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Baltimore
Baltimore, Vol. 2: The Curse Bells
A horrific ritual will create havoc on a small European town, as Lord Baltimore takes on the twisted blessing of vampiric nuns and an insane warlock!
* By award–winning writers Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.
* New York Times bestseller!
"Crisp, clean & drenched in blood!" Comic Attack
A fight to the death!
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2012
18 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,883 books2,552 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 105 reviews
November 6, 2020
Lord Baltimore is on the trail of the vampire Haigus when he comes across a cloister of vampire nuns. Now he must stop the nuns and the magician leading them from cursing the church bells and dooming everyone within hearing range. The Inquisitor on Baltimore's tale is scarier than any monster. Re-reading this, I think the Nazi warlock in this is meant to be a young Hitler. I missed that the first go-around.
The art and coloring by Ben Stenbeck and Dave Stewart are fantastic. The scene where Baltimore is first noticed by the nuns is fantastic. I love how they flow towards him like a wave coming in to shore to overwhelm him.
The art and coloring by Ben Stenbeck and Dave Stewart are fantastic. The scene where Baltimore is first noticed by the nuns is fantastic. I love how they flow towards him like a wave coming in to shore to overwhelm him.
June 22, 2017
Wow. I am impressed. Lord Baltimore and the Curse Bells was amazing. This is my second volume of the Lord Baltimore books and I enjoyed this one quite a bit more than the first.
Lord Baltimore is still on the hunt of Haigus the elder vampire. This time his hunt takes him into Switzerland and Austria. But there is more than just vampires at play. An ancient evil has been awoken in a fallen convent and the Curse Bells may ring once again. This is the premise for Lord Baltimore in this excellent and dark tale.
Not only is the dark story well told, but the inclusion of accurate Latin and German helps flesh out this story. The artwork is actually well done. I prefer Mignola's art, but this Ben Stenbeck guy does a very creditable job of emulating the style of Mignola. The coloring was superb. The uses of the dark colors really make the red stand out. Well done!
So all in all-this is a great horror story. Well constructed and well told. I hope the rest of the Lord Baltimore series is of similar quality. I liked this far more than the first volume. Highly recommended to any horror fan.
Lord Baltimore is still on the hunt of Haigus the elder vampire. This time his hunt takes him into Switzerland and Austria. But there is more than just vampires at play. An ancient evil has been awoken in a fallen convent and the Curse Bells may ring once again. This is the premise for Lord Baltimore in this excellent and dark tale.
Not only is the dark story well told, but the inclusion of accurate Latin and German helps flesh out this story. The artwork is actually well done. I prefer Mignola's art, but this Ben Stenbeck guy does a very creditable job of emulating the style of Mignola. The coloring was superb. The uses of the dark colors really make the red stand out. Well done!
So all in all-this is a great horror story. Well constructed and well told. I hope the rest of the Lord Baltimore series is of similar quality. I liked this far more than the first volume. Highly recommended to any horror fan.
January 26, 2020
Vampires, zombies and madness, oh my!
I enjoyed this story. Lord Baltimore is mad, no doubt, but don’t mess with him. He is one deadly dude. He is still hunting his Vampire that killed his wife and here he gets close. We see that anyone that comes into contact with him is doomed, still. There is some insane inquisition dude following Baltimore and he is evil, my gosh.
Lord Baltimore finds a monastery full of nuns that have been turned into Vampires and he must stop what’s going on inside. He charges right into this nest. The dude is crazy.
It’s gruesome and dark and yet it’s not too much for me. I’m enjoying this story. This was better than the 1st volume. I look forward to Vol. 3.
I enjoyed this story. Lord Baltimore is mad, no doubt, but don’t mess with him. He is one deadly dude. He is still hunting his Vampire that killed his wife and here he gets close. We see that anyone that comes into contact with him is doomed, still. There is some insane inquisition dude following Baltimore and he is evil, my gosh.
Lord Baltimore finds a monastery full of nuns that have been turned into Vampires and he must stop what’s going on inside. He charges right into this nest. The dude is crazy.
It’s gruesome and dark and yet it’s not too much for me. I’m enjoying this story. This was better than the 1st volume. I look forward to Vol. 3.
