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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
The zenith of Mignola's art, Hellboy is a unique beauty. The stories just aren't engaging or well told in Vol. 1 but you can see it's a special thing. And I can't believe I'm saying this - but the films, as soft and blockbustery as they are, are just heaps more engaging and tell a fantastic fantasy story in a cleaner way. Looking forward to Vol. 2 though...
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Watching Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy movies way back when really changed me. I found these characters to be insanely cool and the stories were so fascinating. I’ve had my eye on Mike Mignola’s comics ever since then, but there’s a lot of material in the Mignolaverse and I was nervous about diving into it! Well, every journey starts with the first step.
This first volume of the Library Edition packs the Seeds of Destruction and Wake the Devil arcs. The former is basically Hellboy’s origin story, setting up how he arrived on Earth and what his conflicts are gonna be with the Nazi sorcerer guy who summoned him. It also introduces us to the BPRD, and specifically his BFFs, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman.
There’s a lot to like about this arc. Hellboy’s origin is cool, though it won’t hold many surprises for folks who’ve watched the movie, but the real treat is the supernatural mystery that makes up the bulk of this arc. The biggest weakness of this storyline, though, is the script. It’s written by John Byrne, who brings a very Bronze Age energy to the dialogue that clashes with the vibrant and punchy artwork (and there is a LOT of his dialogue in this arc). Still, well worth the read!
Wake the Devil is scripted by Mignola himself, and you can really feel the difference. Continuing the threads started in Seeds of Destruction, the BPRD go on what appears to be just another job and find themselves in a situation that they don’t quite understand. The writing in this arc is smoother, and there’s a sense of humor to it - this Hellboy sounds more like Ron Perlman than Byrne’s take!
The problem in this arc, though, is that Mignola shoves waay too much mythology into a short storyline. Some of this is his own lore with the Ogru Jahad, but there’re also figures from other myths, too. It can be hard to keep the flow of the story straight when you’re constantly having info dumped on you, and I hope this is something that smooths off as the comic goes on.
But honestly, I’ve spent way too much time on the writing when it’s the art that really stands out. Mike Mignola’s artwork is legendary in the comics business, and Hellboy is full of bright images that are no less spooky for the clarity with which they’re drawn. His style is just iconic, and it’s the real reason you should be reading this series.
I can also heartily recommend the Library Editions. I get that there is a lot of Hellboy out there, and there may be more cost-effective ways to collect it, but these Library Editions are so great for enjoying the artwork in a nice oversized format. And the finish on the cover is just the icing on the cake!
The first two arcs of Hellboy show some growing pains, but there’s more than enough promise here to keep you reading.
This first volume of the Library Edition packs the Seeds of Destruction and Wake the Devil arcs. The former is basically Hellboy’s origin story, setting up how he arrived on Earth and what his conflicts are gonna be with the Nazi sorcerer guy who summoned him. It also introduces us to the BPRD, and specifically his BFFs, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman.
There’s a lot to like about this arc. Hellboy’s origin is cool, though it won’t hold many surprises for folks who’ve watched the movie, but the real treat is the supernatural mystery that makes up the bulk of this arc. The biggest weakness of this storyline, though, is the script. It’s written by John Byrne, who brings a very Bronze Age energy to the dialogue that clashes with the vibrant and punchy artwork (and there is a LOT of his dialogue in this arc). Still, well worth the read!
Wake the Devil is scripted by Mignola himself, and you can really feel the difference. Continuing the threads started in Seeds of Destruction, the BPRD go on what appears to be just another job and find themselves in a situation that they don’t quite understand. The writing in this arc is smoother, and there’s a sense of humor to it - this Hellboy sounds more like Ron Perlman than Byrne’s take!
The problem in this arc, though, is that Mignola shoves waay too much mythology into a short storyline. Some of this is his own lore with the Ogru Jahad, but there’re also figures from other myths, too. It can be hard to keep the flow of the story straight when you’re constantly having info dumped on you, and I hope this is something that smooths off as the comic goes on.
But honestly, I’ve spent way too much time on the writing when it’s the art that really stands out. Mike Mignola’s artwork is legendary in the comics business, and Hellboy is full of bright images that are no less spooky for the clarity with which they’re drawn. His style is just iconic, and it’s the real reason you should be reading this series.
I can also heartily recommend the Library Editions. I get that there is a lot of Hellboy out there, and there may be more cost-effective ways to collect it, but these Library Editions are so great for enjoying the artwork in a nice oversized format. And the finish on the cover is just the icing on the cake!
