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Hellboy #5
Hellboy, Vol. 5: Conqueror Worm
Dark Horse presents new editions of the entire Hellboy line with new covers, beginning with Seed of Destruction, the basis of director Guillermo del Toro's upcoming film. Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding. Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.
"The best horror comic in a generation. This Mignola guy is a wizard"- Frank Miller
Collects Hellboy: Conqueror Worm #1–4.
"The best horror comic in a generation. This Mignola guy is a wizard"- Frank Miller
Collects Hellboy: Conqueror Worm #1–4.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,788 books2,420 followersMike 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
March 15, 2021
....Este drama abigarrado—estad seguro que no será olvidado,
con su fantasma perseguido por siempre jamás
por una multitud que no lo apresa,
a través de un círculo que siempre vuelve al mismísimo lugar,
ese drama en el cual forman el alma de la intriga
mucha locura y todavía más pecado y horror!.
Pero ¡mirad en medio de la chusma de mimos
inmiscuirse una forma reptante!
¡Un ser rojo sangre que sale retorciéndose
de fuera de la soledad del escenario!
....el telón, una mortaja fúnebre,
baja con la precipitación de una tormenta
mientras los ángeles, pálidos todos y lívidos,
se levantan, de sus velos se despojan y dicen
que esa obra es la tragedia que se llama "El Hombre"
y su protagonista el gusano conquistador.
E.A. Poe
Para comenzar, decir que toma el poema de Edgar Allan Poe, de nombre homónimo.
Poema de razgos teatrales que representa una visión de la Muerte y las oscuras siluetas que reptan detrás de la razón o la falta de ella.
Mignola se encarga por un lado de materializar esta visión y por otro mantener la esencia presente todo el tiempo, en el escenario y tras bastidores.
En esta oportunidad es una única historia larga. La aventura se situá en Austria. Donde al final de la segunda guerra mundial un comando especial aliado frustró un plan espacial Nazi con implicaciones alienígenas. En el presente una capsula espacial aparece en los radares de la AIDP, dirigiéndose exactamente a ese sitio. Hellboy y el homúnculo Roger van a investigar los rastros.
Una historia que se encarga de atar cabos. Una historia que involucra extraterrestres, fantasmas, conspiraciones Naziz, antiguos enemigos y amigos. Alianzas incondicionales y traiciones.
Otra de las clásicas historias el querido demonio... mítica, mística, épica, lúgubre, bizarra e hilarante...maravilla!
con su fantasma perseguido por siempre jamás
por una multitud que no lo apresa,
a través de un círculo que siempre vuelve al mismísimo lugar,
ese drama en el cual forman el alma de la intriga
mucha locura y todavía más pecado y horror!.
Pero ¡mirad en medio de la chusma de mimos
inmiscuirse una forma reptante!
¡Un ser rojo sangre que sale retorciéndose
de fuera de la soledad del escenario!
....el telón, una mortaja fúnebre,
baja con la precipitación de una tormenta
mientras los ángeles, pálidos todos y lívidos,
se levantan, de sus velos se despojan y dicen
que esa obra es la tragedia que se llama "El Hombre"
y su protagonista el gusano conquistador.
E.A. Poe
Para comenzar, decir que toma el poema de Edgar Allan Poe, de nombre homónimo.
Poema de razgos teatrales que representa una visión de la Muerte y las oscuras siluetas que reptan detrás de la razón o la falta de ella.
Mignola se encarga por un lado de materializar esta visión y por otro mantener la esencia presente todo el tiempo, en el escenario y tras bastidores.
En esta oportunidad es una única historia larga. La aventura se situá en Austria. Donde al final de la segunda guerra mundial un comando especial aliado frustró un plan espacial Nazi con implicaciones alienígenas. En el presente una capsula espacial aparece en los radares de la AIDP, dirigiéndose exactamente a ese sitio. Hellboy y el homúnculo Roger van a investigar los rastros.
Una historia que se encarga de atar cabos. Una historia que involucra extraterrestres, fantasmas, conspiraciones Naziz, antiguos enemigos y amigos. Alianzas incondicionales y traiciones.
Otra de las clásicas historias el querido demonio... mítica, mística, épica, lúgubre, bizarra e hilarante...maravilla!
August 26, 2017
Oddly enough, or perhaps not oddly at all, I'm really enjoying Hellboy. At first it was just an intellectual enjoyment, getting all into the conspiracy stuff and the metaphysics and the magic as well as the history, but now I'm just rocking to the stories being told.
