B.P.R.D., Vol. 6: The Universal Machine

B.P.R.D.

by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Guy Davis (Artist)

After the catastrophic encounter with the monster-god Katha-Hem, Dr. Kate Corrigan travels to rural France in search of an ancient text that might undo the death of Roger. Back at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, Captain Daimio tells the story of his own death, Johann Kraus confesses a bizarre love triangle arising from one of his séances, Abe recalls a mission with Hellboy during his early days at the B.P.R.D., and Liz reveals a weird tale of the family members she killed while discovering her firestarter powers.

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, with artist Guy Davis and co-writer John Arcudi, unravel a story that will determine the future of the B.P.R.D., while revealing key secrets about their past. This collection includes a sketchbook section that captures Guy Davis's development of the terrors unveiled in The Universal Machine. Collecting the five-issue miniseries.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Mike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.

In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.

In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.

Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.

Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best volume of the series yet. The team is trying to find ways to bring Roger back to life and discover a book with the knowledge needed. Unfortunately, it's held by a book dealer with some ulterior motives. Meanwhile, the rest of the team hangs out and tells ghost stories and they are fantastic. There is nothing that's not great about this.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was great!

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Universal Machine is a masterpiece, one of the absolute best books in the entire Hellboy universe. The story deals with grief and the way every character goes through it after losing a teammate. Kate Corrigan travels to France, where she hopes to find a way to bring her friend back to life, while the rest of the team are sitting at the headquarters and telling their personal stories of death and mourning. It's a very powerful book, and a tremendous achievement for both Mike Mignola and John Arcudi as writers. Guy Davis and Dave Stewart are at the top of their game, as always, and Mignola draws the last couple of pages himself for one of the most affecting scenes I've ever come across in any kind of fiction outside of Buffy The Vampire Slayer's episode The Body, or Angel's A Hole in The World. This volume is the reason I love BPRD as much as I do.




First read: November 13, 2015
Rating: ★★★★★

Second read: October 26, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Universal Machine” is divided into halves with the main story being Kate Corrigan going to a mysterious French town with a strange past of werewolves and mad marquises, to meet an antique dealer who might have the answer to bringing back Roger, the dead golem. The second half is set at BPRD HQ where Abe, Liz, Daimio, and Krauss share stories of their past including wendigos, giant jungle hybrids, and ghost loves.

The Corrigan part of the book is spectacular. Set in an isolated village, overlooked by the ruins of a castle on a hill reputed to once house werewolves, the reader is enveloped in the eerie atmosphere of the disturbing village. The old fashioned village and uneasy tone of the situation feels very MR James, a superb ghost story writer. The horror references continue inside the antique shop/haunted painting, which feels like an ETA Hoffmann nightmare crossed with the dark fairy tales of Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm. Myths and legends blend into the Lovecraftian fantastique with caged demons held in thrall by bat nosed vampires and a powerful wizard with a closet full of golems. Corrigan proves her mettle in this book which is great as she's usually a side character at best, but here we see why she's in the BPRD. This part of the book is simply amazing, it’s Mignola firing on all cylinders and is pure joy to read. That scene where Devon is trapped in a phone booth at night surrounded by werewolves – and then one of them stands on its hind legs, walks over to the glass and starts talking? What a scene!

Then we head back to Colorado where the rest of the BPRD are telling sad (and exciting!) stories of their past. Some of them are pretty good, though they don’t come close to the Corrigan thread. This is because Mignola wrote Corrigan’s part and John Arcudi wrote these kinda-campfire-but-set-in-a-cafeteria scary short stories- and Arcudi’s simply not as good a writer as Mignola. Hellboy pops up in Abe's story of sad wendigos in the Canadian wilderness while Daimio's Rambo-esque tale of jungle fighting is cool and similar to future books in the series, particularly Vol. 12: War on Frogs, when the story becomes heavily action oriented. Liz’s tale is straight up classic horror in the mould of the 1950s horror comics, while Krauss’ is a love story with a twist. They’re enjoyable enough and add variety to the main story as well as more background to these characters, so they’re a strong inclusion.