May 23, 2013
Baltimore is still on the trail of the vampire Haigus who turned his family into vampires forcing him to kill them. The trail leads to Austria in 1916 where a gothic convent in the mountains houses Haigus, a warlock, and a number of cursed nuns. But they are not all in cahoots together as Baltimore will find out and the bells of the convent are yearning to ring out once more to the village beneath them...
The second Baltimore volume isn’t as good as the first book, maybe because it’s a smaller story than the first. Cursed bells? It’s good but the story still feels a bit thin. The Warlock character especially felt a bit contrived. Also Mike Mignola’s done a whole mess of stories set in churches, monasteries, convents, and so on so reading this feels like deja vu.
That said it’s by no means dull. Baltimore kills his way through a monster-ridden forest, the cursed convent, and various cool gothic locales. There’s also an excellently drawn moonlit scene on the mountainside where scores of possessed nuns swarm our peg-legged hero. Ben Stenbeck continues to produce first rate work and Dave Stewart proves once again why he is the best colorist working in the industry today.
Mignola and Chris Golden craft another solid book together and if you liked the first Baltimore book you’ll enjoy the second.
The second Baltimore volume isn’t as good as the first book, maybe because it’s a smaller story than the first. Cursed bells? It’s good but the story still feels a bit thin. The Warlock character especially felt a bit contrived. Also Mike Mignola’s done a whole mess of stories set in churches, monasteries, convents, and so on so reading this feels like deja vu.
That said it’s by no means dull. Baltimore kills his way through a monster-ridden forest, the cursed convent, and various cool gothic locales. There’s also an excellently drawn moonlit scene on the mountainside where scores of possessed nuns swarm our peg-legged hero. Ben Stenbeck continues to produce first rate work and Dave Stewart proves once again why he is the best colorist working in the industry today.
Mignola and Chris Golden craft another solid book together and if you liked the first Baltimore book you’ll enjoy the second.
March 6, 2016
If you have been following my reviews(and there are tens of tens who do) you know you won't get an impartial review on a Mignola book. Love his style, the worlds and the subject matter. I'm a fan, so keep that in mind.
Baltimore's quest of tracking down the vampire, Haigus, takes him to post WWI Europe with vampiric nuns and a "priest" conducting a horrific ritual, Poe's The Bells, and a sadistic inquisitor trying to track down Baltimore for cleansing purposes makes for a dark, bloody, great story.
8/10
Baltimore's quest of tracking down the vampire, Haigus, takes him to post WWI Europe with vampiric nuns and a "priest" conducting a horrific ritual, Poe's The Bells, and a sadistic inquisitor trying to track down Baltimore for cleansing purposes makes for a dark, bloody, great story.
8/10
May 7, 2013
I am really really enjoying this series so far (and yes I know I've only read two so far but still). Here we find our anti-hero continuing on his quest to hunt down and destroy the vampire that took his leg and his family. He ends up in a small European town that has been taken over by a bunch of slightly unstable nuns and a power mad warlock and finds himself helping out others as well as himself. Once again the illustrations are superb and really capture the story in all its gore filled glory and of course there is the ever brilliant shhhhhuuuuunnnnnkkkkk as Baltimore takes his vengeance of the vampire hoards. I cannot wait to carry on losing myself in this series!
March 7, 2018
Second book of lord Baltimore is awesome. The story about the bells, the village, the atmosphere... just brilliant. And the nuns! This is probably most favourite one of all Baltimore comic books.
June 29, 2012
I'd be completely dishonest, and thus quite remiss, if I was to admit that I wasn't somewhat apprehensive about the quality of Mignola's second addendum to the Baltimore mythos. It's not just the current state of disrepair that the realm of graphic novels has found itself in, and unfortunately I feel as though some of Mignola's recent work- within the realm of the B.P.R.D. has suffered this affliction as well. The ending of the first B.P.R.D. arc suffered from loose threads (some that still have to be tied damnit!) and a mediocre ending that just existed merely to lead to the next arc- which I'll admit, has been pretty mediocre so far: this includes, weak character development, bland narrative movement, clunky dialoge, the full monty unfortunately. Even the first Baltimore, while a fun and definitely enjoyable read, seemed more of an appetizer (see my review) instead of a full course. It introduced the character, his world, and the works conflict but, was really more a tease than a full blown work that I expected.
