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The World of Hellboy: Standalone Books
Sledgehammer 44
A man in a suit of iron drops from an American warplane onto a French battlefield and unleashes a powerful cosmic force on an army of Nazis, their massive war machine, and their most dangerous agent, the deadly Black Flame! Comics superstar Mike Mignola creates an alternative story of a World War II robot.
144 pages, Paperback
Published May 28, 2014
6 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,864 books2,528 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 71 reviews
July 13, 2021
Spins out of Lobster Johnson: Iron Prometheus. The first 2 issue miniseries feels underdeveloped and Jason Latour's art is not very good. The main character looks like Jughead from Archie. The second miniseries is better as we get an appearance from the Black Flame and art by Lawrence Campbell.
January 19, 2017
A powerful new Allied weapon enters the closing stages of World War 2: Sledgehammer 44, a robot imbued with supernatural Vril power. But during a mission to retrieve a prisoner and experimental plane, Sledgehammer 44 comes up against a formidable Nazi figure: the Black Flame!
Though Sledgehammer 44 turns out to be a fairly uninteresting dude, nor are his stories particularly memorable, the book is not without its charms. The first two-issue arc introduces us to the character and tells us a bit about him, what he is, what he can do, etc. It’s not a bad story but not a very impressive one either – spirits haunting physical suits is a very common theme in Mike Mignola’s comics as are strong man characters! Jason Latour’s art is ok but feels a little sketchy and rushed.
The second and final three-issue arc sees Sledgehammer 44 (what an unwieldy name!) go up against the Black Flame. The story is minimal, a contrivance to get these two fighting Dragon Ball Z-style, in the sky, smashing each other as hard as possible. While it’s more superhero-y than we usually get in Mignola’s books, it looks awesome – Laurence Campbell’s art is great and his photorealistic style makes the Black Flame look really chilling, like when he lands on the airplane wing and starts walking towards the reader!
The irony is that in his own book, we don’t really get to know who Sledgehammer 44 is. When he’s not punching or blowing stuff up, he’s gloomy and silent with the reader rarely given the occasional glimpse into his mind. Instead of delving into his background we get page after page of, sigh, characters punching each other some more. It’s not exactly the most compelling character portrait and, in keeping the reader at arm’s length, makes it hard to care about him.
Even though the stories and characters are underdeveloped, Mignola and co. can still just about hold your attention and while I was never on the edge of my seat, I was more-or-less engaged – Nazis and Mignola, you can rarely go wrong with that pairing! - and Laurence Campbell’s art is straight dope. But Sledgehammer 44 is basically just for fans of the Mignola-verse who dig the writer’s style and aren’t too bothered about his (increasingly frequent) lack of substance.
Though Sledgehammer 44 turns out to be a fairly uninteresting dude, nor are his stories particularly memorable, the book is not without its charms. The first two-issue arc introduces us to the character and tells us a bit about him, what he is, what he can do, etc. It’s not a bad story but not a very impressive one either – spirits haunting physical suits is a very common theme in Mike Mignola’s comics as are strong man characters! Jason Latour’s art is ok but feels a little sketchy and rushed.
The second and final three-issue arc sees Sledgehammer 44 (what an unwieldy name!) go up against the Black Flame. The story is minimal, a contrivance to get these two fighting Dragon Ball Z-style, in the sky, smashing each other as hard as possible. While it’s more superhero-y than we usually get in Mignola’s books, it looks awesome – Laurence Campbell’s art is great and his photorealistic style makes the Black Flame look really chilling, like when he lands on the airplane wing and starts walking towards the reader!
The irony is that in his own book, we don’t really get to know who Sledgehammer 44 is. When he’s not punching or blowing stuff up, he’s gloomy and silent with the reader rarely given the occasional glimpse into his mind. Instead of delving into his background we get page after page of, sigh, characters punching each other some more. It’s not exactly the most compelling character portrait and, in keeping the reader at arm’s length, makes it hard to care about him.
Even though the stories and characters are underdeveloped, Mignola and co. can still just about hold your attention and while I was never on the edge of my seat, I was more-or-less engaged – Nazis and Mignola, you can rarely go wrong with that pairing! - and Laurence Campbell’s art is straight dope. But Sledgehammer 44 is basically just for fans of the Mignola-verse who dig the writer’s style and aren’t too bothered about his (increasingly frequent) lack of substance.