It's filled with gentle reveals, perhaps no more than hints, and we've got a grand sweep of untold history, but all these snippets are pure gold.
I like Lobster Johnson and Roger a lot. Alien intelligences and cthuhlu entities? Even more. :)
I'm almost sad that I'm reading this as a buddy-read of one volume per month. I kinda want to rip through these now. I'm hooked.
It's filled with gentle reveals, perhaps no more than hints, and we've got a grand sweep of untold history, but all these snippets are pure gold.
I like Lobster Johnson and Roger a lot. Alien intelligences and cthuhlu entities? Even more. :)
I'm almost sad that I'm reading this as a buddy-read of one volume per month. I kinda want to rip through these now. I'm hooked.
January 25, 2019
One thing you need to know about Hellboy is that each series builds off the last. You can't just pick up a story from the core run at random and expect to know what's going on. That being said, this build wonderfully off previous volumes. You've got more Nazis and Lovecraftian elements. I love Roger and Hellboy together. I wish they had teamed up more. Mignola sets up the perfect Lovecraftian doom vibe in this story. This is where Hellboy really starts to come together just as BPRD splits off out of the end of this into its own series.
October 5, 2017
A phenomenal volume of Hellboy. The Conqueror Worm is a turning point for the entire Hellboy universe, as it splits one great comic into two, Hellboy and BPRD respectively, as well as introduces a whole new character, Lobster Johnson (and, as it turns out, also The Visitor, who now has his own great mini-series). When I first read Conqueror Worm, I gave it a pretty low rating, and I can sort of see why: for a new reader, this might be too overwhelming, because so many parts of Hellboy's crazy mythology all come together in one epic storyline. It does feel a bit overstuffed, but when you know what all of these events lead up to, you can't help but appreciate Mike Mignola's masterful writing.
First read: October 26, 2015
Rating: ★★★・・
Second read: October 5, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★
First read: October 26, 2015
Rating: ★★★・・
Second read: October 5, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★
April 12, 2019
Hellboy makes me feel all fuzzy and warm inside.
“The Conqueror Worm” begins with a prologue that sounds just about goth and melodramatic enough to make every emo teen weak at the knees. And then you find out that it actually is Poe, and of course it fits the atmosphere perfectly. Everything here is just a bit over the top, just a bit too exaggerated, just a bit of every mythological cliché out there, just a bit of heart-wrench and tear-jerking, just a bit of romantic heroism, just a bit of irony, just a bit of tragedy, just a bit of kitsch, just a bit of mishmash. Just a bit and just the tip.
There are so many old acquaintances here. A hideout in the Alps, a brilliant physicist on the wrong side of history, a secret Nazi space programme (because obviously), ghosts in a castle, the Kriegsaffe again (“Goddamn Nazi Frankenstein Monkey”), an epic and maybe not quite real costumed hero arriving just in time to boost your morals and punch some square Nazi jaws. Also Russia’s greatest sex machine again (indirectly), and a dude with a swastika cut into his forehead who isn’t Hans Landa. There is also again the issue of Hellboy’s free will, and something that looks like a Kraken from space. Or a flock of them actually. Or a gaggle. A herd? A school? Not to forget about Rübezahl, whom I kept calling Rübezahn (it honestly makes more sense), and who is neither really Bluebeard not Rumpelstilzchen, but is somehow still a bit of both. And the overgrown homunculus made of stone on the outside and fluffy sweetness on the inside is back, this time as Roger the Recruit.
This is such a glorious amalgamate of trash. Pretty much like the vibe you get from those brilliantly beautiful shitty movies from the eighties. Say what you want, but there is something about Nazis with gas masks for faces ("Are you my Mommy?"), a fully conscious head in formaldehyde inside a torso (Hello there,General Kenobi Krang!), a ghost army and a maggoty Dune worm that works like a charm. So there you have your “possession by space ghosts” (as Hellboy himself so eloquently put it) and fear is the mind killer and all that jazz.
Oh, but the dramatic panels! The tentacles, the fangs! The hands sticking out of rubble and grasping at air! The heaps of skeleton armies! The dark vaults and gothic arches! The mechanical men strapped to stretchers, with tubes and wires sticking from all over the place! If it weren’t so gloomy and steampunky at times, it would be like a renaissance painting.