The first two arcs of Hellboy show some growing pains, but there’s more than enough promise here to keep you reading.
In the dying days of World War II, Nazis summon a demon to help them win the war but he winds up in Scotland by mistake. Fifty years later, he is the world's foremost paranormal investigator. He is... Hellboy!
For some reason, I never picked up Hellboy before snapping this up on Prime Day on the cheap. I liked Mignola on [b:Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment|1758929|Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom Triumph and Torment|Roger Stern|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1289087207s/1758929.jpg|1756833], [b:Cosmic Odyssey|893505|Cosmic Odyssey|Jim Starlin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327962240s/893505.jpg|878731], and [b:Batman: Gotham by Gaslight|626603|Batman Gotham by Gaslight|Brian Augustyn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341965852s/626603.jpg|44799353] but never got around to his creator-owned work. Until now! I'm twenty-five years late to the party but I wound up liking Hellboy quite a bit.
The two stories contained within are full of Nazi-punching, tentacled, blood-sucking goodness. In the first tale, Hellboy goes up against the man who summoned him and some frog-men who ran into some unpleasantness in the Arctic circle. In the second, his summoner is back for revenge, this time with a vampire and some unfrozen Nazis in tow.
The stories are pulpy fun, not head-scratchers. Hellboy cracks wise but not enough to detract from the stories. Mignola's moody art is the star of the show, with its stark blacks. Mignola draws a mean tentacle. I never realized how much Mignola's art was influenced by Jack Kirby's until this volume. He's like Kirby with a fifty-five gallon drum of black ink and a lifetime of reading pulps and HP Lovecraft.
The presentation in this volume is immaculate. The over-sized library edition really makes the artwork pop. The one drawback is the cover is a magnet for cat hair. My cats were hounding me for food while I was reading and I'll need a lint brush to get all the cat hair off the cover. All that said, it's a gorgeous product.
Hellboy is a fun series that doesn't take itself too seriously and hit all the right buttons for me. I'll be grabbing the other volumes in the series when I can. Four out of five stars.
For some reason, I never picked up Hellboy before snapping this up on Prime Day on the cheap. I liked Mignola on [b:Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment|1758929|Doctor Strange, Doctor Doom Triumph and Torment|Roger Stern|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1289087207s/1758929.jpg|1756833], [b:Cosmic Odyssey|893505|Cosmic Odyssey|Jim Starlin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327962240s/893505.jpg|878731], and [b:Batman: Gotham by Gaslight|626603|Batman Gotham by Gaslight|Brian Augustyn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341965852s/626603.jpg|44799353] but never got around to his creator-owned work. Until now! I'm twenty-five years late to the party but I wound up liking Hellboy quite a bit.
The two stories contained within are full of Nazi-punching, tentacled, blood-sucking goodness. In the first tale, Hellboy goes up against the man who summoned him and some frog-men who ran into some unpleasantness in the Arctic circle. In the second, his summoner is back for revenge, this time with a vampire and some unfrozen Nazis in tow.
The stories are pulpy fun, not head-scratchers. Hellboy cracks wise but not enough to detract from the stories. Mignola's moody art is the star of the show, with its stark blacks. Mignola draws a mean tentacle. I never realized how much Mignola's art was influenced by Jack Kirby's until this volume. He's like Kirby with a fifty-five gallon drum of black ink and a lifetime of reading pulps and HP Lovecraft.
The presentation in this volume is immaculate. The over-sized library edition really makes the artwork pop. The one drawback is the cover is a magnet for cat hair. My cats were hounding me for food while I was reading and I'll need a lint brush to get all the cat hair off the cover. All that said, it's a gorgeous product.
Hellboy is a fun series that doesn't take itself too seriously and hit all the right buttons for me. I'll be grabbing the other volumes in the series when I can. Four out of five stars.
Magnificent. This is the format to read these stories, holy cow. I have all of Hellboy in paperback but this is gonna make me double down, sigh.
A+ art, A+ story, B script. It gets better from here, but nice having so much pure Mignola.
A+ art, A+ story, B script. It gets better from here, but nice having so much pure Mignola.
I love everything about Hellboy! the stories, the art, the humour, all the occult and historical stuff. I absolutely love it. and in this beautiful edition it's just icing on the cake to get to see early sketches and comments from Mignola. The man is a god.
The early Hellboy stuff, done in huge oversized format to match the Art of Hellboy books. It's a gorgeous book with amazing production value, and Mignola's story and art is terrific. I'm hoping for a BPRD series featuring Guy Davis, although not expecting that'll actually happen.