January 20, 2016
I enjoyed this trip to the World War II era Mignolaverse. I really liked the concept of the Sledgehammer armour and was relieved when the book turned out to be a heckuva lot more than 'WWII Iron Man' as I'd originally suspected. I should have known better.
This volume actually collects two shorter story-arcs; the original Sledgehammer 44 two-parter, which is the obligatory origin story, and the three-part 'Lightning War' which has much better artwork and a much more engaging story. In particular, I really liked the ending of the final issue of 'Lightning War'.
This is currently all there is, Sledgehammer 44-wise, but if Dark Horse release any more I'll definitely be reading.
This volume actually collects two shorter story-arcs; the original Sledgehammer 44 two-parter, which is the obligatory origin story, and the three-part 'Lightning War' which has much better artwork and a much more engaging story. In particular, I really liked the ending of the final issue of 'Lightning War'.
This is currently all there is, Sledgehammer 44-wise, but if Dark Horse release any more I'll definitely be reading.
June 3, 2014
The concept of this one is neat, but feels a little... underdeveloped, maybe? And I'm still not sold on the art of either Jason Latour or Laurence Campbell. Not because there's anything wrong with their art--both are good--but because they just don't seem to fit into the Mignolaverse as well as some of the other artists, at least to my eye. That said, this is a fun piece of WWII comics action, the Sledgehammer character (originally in the first Lobster Johnson book) looks great, and I really liked the writing on the Black Flame's dialogue (monologue?).
March 28, 2018
Nice spin off mini series in the Hellboy universe. Good WWII tale of the early days of the B.P.R.D. Nice art made this an enjoyable read. Recommended
August 2, 2025
I really enjoyed this little addition to the BPRD world- a WWII case of a mysterious, high-tech plane being captured with its pilot by the nazis (spoilers- the American pilot is a traitor). They send the Sledgehammer to figure it out, he fights the black flame and smacks around a bunch of nazis. The world feels so big in the BPRD comics because of these one off graphic novels, just a little dip into what mysteries Hitler was trying to harness to turn the war. Luckily, another failure!
This is good and I could see your average WWII reader finding some interest in this story.
This is good and I could see your average WWII reader finding some interest in this story.
July 19, 2025
This was a little darker then most Hellboy titles. Hellboy as a general rule is a dark title, but it has that black humor running through it to lighten the mood at times. This was deadly serious almost the entire time. It's a dark war story shedding some light on the early years of the Hellboy mythology.
May 1, 2019
World War II. Kinda takes its story from Lobster Johnson in a way. The first story has some pretty avg art. The second is much better.
May 10, 2021
War story on the edge of the Hellboy-verse that stands ably on its own, no background or prior reading necessary.
November 23, 2021
The plot is just okay,but the great artwork in the second half of the book and some amazing mid-air superpowered battle scenes is what uplifts this book.
July 14, 2014
From Mike Mignola’s Hellboy universe comes this second world war tale of a powerful iron battle suit, The Sledgehammer, deployed into France in 1944. Supported by US Soldiers, the aim of the suit, and the man inside, is to test the suit’s capabilities whilst confronting a group of bedded-in Nazis. Although the suit performs well, it encounters some strong, and unusual, resistance that overpowers it and it’s only the determination of the few surviving soldiers that get him carried out of there, now little more than a dead weight. They meet more Nazis on the road, keen to take the powerful suit for themselves, which sees a heroic action by the retreating US group but a chest wound for perhaps the meekest member of the group, Redding, after he displays some outstanding courage. They end up hiding in a barn, surrounded by German troops, heavily outnumbered, and facing certain defeat.
Redding is now dying, and receives a vision of what will happen to his comrades in the coming hours, but he also learns a little more about the occupant of the suit, what powers it, and how he can help. He leaves his body and takes possession of the suit, bringing it back to fighting strength and enabling it to confront the menace outside the barn.
But it’s not just the Allies that have a secret weapon weighted very much towards the paranormal. The Germans have the Black Flame, and now the two creatures are set to clash when The Sledgehammer is sent to retrieve a stolen experimental plane and its pilot.
