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Hellboy: Weird Tales
Hellboy: Weird Tales, Vol. 1
Mike Mignola's award-winning series Hellboy has been lauded as much by other artists as it has by award ceremonies and fans. Over the years, many of the best artists in the industry have asked if they could do a backup story, just to get a chance to play with the characters and worlds Mignola has created. As Dark Horse gears up for the release of the 2004 Hellboy motion picture, we present this lavish colection of these stories. One of the most popular features in recent Hellboy books has been the sketchbook section, so we've asked these stellar artists to let us present some of their behind the scenes work in this collection. Some of the best writers and artists in comics team up to present stories of giant bats, demon children, jet packs, haunted circuses, and rusted-out spaceships. Old-fashioned pulp fun featuring one of the greatest heroes of modern comics.
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 17, 2003
11 people are currently reading
2807 people want to read
About the author
Scott Allie
234 books21 followersScott Allie is an American comics writer and editor, best known as an editor and executive at Dark Horse Comics from 1994 to 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 27, 2009
This book represents everything cheap and stupid about the comic book industry. Every artist in the company draws a few pages of a popular character, so now they get to say they've drawn Hellboy on their resumes, the publisher gets a book to sell without having to commit any real talent and the unfortunate reader is left with a dozen half baked stories that end with insulting little punch lines every three or four pages. This would be bad enough, but it's all made so much worse by the overall tone of the book. From the forward to the afterward to the artist bios, the whole project is completely smug. The artists are so proud to be drawing Hellboy, the creators of Hellboy are so proud to have the artists drawing Hellboy, the reader could care less and wishes they'd all just stayed home. I realize that the comic book industry had humble beginnings, so there's a measure of insecurity apparent in the presentation of all of these books, but these forwards in which the contents of the book are praised to high heaven have got to end. If ever there was an art form that speaks for itself, it's comics.
February 8, 2018
Very nice collection of Hellboy stories. Its always interesting to see how other writers and artists envision someone else's creation. Overall good stories and art. Recommended
December 7, 2016
This is the first Hellboy book to disappoint me. It contains several short Hellboy stories, but not by Mike Mignola, rather by various other writers/artists. The only one that really felt worth reading was "The Dread Within," a story about one of Liz Sherman's investigations. Other than that, the stories here are disposable.
October 17, 2013
This review is for both volumes of Weird Tales. I did read them on the same day, and my thoughts for both are essentially the same.
I get why there are so many people eager to work on something, anything related to Hellboy. Hellboy's world is a great creation. So that's what we have here, a bunch of people trying their hand at Hellboy stories. The result is pretty much what you'd expect: a mixed bag of mostly mediocre stories, with a few especially dull ones and a few really good ones. Worth reading only major Hellboy fans or completionists, though the better stories make reading the (very short) collections worthwhile.
I get why there are so many people eager to work on something, anything related to Hellboy. Hellboy's world is a great creation. So that's what we have here, a bunch of people trying their hand at Hellboy stories. The result is pretty much what you'd expect: a mixed bag of mostly mediocre stories, with a few especially dull ones and a few really good ones. Worth reading only major Hellboy fans or completionists, though the better stories make reading the (very short) collections worthwhile.
June 6, 2009
Get a bunch of cartoonists to adapt Hellboy in weird zany ways? Heck yeah. The Goon guy makes a funny/goon-y comic. Andi Watson (traditionally a romance comic artist?) makes a surprisingly insightful comic. Others range from Looney Toons to very straightforward. Certainly an interesting range of stories, all in great art styling.
July 25, 2012
All short stories, which is the way I like my Hellboy. None by Mignola, which is a strike against it. Some good creators working on the stories, some so-so. It's hit or miss basically. Best of the bunch were the first and the last stories, by Eric Powell and Andi Watson respectively.
September 13, 2025
A collection of short (about 3-5 pages) stories featuring Hellboy and his BPRD compadres. Lots are serious and dark (dead baby from Hell) while a good mix of others are extremely silly (Hellboy bs a vending machine). The shorts really illuminate the fun of horror without overstaying their welcome, a great collection for fans. Nothing in here is crucial to the overarching stories but each one helps fill in the blanks of what the BPRD does when they’re not fighting frogs.