“The Conqueror Worm” is a direct continuation of the first two volumes (“Seed of Destruction” and “Wake the Devil”), and gives good closure to the primary plot around Hellboy’s shier existence and the B.P.R.D.’s team of agents. So it’s weirdly heart-warming if you like your genre tropes in large quantities: firstly because it’s pulp galore, secondly because it goes back to where and how it all began. Visually, this is a masterpiece with as brilliant a composition as ever, but still working through hints and moods rather than elaborate images. Together, the volumes one through five make a finalised, rounded whole, and are best read as one unit (before a hiatus). Just in case you need something to leave you in a mushy puddle of emotions and awe.
“The Conqueror Worm” begins with a prologue that sounds just about goth and melodramatic enough to make every emo teen weak at the knees. And then you find out that it actually is Poe, and of course it fits the atmosphere perfectly. Everything here is just a bit over the top, just a bit too exaggerated, just a bit of every mythological cliché out there, just a bit of heart-wrench and tear-jerking, just a bit of romantic heroism, just a bit of irony, just a bit of tragedy, just a bit of kitsch, just a bit of mishmash. Just a bit and just the tip.
There are so many old acquaintances here. A hideout in the Alps, a brilliant physicist on the wrong side of history, a secret Nazi space programme (because obviously), ghosts in a castle, the Kriegsaffe again (“Goddamn Nazi Frankenstein Monkey”), an epic and maybe not quite real costumed hero arriving just in time to boost your morals and punch some square Nazi jaws. Also Russia’s greatest sex machine again (indirectly), and a dude with a swastika cut into his forehead who isn’t Hans Landa. There is also again the issue of Hellboy’s free will, and something that looks like a Kraken from space. Or a flock of them actually. Or a gaggle. A herd? A school? Not to forget about Rübezahl, whom I kept calling Rübezahn (it honestly makes more sense), and who is neither really Bluebeard not Rumpelstilzchen, but is somehow still a bit of both. And the overgrown homunculus made of stone on the outside and fluffy sweetness on the inside is back, this time as Roger the Recruit.
This is such a glorious amalgamate of trash. Pretty much like the vibe you get from those brilliantly beautiful shitty movies from the eighties. Say what you want, but there is something about Nazis with gas masks for faces ("Are you my Mommy?"), a fully conscious head in formaldehyde inside a torso (Hello there,
Oh, but the dramatic panels! The tentacles, the fangs! The hands sticking out of rubble and grasping at air! The heaps of skeleton armies! The dark vaults and gothic arches! The mechanical men strapped to stretchers, with tubes and wires sticking from all over the place! If it weren’t so gloomy and steampunky at times, it would be like a renaissance painting.
“The Conqueror Worm” is a direct continuation of the first two volumes (“Seed of Destruction” and “Wake the Devil”), and gives good closure to the primary plot around Hellboy’s shier existence and the B.P.R.D.’s team of agents. So it’s weirdly heart-warming if you like your genre tropes in large quantities: firstly because it’s pulp galore, secondly because it goes back to where and how it all began. Visually, this is a masterpiece with as brilliant a composition as ever, but still working through hints and moods rather than elaborate images. Together, the volumes one through five make a finalised, rounded whole, and are best read as one unit (before a hiatus). Just in case you need something to leave you in a mushy puddle of emotions and awe.
January 1, 2020
Re-read 8/3/15: See below. This is probably my favorite of the books; it deals with questions of free will and humanity, what they mean and what we do with them. In this second read-through of the series, I'm more conscious of how steeped in folklore it was from the beginning, but Conqueror Worm goes back to the origins of the series, bringing back some of our old Nazi friends and the constantly looming threat of the Ogdru Jahad, and I find that very satisfying. And I absolutely love Roger the giant homunculus, whose role here is crucial in pointing out that humanity isn't necessarily something you're born with, but something you choose.
6/20/12: This fifth volume picks up the main storyline from Hellboy: Seed of Destruction and Hellboy: Wake the Devil and represents a big turning point in the series, one which resulted in the "spin-off" series B.P.R.D. The story moves away from the original paranormal-detective concept and starts to take on some of the more mythic aspects explored in the short stories. I like the change. The thing that drew me to the series originally was the paranormal investigative agency idea, but what kept me reading was that Mignola seemed to be reaching for what lay beneath the common and uncommon creatures Hellboy and his companions fought. I'm a fan of archetypal fantasy, and that's where the series seems to be going from here.
