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Hellboy
Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea
Hellboy sets sail from the wreckage of a deserted island only to cross paths with a ghost ship. Taken captive by the phantom crew that plans to sell him to the circus, Hellboy is dragged along by a captain who will stop at nothing in pursuit of a powerful sea creature.
Following the events of Hellboy: The Island, Gary Gianni draws Hellboy in an original graphic novel.
Following the events of Hellboy: The Island, Gary Gianni draws Hellboy in an original graphic novel.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2017
13 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,865 books2,527 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
August 4, 2017
In the words of Van Jones describing Trump and Russia, Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea is a big nothingburger. It’s the archetypical Hellboy story: Hellboy goes someplace remote, encounters some supernatural things, there’s some trite exposition, he punches a monster, the end. That’s all that happens here - nothing remotely new, different or original for readers like me who’ve read all the previous Hellboy comics.
Gary Gianni’s art is beautifully eerie and haunting. It’s the kind of art I remember seeing in illustrated classics as a kid and the spindly lines and nineteenth century decor is perfectly suited to a ghost story. Coupled with Dave Stewart’s always dependable, sharp colours and you’ve got a wonderful-looking comic.
The art is all Into the Silent Sea has going for it though. Mike Mignola’s firmly on autopilot in this dreary comic. Disappointingly weak - definitely not a must-read for anyone but the most ardent/completist Hellboy fans.
Gary Gianni’s art is beautifully eerie and haunting. It’s the kind of art I remember seeing in illustrated classics as a kid and the spindly lines and nineteenth century decor is perfectly suited to a ghost story. Coupled with Dave Stewart’s always dependable, sharp colours and you’ve got a wonderful-looking comic.
The art is all Into the Silent Sea has going for it though. Mike Mignola’s firmly on autopilot in this dreary comic. Disappointingly weak - definitely not a must-read for anyone but the most ardent/completist Hellboy fans.
January 28, 2019
Felt like an excuse to draw Hellboy into an illustrated classic. Draws a little from Moby Dick and Treasure Island but a lot of this doesn't make a whole lot of sense, especially as the story progresses. Any new Hellboy stories are a good thing, but there's just not a lot here.
February 9, 2018
I somehow missed this graphic novel when it was released last year (please note: this is an actual graphic novel; I'm not one of these dinguses who are too embarrassed to use the word 'comicbook').
It was pretty good, too. The artwork was really nice and the story had a nice twist at the end that just about elevated it above being 'Hellboy-by-numbers'. It still gave me that oh-too-familiar pang I get whenever I read a Hellboy story by anybody other than Mignola though: I really, really miss Mike's work on his signature character... Maybe one day? Sigh...
It was pretty good, too. The artwork was really nice and the story had a nice twist at the end that just about elevated it above being 'Hellboy-by-numbers'. It still gave me that oh-too-familiar pang I get whenever I read a Hellboy story by anybody other than Mignola though: I really, really miss Mike's work on his signature character... Maybe one day? Sigh...
April 25, 2024
Alone... Alone, All, All Alone. Alone on a wide wide sea! And never a saint took pity on my soul in agony.
Intensively atmospheric, terrifying, haunting and visually poetic, this might just be my favorite Hellboy story, It takes inspiration from stories like Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea, but still feels distinctively Mignola, and even if the story is not that original, I still think it is a masterpiece. I've always loved tales about sailing and the sea, as a portuguese man I feel lured to it, yet I've always been terrified of the open sea, so this book was pretty much made for me, highly recommended for fans of the genre.
Intensively atmospheric, terrifying, haunting and visually poetic, this might just be my favorite Hellboy story, It takes inspiration from stories like Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea, but still feels distinctively Mignola, and even if the story is not that original, I still think it is a masterpiece. I've always loved tales about sailing and the sea, as a portuguese man I feel lured to it, yet I've always been terrified of the open sea, so this book was pretty much made for me, highly recommended for fans of the genre.
December 1, 2020
Though not on par with the previous volumes in the series, the amazingly detailed artwork with a decent yet surreal story, makes "Into The Silent Sea" an enjoyable read.
November 8, 2025
Not bad by any means, but between the abbreviated page count and a plot that feels like it’s just going through the motions this can’t help but feel slight and forgettable. Certainly worth a look for the Gary Gianni artwork (he’s one of my favorite people to draw Hellboy who isn’t Mike Mignola), but maybe go in with some decently tempered expectations.
This should be right up my alley. I love Hellboy, I love olde timey sailors, you add some nautical horror to the mix and I should be ready to scarf down this entire stew but there’s just nothing to grab on to here.