“The Universal Machine” is definitely one of the best books in the BPRD series. We bid farewell to a stalwart from the earlier books and Mignola even illustrates the final pages – which, by the way, is an excellent ending with a very beautiful, stark visual. If you enjoy spooky comics, don’t be put off by the “Vol. 6” label and just go right ahead and pick this one up. Granted, if you’ve not been following the series then you’re not going to understand the asides to Roger, but the book is centrally a series of self-contained tales, so it works as a standalone book of gothic horror stories, as well as part of the series as a whole. I just loved this book, it’s one of the best things Mignola’s ever written and well worth reading.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid installment in the series. This one was written by Mignola, and has a compelling story that allows Kate Corrigan to take the lead. A battle of wits between very worthy opponents? Yes, please. Elsewhere, the other members of B.P.R.D. are all sharing their own stories of death. Yes, this does mean that we finally learn Daimio's backstory, and it's as weird and creepy and mysterious as I could have hoped for. The story Abe tells is just as good. Of course, it deliberately reveals nothing about himself, but I can't complain. It's far sadder than I would have expected a story about a wendigo to be. In all, a deeply enjoyable collection.

[Mx. Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume had a much different feel to it than previous ones. It was much more retrospective and quiet, which is a nice change in both pacing and tone.

The narrative is split up into two halves with Kate going to France to find a book that might help them restore Roger and the rest of the team (Abe, Daimio, Liz, Johann) sitting in the kitchen telling stories about their pasts that involve the relativity of death.

Finally we hear some of the specifics of how Ben Daimio died. We learn about Johann's love for a ghost back while he was still a human empath. Liz recounts a nightmare of her family's demise at her own hands. And Abe, not wanting to get personal, tells the story of Daryl the Wendigo, which was truly amazing and it was nice to see Hellboy in a flashback.

Kate's part of the story is really quite good. She gets to shine for the first time so far and I love she's able to outwit the bad guy at his own game with her intelligence rather than having another deus ex machina like the one in The Black Flame.

And I will admit the final scenes between Roger and Johann made me cry. It really was a perfect ending to an incredible story arc filled with emotional impact and serious consequences. These characters have grown so much over the series and I can't wait to see what will happen next.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished the last volume of the series, I thought that it was the best so far and couldn't get any better, but I was proven wrong by the sixth volume "The Universal Machine"

Dr. Kate Corrigan goes on a mission to try to revive the fallen member of their team, Roger. Meanwhile, the remaining members reminisce about their past. The Kate Corrigan part is absolutely thrilling and perfectly incorporates gothic horror and fantasy elements.

This is one of those volumes that must not be missed by fans at all.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite BPRD collection so far, the writing is fantastic, the art is stunning and I really enjoyed the fact that the story progressed onward whilst also giving us more insight in to each of the characters and their pasts.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best volume and story out of the plague of frogs storyline i have had the pleasure of reading so far.

[Wing Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

History is a wonderful wonderful thing!

Oh man still series just keeps getting better and better. The world building the character building, the story, this arc has ALL THE THINGS:

World: Guy Davis art, you will shit your pants. The world building this time around is also stellar, with not only a strong focus on moving the world forward in terms of mythology, but man oh man the character development this arc is insane.

Story: The Marquis story is amazing, and took places that I did not expect. There is the bit of cliche knowing that this deal would not go down smooth but it was amazing how it was resolved because Kate is fucking fantastic! The team sharing portion of the story was also amazingly well done, I don't want to talk about spoilers but man A LOT HAPPENS this arc and it's ALL AWESOME! Just read the fucking book.

Characters: Holy shit a lot of reveals and development. Also I can't say anything at all but man oh man the entire team all get huge chunks of character development and team building, it's holy shit amazing! I can't say anything, the only thing I will say is Daryl!

