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Hellboy
Hellboy, Vol. 9: The Wild Hunt
The inspiration for the new film from director Neil Marshall and starring Strangers Things's David Harbour!
Hellboy is called to England to take part in an ancient ritual of hunting giants, but quickly faces a much more dangerous enemy: Nimue, the Queen of Blood, who has risen with plans to create a monstrous army.
Lauded as "one of the greatest sagas of the modern comic book industry" (IGN), Hellboy's story has spanned 20+ years and led to multiple spin-off titles, prose books, and films.
Features new forward by Mike Mignola!
Hellboy is called to England to take part in an ancient ritual of hunting giants, but quickly faces a much more dangerous enemy: Nimue, the Queen of Blood, who has risen with plans to create a monstrous army.
Lauded as "one of the greatest sagas of the modern comic book industry" (IGN), Hellboy's story has spanned 20+ years and led to multiple spin-off titles, prose books, and films.
Features new forward by Mike Mignola!
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
34 people are currently reading
1690 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,865 books2,533 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 250 reviews
December 23, 2017
This one may be the very best of the Hellboy comics I've read. There have been a number of really good ones before, but this one pulls out all the stops and has stopped teasing us about the end of the world.
All this time, Hellboy has been refusing his destiny while always inching ever closer to fulfilling it anyway. Just how many times has he regrown his horns only to break them off again? Let's not forget all the times the demons keep trying to ingratiate themselves in his good graces or ALL the manners of beasties and witches steering him toward the final horrible annihilation of everything.
It's great fun. :)
But now the armies finally getting arrayed and the Wild Hunt is just a presage of all that's to come. I really liked the Arthurian tie-in. It worked really well here.
I can't believe how big the over-arcing story is getting. I'm giddy with excitement. All these other pieces are finally coming together and what first seemed like an episodic series that jumped all over the place has now grown into an epic. Mythology and history and tons of thoughtful storytelling. What more can we ask for?
All this time, Hellboy has been refusing his destiny while always inching ever closer to fulfilling it anyway. Just how many times has he regrown his horns only to break them off again? Let's not forget all the times the demons keep trying to ingratiate themselves in his good graces or ALL the manners of beasties and witches steering him toward the final horrible annihilation of everything.
It's great fun. :)
But now the armies finally getting arrayed and the Wild Hunt is just a presage of all that's to come. I really liked the Arthurian tie-in. It worked really well here.
I can't believe how big the over-arcing story is getting. I'm giddy with excitement. All these other pieces are finally coming together and what first seemed like an episodic series that jumped all over the place has now grown into an epic. Mythology and history and tons of thoughtful storytelling. What more can we ask for?
August 2, 2022
I have this amazingly talented friend who can draw/paint in almost any style imaginable (Impressionism, Surrealism, Photorealism, PopArt, …the list is extremely long). He has designed and illustrated his own comic books, worked as a portrait artist and a graphic designer—the guy is freakishly gifted! Every time we get together he loans me a comic or a graphic novel he wants me to experience. Because of him I have come to know and appreciate artists like Theo Ellsworth and Michael Allred and Charles Burns. Now I can add Duncan Fegredo to that list.
Fegredo’s artwork is fantastic. If this is the way Hellboy has always been presented then it is no surprise why this character is so popular.
But… Every time I get more than a few pages into a superhero story I start to grow disinterested. I’ve just never really been a fan of the genre. Yes people I know and care about are HUGE fans—I get that (sorta). I apparently just don’t have the gene that makes one drool over a Batman comic or a Spider-Man movie. I have tried to care, really I have; I’ve put in the time, I’ve made the effort; when it comes to superheroes—even dark ones like Hellboy and Deadpool—I am awash in a sea of apathy.
Give me a superhero that can’t fly or punch through brick walls (too cliché!). And how about a male character without six pack abs—or a female one with small breasts?
Personally, my “superpower” is that I work every day with fundamentalist anti-vaxers who think the earth is only six thousand years old and I haven’t strangled any of them (yet), not a single one. Now THAT is my idea of a superpower!
________________________________________
If you have a few moments, check out my friend’s art gallery and see for yourself what an amazingly talented (and kinda crazy) individual he is:
https://kevinstarkart.com/
Fegredo’s artwork is fantastic. If this is the way Hellboy has always been presented then it is no surprise why this character is so popular.
But… Every time I get more than a few pages into a superhero story I start to grow disinterested. I’ve just never really been a fan of the genre. Yes people I know and care about are HUGE fans—I get that (sorta). I apparently just don’t have the gene that makes one drool over a Batman comic or a Spider-Man movie. I have tried to care, really I have; I’ve put in the time, I’ve made the effort; when it comes to superheroes—even dark ones like Hellboy and Deadpool—I am awash in a sea of apathy.
