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Underground > Comic Books >

Hellboy - idiots guide

No star here laces

06:07 / 13.08.01

Okay. Never read this comic. The covers look fantastic, but there are just so many backed up trades in the shop that I don't want to start reading unless its really good.

So what's the skinny? Which are the best story arcs? If I buy one will I need to get 'em all? Does Mignola do all of them, or do they have guests?

10:14 / 13.08.01

AFAIK, Mike Mignola does them all. There's a few trades, uh... Wake The Devil, Seed of Destruction, and The Right Hand of Doom were the ones i bought.

Have a quick flick through them before you buy, though - two of the three i got were collections of short strips (at most about 10-12 pages), which kinda pissed me off.

Okay, review-a-gogo. They're pretty good. The art is always amazing, and the plots/dialog/writing are generally up to a good standard. Every once in a while, though, you do get the feeling that he's writing inbetween reading some occult encyclopedia - dropping names all over the place with no real reason other than to say "Hey, check me out, i'm knowledgeable and cool...".

Then again, maybe i'm wrong, and maybe i'm just not reading enough into it.

I'd recommend them, then, but with caution. Don't go into your local comic shop and blow eighty quid on them or anything. Dip yer toes in the water, and see if you like it.

Hope that helped...

13:12 / 13.08.01

I heard good things about it, got a TPB (Wake the Devil, maybe) and it was quite lame. Too much occult reference for no reason combined with slow pace and lack of interesting plot. Oh, and interesting characters.

Myabe that's a bit harsh and I should try another volume, but not just yet...

13:29 / 13.08.01

>>>Have a quick flick through them before you buy, though - two of the three i got were collections of short strips (at most about 10-12 pages), which kinda pissed me off.<<<

Uh...why? What's the difference?

I love Hellboy unreservedly and give full recommendation. Contrary to johnnywhatif's frankly bizarre complaint above, I'd suggest buying the collection of shorts - The Chained Coffin And Other Stories. As far as I can recall none of them rely on Hellboy continuity, and several of the shorts are among the best Hellboy stories Mignola's done. The art and colours are superlative.

Hellboy is one of those comics that gets me all fired up to draw after reading it, until I get all depressed that I'm not as good as Mignola.

14:27 / 13.08.01

Ooo... I'm not slanging Mignola in any way - it's actually my fault for not having a quick look first... Y'see, i went in to buy the TPBs because i was in the mood for long story arcs, that's all...

I guess I should have been clearer...

And I agree wholeheartedly - every time i see Mignola's work, i find i can't draw anything without unconsciously ripping him off for about two weeks... He's v. good.

[ 13-08-2001: Message edited by: johnny whatif ]

Mordant Carnival

18:21 / 13.08.01

I really like Hellboy. Having been a bit of a folk-tale nerd in my misspent youth I'm familiar with quite a few of the stories and ideas, and it was fun and refreshing to veiw them again in a completely new way.

Oh, and Mignola just... just... just bloody rules.

09:52 / 15.08.01

Yeah... some of the best stuff out there i think...

i almost wist it came out more frequently but only with the same quality... just being greedy!!!

Anyone read the novels?

17:39 / 08.01.03

The best arc is Seed of Destruction. Mignola and Byrne made an amazing comic. I read one of the novels by Christopher Golden and I don't like it, the plot doesn't have the same taste like Mignola's plots. Right Hand of Doom is also a one of the best TPB.

22:57 / 08.01.03

Read 'em all, I say! In order of original publication, for best effect: Seed of Destruction, Chained Coffin (with one exception, see below), Wake the Devil, Right Hand of Doom, Conqueror Worm.

The exception mentioned above is that all the stories but one in the "Chained Coffin" trade were published between SoD and WtD, while the last story in CC directly follows the events in WtD.