This arc, I'm sorry for not saying anything except cuss about how awesome it is, is amazing. Honestly this is already arc 6 and if you're still reading BPRD you know what you like and this has it in spades. Arcudi, Mignola, Davis are geniuses and everyone who likes monsters and just good stories should read this fantastic series.

Onward to the next book!

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best volume of the series though. Sadly, Roger does not recover from his wounds and dies at the end of this book in a beautiful sequence drawn by Mike Mignola. It was a great moment for him and Johann Krauss.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm re-reading my Mignolaverse comics at the moment - this seemed a good one to review as a sample BPRD book. Not because it's the best (though it's one of the best) but because it shows off what I find so attractive about the series.

Hellboy itself performed the great service of showing American comics, post-Moore, post-Vertigo, that less could be more - especially in the verbals department. BPRD, walking in Mignola's footsteps even when not written directly by him, has the same economy, the same elegant use of setting and detail to move stories along emotionally. But it applies them to a different tradition - it's the last great flowering of the Claremont-style 'team comic', which was the template for a great deal of comics storytelling from the 1970s on, and only really fell into disrepair when publishers stopped allowing series and creative teams to have long runs (not a problem BPRD has ever suffered from).

The Universal Machine undertakes a traditional team comic task - it's the story arc after a character has died, with the rest of the cast mourning him and moving on, or (but of course) scheming to get him back. It's also a 'character spotlights' arc, as the survivors in turn recount their own experiences with death. So the twin axles which move a Claremontian comic along - the slow unfurling of subplots, the gradual development of character - are both present.

BPRD is exceptionally good at both of these. It has an unusual subject for a team book - it's a chronicle of the end of the world - but the only way this really interferes with the comic is the sense of stakes being high during the team's large-scale confrontations. Otherwise, this is the Claremont formula through and through: an ill-matched group of multicultural misfits, each with their own bundle of secrets, moving through a complex maze of plots against the backdrop of a long, agonising battle. The broad beats of BPRD comics are often comfortingly familiar to a reader who grew up on this stuff. But the comic both executes the formula superbly well and follows it to more adult and satisfying conclusions. In a typical team book, the arc is from mistrust to friendship - BPRD feels truer to life, where friendships are real, and mistrust is real, but the two don't actually change places too often. The relationships among the BPRD cast feel special because they also feel earned. And the flaws in its characters don't always recede and heal - they can be aggravated over time and by stress. BPRD's cast are mostly adults, in their 30s or older, and long past the point where they CAN change easily: Kate carries academia with her, Daimio his military mindset, and Johann is a repressed middle-aged German fusspot.

Plus, of course, you have the perverse gothic imagination of Mignola, and Guy Davis' horrid relish for drawing the bestial and bizarre, which create the addictive texture of this phase of BPRD comics. This particular instalment - in which Kate Corrigan, my favourite BPRD regular, clashes wits with a mysterious French aristo - has ample quantities of both, and some of the series ghastliest imagery.

[Ripley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been thee most tragic in the BPRD series so far. It circles around a series of stories that each of the main BPRD characters tell from moments in their lives along with a wrap around story about saving an agents life. It's done beautifully as all Mike Mignola's stories are but heartbreaking at the same time. Mignola has a way of making tragedy poetic which is why despite all the loss I continue to read these comics.

[novoten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nádherně melancholické, zasněné, oproti Mignolově zvyku všechno zakončit velkou nadpřirozenou rvačkou i nádherně usedlé. Dost možná nejlepší kniha, kterou jsem zatím v sérii potkal. K naprosté dokonalosti chybí už jen to, aby Davis (který jinak všechny hrady, nepřátele nebo prostory kreslí brilantně) přestal tvořit Liz jako utahanou feťačku. V mojí hlavě je strhanou tragickou hrdinkou, ne parafrází na Marilyna Mansona.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, just as good a fix as Mignola's Hellboy graphic novels. I picked up several volumes of BPRD because I'm in a horror mood, but I hate the type of horror where people are victims who cower and shriek, I prefer people who get up and DO something about the horror. Adventure horror.