6/20/12: This fifth volume picks up the main storyline from Hellboy: Seed of Destruction and Hellboy: Wake the Devil and represents a big turning point in the series, one which resulted in the "spin-off" series B.P.R.D. The story moves away from the original paranormal-detective concept and starts to take on some of the more mythic aspects explored in the short stories. I like the change. The thing that drew me to the series originally was the paranormal investigative agency idea, but what kept me reading was that Mignola seemed to be reaching for what lay beneath the common and uncommon creatures Hellboy and his companions fought. I'm a fan of archetypal fantasy, and that's where the series seems to be going from here.
August 14, 2013
In a way, this volume feels like Mignola threw his entire basket of weird and creepy at us. And yet, somehow, it all works. Yes, there are Nazi zombies and ghosts and aliens and... Still, it works. And somehow, Mignola still has time to delve into Hellboy's character, more than in most of the previous volumes. And did I mention that it looks great? Because it does, it looks fantastic.
September 27, 2017
Lobster Johnson makes his first appearance, and I kept having the urge to say "pow!" or " zowee!" whenever Lobster was in action.
And dear, wonderful Roger is on this mission with Hellboy. And the head honcho at the BPRD shows some definite specism, which rightly disgusts Hellboy.
And dear, wonderful Roger is on this mission with Hellboy. And the head honcho at the BPRD shows some definite specism, which rightly disgusts Hellboy.
August 16, 2015
Easily the best single-volume story in the Hellboy canon up until this point. Occultism, science fiction horror, Nazis, cosmic terror, ancient sorcery - everything that makes the pulps great are in full form here.
December 2, 2018
Hellboy bir sevdadır bende. Mike Mignola'nın efsanevi karakteri çizgileri ile yeni bir maceranın peşinde. Düşüncelerine çok güvendiğim dostlarım İthaki Yayınları'ndan evvel zaman içinde çıkan serinin sorunlu olduğunu söylemişti. Gerçekten de bazı balon çevirilerinde sorun var sanırım. Yine de keyif aldığım bir okuma oldu. Özellikle Penguen Kitap mağazalarında oldukça indirimli fiyata bulabilirsiniz.
November 14, 2020
Although Conqueror Worm takes its name from an Edgar Allan Poe Poem, the book has more of a Lovecraftian vibe.
It takes us to the mountains of Austria, where Hellboy and Roger have to battle some old enemies and a new one.
Packed with action and twists, and executed with some phenomenal artwork, Conqueror Worm is yet another awesome volume in the Hellboy series.
It takes us to the mountains of Austria, where Hellboy and Roger have to battle some old enemies and a new one.
Packed with action and twists, and executed with some phenomenal artwork, Conqueror Worm is yet another awesome volume in the Hellboy series.
January 11, 2015
Before the B.P.R.D. books started, this is without a doubt the best long HB story.
This was the book that defined and changed the world of HB forever, the consequences of this book and the characters of this book would forever alter the single character book that was Hellboy into the wider world of the B.P.R.D. this book is awesome:
World: It's Mignola, the colours the framing is top notch, as it the world building. Once again we are taken to a weird and interesting local and let loose to explore. This world that Mignola created is bloody fantastic. I don't think there's much more need said.
Story: Fast paced, full of consequence and also game changing. The ending shows that the status quo is over for HB books and opens up so many new avenues which are explored later in B.P.R.D. and HB books. The story of the conqueror worm is cool. It's Lovecraftian horror at it's best and the art just makes it so much more awesome. HB fighting monsters is awesome, HB fighting the worm is super awesome fantastic!
Characters: There is a lot of action going on here and you would think that not a lot of time was available for character development, but that's not the case. Roger and HB both get a big dose of it here as they are the principals of this tale, the end of the tale will also show that there was consequence. I liked how HB is moving along getting grips with his destiny it's an amazing tale.
The best HB trade before B.P.R.D. starts up. Read it if you want an awesome Lovecraftian horror action comic!
Onward to the next book!
This was the book that defined and changed the world of HB forever, the consequences of this book and the characters of this book would forever alter the single character book that was Hellboy into the wider world of the B.P.R.D. this book is awesome:
World: It's Mignola, the colours the framing is top notch, as it the world building. Once again we are taken to a weird and interesting local and let loose to explore. This world that Mignola created is bloody fantastic. I don't think there's much more need said.