July 2, 2018
A really fun book. The only problem is the length of some of the stories. 8/10
April 1, 2021
Achei as letras do quadrinhos muito miudas , e sinceramente nao gostei dos desenhos , mas , dei 3 estrelas , porque a historia e muito boa, embora que eu deixo a sugestao de melhorar o texto .
August 21, 2022
Hellboy on Hellboy myös sarjakuvissa.
February 5, 2024
Ultimately a bit of a mixed bag of stories. None were really spectacular.
John Cassaday's artwork stood out. Eric Powell should also do more Hellboy stuff.
John Cassaday's artwork stood out. Eric Powell should also do more Hellboy stuff.
February 21, 2014
I don't know why so many people disliked this book. I found it very funny. Yes, it's not Mignola working on Hellboy, but it was what it was mean to be, other artists taking on HB.
Perhaps, I did not recommend this book as a first read of Hellboy, but, if you are into the world of the Red Beast, go get it, it's funny and interesting to see how other artists interpret HB.
The book is a collection of short stories, some of them better than others, but, everyone of them enjoyable. The stories go from seriousness to Nickelodeon cartoon style, so, there is a lot of styles to be appreciated, and in between some very good Hellboy pin-ups.
I'm giving it 4 stars because it can't be taken seriously, it's just an experiment, a tribute to Mignola, but it is very funny.
Perhaps, I did not recommend this book as a first read of Hellboy, but, if you are into the world of the Red Beast, go get it, it's funny and interesting to see how other artists interpret HB.
The book is a collection of short stories, some of them better than others, but, everyone of them enjoyable. The stories go from seriousness to Nickelodeon cartoon style, so, there is a lot of styles to be appreciated, and in between some very good Hellboy pin-ups.
I'm giving it 4 stars because it can't be taken seriously, it's just an experiment, a tribute to Mignola, but it is very funny.
July 18, 2012
The introduction to this compilation of short stories says that it's an artists' book, and it certainly is. For most of the stories, the art stands out but the stories are nonsensical (and not in a good "weird tales" way - more like I can't quite make out what's being communicated). But the art is good, don't let my 2 stars take away from that. It just didn't have a whole-package feel.
The strongest story in the book is the one featuring Liz Sherman on the anniversary of her parents' death. The panel where the demon reveals itself is just awesome.
The strongest story in the book is the one featuring Liz Sherman on the anniversary of her parents' death. The panel where the demon reveals itself is just awesome.
July 30, 2008
This is mostly a showcase for the different artists. Each story lasts only around 6-10 pages, and while some are better than others they all seem like an afterthought. Only recommended for those interested in looking at a whole bunch of Hellboys.
February 5, 2008
It's fun to see other peoples' takes on Hellboy and the rest of the characters, but the stories are kinda uneven, and I just missed Mignola's artwork.
June 9, 2025
God reinterpretations are such a mindfield to navigate. And with a property as iconic as hellboy that has been, for the most part, the vision of one man that problem is exacerbated tenfold. But this is fantastic. Seeing Hellboy get to interact with a lot of different cultures and the different folklore and monsters of that culture is super interesting or even just t . My personal favourite is probably Big Top Hellboy because it distills the essence of Hellboy into such a pure form whilst putting its own twist on the genre to explore what truly makes monsters. Whether it's just the inherent fear or giving in to the way people perceive you? Its amazing.
The art is mostly fantastic, there are a couple that feel fairly cheap and lacking in detail, but seeing Hellboy perfectly adapted into these different art styles and seeing them retain a lot of the key traits of his design in these interesting ways are fascinating. Especially the grim ugly caricature element to this character, it's really interesting how that is preserved, and then what tricks in that art style, especially the hyper realistic ones use to still make him seem approachable and charming.
What is really nice is that they aren’t all stories about Hellboy, we get to see different takes on other iconic characters in this universe and those are especially interesting in getting these different aspects and different responses to this crazy and bizarre world. We even just get explorations of just the folklore in itself and thats really interesting seeing what the universe looks like without Hellboy to guide us through it and how that allows for bleaker tales to be told.