Lots of good moments with the characters in this one, and a good trick of inserting smaller stories into the overall picture by having several characters discuss their own individual encounters with demons and/or death.

Guy Davis's art is always amazing. Good emotion, good storytelling, and lots of details to lose yourself in.

And the writing team of Mignola and Arcudi give character to the horror, as well. It's not at all nameless horror. I love it.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot this series had fallen by the way side and with only 8 books to go it is definitely on my knock over list. This book felt like a closing off chapter for Roger and it is a little bit of a shame, quite liked the character. The Mignola storyline is right on the money here and offers weird in very high doses. The backstories are some of the most interesting of the series so far but this series far from done. Hellboy might have the central character but this team of characters are every bit as interesting, the stage has been set for an upcoming confrontation the big bad.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much pain in the BPRD halls, everyone is fighting their own demons while fighting literal demons as a team. Each member shares their own life and death story (my personal favorite is Johann’s). Roger is still destroyed and returned to the earth in a beautiful Mignola moment - the art switch was a great way to show the crossing of the barrier moment with Johann and Roger.

Kate is trapped by De Sade and threatened but her knowledge saves her but I can only imagine what this will lead to.

One of the best BPRD trades I’ve read- highly recommended.

[Voma Tron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can add to the choir here that this is a fabulous tale. Not just the ideas and creativity, but the layers of storytelling just fit so well together. Masterpiece is a word I hesitate to use, but if any story in the BPRD etc arsenal deserves it, I would also nominate this.

[Julio · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's great to see Kate in a standalone adventure and the ending is sad but so beautifully written.

[ShamNoop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll miss you, Roger

[Chris Lins · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, at this point I'm glad hellboy is off the team.

The visual design is much more varied and fresh, and the characters seem to have more depth than HB ever seemed to be allowed to express.

These were fun stories, and i especially liked the collector's menagerie.

[Jirka Navrátil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neznal jsem, ale RIP.

[Karly Noelle Abreu White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is definitely a Mignola work, through and through. It was originally conceived as a Hellboy story, and it shows, bearing a lot of the familiar trappings. However, it works even better for the B.P.R.D., giving the team mom, Kate, a chance to show just how badass she really is under duress, and using a framing device (courtesy of John Acrudi) that delves a little deeper into the histories of both Johann and Daimio, who have been long overdue in those respects. The drama continues with Liz and Abe in the background, but the forefront is a very creepy ghost story, and provides further closure to the loss of one very important team member.
Guy Davis' artwork is always capable and getting even better for this series, providing some truly horrific designs for demons and ghouls and werewolves alike, as well as further perfecting his interpretation of Mignola's own designs. This works as a good breather after the grand scale of The Black Flame, and returns the series, in a small, sad way, to it's roots. It just keeps getting better.

[Jonathan Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's understandable that the B.P.R.D. is preoccupied with death. In the previous volume, "The Black Flame," almost 2,000 people died in a confrontation with the monster god Katha-Hem, and one of the victims was very dear to the misfit heroes of the Bureau. So the conversation back at headquarters takes a gloomy turn as Abe, Daimio, Liz and Johann recount individual experiences with death that shaped their lives (Whoa! Daimio's face was bitten off by a nun!). During this coffee klatch, Kate Corrigan travels to a cursed village in France to bargain with a Mephistophelean collector for a book that could hold the blueprint for resurrection. Coz in comic books, every character comes back from the dead. Or do they? It's nice to see Hellboy back with his Bureau buddies, even if it is just a flashback, and it's an even bigger treat to have Mike Mignola himself handle the artwork for a very touching coda and bittersweet farewell to a friend.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite BPRD volume so far. Less fighting and explosions and battle scenes and more storytelling. I hope that the rest of the series is as good as this volume was.

[Brian Rosenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

B.P.R.D. Vol. 6 The Universal Machine
Dark Horse Collects issues 1-5

The B.P.R.D. are notified of the location of a lost book, possibly containing a formula for regrowing a homunculus. The team recently lost theirs, Roger. Twenty-seven hours later Dr Corrigan and Agent Devon are in France to meet the book’s current owner, Thierry. He’s willing to barter.