This should be right up my alley. I love Hellboy, I love olde timey sailors, you add some nautical horror to the mix and I should be ready to scarf down this entire stew but there’s just nothing to grab on to here.
October 27, 2022
Certainly worth the 79p I paid for it on Comixology but Into The Silent Sea's genuine virtues don't make it any more than an atmospheric one-shot. It's Mignola and Gary Gianni paying tribute to the nautical ghost stories, novels and thrillers that haunted the 19th century - Treasure Island, Moby Dick, the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner all get a nod here, and Gianni brings the fog-bound world of brine and rotted timber to eerie life. Excellent in vibe terms - but the plot hung on this framework is as non-existent as a ghost ship's sails - Hellboy readers have seen every beat here a hundred times.
February 1, 2025
Score: 3.00 out of 5
Grade: 60% (C-) | Fine but Forgettable
Nothing sucks more than an "it was all a dream" ending. The art was all this entry really had going for it, feeling almost historical and rustic. As for the story itself, it doesn't really matter since none of it really happened, I guess...
Grade: 60% (C-) | Fine but Forgettable
Nothing sucks more than an "it was all a dream" ending. The art was all this entry really had going for it, feeling almost historical and rustic. As for the story itself, it doesn't really matter since none of it really happened, I guess...
October 6, 2019
Into The Silent Sea is so short as to be inconsequential.
There are great ideas here and nods to classic themes like the madness engendered by the sea and the dangers of “truth.” There are hints at the deeper lore of Hellboy and the dark monstrosities that haunt this alternate world. But it all comes to nothing. The graphic novel is the equivalent of flash fiction, without that medium's ability to distill the world's essence. Here much is alluded to in to little space and it feels like buildup leading too payoff.
The art lacks the stylization of the main entries. It is neither bad enough to consider not reading nor compelling enough to warrant buying. I cannot even comment on world building or characters as they do not come into play.
Perhaps if this story was reworked, or incorporated into another part of the series, it might have worked. It almost feels like a ghost story told within the world of Hellboy. There are horrific elements and some chillingly moments, but it has little lasting impact.
There are great ideas here and nods to classic themes like the madness engendered by the sea and the dangers of “truth.” There are hints at the deeper lore of Hellboy and the dark monstrosities that haunt this alternate world. But it all comes to nothing. The graphic novel is the equivalent of flash fiction, without that medium's ability to distill the world's essence. Here much is alluded to in to little space and it feels like buildup leading too payoff.
The art lacks the stylization of the main entries. It is neither bad enough to consider not reading nor compelling enough to warrant buying. I cannot even comment on world building or characters as they do not come into play.
Perhaps if this story was reworked, or incorporated into another part of the series, it might have worked. It almost feels like a ghost story told within the world of Hellboy. There are horrific elements and some chillingly moments, but it has little lasting impact.
July 26, 2018
I quick solid little ghost story with great art.
World: The art is fantastic, it’s grounded and looks like that of old serials (It looks like art that were attached to Conan Doyle stories). It’s beautiful and gives this short little story a different tone to the other HB stories around. The world building is solid, it falls into the Mignolaverse lore fits in perfectly.
Story: The story is a quick read and solid. The tone is great and it’s creepy and scary. I like how it fits into the period of HB lost at sea. The pacing is solid, the writing is fast and to the point, pretty good.
Characters: HB is of course what you expect HB to be. The new characters here are quite good and interesting. A ghost story with some nice period ghosts.
A solid story, quick and creepy.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is fantastic, it’s grounded and looks like that of old serials (It looks like art that were attached to Conan Doyle stories). It’s beautiful and gives this short little story a different tone to the other HB stories around. The world building is solid, it falls into the Mignolaverse lore fits in perfectly.
Story: The story is a quick read and solid. The tone is great and it’s creepy and scary. I like how it fits into the period of HB lost at sea. The pacing is solid, the writing is fast and to the point, pretty good.
Characters: HB is of course what you expect HB to be. The new characters here are quite good and interesting. A ghost story with some nice period ghosts.
A solid story, quick and creepy.
Onward to the next book!
December 28, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 4.25/5
I picked this little hardcover up several years ago due to it being bloody cheap at the time, then promptly sat it on the shelf, waiting to actually start the series proper itself. I noticed it the other day, picked it up and wouldn't you know it, the story was set at the exact point I was up to in the main series. Who'd have thunk it.
After what seems like an endless array of disappointments, leave it up to good ol Hellboy to deliver the goods once again. And whilst the similar nautical theme to The Third Wish (one of my reads of the year) doesn't quite hit those heights, as well as giving us what appears to be an oft used way to end a Hellboy tale, I still can't be anything but captivated by this brief yet excellent tale.