Give me a superhero that can’t fly or punch through brick walls (too cliché!). And how about a male character without six pack abs—or a female one with small breasts?
Personally, my “superpower” is that I work every day with fundamentalist anti-vaxers who think the earth is only six thousand years old and I haven’t strangled any of them (yet), not a single one. Now THAT is my idea of a superpower!
________________________________________
If you have a few moments, check out my friend’s art gallery and see for yourself what an amazingly talented (and kinda crazy) individual he is:
https://kevinstarkart.com/
May 19, 2023
The Wild Hunt is all about a comic book protagonist becoming an epic hero by accepting a destiny that was ordained long ago. The scope of the Hellboy mythos is expanded here with an Arthurian touch to the apocalyptic storyline. Hellboy joins the Wild Hunt in order to prevent the rise of Giants, but he is betrayed and must overcome a disastrous failure.
Here in this story, Mignola has tied in disparate elements to the Hellboy narrative with English folklore and the Arthurian legend, to evoke the courage of those characters and its touchstones. Excalibur and Morgan Le Fay are ancillary to the story but are nonetheless essential ingredients to the alchemy created here.
The art is as dark and creepy as one would expect from a Hellboy book, but extremely well-rendered by the capable hands of Duncan Fegredo. There is grandiosity to the fight scenes and majesty in the panel design, which means that the sequential art IMHO rises beyond what Hellboy enthusiasts might be accustomed to. So, yeah. I liked it.
Here in this story, Mignola has tied in disparate elements to the Hellboy narrative with English folklore and the Arthurian legend, to evoke the courage of those characters and its touchstones. Excalibur and Morgan Le Fay are ancillary to the story but are nonetheless essential ingredients to the alchemy created here.
The art is as dark and creepy as one would expect from a Hellboy book, but extremely well-rendered by the capable hands of Duncan Fegredo. There is grandiosity to the fight scenes and majesty in the panel design, which means that the sequential art IMHO rises beyond what Hellboy enthusiasts might be accustomed to. So, yeah. I liked it.
August 15, 2022
The Wild Hunt delves into Hellboy's past while setting up his future. This has that same charge you get when you feel a long story picking up steam as it charges into the final confrontation. Mignola mixes in the the fae, Arthurian legend, and English folklore to great effect. Tieing up many of his loose plot threads through the years, including his short stories which you didn't realize were part of the larger picture. There's less action and more world building than I expected. But the action that is here? Oh man, it is glorious. That fight with the giants is epic. On to the last battle!
June 24, 2017
This is what Hellboy comics are all about. A cool story with a lot of mythological folklore thrown in and mixed with a great, fluid art style.
Hellboy joins forces with the ancient Wild Hunt in order to prevent the rise of the Giants. At the same time Queen Mab, Queen of the Witches of England, is being resurrected from her prison. What follows is a great tale of Hellboy fighting everything from giants to witches. The pacing of the story and the mixing of folklore with a comic story is something Mignola does with the best of them (think Neil Gaiman). It's is not only a fun read, but it makes you think about the old lore. I appreciate that in a comic. I love his art style and how it works with the plot. The colors are also amazing. This is a book that after I finished reading I flipped through again just to appreciate the art.
I really enjoyed the Arthurian touch. Having Morgan Le Fay and Excalibur as part of the plot was very well done. So this one has it all- a fun and great plot, cool folklore, great art and wonderful colors. There are even some great fight scenes. This is why I read Hellboy comics. This is why YOU should read Hellboy comics as well.
Hellboy joins forces with the ancient Wild Hunt in order to prevent the rise of the Giants. At the same time Queen Mab, Queen of the Witches of England, is being resurrected from her prison. What follows is a great tale of Hellboy fighting everything from giants to witches. The pacing of the story and the mixing of folklore with a comic story is something Mignola does with the best of them (think Neil Gaiman). It's is not only a fun read, but it makes you think about the old lore. I appreciate that in a comic. I love his art style and how it works with the plot. The colors are also amazing. This is a book that after I finished reading I flipped through again just to appreciate the art.
I really enjoyed the Arthurian touch. Having Morgan Le Fay and Excalibur as part of the plot was very well done. So this one has it all- a fun and great plot, cool folklore, great art and wonderful colors. There are even some great fight scenes. This is why I read Hellboy comics. This is why YOU should read Hellboy comics as well.