They don’t all hit. In particular, the more cartoony stories feel like a fairly mediocre comic strip with the Hellboy characters stapled onto it. But given the sheer number of stories this collects the number of misses is remarkably small. So all in all, definitely worth a read, especially if you're a fan of this character and want to see different aspects of him explored. 8/10
The art is mostly fantastic, there are a couple that feel fairly cheap and lacking in detail, but seeing Hellboy perfectly adapted into these different art styles and seeing them retain a lot of the key traits of his design in these interesting ways are fascinating. Especially the grim ugly caricature element to this character, it's really interesting how that is preserved, and then what tricks in that art style, especially the hyper realistic ones use to still make him seem approachable and charming.
What is really nice is that they aren’t all stories about Hellboy, we get to see different takes on other iconic characters in this universe and those are especially interesting in getting these different aspects and different responses to this crazy and bizarre world. We even just get explorations of just the folklore in itself and thats really interesting seeing what the universe looks like without Hellboy to guide us through it and how that allows for bleaker tales to be told.
They don’t all hit. In particular, the more cartoony stories feel like a fairly mediocre comic strip with the Hellboy characters stapled onto it. But given the sheer number of stories this collects the number of misses is remarkably small. So all in all, definitely worth a read, especially if you're a fan of this character and want to see different aspects of him explored. 8/10
March 23, 2021
My lowest-rated Hellboy title so far. It's a fun idea - having all sorts of artists adapt Hellboy and Co in all sorts of ways, with funny stories and creepy stories and so on. A nice variety for fans (because that's really who this is for, the already-established fans of HB).
At least, in theory.
The result is just too inconsistent. Some of the art styles were very good - either suitably Mignola-esque or stand-alone good in their own ways - but other styles were completely not my taste. For example, while the premise of Hellboy in a regular day at the office is funny, I was really wasn't fond of the art style, so that lost some points for me. I know, personal preference. And a lot of the stories were just too short to really do them justice.
My favorite was Liz Sherman's story. The demon first peeking out was very creepy. Well done.
So, yeah, overall I liked it, but not nearly as much as the main works (or even Mignola's own side stories).
At least, in theory.
The result is just too inconsistent. Some of the art styles were very good - either suitably Mignola-esque or stand-alone good in their own ways - but other styles were completely not my taste. For example, while the premise of Hellboy in a regular day at the office is funny, I was really wasn't fond of the art style, so that lost some points for me. I know, personal preference. And a lot of the stories were just too short to really do them justice.
My favorite was Liz Sherman's story. The demon first peeking out was very creepy. Well done.
So, yeah, overall I liked it, but not nearly as much as the main works (or even Mignola's own side stories).
August 1, 2018
This collection features a lot of different art styles and a lot of different tones between all of the writers. Everyone is using the characters of Hellboy, but to tell their own short tales, some humorous, some gothic. It is a mixed bag. I did recognize some familiar names such as Eric Powell of The Goon, Volume 1: Nothin' but Misery fame. So, perhaps the best part of this was that it reminded me to keep reading The Goon.
October 14, 2017
So, give a character to some other writers and artists and see what they do...
Some of these are bust a gut funny. Those are my favourite. And little Hellboy is just the cutest. As I have a slightly rebellious teenager, I am wanting to read some stories of Hellboy at a slightly older age but enjoy what I have read in this volume.
There is a disturbing one about Hellboy attending a birth that makes me feel conflicted. I like the idea of the story but I'm just not sure.
Some of these are bust a gut funny. Those are my favourite. And little Hellboy is just the cutest. As I have a slightly rebellious teenager, I am wanting to read some stories of Hellboy at a slightly older age but enjoy what I have read in this volume.
There is a disturbing one about Hellboy attending a birth that makes me feel conflicted. I like the idea of the story but I'm just not sure.
March 12, 2023
Good stuff. Nothing terribly important, but a bunch of other artists and writers, many of whom I've already enjoyed, expressing their affection for Mignola's creations. This collection is already 20 years old, but it's astonishing to think how quickly Hellboy established himself within the comics community as if it came with built-in nostalgia - which is the kind of thing that Scott Allie alludes to in his intro. Inessential fun that I picked up as part of a bundle from eBay.
November 1, 2023
The art styles in this are great, just the stories are so short that they seem to come off one dimensional rather than having strong resonance for me. I wonder if I’d feel differently if I read other material by the authors
July 23, 2018
Not so enjoyable collection of supershorts.