This is billed as Horror, but of all the Mignola books this reads more like a straight superhero comic than anything else he’s done. Horror elements are present, but the strong and somewhat obvious parallels between Iron Man and Captain America can’t help but steer your preconceptions. It’s not a bad tale, but personally I felt the artwork prevented us from getting to know the characters in any depth which kept the unfolding events at a distance. I would have liked to have got to know Redding a little more and for there to have been time to make the Black Flame a little less two-dimensional. If you like Mignola’s other work you’ll no doubt enjoy it, but perhaps not as much as the likes of BPRD and Hellboy.
Redding is now dying, and receives a vision of what will happen to his comrades in the coming hours, but he also learns a little more about the occupant of the suit, what powers it, and how he can help. He leaves his body and takes possession of the suit, bringing it back to fighting strength and enabling it to confront the menace outside the barn.
But it’s not just the Allies that have a secret weapon weighted very much towards the paranormal. The Germans have the Black Flame, and now the two creatures are set to clash when The Sledgehammer is sent to retrieve a stolen experimental plane and its pilot.
This is billed as Horror, but of all the Mignola books this reads more like a straight superhero comic than anything else he’s done. Horror elements are present, but the strong and somewhat obvious parallels between Iron Man and Captain America can’t help but steer your preconceptions. It’s not a bad tale, but personally I felt the artwork prevented us from getting to know the characters in any depth which kept the unfolding events at a distance. I would have liked to have got to know Redding a little more and for there to have been time to make the Black Flame a little less two-dimensional. If you like Mignola’s other work you’ll no doubt enjoy it, but perhaps not as much as the likes of BPRD and Hellboy.
September 5, 2015
Latour Campbell
Wow this shit be good!
I knew nothing about Sledgehammer 44 going in, all I knew it was Mignola and Arcudi and that it somewhat ties into the Mignolaverse and the Vril storyline from Lobster Johnson. What I found was amazing! Absolutely bloody brilliant!
World: World War II, Nazis, Occult Hitler, Vril and Black Flame what else do you want to make it awesome, oh the art, let's talk about the fanfuckingtastic art. There are actually 2 mini arcs here and both artist here are amazing, they are both subtly different but in line with in asthetics for the series. I will say that Campbell's Black Flame is amazing and his framing quite evocative. The world building in terms of writing here is very rich and deep, this is fertile ground as it is before the BPRD and HB. A lot of story has not been told about the formation of the bureau but more importantly Professor Broom. Strong stuff!
Story: Two small tales here but very well done and pulls at our emotions. Redding is a wonderful character and one which the reader can immediately relate to (I'll get back to him below). Though this is a fantastical tale taking place during the War with larger than life characters, the emotional core of the tale is strong. Kudos to Mignola and Arcudi in pulling from the Mignolaverse for background and story making this story richer and more meaningful if you are a fan of the world. A wonderfully poetic ending that opens the door for more story, I can't wait for more.
Characters: Strong strong strong. At the core is Redding and he's a wonderful character to dive into the world with, Black Flame is a force of nature but with Campbell's art and Mignola and Arcudi's dialog he is amazing. The rest of the cast serve the story and feel right in the world. The characters are not deep as the arcs are short, but they, especially Redding make their stay memorable.
A wonderful addition to the Mignolaverse, in one trade Sledgehammer has left a mark for me and now I just want more please!
Onward to the next book!
Wow this shit be good!
I knew nothing about Sledgehammer 44 going in, all I knew it was Mignola and Arcudi and that it somewhat ties into the Mignolaverse and the Vril storyline from Lobster Johnson. What I found was amazing! Absolutely bloody brilliant!
World: World War II, Nazis, Occult Hitler, Vril and Black Flame what else do you want to make it awesome, oh the art, let's talk about the fanfuckingtastic art. There are actually 2 mini arcs here and both artist here are amazing, they are both subtly different but in line with in asthetics for the series. I will say that Campbell's Black Flame is amazing and his framing quite evocative. The world building in terms of writing here is very rich and deep, this is fertile ground as it is before the BPRD and HB. A lot of story has not been told about the formation of the bureau but more importantly Professor Broom. Strong stuff!