October 12, 2017
In The Wild Hunt, Mike Mignola makes Hellboy face his past and embrace his future. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that this is one of the best, if not THE best Hellboy book. Mignola masterfully weaves so many storylines, characters, myths, lores and ideas into one epic story, and it all works together so naturally. Surprisingly, this volume isn't as action-packed as I remembered, although it still delivers plenty of giant-punching goodness. But mostly, this book delves deeper into the history of Hellboy as a character, deals with all the prophecies regarding his fate, ties up many lose ends from previous books and sets everything up for the final showdown that's coming in Hellboy, Vol. 12: The Storm and the Fury. It's glorious.
Duncan Fegredo's art in this volume is phenomenal, especially in the oversized library edition (which is how I actually read it). He does big scenes really well, like massive armies, or epic fights with giants, or splash pages with enormous castles. This volume is full of scenes that are perfectly suited for his impressive style, and almost every page is worth hanging on the wall. Yes, I miss Mike Mignola's artwork, but Fegredo is absolutely the best possible replacement artist. As a result of their collaboration, The Wild Hunt is a masterpiece in both storytelling and visuals.
First read: October 29, 2015
Rating: ★★★★・
Second read: October 12, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★
Duncan Fegredo's art in this volume is phenomenal, especially in the oversized library edition (which is how I actually read it). He does big scenes really well, like massive armies, or epic fights with giants, or splash pages with enormous castles. This volume is full of scenes that are perfectly suited for his impressive style, and almost every page is worth hanging on the wall. Yes, I miss Mike Mignola's artwork, but Fegredo is absolutely the best possible replacement artist. As a result of their collaboration, The Wild Hunt is a masterpiece in both storytelling and visuals.
First read: October 29, 2015
Rating: ★★★★・
Second read: October 12, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★
September 19, 2011
Hellboy comes out of hiding to take part in the Wild Hunt where giants are hunted and beheaded. This leads to a bigger story where his life's purpose is brought up, his heritage is revealed, and his destiny is presented to him. A new enemy, a dead blood witch, is raising an army to slaughter England and Hellboy needs to take up his mantle and raise an army to fight them.
Duncan Fegredo once again takes over the art with Mike Mignola scripting the story. Fegredo is, I'm convinced, one of the best, if not arguably the best, comics artist around at the moment. All of the scenes he draws are utterly beautiful and more than once I was stunned to see a page size illustration of awe-inspiring brilliance. A room of dead knights was so well illustrated I wished it was poster sized so I could put it up on my walls. Morgan le Fay's castle is fantastic and his various depictions of faerie land, Hell, rural Ireland, and Avalon were top quality. I love Mignola's art but Fegredo's is a fantastic substitute.
"The Wild Hunt" sets the stage for a larger story that'll take place in a future book. Meanwhile the story features giants, ghosts, witches, demons, a Duke of Hell, faeries, spirits, bird women, Morgan le Fay, and lots of references to Arthurian legend. It all adds up to an incredible story, one of Mignola's best and a fantastic read. The ending really makes you wishing you had to the next book to hand as it's ended at such a tantalising point. I can't wait for the next installment!
Duncan Fegredo once again takes over the art with Mike Mignola scripting the story. Fegredo is, I'm convinced, one of the best, if not arguably the best, comics artist around at the moment. All of the scenes he draws are utterly beautiful and more than once I was stunned to see a page size illustration of awe-inspiring brilliance. A room of dead knights was so well illustrated I wished it was poster sized so I could put it up on my walls. Morgan le Fay's castle is fantastic and his various depictions of faerie land, Hell, rural Ireland, and Avalon were top quality. I love Mignola's art but Fegredo's is a fantastic substitute.
"The Wild Hunt" sets the stage for a larger story that'll take place in a future book. Meanwhile the story features giants, ghosts, witches, demons, a Duke of Hell, faeries, spirits, bird women, Morgan le Fay, and lots of references to Arthurian legend. It all adds up to an incredible story, one of Mignola's best and a fantastic read. The ending really makes you wishing you had to the next book to hand as it's ended at such a tantalising point. I can't wait for the next installment!
August 15, 2012
It's hard to overstate how impressed I continue to be with Fegredo's artwork as this series continues. He took in Mignola's style, refined it, and recreated something which perfectly captures that feel--which is somehow even more Mignola than the original. The fact that his work on other books explores completely different styles with equal effectiveness has left me with the strong impression that he is one of the most skilled artists working in the medium today.
I'm also glad that Mignola has been freed up to concentrate just on the writing, and all of the allusions, references, and loving homages to the great horror authors and tales of myth are delightful. There is here, in terms of depth, just as much in play as in Sandman.