Well thankfully my fears have been allayed: Baltimore: The Curse Bells is an incredibly enjoyable read. In fact, what makes this work so stupendous is that we find Mignola really going out on a limb to really galvinize his audience, as much as himself I bet. In a genre that is becoming staler and staler as time goes on, it's a much needed and absolutely delicious breathe of fresh air that we're going to savor for sometime. Second only to Mignola's Storm and the Fury- no other graphic novel of his creation has been so suffused with gruesomeness, bloodiness, and downright spine-chilling horror- along with the absolutely frightening pandemonioum it entails.
Well thankfully my fears have been allayed: Baltimore: The Curse Bells is an incredibly enjoyable read. In fact, what makes this work so stupendous is that we find Mignola really going out on a limb to really galvinize his audience, as much as himself I bet. In a genre that is becoming staler and staler as time goes on, it's a much needed and absolutely delicious breathe of fresh air that we're going to savor for sometime. Second only to Mignola's Storm and the Fury- no other graphic novel of his creation has been so suffused with gruesomeness, bloodiness, and downright spine-chilling horror- along with the absolutely frightening pandemonioum it entails.
March 29, 2019
Interesting premise.
World: The art is well done, this book's tone is set by the art and it's pretty grim and dark. The world building is solid, there is more context and information on how the world works and that's something the last book needed. The new pieces here with the nuns is interesting and the lore and the alternate history is always great.
Story: The Nazi Dumbo was a bit much, that part lost me a bit it overall it was a fun read. It's grim and dark and even for a fan of Mignola this was dark and sad. The pacing is good, the reveal of the menace well done and the end rather poetic. Solid.
Characters: Baltimore is normally really grey and for a Mignola character that's still pretty grey. He is not really a hero and his obsession reminds me of Captain Ahab which is interesting to me as a character but not highly sympathetic. The new pieces were interesting and the melancholy and sadness of the entire book seeps into all the characters.
Solid.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is well done, this book's tone is set by the art and it's pretty grim and dark. The world building is solid, there is more context and information on how the world works and that's something the last book needed. The new pieces here with the nuns is interesting and the lore and the alternate history is always great.
Story: The Nazi Dumbo was a bit much, that part lost me a bit it overall it was a fun read. It's grim and dark and even for a fan of Mignola this was dark and sad. The pacing is good, the reveal of the menace well done and the end rather poetic. Solid.
Characters: Baltimore is normally really grey and for a Mignola character that's still pretty grey. He is not really a hero and his obsession reminds me of Captain Ahab which is interesting to me as a character but not highly sympathetic. The new pieces were interesting and the melancholy and sadness of the entire book seeps into all the characters.
Solid.
Onward to the next book!
November 22, 2017
This book builds wonderfully on the first and begins to expand the world around Lord Baltimore and his quest. I really like both the pace and the approach to the story telling. These books have been both satisfying and intriguing.
May 16, 2012
Note: I receieved a free copy via Netgalley.
Baltimore: the Curse of the Bells.
I’ve never read Hellboy. I read, a long time ago, Rocket Raccoon which was the absolutely wonderful min-comic series when I was kid. When I picked up the Baltimore book, I was happy to see the connection. Mignola, Golden, and crew have an ability to weave truly gothic tales and refer to great works of literature. It’s wonderful. And this is coming from a reader who was turned off comics and graphic novels for the longest time.
This story is part homage to Poe as well as bringing to mind Ann Radcliffe and Lewis’ The Monk. It also is a more modern version of the old Hammer House of Horror movies.
On a quest to kill a vampire, Baltimore finds himself surrounding by fallen nuns and working with an American reporter. What the pair uncovers is a plot to seize control of people’s minds and a reference to another historical event that to reveal will be a spoiler. The story combines the best of speculative fiction, gothic mood, creepiness, and humanity that the best novels do. This is, in part, because the story challenges the reader, not just the current romantic view of vampires, but also with what constitutes humanity, holiness, and rightness. It’s good when a work does this and it what makes these stories worth reading.