Story: Fast paced, full of consequence and also game changing. The ending shows that the status quo is over for HB books and opens up so many new avenues which are explored later in B.P.R.D. and HB books. The story of the conqueror worm is cool. It's Lovecraftian horror at it's best and the art just makes it so much more awesome. HB fighting monsters is awesome, HB fighting the worm is super awesome fantastic!
Characters: There is a lot of action going on here and you would think that not a lot of time was available for character development, but that's not the case. Roger and HB both get a big dose of it here as they are the principals of this tale, the end of the tale will also show that there was consequence. I liked how HB is moving along getting grips with his destiny it's an amazing tale.
The best HB trade before B.P.R.D. starts up. Read it if you want an awesome Lovecraftian horror action comic!
Onward to the next book!
January 10, 2018
If you thought the Hellboy movies were good then you will love the comics. Much more backstory on the monsters and the history of hellboys origin. This volume sets up the stage for the B.P.R.D War on Frogs storyline. Great reads, Very recommended
October 3, 2016
Great story that brings in Lobster Johnson who I had wanted to see in the film series. This book is classic Hellboy and after a string of oneshot books I was happy to have another fully fledged out story. Granted the bulk of the crew are missing we still have enough strong secondary characters to keep this from falling short. Mignola has created one of the strongest character lines and the depth of characters will keep this going for some time to come. The villains are interesting and full of realistic depictions of real life legends. The numerous fans of Hellboy have been very vocal regarding tge quality of this series over the years and I'm beginning to see why.
September 16, 2017
10/10
Take this review with a grain of salt.......I am the waterboy for Mignola.
Take this review with a grain of salt.......I am the waterboy for Mignola.
April 3, 2021
Seriously, how many trench coats must this guy go through? It's no surprise he chose to forego the most of the rest of the clothes. But hey, he looks good doing it, so..
Mignola returns to long form with this latest adventure, revisiting some of the themes from the books one and two. Aliens…check. Evil Nazis…check. Mad scientists…check. Strange creatures turned fellow investigators…check. Etc.
It also gets serious at the end, the red giant takes a pause from taking names and kicking ass and ponders his origins and fate. Loved this one, loved them all. Five books in and the quality has never waned, what an impressive output. Also, love the terrific artist gallery supplementals, you get to watch the character development from the mere sketches, fascinating material. Read them all, in order. Recommended.
Mignola returns to long form with this latest adventure, revisiting some of the themes from the books one and two. Aliens…check. Evil Nazis…check. Mad scientists…check. Strange creatures turned fellow investigators…check. Etc.
It also gets serious at the end, the red giant takes a pause from taking names and kicking ass and ponders his origins and fate. Loved this one, loved them all. Five books in and the quality has never waned, what an impressive output. Also, love the terrific artist gallery supplementals, you get to watch the character development from the mere sketches, fascinating material. Read them all, in order. Recommended.
July 6, 2015
I just spent the past 2 weeks reading the Hellboy volumes 1 – 12 in a roughly chronological order. Many of the volumes include various short pieces, and they are not in chronological order by volume. In fact, the first stories chronologically actually are in Volume 4, then 11, 10, 7, 3, then 1, and so on. (You can find chronological reading lists on different websites. I found the most useful and up-to-date on the Hellboy wikia, but you may encounter spoilers as you follow the chronology thread.)
There were some stories I enjoyed more than others (The Conqueror Worm is probably my favorite), and some collections in the volumes more as well, I can’t really pick out any you shouldn’t read so I am giving the same review for all 11 volumes.
While all of the stories are written by Mike Mignola, there are some toward the end that he didn’t do the art for. Those artists bring their own styles, but try to stay true to Mignola’s. With just one exception (The Crooked Man) I would have preferred to have Mignola do the art, but they do a decent job. When Hellboy first came out I didn’t care for the art style. Now that I am older and not so engrossed in the superhero style of comic art I have grown to really like and admire his gothic, Kirby-esque style.
The stories that take place before 'Seed of Destruction' are somewhat random, but quite enjoyable short stories mostly based on various myths and legends from around the world. Mignola also threw in a Lovecraftian-like mythology as a foundation for the world that rears itself in many of the stories.
