One more series I read out of order (having read volume #2 Pandemonium first) but I have to admit I did not mind it at all. It was good memory exercise to join the missing ends and get the whole picture of first two volumes. Now everything is ready for volume #3 :)

Following the actual Hell on Earth, various monsters are destroyed and remaining ones are forced to flee. We can see BPRD moving into ruined cities hunting down remaining monstrosities only to encounter new ones and what you might call old-ones woken from their crypts by the hellish creatures. They manage to handle these threats albeit not without casualties.

As for the team Liz is back, more powerful and confident than ever when it comes to her powers and abilities. And believe me she becomes more and more cocky as time progresses.

In parallel to BPRD's mop-up actions mysterious girl starts showing up and attracting great crowds to Manhattan by reaching out to them through dreams. And this little girl is no other than Varvara and it is very interesting how she rolls up the crowd that cheers her as a savior with few characters that are truly blast from the Hellboy's past.

Again as seems to be the case with much of BPRD stories this is rather slow-burner, more aiming to show interaction within the team (Devon is very very weird character) than actual action scenes. So it was truly change of pace at the end when major discovery is made (wont spoil it).

Good collection, warm-up for a main part of the story.

Recommended to all fans of X-File style of horror and Hellboy universe. ( )