That and all those references.
It isn’t all dark. There are some dark and funny moments, in much of tradition of a dark comedy.
Baltimore: the Curse of the Bells.
I’ve never read Hellboy. I read, a long time ago, Rocket Raccoon which was the absolutely wonderful min-comic series when I was kid. When I picked up the Baltimore book, I was happy to see the connection. Mignola, Golden, and crew have an ability to weave truly gothic tales and refer to great works of literature. It’s wonderful. And this is coming from a reader who was turned off comics and graphic novels for the longest time.
This story is part homage to Poe as well as bringing to mind Ann Radcliffe and Lewis’ The Monk. It also is a more modern version of the old Hammer House of Horror movies.
On a quest to kill a vampire, Baltimore finds himself surrounding by fallen nuns and working with an American reporter. What the pair uncovers is a plot to seize control of people’s minds and a reference to another historical event that to reveal will be a spoiler. The story combines the best of speculative fiction, gothic mood, creepiness, and humanity that the best novels do. This is, in part, because the story challenges the reader, not just the current romantic view of vampires, but also with what constitutes humanity, holiness, and rightness. It’s good when a work does this and it what makes these stories worth reading.
That and all those references.
It isn’t all dark. There are some dark and funny moments, in much of tradition of a dark comedy.
July 10, 2020
4.5
Mignola initially stumbled out of the gates with Baltimore but he has quickly course corrected this series. Baltimore is a man on a revenge mission and this book is better developed and showcases a world away from Hellboy. Mignola continues to play with similar gothic creatures and that does annoy me but in the end this is likable stuff.
Why the 4.5?
The one man journey for revenge is nothing new but Mignola manages to improve the pacing lags from the first volume. This is page turning and it starts to build the supporting characters. The villain of the series is better developed here compared to the first volume and I feel this series is heading in the right direction.
Mignola initially stumbled out of the gates with Baltimore but he has quickly course corrected this series. Baltimore is a man on a revenge mission and this book is better developed and showcases a world away from Hellboy. Mignola continues to play with similar gothic creatures and that does annoy me but in the end this is likable stuff.
Why the 4.5?
The one man journey for revenge is nothing new but Mignola manages to improve the pacing lags from the first volume. This is page turning and it starts to build the supporting characters. The villain of the series is better developed here compared to the first volume and I feel this series is heading in the right direction.
April 3, 2021
Čtu Baltimora znovu u příležitosti dovydání v češtině. A uvědomil jsem si u toho dvě věci:
1. Že Prokleté zvony jsou asi moje nejoblíbenější část série.
2. Miluju Davea Stewarta.
1. Že Prokleté zvony jsou asi moje nejoblíbenější část série.
2. Miluju Davea Stewarta.
September 22, 2020
The Baltimore saga continues as our anti-hero paves a road of vampire and monster corpses on his journey of vengeance against the vampire lord Haigus, who destroyed his family and began a very personal war with Baltimore himself. In this installment, Baltimore comes across a plot to enslave an entire city to a a monster’s whim, and predictable battle ensues. But what makes this so compelling is how Baltimore cares less about the people of the city than he does about his shot to kill Haigus, and we see that our titular character is nobody’s hero. He is just a man on a mission. And anybody who gets involved wither with him or against him or merely near him is likely to get hurt. Great stuff.
October 21, 2012
Creepy and bloody, just the way I like it!
December 15, 2014
Super dark! Great art and story, horror as it should be. Dark, gritty, gruesome.
July 14, 2013
This was more creepy than Baltimore: The Plague Ships, and that's saying something. Baltimore is still on the hunt for his one-eyed, scarred vampire nemesis, but he comes across a cult of demented nuns who follow an occultist bent on rebirthing a powerful sorceress.
I think this series is for readers who loved the Monster of the Week type programs such as Night Gallery or Thriller, or even episodic television like The Incredible Hulk where our lone hero conquers a different situation each week. I could see this as a good television adaptation in the right hands.