Unfortunately, I am not always pleased by the pacing. Too much of what goes on is given to us as explanations, as exposition. I would really like to be able to see these stories and characters playing out before my eyes rather than be told the state of things. The moment we are introduced to the Arthurian mythos, the whole thing is explained to us in a few brief scenes. It would have been much more satisfying if it had been introduced, allowed to build, then turned on its ear as a climax. Subverting it at the same moment as its introduced doesn't give the reader much time to get into the story.
But then, much of it feels like it was thrown together from disparate parts instead of planned from the beginning. Previous characters are resurrected in new, odd roles, events are reinterpreted, and it sometimes felt a bit forced. I really liked the odd, scattered, brief tales we get of Hellboy exploring a grand, disconnected world, and so the idea that Mignola would try to simplify and streamline that into something small and digestible is not appealing. There's also a lot of redundancy of Hellboy recalling things people have said, rehashing of old scenes, and other such bits which made me feel like Mignola was striking me in the head with the plot.
It's not as bad as Strange Places, which is one long piece of overblown exposition sucking all the wind out of the series, but it's hardly ideal. I am glad that Mignola recovered from the dull storytelling of the Island, and from the doltish Hellboy of the movies, whose influence could be felt in the clanging dialogue of the previous volume.
It gives me hope for the future of the series. The complexity and drive of the plot is promising, and if Mignola can find a way to show more and tell less (which should be less of a chore with Fegredo as master-shower), the series could again reach the heights to which it sometimes magnificently rises.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
I'm also glad that Mignola has been freed up to concentrate just on the writing, and all of the allusions, references, and loving homages to the great horror authors and tales of myth are delightful. There is here, in terms of depth, just as much in play as in Sandman.
Unfortunately, I am not always pleased by the pacing. Too much of what goes on is given to us as explanations, as exposition. I would really like to be able to see these stories and characters playing out before my eyes rather than be told the state of things. The moment we are introduced to the Arthurian mythos, the whole thing is explained to us in a few brief scenes. It would have been much more satisfying if it had been introduced, allowed to build, then turned on its ear as a climax. Subverting it at the same moment as its introduced doesn't give the reader much time to get into the story.
But then, much of it feels like it was thrown together from disparate parts instead of planned from the beginning. Previous characters are resurrected in new, odd roles, events are reinterpreted, and it sometimes felt a bit forced. I really liked the odd, scattered, brief tales we get of Hellboy exploring a grand, disconnected world, and so the idea that Mignola would try to simplify and streamline that into something small and digestible is not appealing. There's also a lot of redundancy of Hellboy recalling things people have said, rehashing of old scenes, and other such bits which made me feel like Mignola was striking me in the head with the plot.
It's not as bad as Strange Places, which is one long piece of overblown exposition sucking all the wind out of the series, but it's hardly ideal. I am glad that Mignola recovered from the dull storytelling of the Island, and from the doltish Hellboy of the movies, whose influence could be felt in the clanging dialogue of the previous volume.
It gives me hope for the future of the series. The complexity and drive of the plot is promising, and if Mignola can find a way to show more and tell less (which should be less of a chore with Fegredo as master-shower), the series could again reach the heights to which it sometimes magnificently rises.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
August 2, 2015
Simply wonderful!
This is quite possibly one of my favorite HB arcs to date. Epic, emotional, full of character building, this has everything you want in a HB book:
World: Art is perfect, let's not even waste time talking about that. The world building this time around is simply awe inspiring. The amount of scope, mythology, call back, widening of scope, development of character related material in this trade is stunning. There is just so much here that I don't want to talk about it for fear of ruining it for you. The title of this arc sounds simple enough but it's not, I'll get into the details later in the story section. So yes, the world building is simply something to behold and if you like Mignola, this is why and this is gonna be awesome.
Story: This is unexpected. What started off as like the arc said The Wild Hunt is man so much more than what we were seeing. It's simply absolutely positively mind blowing in scope and consequence. I love the call back to stories that Mignola wrote near Seeds of Destruction and how they finally fit into a nigger Mignolaverse. I am still feeling a bit of a disconnect between the HB series and the BPRD (I thought that we were drawing them closer together) so there's that, but that's really just a minor gripe. I won't go into details on the story at all as it is stunningly good. It's just well written, paced well, epic and full of character. Amazing stuff!
Characters: Huge huge dose of characters getting stories and building this time around. This is amazing. I've always found HB amazing and this new information about him and the way he reacted to it clearly is a huge development step. It's amazing. Also the story of the Box is also good (I simply cannot say anymore). Just read it. The characters will be worth the read.
An amazing arc, simply Mignola firing on all cylinders. This is simply one of the best arcs I've read from the series.
Onward to the next book!