Poor cell service has Devon leaving to check in with HQ while Theirry shows Corrigan uncanny items in his collection, including his own assortment of homunculi. He wants what’s left of Roger and in exchange Corrigan returns to the B.P.R.D. alive. He then offers a compromise – Corrigan gets the book and Theirry gets the B.P.R.D.’s resident fishman, Abe.

Completing his call, Devon returns to Theirry’s shop to find it… empty.
Nightfall, Devon discovers the townspeople are werewolves. They tell him Theirry’s offer.

Corrigan turns the tables on Thierry and he pays for it. It’s a harsh payment.

Meanwhile at HQ, Liz, Johann, Abe, and Captain Daimio discuss the departed Roger and their own experiences from realms beyond this mortal coil.

“Death is complicated.”

Daimio’s tale begins in the jungles of Bolivia. His platoon is there due to kidnapped nuns. They are attacked by jaguar cultists. Daimio wakes up in body bag. Not my idea of a vacation. Travel tip - Arrows are no match for bullets.

Johann goes next. Working as a medium, he fell in love with a client’s dead wife. He confesses his love to the ghost… only to be rejected.

“You are too sad to hate.”

Liz tells her story regarding her dead family. Was it a dream or a visitation?

Abe tells a story, not his own. Hellboy and Abe are in Ontario. They meet a Wendigo named Daryl who tells his story.

Last pages are a poignant conversation between Johann and Roger.

Great volume. Several stories within stories. This one is deliciously layered like a fine dessert. Consume slowly and savor every page.

[Rizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this series continues to one-up itself. I should be tired of saying "this is my new favorite volume", but I'm certainly not. The team dynamic is really starting to come together, and it's wonderful. They have nothing in common except that they are all desperately broken, lonely people. Finally seeing them bond over that fact is rather cathartic after so many volumes of spiteful bickering. The main villain of this volume was one of the most entertaining and best developed we've gotten thus far. Truly creepy and intimidating. I'm really glad we got a Kate-focused story, because she's mostly been on the backburner since early Hellboy. She really got to flex her expertise here. And speaking of Hellboy, the little wendigo vignette featuring him was absolutely, positively fucked. No other way to put it.

[Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi have done it again. A thrilling instalment of the BPRD series delving into the origins of Ben and Liz. Johann tells a story from his past, and Abe, not wanting to speak of his, tells a ghost story instead.

The most poignant thing is when Ben Daimyo, in the aftermath of the Frog Plague, says "Over 1700 dead in this city and still, all I can think about is Roger". Well have no fear, this issue not only chronicle's Kate's seriously awesome attempt to save Roger, but at the end gives great closure to Roger's story.

I find myself surprised that I am enjoying this series more than the original Hellboy stories. Isn't that strange?

[Pavel Pravda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Další skvělý díl. Je sice jiný než předchozí díly, je tam méně akce, ale atmosféry má na rozdávání. Tentokrát žáby ustupují do pozadí a hlavním tématem je snaha o získání tajemné knihy, která by mohla pomoci oživit Rogera. Tuto hlavní linku doplňují příběhy, které jsou do celého vyprávění velmi šikovně vložené a celek pak vypadá velmi kompaktně. Dozvíme se v nich mimo jiné to, jak to bylo se zmrtvýchvstáním kapitána Daimia a že Johann Kraus nebyl vždy jako médium gentleman. Oceňuji, jak Arcudi ve scénáři umě míchá strašidelnou či tajemnou atmosféru s jemným humorem.

[Scotty F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violent bloody violence! Squeamish readers beware. Then again, if you've made it this far in the BPRD series, you've seen some things. Loved this story. The art continues to be great. It's not Mignola, but the story is, and that makes everything good. Cool back story for Abe and Daimio. Awesome Corrigan tale. Really heart splitting conclusion to a main thread. Some closure, but more questions as per usual! BPRD is going strong.