The artwork is as beautiful as The Plague Ships, and the writing just as atmospheric. Although this was more scary. It delves deeper into the themes of diabolism and occult dealings with dark entities, and this town that Baltimore goes to is full of a sense of wrongness, death and murky secrets. I did read this at night and I didn't have nightmares, but that was because I read something else before I went to sleep.
Baltimore has to balance his selfish need for revenge against the greater good, and he teams up with an American journalist who is writing a book about vampires after discovering they were real in the Great War. I thought the reporter looked a lot like Edgar Allen Poe, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was a deliberate choice of the creators of this graphic novel. Part of the narrative even includes as passage from "The Bells" by Poe.
I think this was just as good as The Plague Ships if not better, but it's more disturbing and disarming than that prior book in the series. I know that's because it focuses on occultism, black magic, and people who trade the lives of others for ultimate power. Those subjects are inherently more affecting to me than, say zombies and vampires.
Baltimore is a very effective dark hero with an antiheroic bent. He is the dark hero that fights against the darkness, and strives to recover his own lost soul in the process. Those kinds of heroes always get me.
I am loving this series. Keep them coming!
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
I think this series is for readers who loved the Monster of the Week type programs such as Night Gallery or Thriller, or even episodic television like The Incredible Hulk where our lone hero conquers a different situation each week. I could see this as a good television adaptation in the right hands.
The artwork is as beautiful as The Plague Ships, and the writing just as atmospheric. Although this was more scary. It delves deeper into the themes of diabolism and occult dealings with dark entities, and this town that Baltimore goes to is full of a sense of wrongness, death and murky secrets. I did read this at night and I didn't have nightmares, but that was because I read something else before I went to sleep.
Baltimore has to balance his selfish need for revenge against the greater good, and he teams up with an American journalist who is writing a book about vampires after discovering they were real in the Great War. I thought the reporter looked a lot like Edgar Allen Poe, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was a deliberate choice of the creators of this graphic novel. Part of the narrative even includes as passage from "The Bells" by Poe.
I think this was just as good as The Plague Ships if not better, but it's more disturbing and disarming than that prior book in the series. I know that's because it focuses on occultism, black magic, and people who trade the lives of others for ultimate power. Those subjects are inherently more affecting to me than, say zombies and vampires.
Baltimore is a very effective dark hero with an antiheroic bent. He is the dark hero that fights against the darkness, and strives to recover his own lost soul in the process. Those kinds of heroes always get me.
I am loving this series. Keep them coming!
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
January 30, 2014
Hard to go wrong with Mignola and Golden. Here we have the continuing saga of WWI vet and vampire hunter, Lord Baltimore. As ever, he seeks the ancient vampire Haigus, the monster responsible for the murder of Baltimore's family. Along the way we also get a necromancer with dreams of a brainwashed army, theosophist Madame Blavatsky resurrected as a bloody homunculus, cursed bells, forest demons, and a horde of vampire nuns. Mignola wears his influences on his sleeve and we get bits of Matthew Lewis, Radcliffe, Poe, M.R. James, Machen and Lovecraft. The mood is perfect, and Mignola manages to include plenty of his trademark dark humor amidst the grotesquerie.
Here is one graphic novel where you really get all that is promised on the label. I am, once again, eager for more.
Here is one graphic novel where you really get all that is promised on the label. I am, once again, eager for more.
January 18, 2015
I was expecting something similar to The Little Sisters of Eluria when the cliff notes mentioned the vampire nuns. I was pleasantly surprised by the avenue the author took. Truly beautiful work.
My one complaint, Baltimore has lost some shadow. I remember his face darker and more dangerous in the first volume. He hasn't gotten his revenge so I see no reason why he would have changed. I could be wrong. It has been a long while since reading the plague ship.
My one complaint, Baltimore has lost some shadow. I remember his face darker and more dangerous in the first volume. He hasn't gotten his revenge so I see no reason why he would have changed. I could be wrong. It has been a long while since reading the plague ship.
July 12, 2016
In this second book of the series, Lord Baltimore continues the hunt for his nemesis--the ancient vampire Haigus. But both Baltimore and Haigus are unexpectedly sidetracked by a twisted church filled with vampire nuns and an evil warlock. This book is MUCH darker than the first. The horrific rites and rituals, and all those creepy cursed nuns, covered the whole thing with a shadow.