Story: Two small tales here but very well done and pulls at our emotions. Redding is a wonderful character and one which the reader can immediately relate to (I'll get back to him below). Though this is a fantastical tale taking place during the War with larger than life characters, the emotional core of the tale is strong. Kudos to Mignola and Arcudi in pulling from the Mignolaverse for background and story making this story richer and more meaningful if you are a fan of the world. A wonderfully poetic ending that opens the door for more story, I can't wait for more.
Characters: Strong strong strong. At the core is Redding and he's a wonderful character to dive into the world with, Black Flame is a force of nature but with Campbell's art and Mignola and Arcudi's dialog he is amazing. The rest of the cast serve the story and feel right in the world. The characters are not deep as the arcs are short, but they, especially Redding make their stay memorable.
A wonderful addition to the Mignolaverse, in one trade Sledgehammer has left a mark for me and now I just want more please!
Onward to the next book!
January 2, 2016
"Sledgehammer 44" read like "Iron Man Hellboy fights Nazis in World War II," with all all the benefits and detriments that entails. Our story starts with a squad of grunts backing up a new secret weapon on its first deployment in occupied Paris. Things don't go quite according to plan, though, and one of the soldiers in the squad ends up inhabiting the mystically powered suit, a turn of events that lets him save his buddies but may end up costing him his soul.
This opening sequence has nice action, characters and dialogue, even if it's familiar to anyone who's read a few old Sergeant Rock comics. What follows is a little different. Before our protagonist can get down to the business of slugging saboteurs, he has to come to terms with his transformation, which has left him marooned from humanity.
It's an interesting choice...but it's also a bit inert, as we spin our wheels a bit before the hero can be prodded into action. The approach slows down the story--and also calls for a literal, over-the-top baring of scars to get the conflict started again.
From there, we're in familiar Hellboy territory, with average-joe heroics and lots of punching. There are spies everywhere, which seems implausible, and the fisticuffs themselves lack dramatic tension, as Sledgehammer always seems to have an extra reserves to draw on when things get tough. (I have the same problem with the Hellboy series as well.)
It's fun to see World War II reflected in the Mignola-verse, but a similar time period was explored to much greater effect in the B.P.R.D. 1946 and 1947 storylines. I'd check those out first and only come back to this if you're fully hooked.
This opening sequence has nice action, characters and dialogue, even if it's familiar to anyone who's read a few old Sergeant Rock comics. What follows is a little different. Before our protagonist can get down to the business of slugging saboteurs, he has to come to terms with his transformation, which has left him marooned from humanity.
It's an interesting choice...but it's also a bit inert, as we spin our wheels a bit before the hero can be prodded into action. The approach slows down the story--and also calls for a literal, over-the-top baring of scars to get the conflict started again.
From there, we're in familiar Hellboy territory, with average-joe heroics and lots of punching. There are spies everywhere, which seems implausible, and the fisticuffs themselves lack dramatic tension, as Sledgehammer always seems to have an extra reserves to draw on when things get tough. (I have the same problem with the Hellboy series as well.)
It's fun to see World War II reflected in the Mignola-verse, but a similar time period was explored to much greater effect in the B.P.R.D. 1946 and 1947 storylines. I'd check those out first and only come back to this if you're fully hooked.
February 29, 2016
Quan creia que l'univers Hellboy començava a donar símptomes d'esgotament, apareix aquesta delícia ambientada en plena Segona Guerra Mundial amb infanteria, aviació, agents dobles, mad doctors i lluitadors de sumo que piloten avions ultrasecrets.
Brillantíssim, a nivell de guió i d'il·lustració.
Una col·lecció a seguir de prop.
Brillantíssim, a nivell de guió i d'il·lustració.
Una col·lecció a seguir de prop.
March 12, 2021
Series: Sledgehammer 44 #1-5
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
A man in an iron suit drops from an American warplane onto a French battlefield and unleashes the cosmic forces upon the Nazi army.
This is a short 5 issue comic that is about the Vril suit that was originally mentioned in Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus. The Vril suit allows the wielder to unleash a cosmic force that annihilates anyone nearby. He is sent into France to help take down Nazi forces. The Sledgehammer 44 has no problem taking out the soldiers but he has more of a challenge with the Nazi weapon, Black Flame, who reminded me of Red Skull.