This is quite possibly one of my favorite HB arcs to date. Epic, emotional, full of character building, this has everything you want in a HB book:
World: Art is perfect, let's not even waste time talking about that. The world building this time around is simply awe inspiring. The amount of scope, mythology, call back, widening of scope, development of character related material in this trade is stunning. There is just so much here that I don't want to talk about it for fear of ruining it for you. The title of this arc sounds simple enough but it's not, I'll get into the details later in the story section. So yes, the world building is simply something to behold and if you like Mignola, this is why and this is gonna be awesome.
Story: This is unexpected. What started off as like the arc said The Wild Hunt is man so much more than what we were seeing. It's simply absolutely positively mind blowing in scope and consequence. I love the call back to stories that Mignola wrote near Seeds of Destruction and how they finally fit into a nigger Mignolaverse. I am still feeling a bit of a disconnect between the HB series and the BPRD (I thought that we were drawing them closer together) so there's that, but that's really just a minor gripe. I won't go into details on the story at all as it is stunningly good. It's just well written, paced well, epic and full of character. Amazing stuff!
Characters: Huge huge dose of characters getting stories and building this time around. This is amazing. I've always found HB amazing and this new information about him and the way he reacted to it clearly is a huge development step. It's amazing. Also the story of the Box is also good (I simply cannot say anymore). Just read it. The characters will be worth the read.
An amazing arc, simply Mignola firing on all cylinders. This is simply one of the best arcs I've read from the series.
Onward to the next book!
December 31, 2017
Poor Hellboy! Spears through his chest, everyone wanting to either kill him or use him to kill everything. Hellboy gets to do a lot of punching, of course, in these stories, which reference some of his earlier adventures/cases. A number of little details from his past become clearer, along with an enemy's plot. And what gives with all those secret societies peopled with titled, ruthless jerks, who seem to be constantly pulling strings on Hellboy's and the B.P.R.D.'s cases and invoking spirits for unknown, dastardly purposes?
January 25, 2014
British legends, giants, witches, fairies, and Excalibur! I love the fast pace of Hellboy books to begin with , but this one had one of my fandoms, and that being the legend of King Arthur. I was shocked by the reveal into Hellboy's past, but is it true or just a trick? Exciting read.
January 26, 2024
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
Another day, another Hellboy story. Yet again I must find a way to say how awesome this is, without falling back on the dozen or so other times when I've tried to say how awesome Hellboy is. Screw my increasingly feeble brain and screw originality. Hellboy is awesome, and The Wild Hunt is one of the more awesomer stories I've yet had the good fortune to read. Did I mention it's awesome? 4.5/5
OmniBen.
Another day, another Hellboy story. Yet again I must find a way to say how awesome this is, without falling back on the dozen or so other times when I've tried to say how awesome Hellboy is. Screw my increasingly feeble brain and screw originality. Hellboy is awesome, and The Wild Hunt is one of the more awesomer stories I've yet had the good fortune to read. Did I mention it's awesome? 4.5/5
OmniBen.
October 27, 2018
This volume of Hellboy combines elements of Celtic mythology and Arthurian legend to create a mysterious and creepy tale. The names were a bit confusing at times since I'm not familiar with Celtic mythology, but once the Arthurian elements start to kick in, it's a lot easier to get into. The art is fantastic and does a really good job of setting the mood.
September 7, 2021
Mike Mignola has done an exceptionally wonderful job putting out these consistently high quality stories one after another, that is rich in fantasy folklore and filled with action, thrill, humor and drama.
March 19, 2010
I've spent the last few days trying to articulate or quantify my feelings about The Wild Hunt. It's pretty much the biggest turning point in the Hellboy universe up 'til now, and a lot of stuff happens in these eight issues. It's good, of course, but it's also a lot to take in and contextualize. I have a feeling that I won't really know how I feel about it until a little bit down the road.
Some of the stuff that happens here sounds, on paper, like decisions I might not like, but Mignola pulls off his usual magic and makes it all awesome. My favorite bit in the whole thing is the wonderfully Mignola-ish moment with the "slug house."
It'd be hard to say a whole lot more than that without getting into a lot of spoilers. The art by Duncan Fegredo is still pretty much excellent throughout, and while I of course miss Mignola's drawings I think Fegredo is a perfect person to tell these stories. I don't think that this volume is quite as solid all the way through as Darkness Calls, but it's a lot bigger and more ambitious to make up for it.
Some of the stuff that happens here sounds, on paper, like decisions I might not like, but Mignola pulls off his usual magic and makes it all awesome. My favorite bit in the whole thing is the wonderfully Mignola-ish moment with the "slug house."
