, but 2013 caught the last bit of it in the final two issues of “B.P.R.D.: 1948.” I’m talking about Enkeladite, the glass made by the nuclear Enkelados Project explosion, most of which was destroyed. Jump forward sixty years and Fenix Espejo has an Enkeladite pendant given to her by her mother before she died. It’s a very brief mention, and very easy to miss. It was very sneaky indeed, and I would be very surprised if it didn’t pay off going forward.
Biggest Miss
Brian: “The Shape of Things to Come” arc of Abe left me cold as well. Between the less than stellar Spanglish dialogue to the rather unclear ending, it was the weak link in what was, otherwise, an incredibly solid year.
David: What Brian and Mark said. “The Shape of Things to Come” was the flattest arc in a pretty tough first year of Abe Sapien for me, at least. I think the book is well done, but it’s just not particularly interesting to me in its current format, and it all came to roost in that arc. Here’s hoping it starts coming together after the excellent Oeming-drawn issue we had recently.
Mark: For me this one was “Abe Sapien: The Shape of Things to Come.” It was something that just fell flat for me.
The thing is, I felt like all the elements for the story were there, they just hadn’t found a comfortable shape yet. Both Abe and Elena are characters with emotional walls up, yet at various points they tell each other a great deal of exposition for the benefit of the reader without earning it on a character level first. They didn’t have a shift in their relationship to justify the removal of certain walls. They simply opened up because the story needed them to open up in order to move forward.
And paradoxically, the characters remain distant. They listen to each other, but they don’t invest in each other. And ultimately, this is why (for me at least) the ending fell flat. On the final page, when Elena turned into a goat and ran away with her father, there is no catharsis for everything that happened before. Elena sees her father, turns into a goat and runs away. She spares no further thought for Abe at this point. There is no exchange between her and Abe, not even so much as a glance.
So that’s why it felt empty for me. If the characters aren’t invested in each other, I find it difficult to invest in them.
Favorite Mignolaversity Event
Brian: Not to totally Ape Mark’s answer, but 31 Days of Abe was incredible. Every day my email was blowing up with literally hundreds of Abes, from pros to amateurs to everything in between. Having Mike Mignola actually draw something because of our website was one of the proudest moments in my personal Multiversity history. I still can’t believe how many incredible Abes we received.
David: These guys are saying 31 Days of Abe, and they are not wrong, but because they’re going to say that I get to say something else: it was super cool interviewing James Harren and Scott Allie about the New York-centric “Reign of the Black Flame” arc outside at NYCC with the city in the background. Giving viewers a perspective on what is at stake in this arc while talking with them was a pretty amazing experience, and I’m always thrilled to interview cool chaps like them.
Mark: How is this even a question? 31 Days of Abe! I loved that. And best of all, I was new to Mignolaversity back then, so I didn’t have to do any of the heavy lifting. For the most part I just got to sit back and enjoy David and Brian’s hard work. And those art pieces were fantastic. I think there was about seventy of them in thirty-four days. I know I’m going to leave out some favourites here, but I have to mention in particular the works from Declan Shalvey, Joe Querio, Tyler Crook, Justin Erickson, Jason Latour, Ben Stenbeck, and my personal favorite, Tonci Zonjic.
Continued belowWe didn’t know it at the time, but we were also getting sneak peaks of “Itty Bitty Hellboy” and “Abe Sapien: The Land of the Dead.” Brian and David even managed to get Mike Mignola to draw one.
So there’s no question that was my favorite Mignolaversity event.
What We’re Most Excited for in 2014
Brian: If you had asked me last year what I would be excited about, I would never have said “Laurence Campbell and Jason Latour joining the Mignolaverse,” so I’m going to sort of give a cop out answer. I want the creators who made 2013 so awesome to do even more in 2014, and add a few new names to the Mignolaverse ranks. If I tried too hard to predict/wish something on the creators, I’d lose the sense of discovery and joy I get from being surprised all the time.
That, and at least 5 issues of “Hellboy in Hell.” A boy can dream, can’t he?
David: I know we already celebrated this, but Hellboy for real real turns 20 in 2014! That means special covers, all kinds of cool celebrations, and who knows, maybe Mignolaversity is planning something. I don’t even know! All I know is this is a landmark achievement, and we really can’t wait until this happens.
If I was forced to say something actually comic related, I’d go with the next B.P.R.D. arc, “Reign of the Black Flame.” I’ve already read the first two (TWO!) issues of this, and I can promise you this: this is James Harren at his absolute finest, and it is going to blow you away. Mark my words!
Mark: Next year there’s going to be “Hellboy in Hell: The Death Card,” “BPRD Hell on Earth: The Reign of the Black Flame,” “Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster,” and… beyond that I don’t know. And that’s what I’m most excited for. The unknown.
This year, getting stories like “The Abyss of Time” which jumped back to the prehistory of the Hellboy universe, or jumping into World War II with Sledgehammer 44, or Simon Anders running off to hunt vampires on the back of a mystical bear, that’s the stuff I loved the most, and I knew very little about any of it until I was reading it for the first time. So that’s what I’m most excited about; the thing that comes out of left field and blows my mind.
That said, I also have to say, I hope Cameron Stewart will have a story coming out in 2014 too, even if it’s just an eight-page short in “Dark Horse Presents” or something. I had way too much fun with 2012’s “Exorcism.”
Character to Watch in 2014
Brian: It has to be Howards, right? I mean, when everyone in the Bureau is excitedly talking about him, I think we sort of have to be, don’t we?
David: Iosif. I’m going to start making “Varvara was right!” shirts, but I don’t trust Iosif, and my special little lady Varvara wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, yeah she would because she’s a demon in little girl form, but still, you get my point. I think “Reign of the Black Flame” might reveal some badness to Iosif we previously didn’t realize, and it’s going to be at a very, very inopportune time. Pray for Team Iosif, because they are in it deep!
Mark: Panya, damn it. If “A Cold Day in Hell” made one thing abundantly clear, it’s that she’s playing a game with a specific end in mind. She’s not just toying around for her amusement. And she should be out of her wheelchair and walking soon, which gives her a lot more freedom to create trouble. She’s obviously manipulating people around her, but the why is an utter mystery.
I very much want an arc with Panya as a central character.