While this was a pretty interesting comic overall, Sledgehammer 44 wasn’t a very interesting character. We get some information about who he is and what he can do but it isn’t much. Outside of battling, we don’t get any real information about who this character is. He is just a silent and gloomy man so he isn’t very memorable. Also, since spirits haunting a suit is something that Mignola has done before this wasn’t very original for Mignola’s world.
Overall, interesting but I wish there had been more character development so you could actually get to know the man in the suit.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
A man in an iron suit drops from an American warplane onto a French battlefield and unleashes the cosmic forces upon the Nazi army.
This is a short 5 issue comic that is about the Vril suit that was originally mentioned in Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus. The Vril suit allows the wielder to unleash a cosmic force that annihilates anyone nearby. He is sent into France to help take down Nazi forces. The Sledgehammer 44 has no problem taking out the soldiers but he has more of a challenge with the Nazi weapon, Black Flame, who reminded me of Red Skull.
While this was a pretty interesting comic overall, Sledgehammer 44 wasn’t a very interesting character. We get some information about who he is and what he can do but it isn’t much. Outside of battling, we don’t get any real information about who this character is. He is just a silent and gloomy man so he isn’t very memorable. Also, since spirits haunting a suit is something that Mignola has done before this wasn’t very original for Mignola’s world.
Overall, interesting but I wish there had been more character development so you could actually get to know the man in the suit.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
November 11, 2020
(3,8 of 5 for nice but somehow incomplete Hellboyverse story)
Sledgehammer is fun Hellboyverse side story from WW2. It comes with few known characters in their "beginnings", perform usage of the Vril and interesting character "Sledgehammer" (and Black Flame, which is one of the coolest "villain" characters and definitely deserve expanding his background and appearance). The story itself is fun, especially from beginning to the second third, but the last third is somehow unsatisfying and calls for more pages and continuation.
Sledgehammer is fun Hellboyverse side story from WW2. It comes with few known characters in their "beginnings", perform usage of the Vril and interesting character "Sledgehammer" (and Black Flame, which is one of the coolest "villain" characters and definitely deserve expanding his background and appearance). The story itself is fun, especially from beginning to the second third, but the last third is somehow unsatisfying and calls for more pages and continuation.
October 15, 2019
Always enjoyable to see The Black Flame again, one of the creepier baddies from the Hellboy universe.
That said, I wish there was more context regarding Sledgehammer. He felt quite separated from the story, and other characters.
3.5 stars
(Read as five single issues)
That said, I wish there was more context regarding Sledgehammer. He felt quite separated from the story, and other characters.
3.5 stars
(Read as five single issues)
April 16, 2019
It's okay, I guess. Very slight. Very much felt like "wouldn't it be cool if the Black Flame was wearing a Nazi uniform while fighting Iron Man in the middle of World War 2?"
January 25, 2020
Některé scény jsou vizuálně kouzelné. Celkově ok.
November 1, 2016
Yep, it's another pretty good entry in the Hellboy/BPRD-verse, about that Vril-powered suit of armor that Johann has ended up controlling in the present day. Here, we see it in action in WWII, with a cool story about fightin' Nazi robots and soldierly sacrifice, and then another one where it fights that era's version of the Black Flame. I think I like the first one better, partly due to the art by Jason Latour and partly because it's simpler in scale. The second one is a little bit too superhero-y for this universe, with the combatants flying and blasting each other until one of them wins. Also, I'm not really into Lawrence Campbell's art, which can have an interesting hard edge to it sometimes, but is a little too photorealistic for my tastes. BPRD art is best when it's slightly cartoony, which somehow manages to emphasize the horror that often occurs. Anyway, this is still a good book, and even if it's not essential to read it (the basics of what happens get covered in the main BPRD series), it's still worth checking out.
July 27, 2014
I really enjoyed reading Sledgehammer 44 (volume 1). It's a part of the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. universe, and definitely a unique idea. Parts of the graphic novel were a little frightening, in the old sense of the word. It had a "Twilight Zone" feel to it in a few parts, and "Band of Brothers" feel to it in others. Hopefully, they write more stories, 'cause I couldn't get enough.
March 25, 2022
Silly but fun WWII sci fi silliness about a magic haunted robot shooting lighting at Nazis and burning them into sizzly skellingtons. It's not the great American novel, but it's got more scenes with Hitler examining a smoking Vril-hole in the chest of a suit of power armor than the great American novel, probably.