If you're not going to give me Mike Mignola art, then be all means, give me Gary Gianni instead. His far more technical, more antiquated, ink basked style was a wonderful substitution for Mignola's signature style.
Blink and you might just miss it, but Into the Silent Sea is yet another feather in the bulging cap that is the Hellboy universe. 4.25/5
OmniBen.
I picked this little hardcover up several years ago due to it being bloody cheap at the time, then promptly sat it on the shelf, waiting to actually start the series proper itself. I noticed it the other day, picked it up and wouldn't you know it, the story was set at the exact point I was up to in the main series. Who'd have thunk it.
After what seems like an endless array of disappointments, leave it up to good ol Hellboy to deliver the goods once again. And whilst the similar nautical theme to The Third Wish (one of my reads of the year) doesn't quite hit those heights, as well as giving us what appears to be an oft used way to end a Hellboy tale, I still can't be anything but captivated by this brief yet excellent tale.
If you're not going to give me Mike Mignola art, then be all means, give me Gary Gianni instead. His far more technical, more antiquated, ink basked style was a wonderful substitution for Mignola's signature style.
Blink and you might just miss it, but Into the Silent Sea is yet another feather in the bulging cap that is the Hellboy universe. 4.25/5
OmniBen.
August 3, 2018
A charming nautical tale, inspired by Melville, Coleridge, and Hodgson, with some truly awesome art with a woodcut feel. It's a classic ghost story mixed with a little cosmic horror, but the dry wit helps it stand out. And the art is really pretty.
September 27, 2025
"All in all, that could have gone a whole lot worse."
April 20, 2017
Okay, so of course I loved this. It's Mignola, it's Gianni, it's William Hope Hodgson sea stories. But but but... I also kind of feel like it eats up a lot of its fairly brief page count getting us back to the start. Taking place immediately after the hellboy story "The Island," one of the last that Mignola wrote and drew before taking Hellboy to Hell, the book spends quite a bit of time getting Hellboy on board the doomed ship and recounting the events that have gotten us to this spot before the strange lady and the creepy Dore-inspired monsters start showing up. Which is ultimately a small complaint, but is also the only reason this is setting at four stars, instead of five.
April 3, 2021
Příjemná atmosférická jednohubka, která si však snad ani nezaslouží samostatnou knihu. Rozhodně ne za cenu knihy běžné délky. Kresba je na Hellboye nestandardní, ale musím říct, že mi sedla. Celá atmosféra je vlastně její zásluha.
May 5, 2017
Creepy little Mignola nautical vignette. If you love Hellboy, you'll love this one.
April 18, 2024
Absolutely beautiful to look at. For so long in Hellboy, I was a Mignola absolutist, feeling like only he could visually capture the mood of this comic. But as he started getting overloaded with art duties in the 2000s and had to start delegating to other artists, it ended up opening a whole new world of visual possibilities for the entire Hellboy universe. This one is a standout of that evolution. Gary Gianni's art is absolutely perfect for Hellboy, and fits equally as well for a story set on an old sailing ship.
The story in this one is light and quick (only 56 pages or so), but I still loved the ride. It fits very well into Hellboy's general storyline, as well, if you read it right after "The Island." A visually stunning little romp through an Edwardian hell.
The story in this one is light and quick (only 56 pages or so), but I still loved the ride. It fits very well into Hellboy's general storyline, as well, if you read it right after "The Island." A visually stunning little romp through an Edwardian hell.
December 14, 2017
Unlike many of the other reviews I really liked this; the tone, atmosphere and setting work together really well to deliver a short but captivating story. Gary Gianni's artwork is beautiful and compliments the writing perfectly, I'll have to check out more of his art as I was very impressed.
November 18, 2019
A short wayside trip with, by Hellboy standards, very little of new or worthwhile to offer.
April 28, 2017
This was a lovely little story with top-notch, gorgeous artwork. Plenty of finely detailed pen and ink without getting to busy. Excellent pacing and a fun concept, even if it does fall into the usual Hellboy solution of punching out the monster. The weird sea-creature monsters were well done, and the disintegrating finale was satisfying.
June 3, 2017
This was my least favorite Hellboy story, which is either saying a lot or nothing at all, because I still very much enjoyed it. I've never read a bad Hellboy story. This just had the least to offer, even in its scatterbrained delirium. Whether Hellboy's after something or just wandering the Earth, his very presence is alluring. Trouble finds him and he's one of the best balances of furious reaction and tranquil core. Usually, there's a small piece of him revealed in a story of his wandering the Earth. But here, it just felt like style over substance. Never really felt that before with Hellboy.