It'd be hard to say a whole lot more than that without getting into a lot of spoilers. The art by Duncan Fegredo is still pretty much excellent throughout, and while I of course miss Mignola's drawings I think Fegredo is a perfect person to tell these stories. I don't think that this volume is quite as solid all the way through as Darkness Calls, but it's a lot bigger and more ambitious to make up for it.
October 17, 2018
Read all the Hellboy books you can get your hands on. Don't worry too much about the parts you aren't sure you're following. It will get cleared up soon enough and you'll look back like, "Holy crap, that was crazy and amazing." and you'll be absolutely right.
Just read them. You're welcome.
Just read them. You're welcome.
December 27, 2018
Okay to be fair I enjoyed both Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy movies and always wished for a third one, which never appeared, sadly. Somehow I never git to read the comics because I was way behind to catch up, its main problem being to obtain the comics which had never been translated into my language and it was rather pricey to obtain.
However the wild hunt was supposed to be the foundation of the next Hellboy movie and I found a very affordable edition to read.
I must admit that the story does need a wee bit more insight in the Hellboy universe but I was still pleasantly surprised by its creative and interesting heart and world created around this red devil.
I am sure there can be a lot more enjoyed in this universe created by Mike Mignola, however there are so many good books out there novels and comics alike that I will take my leave for now and perhaps enjoy the comics in this series another time.
PS my daughter took of with the copy of this graphic novel so I expected to never see it again. She must have picked this up form her old man who nicked his dads Saint and Fleming novels.
The book feels like a three and half star but due to its promise I will give it the four stars it perhaps deserves.
However the wild hunt was supposed to be the foundation of the next Hellboy movie and I found a very affordable edition to read.
I must admit that the story does need a wee bit more insight in the Hellboy universe but I was still pleasantly surprised by its creative and interesting heart and world created around this red devil.
I am sure there can be a lot more enjoyed in this universe created by Mike Mignola, however there are so many good books out there novels and comics alike that I will take my leave for now and perhaps enjoy the comics in this series another time.
PS my daughter took of with the copy of this graphic novel so I expected to never see it again. She must have picked this up form her old man who nicked his dads Saint and Fleming novels.
The book feels like a three and half star but due to its promise I will give it the four stars it perhaps deserves.
August 11, 2015
As usual, the team of Mignola and Fegredo serve up a beautiful, haunting story rooted in folklore, this time featuring their take on the Wild Hunt and Herne the Hunter. It's longer than most of the others, which is suitable because it's a bigger story in which the folklore is paired with several revelations about Hellboy's origins, hinted at in earlier books. We also learn who the mysterious new queen of the otherworldly creatures is, the Gruagach becomes a little more understandable (if not terribly sympathetic), and Alice returns, this time as a partner for Hellboy. She works as a sort of mystic guide/maiden, and I found it interesting that even though she's fragile by comparison to the big guy, she never needs saving on an emotional level.
So why four stars? Because I'm not sure if they jumped the shark on this one.
So basically I'm withholding judgment until I see how that all plays out. If I like where it goes, I may change this to a five.
So why four stars? Because I'm not sure if they jumped the shark on this one.
So basically I'm withholding judgment until I see how that all plays out. If I like where it goes, I may change this to a five.
December 24, 2020
This just didn't feel right for me. All of a sudden, Hellboy is this conflicted character, who is ruthlessly killing other monsters. These last few books just feel so different from the Hellboy I know. It's a great attempt at telling a story, but this just feels narratively dissonant with all the other stuff I read about Hellboy earlier. He didn't have such complexity to him and to see him all of a sudden like this feels wrong. I like how the series is gloomily reaching its end, setting things up. The villain as every other issue of Hellboy feels overhyped, more talked about fearfully than actually doing anything. I also dislike how long these stories are, often feeling like completely different tales are tagged together, often lazily. I appreciated the focus of the earlier trade paperbacks than this. But I gotta say this is the best looking one out of all of them. The red is gorgeously bloody, the yellows of the gold crowns and just the bright red poking out everywhere amidst the blacks and deep browns and deep greys just looking fabulous. I wish this was better narratively tho. It has very high narrative ambitions, almost like I wanted this story to be like when I first started reading it. But I got used to the laidback style and now all of this feels so rushed towards an ending, makes me feel like how the first volume basically felt like an exposition filled art book, which basically just exists to set up everything else and didn't entertain me as itself. This feels like that. I love the art and the ideas, but they are not landing for me. I really wish they do soon. Also I hope fervently they don't romantically link Alice and Hellboy, Hellboy saw her as a baby jeez.