We still don't get any more background or development on Baltimore. But I guess I'm okay with it, since the story is good.
We still don't get any more background or development on Baltimore. But I guess I'm okay with it, since the story is good.
January 2, 2019
I am enjoying the hell out of this series. Mignola is delivering fantastic work, and it's solidly in the horror realm, with gory scenes like that of Madame Blavatsky being birthed through a victim's stomach after being resurrected from ashes and the blood of an ancient vampire. The artwork is gorgeous with a subdued color palette enhanced with bright splashes of blood red. The panel layouts are pleasing and simple, and easy to navigate. I am hooked on the characters and the story line, and I eagerly anticipate the remaining volumes.
June 14, 2012
I liked this one actually quite a bit better than the first volume, just because it wasn't treading back over as much ground from the novel. Ben Stenbeck remains my favorite non-Mignola artist working on Mignola properties, and I really liked the spots where the story touched on other weird creatures that were waking up in the world. Also, Stenbeck's pin-ups in the back were spectacular. I just with the Free Comic Book Day issue had been included. Hopefully it'll be in the next collection...
March 31, 2018
Lord Baltimore continues his pursuit across Europe for his hated enemy. The Vampire, Haigus, always seems to be a step ahead. In this edition, joining the story with more than a small interest is the Inquisitor, Andre Duvic and a "War Correspondant" Simon Hodge. I'm really digging this. Not much more to say.
February 15, 2019
Damned nuns, stupid teens, an agent of the Inquisition, a regular occultist, a tiny occultist, zombies bleeding out of their ears and a journalist who doesn't own any of the skills Lord Baltimore has. How that journalist survived is a mystery to me.
I wish we got to see more of the other monsters besides the vampires and zombies.
I wish we got to see more of the other monsters besides the vampires and zombies.
July 11, 2012
Beautifully done! Defnitely in keeping with the spirit of the story from the book.
April 21, 2013
Great read! More please.
August 17, 2017
"There may still be some of those vampire nuns..."
Asiaa neljän tähden edestä!
Asiaa neljän tähden edestä!
August 27, 2018
Krásně napínavé, donutí přečíst na jeden zátah.
May 4, 2012
Dark Horse Comics and Dark Horse Books are the publishers which ended my long-standing aversion (avoidance) of graphic novels recently when I perused Dark Horse Books’ superb “Freaks of the Heartland,” a story I absolutely cannot forget. The gorgeous art; the story line; the dialogue; and the characterizations are immensely appealing. I find “Baltimore: The Curse Bells” intriguing too, although its appeals is just slightly less than that of “Freaks of the Heartland.” There are a couple of reasons for this which are specific to me:
1. The text font used in Curse Bells is smaller, and that is difficult on my poor eyesight. However, I imagine 99% of readers will find it just right.
2. It’s a vampire-type story, which unfortunately is not my forte.
On the other hand, this story has some real advantages:
1. It’s historical: set in Eastern Europe in the early 19th century, its storyline actually PREDATES Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” (although it is set more than a century after the original Vlad the Impaler).
2. The characterizations are very well done-and the art carries forth the aura of those characters marvelously.
3. The storyline is intriguing, neatly twisted, and carries a lot of emotional overtone with it, so that the reader speeds from panel to panel without dropping the thread of suspension of disbelief. In other words, you really want to know what’s happening next.
1. The text font used in Curse Bells is smaller, and that is difficult on my poor eyesight. However, I imagine 99% of readers will find it just right.
2. It’s a vampire-type story, which unfortunately is not my forte.
On the other hand, this story has some real advantages:
1. It’s historical: set in Eastern Europe in the early 19th century, its storyline actually PREDATES Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” (although it is set more than a century after the original Vlad the Impaler).
2. The characterizations are very well done-and the art carries forth the aura of those characters marvelously.
3. The storyline is intriguing, neatly twisted, and carries a lot of emotional overtone with it, so that the reader speeds from panel to panel without dropping the thread of suspension of disbelief. In other words, you really want to know what’s happening next.
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