The Volumes tend to follow the publication order, which is not necessarily the actual chronological order. Some volumes are one series, others are collections of shorter stories. The stories that take place before the ‘Seed of Destruction’ story can really be read in any order, but after that it is more useful to read at least the longer series in a more chronological order. As they continue, the longer stories start to draw more and more from the earlier stories, building a wonderful and unique world, slowly revealing Hellboy’s purpose and future and developing him as a character.
Mignola took decades to slowly build the story, and it pays off in so many ways, weaving known and original stories and characters together.
There are other Hellboy comics, and even novels, that may or may not be official parts of the Hellboy canon. If you like the Hellboy universe, there are also 100’s of comics with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense with characters and stories that tie into and build on these stories. Additionally, there are 2 live-action movies, and some animated movies that are not part of the same version, but quite true to the character.
If you like myths and stories from around the world, if you like stories involving Nazi’s and the supernatural, if you like H.P. Lovecraft, if you like gothic art styles, if you like Arthurian legends, and if you like intelligent story telling in a unique world give any of the Hellboy volumes a try.
There were some stories I enjoyed more than others (The Conqueror Worm is probably my favorite), and some collections in the volumes more as well, I can’t really pick out any you shouldn’t read so I am giving the same review for all 11 volumes.
While all of the stories are written by Mike Mignola, there are some toward the end that he didn’t do the art for. Those artists bring their own styles, but try to stay true to Mignola’s. With just one exception (The Crooked Man) I would have preferred to have Mignola do the art, but they do a decent job. When Hellboy first came out I didn’t care for the art style. Now that I am older and not so engrossed in the superhero style of comic art I have grown to really like and admire his gothic, Kirby-esque style.
The stories that take place before 'Seed of Destruction' are somewhat random, but quite enjoyable short stories mostly based on various myths and legends from around the world. Mignola also threw in a Lovecraftian-like mythology as a foundation for the world that rears itself in many of the stories.
The Volumes tend to follow the publication order, which is not necessarily the actual chronological order. Some volumes are one series, others are collections of shorter stories. The stories that take place before the ‘Seed of Destruction’ story can really be read in any order, but after that it is more useful to read at least the longer series in a more chronological order. As they continue, the longer stories start to draw more and more from the earlier stories, building a wonderful and unique world, slowly revealing Hellboy’s purpose and future and developing him as a character.
Mignola took decades to slowly build the story, and it pays off in so many ways, weaving known and original stories and characters together.
There are other Hellboy comics, and even novels, that may or may not be official parts of the Hellboy canon. If you like the Hellboy universe, there are also 100’s of comics with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense with characters and stories that tie into and build on these stories. Additionally, there are 2 live-action movies, and some animated movies that are not part of the same version, but quite true to the character.
If you like myths and stories from around the world, if you like stories involving Nazi’s and the supernatural, if you like H.P. Lovecraft, if you like gothic art styles, if you like Arthurian legends, and if you like intelligent story telling in a unique world give any of the Hellboy volumes a try.
April 19, 2024
This isn't one of my favorites (within Hellboy's quality level) because it feels a little bit repetitive, yet again a mad person trying to destroy the earth with a space monster. My favorite Hellboy is more about the folktales and the occult. The nazi madmen are ok at first but then it's just more of the same. BUT this volume is really important because it's the one that changes the status quo of the series. Things get weirder now (my favorite stories are up ahead) and gives room for the amazing (and highly underrated) BPRD series. So there is that
May 15, 2021
GR gremlins ate my original entry.
March 13, 2021
I love Hellboy. He's awesome. Loved the story and the characters. Everything looked great to me.
September 3, 2018
Hell boy stories have been consistant so far on all levels. These fell short on the plot, which could have been shortened a little bit. But at least we get some progress in HB life, and the blooming of some of the seeds planted in the book begining.
November 18, 2021
Lo! ’t is a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly—
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Wo!
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly—
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Wo!
June 3, 2017
This was the second of two volumes of Hellboy that I picked up cheap and it was the less satisfying of the two. Collecting a four-part miniseries, this felt a little padded and of all the kinds of darkness I've encountered in comics the Lovecraft-influenced stuff is my least favourite. So this one was a bit meh for me. I like the Hellboy mythology and if I could pick up more of these early collections at a reasonable price, I would consider adding them to the collection.
February 28, 2019
"Монстрів тижня" стає дедалі менше, а ті, що були, виявляється - важливі для глобального сюжету. При тому, здається мені, поголовно. І чим далі, тим більше те все закручено.