October 15, 2013
Directly following up Darkness Calls, this volume follows up on the story thread of the new witch queen, which had run in the background in the previous volume. It also explores Hellboy's maternal line, and sets up what will probably be another interesting phase in Hellboy's life. The pace wasn't perfect, but overall, I was very happy with this installment. I'm still loving Fegredo's art.
December 25, 2021
The plot thickens..
April 20, 2024
I NEED TEN MORE STARS.
Damn this is good. This is peak Hellboy to me. Pure mythology building with some punches. It's a great twist and it ties a bunch of stuff so well. You just can't put it down.
You can also tell how, when Mike is drawing, he tends to take a bunch of shortcuts because of the time it takes. So if you compare this with Wake the devil, let's say, things move faster, a lot more is solved through exposition and so on. If he had drawn this there would probably bee three issues less.
But here, because he is not drawing (and now is more comfortable with that notion, having worked with Fegredo already and also guiding the BPRD series) he is looser on the script, takes his time to build the story, set the scenes and everything.
And Fegredo... I mean, no words can describe his magic on this one. Just marvelous.
Damn this is good. This is peak Hellboy to me. Pure mythology building with some punches. It's a great twist and it ties a bunch of stuff so well. You just can't put it down.
You can also tell how, when Mike is drawing, he tends to take a bunch of shortcuts because of the time it takes. So if you compare this with Wake the devil, let's say, things move faster, a lot more is solved through exposition and so on. If he had drawn this there would probably bee three issues less.
But here, because he is not drawing (and now is more comfortable with that notion, having worked with Fegredo already and also guiding the BPRD series) he is looser on the script, takes his time to build the story, set the scenes and everything.
And Fegredo... I mean, no words can describe his magic on this one. Just marvelous.
February 20, 2025
We finally really take a deep dive into Hellboy's family tree, and it's unexpected to say the least.
Well, unexpected for those who didn't see the first Hellboy reboot in 2019. That film is a very loose (ie bad) adaptation of this story.
At this point it's obvious Mike Mignola knows where he's taking the story, it's just not entirely clear to the reader just yet.
Duncan Fegredo's art is a perfect fit for this character.
Well, unexpected for those who didn't see the first Hellboy reboot in 2019. That film is a very loose (ie bad) adaptation of this story.
At this point it's obvious Mike Mignola knows where he's taking the story, it's just not entirely clear to the reader just yet.
Duncan Fegredo's art is a perfect fit for this character.
October 5, 2016
Another great story as Hellboy rises to the top of my list of favorites. I actually thought this might connect with some of the Witcher video game mythos but I couldn't have been more wrong. This twisted until the anti climatic finale but you just know a great battle is coming and it will be done justice by Mignola. The King Arthur inclusion was interesting and a good deviation from the normal story. The great thing with Mignola is the ability to mould well established myths and legends into Hellboys world. This story is leading to a battle with Hell and the players of the side who are essentially pushing Hellboy to where he needs to be.
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July 2, 2012
Nothing is as it seems when giants rise from the dead, faerie courts lose their kings, and Hellboy learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. Possibly the best "Hellboy" story in ages, full of stunning revelations, shocking betrayals, terrifying new foes, heartbreaking choices and a spectacular mixture of Hellboy's past, present & future.
While the "B.P.R.D" series faces the coming apocalypse with unflagging seriousness, "Hellboy" is a beautiful mixture of light and dark. The title character may be the Hell-born offspring of a rapacious demon and a penitent witch; he may be destined to overthrow the Devil and bring the world to ruin and ash; but Hellboy refuses to accept that his unholy origins must define him or that this dark fate is unavoidable. A sarcastic, no-nonsense character in the vein of old school pulp heroes, he faces every challenge with grim humor, a good heart, and a strong right hook. Given the horrors that he faces, especially in this volume, these frequently prove both his most powerful weapons and his strongest armour. But, as "The Wild Hunt" reveals, in the end even they may not be enough.
NOTE: One of the funniest scenes occurs early in the volume. Old acquaintances mention that Hellboy has been staying with a pair of sisters in Italy; Hellboy acknowledges that and calls them a couple of "nice old ladies" he met a few years back; the old acquaintances point out that he met them two decades ago and that they've been dead for years. Hellboy's response? "Well I don't see how that's any of your business."
While the "B.P.R.D" series faces the coming apocalypse with unflagging seriousness, "Hellboy" is a beautiful mixture of light and dark. The title character may be the Hell-born offspring of a rapacious demon and a penitent witch; he may be destined to overthrow the Devil and bring the world to ruin and ash; but Hellboy refuses to accept that his unholy origins must define him or that this dark fate is unavoidable. A sarcastic, no-nonsense character in the vein of old school pulp heroes, he faces every challenge with grim humor, a good heart, and a strong right hook. Given the horrors that he faces, especially in this volume, these frequently prove both his most powerful weapons and his strongest armour. But, as "The Wild Hunt" reveals, in the end even they may not be enough.