May 11, 2022
As a fan of the Mignola-Verse, I HAD to get this. If you are a fan, you CAN miss it.
Still, a nice entry in in the universe.
Still, a nice entry in in the universe.
January 5, 2020
Tak si opět potvrzuju, že mě náckovská část Hellboy univerza nebaví.
November 2, 2016
This collects two related stories about a World War II 'man in iron suit' fighting on the front lines of Germany. The first story, which introduces the character of Sledgehammer 44, seemed much stronger to me, with its immediate action and delayed pathos, and its ultimate resolution being fairly touching. The second story, Lightning War, doesn't quite reach the emotional depth of the first, with Sledgehammer 44 being sent behind the front lines to rescue a soldier and experimental aircraft. There's some philosophy in the early sections, but by the time the action really starts, it seems to fall to the wayside. And the villain isn't memorable at all. I also like the art of the first story better; although both use a lot of muted or dark colors, the angular forms of the first story seem more in keeping with the story than the more realistic work on the second.
This isn't up to the better Hellboy or BPRD volumes; it's not even up there with Witchfinder or Lobster Johnson. But it is an interesting aside into that universe that works on its own fairly well and is entertaining if not much more.
This isn't up to the better Hellboy or BPRD volumes; it's not even up there with Witchfinder or Lobster Johnson. But it is an interesting aside into that universe that works on its own fairly well and is entertaining if not much more.
Read
June 7, 2020Sledgehammer 44 contains two stories that spin out of the first Lobster Johnson volume about the vril suit. I recommend reading that book first to get a sense of where Sledgehammer comes from, even if his origin is briefly recapped here. The first story is very action-packed and focuses on a American soldier whose platoon comes into contact with the robot. Some cryptic scenes are sprinkled in and the story ends abruptly. The Black Flame shows up for the second arc which goes in more interesting directions. I also just really like the Black Flame so this one was more up my alley. All in all, this is a solid volume but only for Hellboy completists.
January 6, 2024
Що б зрозуміти події комікса варто прочитати Lobster Johnson Vol.1 – The Iron Prometheus, адже саме в ньому з’являється вріл броня і перший Следжхаммер.
В даному тбп зібрані дві лімітки.
Події відбуваються під час другої світової війни, дочка професора Ґаллараґаса вирішила продовжити справу батька результатом чого було створення ще одного костюма.
Сюжет дуже зворушливий і сильно написаний, не побоюсь сказати що серія перепльовує Вічфайндера.
В порівнянні з Лобстером тут ми маємо дуже психологічну і серйозну історію. Арт божественний, осбливо потішив Кемпбелл – його розвороти і бій проти Чорного Полум’я це вражаюче видовище!
В даному тбп зібрані дві лімітки.
Події відбуваються під час другої світової війни, дочка професора Ґаллараґаса вирішила продовжити справу батька результатом чого було створення ще одного костюма.
Сюжет дуже зворушливий і сильно написаний, не побоюсь сказати що серія перепльовує Вічфайндера.
В порівнянні з Лобстером тут ми маємо дуже психологічну і серйозну історію. Арт божественний, осбливо потішив Кемпбелл – його розвороти і бій проти Чорного Полум’я це вражаюче видовище!
June 18, 2018
One of the better Hellboy spinoffs in that has its own independent story to tell. It isn't a mindblowing story or anything, but it's functional. An experimental mechsuit is deployed against the nazis in WWII, but its wielder is killed quickly, only for the soul of another soldier to become trapped inside. The art is a mixed bag, in that the first half has an excellent slightly cartoony style, and the second half is drawn by Laurence Campbell. Has some connections to Lobster Johnson and B.P.R.D., but it works quite well as an independent story.
March 30, 2020
It's a nice, but mostly forgettable spin off of characters from Lobster Johnson and other Mignola titles. I liked the art and the plot was contained and good, but not great. I don't want to knit-pick, but the sledgehammer suit seems a little out of place in the Mignola-verse, which is saying a lot for a world populated by giant robots, demons, and Cthonic monstrosities. The look fits, but if the US government harnessed the unfathomable energies of the universe in 1944, why aren't they doing more of that in other titles?
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