B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs
Encyclopedia
B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs is a five-issue B.P.R.D.
comic book
mini-series
, written by Mike Mignola
, with art by Guy Davis and published by Dark Horse Comics
.
stated that this series goes back to the roots of the Hellboy
series concept, which Mignola originally conceived of as a team book until the character of Hellboy
took over and dominated the book, and although previous B.P.R.D.
stories had been told this was the first to be written solely by Mignola himself.
Allie also added that whilst this story and subsequent mini-series would see the title develop more along the lines of a standard ongoing series, albeit one with regular breaks, it would go against the conventions of the comic book industry to profoundly change the fictionalised world in which it is set forever.
The BPRD's enhanced talents taskforce are called in to investigate when Professor Derby infiltrates a classified research facility in New Jersey and shoots dead Dr. Platt who has been working on scientific research into fungi and has grown a giant specimen in the lab.
Abe, Kate, Liz, Roger and Johann have returned to B.P.R.D. headquarters with a captured frog monster and Director Manning reveals that the spore Dr. Platt had based his experiments on had recently been recovered from the ruins of Cavendish Hall and belong to the monstrous Sadu-Hem.
The team crash at Crab Point, Michigan. Roger is strung up by a frog monster and Johann is dispersed leaving Kate to search for help whilst Abe and Liz face the demonic priest of Sadu-Hem who has summoned forth the frog monsters.
The entire town of Crab Point, Michigan has been converted into frog monsters and it is left to Liz to rescue Kate from a graveyard of revenants whilst Sapien faces execution at the behest of Rasputin who seeks revenge for Abe Sapien’s involvement in his own death at Cavendish Hall years before.
Kate, Liz and Johann (temporarily inhabiting the rotting corpse of a dead dog) rush to save Abe whilst he hovers between life and death experiencing a mystical vision in which he witnesses his own origins as an undersea explorer called Caul caught up in the assassination of Abe Lincoln.
B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs (February 23, 2005
, ISBN 978-1-59307-288-9), which also included an eight-page sketchbook with art from Davis and one page of thumbnails and scripts by Mignola.
Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is a fictional organization in the comic book work of Mike Mignola, charged with protecting America and the world from the occult, paranormal and supernatural. It maintains the services of several supernatural persons, including Hellboy. The B.P.R.D...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, written by Mike Mignola
Mike Mignola
Michael Joseph "Mike" Mignola is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.-Career:Mignola...
, with art by Guy Davis and published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
.
Creation
Editor Scott AllieScott Allie
Scott Allie is an American comics writer and editor, currently the Senior Managing Editor for Dark Horse Comics.-Career:Scott Allie is the author of The Devil's Footprints and the editor of the Hellboy, Conan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Serenity comics, as well as the founding editor of Dark...
stated that this series goes back to the roots of the Hellboy
Hellboy
Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
series concept, which Mignola originally conceived of as a team book until the character of Hellboy
Hellboy
Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
took over and dominated the book, and although previous B.P.R.D.
Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense
The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is a fictional organization in the comic book work of Mike Mignola, charged with protecting America and the world from the occult, paranormal and supernatural. It maintains the services of several supernatural persons, including Hellboy. The B.P.R.D...
stories had been told this was the first to be written solely by Mignola himself.
Allie also added that whilst this story and subsequent mini-series would see the title develop more along the lines of a standard ongoing series, albeit one with regular breaks, it would go against the conventions of the comic book industry to profoundly change the fictionalised world in which it is set forever.
Issue #1
The first issue (March 3, 2004) featured a cover by Guy Davis.The BPRD's enhanced talents taskforce are called in to investigate when Professor Derby infiltrates a classified research facility in New Jersey and shoots dead Dr. Platt who has been working on scientific research into fungi and has grown a giant specimen in the lab.
Issue #2
The second issue (April 7, 2004) featured a cover by Guy Davis.Abe, Kate, Liz, Roger and Johann have returned to B.P.R.D. headquarters with a captured frog monster and Director Manning reveals that the spore Dr. Platt had based his experiments on had recently been recovered from the ruins of Cavendish Hall and belong to the monstrous Sadu-Hem.
Issue #3
The third issue (May 5, 2004) featured a cover by Guy Davis.The team crash at Crab Point, Michigan. Roger is strung up by a frog monster and Johann is dispersed leaving Kate to search for help whilst Abe and Liz face the demonic priest of Sadu-Hem who has summoned forth the frog monsters.
Issue #4
The fourth issue (June 2, 2004) featured a cover by Guy Davis.The entire town of Crab Point, Michigan has been converted into frog monsters and it is left to Liz to rescue Kate from a graveyard of revenants whilst Sapien faces execution at the behest of Rasputin who seeks revenge for Abe Sapien’s involvement in his own death at Cavendish Hall years before.
Issue #5
The fifth issue (July 7, 2004) featured a cover by Guy Davis.Kate, Liz and Johann (temporarily inhabiting the rotting corpse of a dead dog) rush to save Abe whilst he hovers between life and death experiencing a mystical vision in which he witnesses his own origins as an undersea explorer called Caul caught up in the assassination of Abe Lincoln.
Collected edition
The five issues were compiled and reprinted in the trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs (February 23, 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
, ISBN 978-1-59307-288-9), which also included an eight-page sketchbook with art from Davis and one page of thumbnails and scripts by Mignola.