NOTE: One of the funniest scenes occurs early in the volume. Old acquaintances mention that Hellboy has been staying with a pair of sisters in Italy; Hellboy acknowledges that and calls them a couple of "nice old ladies" he met a few years back; the old acquaintances point out that he met them two decades ago and that they've been dead for years. Hellboy's response? "Well I don't see how that's any of your business."
October 25, 2010
Finished this one in two sittings at my local bookstore cafe. I think it's the best Hellboy in a while. I particularly liked how Mignola returned to much of the mythological and fantastic threads or themes from "The Corpse" and "Darkness Calls". Artist Duncan Fegredo did an excellent job of capturing the Hellboy gothic feel that Mignola did in the best of the series. Some new characters are introduced, with some old ones re-appearing. I think those people who are already Hellboy fans will really like this volume. If you are new to the series of graphic novels I'd suggest reading the earlier ones to understand the many different plot and character threads that this book starts bringing together.
Regardless, I'd have to say this book whetted my appetite for the next volume. I can hardly wait...
5 definite stars
Regardless, I'd have to say this book whetted my appetite for the next volume. I can hardly wait...
5 definite stars
September 7, 2017
2017 Hellboy Re-Read
When I first read this as the individual issues came out, I can clearly remember thinking, "Whoa... didn't see that coming."
The "Wild Hunt" of the title is really a bait-and-switch, as the supposed traditional giant hunt Hellboy is invited on goes sideways in the very first issue and the comic heads off into familiar, and then unexpected, territory. As with many of the central arc-related Hellboy tales, The Wild Hunt focuses on Hellboy's temptation to take up his destined crown - but this time it's a different crown that he's tempted with, and boy is it a doozy.
Meanwhile, the series' new Big Bad marshalls her forces and continues to look menacing without really accomplishing much in this volume. But that's not the point. The point is Hellboy coming face-to-face with an all-new revelation of who he is and what part he might eventually play in the fate of the world.
When I first read this as the individual issues came out, I can clearly remember thinking, "Whoa... didn't see that coming."
The "Wild Hunt" of the title is really a bait-and-switch, as the supposed traditional giant hunt Hellboy is invited on goes sideways in the very first issue and the comic heads off into familiar, and then unexpected, territory. As with many of the central arc-related Hellboy tales, The Wild Hunt focuses on Hellboy's temptation to take up his destined crown - but this time it's a different crown that he's tempted with, and boy is it a doozy.
Meanwhile, the series' new Big Bad marshalls her forces and continues to look menacing without really accomplishing much in this volume. But that's not the point. The point is Hellboy coming face-to-face with an all-new revelation of who he is and what part he might eventually play in the fate of the world.
December 28, 2010
The only problem with this Hellboy installment is the ending cliffhanger! I want to know what happens! ;p
Okay, that aside, this is definitely one of the most enjoyable Hellboy editions, along with Wake the Devil and Darkness Calls. The references to mythology and folklore are bountiful and varied. I also loved how bit players from previous stories are included in the major plotline; it was unexpected and I wonder if Mignola knew what was going to happen all along or if it just ended up fitting together.
While I do miss Mignola drawing Hellboy, Fegredo is definitely a great choice to continue the series.
I think Hellboy just keeps getting better over time. Reading this also feeds something in me that desperately craves stories packed with folklore and morbidity. I can't wait to read the next one!
Okay, that aside, this is definitely one of the most enjoyable Hellboy editions, along with Wake the Devil and Darkness Calls. The references to mythology and folklore are bountiful and varied. I also loved how bit players from previous stories are included in the major plotline; it was unexpected and I wonder if Mignola knew what was going to happen all along or if it just ended up fitting together.
While I do miss Mignola drawing Hellboy, Fegredo is definitely a great choice to continue the series.
I think Hellboy just keeps getting better over time. Reading this also feeds something in me that desperately craves stories packed with folklore and morbidity. I can't wait to read the next one!
August 19, 2010
Hellboy's meanderings finally seem to have a purpose. Not only is he asked to join a hunt for giants rampaging thru England he is drawn into a war for humanity's survival (well death if our villainess has her way). While he does wallow in angst for a spell while trying to figure out whether or not to pull the sword from the stone, he does seem to have decided that he decides his destiny and not others. The one complaint is that the story will obviously conclude in a later volume.
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