June 20, 2019
Mike and Gary. Two great authors of mystery which I both very appreciate. I know Gary Gianni, who's responsible for the art here, as kind of old school Victorian-ish style horror-mysteries author. Those stories are creepy in a way I wouldn't believe "old school horror" could be for the modern erudite reader. But they are. And here comes Gary, contributing mostly by his art, it works perfectly. And I was happy to see his art colourized. It looks magnificent. All scenes are beautifully chilling, dark, heavy-mood. I really enjoyed this short story, wishing there would be more of it.
May 8, 2017
always a pleasure to catch up with my favorite red demon from hell.
the fever dream this book follows is a wonderful throwback to melville and robert louis stevenson.
as always beautifully rendered and the feel of the hardback edition was a pleasure to read.
perfect for national comic book day.
the fever dream this book follows is a wonderful throwback to melville and robert louis stevenson.
as always beautifully rendered and the feel of the hardback edition was a pleasure to read.
perfect for national comic book day.
May 4, 2017
This is a great, weird seafaring tale inspired by William Hope Hodgson.
May 16, 2017
A perfect and short Hellboy tale. Beautifully drawn.
May 28, 2017
A pitch-perfect complement to the Mignolaverse. This taut, oneiric tale of a castaway caught up in a nightmare of crustacean horrors is a real page turner.
April 7, 2021
So our library system has this one listed at book 6 in the series, but seems like the great trenched one has had some adventures in between this book and book five. Maybe standalone adventures. This one reads like a standalone adventure. A high sea adventure no less, one that finds our leading boy man adrift and rescued by a ship out of time led by a strange woman on a quest for a legendary sea monster. Doesn’t that just sound awesome? And I didn’t even read the description going in, Mignola with his awesome talent and imagination has already made such a fan out of me, I’ll read whatever he does.
This one, unlike all the last five, was cowritten and drawn by a different person, which might have been offputting had that person not been Gianni, from the first page on…it’s all pure wow. Gianni’s art is reminiscent of woodcarvings or litographs, made all the more striking by gorgeous colors. The man was a perfect choice to tell this story, it worked out exceptionally well. Brighter than classic Mignola, but still dark enough to suit the overall theme.
Much like an exciting dream (or technically a creature feature nightmare), this one went by too fast. But oh what fun it was while it lasted. I’m so sad our library decided to not continue buying these books (though they seem to buy every manga there is), but maybe one day great red one…maybe one day we’ll meet again. And oh yeah, loved the book, obviously. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
This one, unlike all the last five, was cowritten and drawn by a different person, which might have been offputting had that person not been Gianni, from the first page on…it’s all pure wow. Gianni’s art is reminiscent of woodcarvings or litographs, made all the more striking by gorgeous colors. The man was a perfect choice to tell this story, it worked out exceptionally well. Brighter than classic Mignola, but still dark enough to suit the overall theme.
Much like an exciting dream (or technically a creature feature nightmare), this one went by too fast. But oh what fun it was while it lasted. I’m so sad our library decided to not continue buying these books (though they seem to buy every manga there is), but maybe one day great red one…maybe one day we’ll meet again. And oh yeah, loved the book, obviously. Recommended.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
May 30, 2021
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it
When Hellboy left the B.R.P.D. he wondered the world for a while. This is part of his journey after he got swept into the sea.
This was an interesting story for Hellboy. Since leaving the B.R.P.D. he has been pushed from one deadly encounter to another. After he finally washed up, he finds himself a captive on a merchant ship from the past. Hellboy just can’t get a break and we see him spending some time with the dead again. I love how many times he ends up hanging out with dead people throughout these comics.
Overall, this was a good story. I liked Gianni’s drawing style but still prefer Fegredo, Mignola, and Arcudi’s styles for this world.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
When Hellboy left the B.R.P.D. he wondered the world for a while. This is part of his journey after he got swept into the sea.
This was an interesting story for Hellboy. Since leaving the B.R.P.D. he has been pushed from one deadly encounter to another. After he finally washed up, he finds himself a captive on a merchant ship from the past. Hellboy just can’t get a break and we see him spending some time with the dead again. I love how many times he ends up hanging out with dead people throughout these comics.
Overall, this was a good story. I liked Gianni’s drawing style but still prefer Fegredo, Mignola, and Arcudi’s styles for this world.
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
June 19, 2018
60 paginas de un arte INCREIBLE de Gary Gianni , que ya había aportado arte en Dark Horse y acá se mete unas paginas que parecen sacadas de Gustavo Dore, con un romanticismo y un gótico que te dejan asombrados, en una historia marina de fantasmas y mounstruos que aporta al universo de Mignola un poco mas de aventura, y no mas.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews