bentheoverlordsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This is easily one of my favourite comics series of all time. I love the pulp story telling which is weaved with a rich mythos and great characters. Hellboy is a fantastic protagonist, equal parts snarky and cool, and his team are also great (much love for Abe Sapien, my favourite mindreading Fishman)
mynameisvesper's review against another edition
5.0
Oh how I love Hellboy! The humour, the history and mythology coming alive, the local lore! Especially Wake the devil made an impression.
jbrautigam4's review against another edition
5.0
I loved every page. The art, the world, the creatures. So good.
sisyphus_spacek's review against another edition
4.0
I wish I had read this a decade ago, it would have been foundational for me. still rocks though
mayoroffailure's review against another edition
3.0
Hellboy has long been a comic on my radar, but not one that I had really committed to reading until earlier this year when the announcement of the new movie reminded me that his character existed. I decided to give it a shot because the characters and mythology that I had heard about sounded very interesting, and luckily the rumors are true. What makes Hellboy stand out from every other character that I’ve read is the mythology that surrounds him, and what Mr. Mignola is building towards in this first collected edition is the grand, overall story that he is going to tell through this series, and that’s something that’s rare in the comics industry.
By and large, most comics today have individual story arcs and those individual arcs are separated by one-off issues where the hero has a short adventure or fight of some kind. This kind of writing has been the standard in the industry for some time now, but Hellboy breaks that mold, for the most part. There is one instance in this first volume of a short story that has no outside connection to the events at hand, but it's short and does deal with Hellboy’s individual backstory from what I understand.
The rest of this omnibus, however, sets up the tale about how Hellboy was summoned to Earth and for what purpose, and I get the sense that that is what is going to be the focus of the other four collected editions in the series as well. Mr. Mignola most likely has some sort of conspiracy web somewhere that tells him exactly everything that he needs to know, or at least I’d hope so because the mythology here seems like a lot to juggle. It all revolves around a version of Rasputin whose magic wasn’t fake, and he’s been given a great deal of power in order to try and free a great beast from the prison that it has been in for many millennia. If he is successful then it means the end of the world. He’s also the person responsible for bringing Hellboy to Earth.
The two eventually cross paths and their first fight with one another is what will eventually set off the entirety of the series. It’s a deep level of mythology involving gods, monsters, magic, hell, and a lot more and its all incredibly entertaining. I will say, however, that some of it is confusing, particularly the story revolving around the vampire that Rasputin’s cult is attempting to resurrect. I understood what was going on in each individual scene, but how they connected together and what the purpose of this resurrection was escaped me. Other than this one particular flaw in the book I loved the storytelling.
My only other issue with the book is the action sequences, the art here is sparse, there isn’t much in the way of high detail and there isn’t much in the way of wide splash panels or big set-piece panels to orient the reader. This isn’t a problem when the focus of a scene is a conversation happening between characters, but it does become a problem when fighting breaks out. Not in every fight scene, but in enough of them, I had a hard time tracking the action and what was happening. There are a lot of single panels of isolated punches, but where characters are in relation to one another or understanding the weapons and powers being used can be lost in the final product.
Overall, I’m very pleased that I jumped into the Hellboy series, and I’m very interested to learn where the story is headed as it appears that Rasputin has some serious roadblocks in front of him if he’s to accomplish what he hopes to. It’s also a comic that has some really unexpected humor in it, and some recurring gags, like Hellboy’s inability to shoot accurately, that got me to laugh every time they cropped up on the page. It’s definitely not a series for everyone, but if you’re into fantasy, magic, or gothic horror stories then this is certainly made for you.
By and large, most comics today have individual story arcs and those individual arcs are separated by one-off issues where the hero has a short adventure or fight of some kind. This kind of writing has been the standard in the industry for some time now, but Hellboy breaks that mold, for the most part. There is one instance in this first volume of a short story that has no outside connection to the events at hand, but it's short and does deal with Hellboy’s individual backstory from what I understand.
The rest of this omnibus, however, sets up the tale about how Hellboy was summoned to Earth and for what purpose, and I get the sense that that is what is going to be the focus of the other four collected editions in the series as well. Mr. Mignola most likely has some sort of conspiracy web somewhere that tells him exactly everything that he needs to know, or at least I’d hope so because the mythology here seems like a lot to juggle. It all revolves around a version of Rasputin whose magic wasn’t fake, and he’s been given a great deal of power in order to try and free a great beast from the prison that it has been in for many millennia. If he is successful then it means the end of the world. He’s also the person responsible for bringing Hellboy to Earth.
The two eventually cross paths and their first fight with one another is what will eventually set off the entirety of the series. It’s a deep level of mythology involving gods, monsters, magic, hell, and a lot more and its all incredibly entertaining. I will say, however, that some of it is confusing, particularly the story revolving around the vampire that Rasputin’s cult is attempting to resurrect. I understood what was going on in each individual scene, but how they connected together and what the purpose of this resurrection was escaped me. Other than this one particular flaw in the book I loved the storytelling.
My only other issue with the book is the action sequences, the art here is sparse, there isn’t much in the way of high detail and there isn’t much in the way of wide splash panels or big set-piece panels to orient the reader. This isn’t a problem when the focus of a scene is a conversation happening between characters, but it does become a problem when fighting breaks out. Not in every fight scene, but in enough of them, I had a hard time tracking the action and what was happening. There are a lot of single panels of isolated punches, but where characters are in relation to one another or understanding the weapons and powers being used can be lost in the final product.
Overall, I’m very pleased that I jumped into the Hellboy series, and I’m very interested to learn where the story is headed as it appears that Rasputin has some serious roadblocks in front of him if he’s to accomplish what he hopes to. It’s also a comic that has some really unexpected humor in it, and some recurring gags, like Hellboy’s inability to shoot accurately, that got me to laugh every time they cropped up on the page. It’s definitely not a series for everyone, but if you’re into fantasy, magic, or gothic horror stories then this is certainly made for you.
groblinthegoblin624's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
My first exposure to Hellboy, and I mostly really liked it! I didn’t love the writing in the first arc, it felt a little too generic, but once Mike Mignola took over that part I think it picked up. The art was moody and gorgeous, and I really loved The Chained Coffin. Excited to continue with more
nuevecuervos's review against another edition
5.0
I have loved Hellboy since first ran into him in a comic book shop, then the original movies, and the animated movies and I'm a little in love with this omnibus volume of Hellboy v. the creepy ass Nazi bad guys in league with great old ones. The storytelling is tight, Hellboy's barbs are often lol-worthy. Reading this book has launched a revisit of the entire BPRD catalog for me, and I'm stoked about it.
bums's review against another edition
4.0
Seed of Destruction
****
The introduction to Hellboy and his universe. Fun and engaging while being a lot more wordy then what Mike Mignola usually writes (due to John Byrne's scripting the first 4 issues). Contains the origin of Hellboy and introduces the first main villian, Rasputin.
The Wolves of Saint August
*****
An incredible and creepy story with a great villian and disturbing atmosphere. Mignola takes full control and you can tell as there is a lot less dialogue and far more 'silent' atmosphere building panels that show rather than tell the reader what is happening which I think is an improvement. Introduces Kate Corrigan.
The Chained Coffin
*****
Reveals how Hellboy was created in a short, ten page comic. Interesting and engaging with a fun framing device in a letter from Hellboy to Abe.
Wake The Devil
*****
Hellboy fully comes into its own. A tense, atmospheric vampire tale with a whole load of foreshadowing of later events. Cool fights and great dialogue and art, Mignola really shows what Hellboy can (and will) become.
Almost Colossus
*****
The Homunculus(now named Roger) from Wake The Devil is still on the loose and Liz Sherman is dying after giving it her power. Frankenstien style story with Roger and his brother with their different views on humanity. Crazy giant fight at the end as well.
Overall an incredible collection. Recommended to any comic fans and lovers of folklore or paranormal investigations.
****
The introduction to Hellboy and his universe. Fun and engaging while being a lot more wordy then what Mike Mignola usually writes (due to John Byrne's scripting the first 4 issues). Contains the origin of Hellboy and introduces the first main villian, Rasputin.
The Wolves of Saint August
*****
An incredible and creepy story with a great villian and disturbing atmosphere. Mignola takes full control and you can tell as there is a lot less dialogue and far more 'silent' atmosphere building panels that show rather than tell the reader what is happening which I think is an improvement. Introduces Kate Corrigan.
The Chained Coffin
*****
Reveals how Hellboy was created in a short, ten page comic. Interesting and engaging with a fun framing device in a letter from Hellboy to Abe.
Wake The Devil
*****
Hellboy fully comes into its own. A tense, atmospheric vampire tale with a whole load of foreshadowing of later events. Cool fights and great dialogue and art, Mignola really shows what Hellboy can (and will) become.
Almost Colossus
*****
The Homunculus(now named Roger) from Wake The Devil is still on the loose and Liz Sherman is dying after giving it her power. Frankenstien style story with Roger and his brother with their different views on humanity. Crazy giant fight at the end as well.
Overall an incredible collection. Recommended to any comic fans and lovers of folklore or paranormal investigations.