З мінусів:
- знову ці нацисти;
- "мінімалістичний" арт стає аж дуже мінімалістичним у місцях зображення тих самих хтонічних тварюк; можливо, то, мовляв, "додумуйте самі", але ця абсолютна зневага до розбиття на площини часом бісить неймовірно. При тому подумав про це ще з першого тому, де тіло монстра просто зливалося у невиразну пляму із мацаками по краях, але припікати стало вже от зараз. Тим більше, що таке в Міньйоли часто-густо.
Підхід до написання сюжету, схоже, також доволі cхематичний, бо якось то все промальовується поокремо у деталях, а цілісної картинки вcе нема і немає.
З мінусів:
- знову ці нацисти;
- "мінімалістичний" арт стає аж дуже мінімалістичним у місцях зображення тих самих хтонічних тварюк; можливо, то, мовляв, "додумуйте самі", але ця абсолютна зневага до розбиття на площини часом бісить неймовірно. При тому подумав про це ще з першого тому, де тіло монстра просто зливалося у невиразну пляму із мацаками по краях, але припікати стало вже от зараз. Тим більше, що таке в Міньйоли часто-густо.
Підхід до написання сюжету, схоже, також доволі cхематичний, бо якось то все промальовується поокремо у деталях, а цілісної картинки вcе нема і немає.
December 26, 2023
(Zero spoiler review)
A little slow at first. A grower, not a shower I believe they call it. Enough so to make me think this may be the first Hellboy story I've read that was something of a dud, comparatively speaking, at least. That was until around half way through, and those typical Mignola vibes started to drift back in. The simple yet gorgeously beautiful narrative. The endlessly inventive plot. The hauntingly evocative visuals. By the end, it was all but another Mignola classic. Superlatives continue to fail me at the dark, sorrowful majesty of this series. Be sure to get those big, beautiful library editions and really treat your eyes to those Mignola pages. 4/5
OmniBen.
A little slow at first. A grower, not a shower I believe they call it. Enough so to make me think this may be the first Hellboy story I've read that was something of a dud, comparatively speaking, at least. That was until around half way through, and those typical Mignola vibes started to drift back in. The simple yet gorgeously beautiful narrative. The endlessly inventive plot. The hauntingly evocative visuals. By the end, it was all but another Mignola classic. Superlatives continue to fail me at the dark, sorrowful majesty of this series. Be sure to get those big, beautiful library editions and really treat your eyes to those Mignola pages. 4/5
OmniBen.
March 12, 2018
It was nice to get back to the "main" storyline after a couple volumes of short stories. Some of the introductions have said the shorts are Mignola's best works, but I'm too much a fan of longform stories to agree. I like the shorts, but I want to see them fitting into a larger story. Thankfully, this volume incorporates events from some of those shorts to piece them into the pattern.
April 3, 2023
[3.5/5]
I think that this is the better of the non anthology books so far, but I found myself feeling like it dragged a bit too much in the beginning. Pretty much as soon as Lobster Johnson arrives, the book kicks ass. I love how Mike Mignola blends sci-fi and supernatural horror, and rather than have them feel like a total genre shift, it feels like a good extension of the pre established world.
I think that this is the better of the non anthology books so far, but I found myself feeling like it dragged a bit too much in the beginning. Pretty much as soon as Lobster Johnson arrives, the book kicks ass. I love how Mike Mignola blends sci-fi and supernatural horror, and rather than have them feel like a total genre shift, it feels like a good extension of the pre established world.
December 30, 2017
Fear not, go boldly into your future.
Absolutely stunned by the plot and the illustrations.
Having been introduced to Hellboy recently and this being the first volume I’ve picked up, I’m keen about the whole hellboy universe.
Watch out Lobster Johnson, here comes trouble.
Absolutely stunned by the plot and the illustrations.
Having been introduced to Hellboy recently and this being the first volume I’ve picked up, I’m keen about the whole hellboy universe.
Watch out Lobster Johnson, here comes trouble.
January 30, 2018
The best volume so far, in which almost everything we saw in the previous volumes comes together in an epic way (even though the whole adventure takes place in an old castle). The conclusion brings a big turning point in the series which results in another series : B.P.R.D.
September 6, 2022
one of the best comic books I've read. snowy castle. ghosts. lovecraft meets wolfenstein. there's a guy named Lobster Johnson. Lobster Johnson kills so many nazis. incredible. hellboy is officially a must read.
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