April 27, 2021
Hard to rate this, as it was really scattershot in terms of quality. Some of it was great, some was real bad.
June 21, 2022
Muy buena selección de autores con propuestas al nivel del propio Mignola.
December 18, 2022
El primero que no me gusta. Una mescolanza de artistas y escritores en la que ningúno está a la alture de los anteriores.
January 1, 2023
A few stories and art that are really good and interesting—add to the mythos—The majority is awful.
January 27, 2025
Nice and fun collection of out-of-continuity stories about Hellboy and his universe. The quality Is quite good and there are some gems here.
April 17, 2020
It's a collection of stories by different authors and artists/inkers. Some stories were great, others were not so good so the consistency of the quality of the narration, art or stories is not good.
August 3, 2015
Some gems in there, but man did I have to do some digging to find them!
So, this is a collection of non-canon stories from different writers and artists as Mignola was in Prague working on the HB movie, hmmmm. So, are they good?
World: The world is pretty much what Mignola left it in 2004, as all the tales are non-canon there is world building here, but inconsequential and only serves the story. The art in this collection is all over the place, and mostly of the "I don't care for it" and "yuck" kind. I especially did not like the cartoony art which was ugly and annoying. Yeah so not much world building and inconsequential at that.
Story: All over the place, mostly meh and boring, but as I said there are a few gems in there just because they did give me a giggle or was a nice character moment. The Kate haunted doily story was fun and gave me a smile, HB birthday party was also fun, I especially liked the character study on the Liz story. However, the rest of the stories were pointless, and inconsequential. I don't mind non-canon stories, I really don't. DC does a lot of Elseworld stories and some of them are the best in their history (Red Son, Kingdom Come, Gotham by Gaslight come to mind). Those stories I mentioned have a point and a story to tell, they are a study about something the writer wants to explore that they can't in canon. Here, we just have a couple of mindless fluff stories that neither look deeper into a character, or have an interesting story to tell, it's filler.
Characters: All the usual characters from the Mignolaverse show up here, there is not a lot of character work done here, other than the (even though I enjoyed it) often played out Liz self loathing story. Nothing of note happens in the tales, and there is not fun character story that a writer wants to display. I've been using this word a lot but yes, all filler.
I wanted to like it, an idea of non-canon stories with many different writers taking on these characters would have been hella fun. But what I get is a collection to collect fanboy's and moviegoers money. Filler, inconsequential, this is a series that does not need to be read at all.
Onward to the next book!
So, this is a collection of non-canon stories from different writers and artists as Mignola was in Prague working on the HB movie, hmmmm. So, are they good?
World: The world is pretty much what Mignola left it in 2004, as all the tales are non-canon there is world building here, but inconsequential and only serves the story. The art in this collection is all over the place, and mostly of the "I don't care for it" and "yuck" kind. I especially did not like the cartoony art which was ugly and annoying. Yeah so not much world building and inconsequential at that.
Story: All over the place, mostly meh and boring, but as I said there are a few gems in there just because they did give me a giggle or was a nice character moment. The Kate haunted doily story was fun and gave me a smile, HB birthday party was also fun, I especially liked the character study on the Liz story. However, the rest of the stories were pointless, and inconsequential. I don't mind non-canon stories, I really don't. DC does a lot of Elseworld stories and some of them are the best in their history (Red Son, Kingdom Come, Gotham by Gaslight come to mind). Those stories I mentioned have a point and a story to tell, they are a study about something the writer wants to explore that they can't in canon. Here, we just have a couple of mindless fluff stories that neither look deeper into a character, or have an interesting story to tell, it's filler.
Characters: All the usual characters from the Mignolaverse show up here, there is not a lot of character work done here, other than the (even though I enjoyed it) often played out Liz self loathing story. Nothing of note happens in the tales, and there is not fun character story that a writer wants to display. I've been using this word a lot but yes, all filler.
I wanted to like it, an idea of non-canon stories with many different writers taking on these characters would have been hella fun. But what I get is a collection to collect fanboy's and moviegoers money. Filler, inconsequential, this is a series that does not need to be read at all.
Onward to the next book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews