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Baltimore
Baltimore, Vol. 1: The Plague Ships
After a devastating plague ends World War I, Europe is suddenly flooded with vampires. Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier determined to wipe out the monsters, fights his way through bloody battlefields, ruined plague ships, exploding zeppelins, and submarine graveyards, on the hunt for the creature who’s become his obsession.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2011
25 people are currently reading
1442 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,857books2,472followersMike 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 268 reviews
October 13, 2018
buh.
i mean, the artwork is great - the whole "i only acknowledge three colors and one of them is blood" thing is something i can totally get behind.
but the story kind of left me wanting more. or not wanting more. because this is obviously the first part in a series, (although this is a spin-off of , which i may read, although joe hill assured me in the introduction to this book that it was okay to start with plague ships)but i really don't care enough about the characters and the situation to read any more of them. and i feel bad about that because it's mignola and vampires and zombies and submarines and badassery. so what is it i need to hold my interest?
because that is awesome, right?? giant vampire bats eating the corpses of WWI soldiers? yes, the answer is yes, that is awesome.
and i love his "sound effects"
i just wasn't in love with the story, overall. but i might just be the opinions of a brain clouded by illness. i will give it a reread,if i ever recover from this plague of my own, and probably read more in the series, who am i kidding?
SHUNK!!
i mean, the artwork is great - the whole "i only acknowledge three colors and one of them is blood" thing is something i can totally get behind.
but the story kind of left me wanting more. or not wanting more. because this is obviously the first part in a series, (although this is a spin-off of , which i may read, although joe hill assured me in the introduction to this book that it was okay to start with plague ships)but i really don't care enough about the characters and the situation to read any more of them. and i feel bad about that because it's mignola and vampires and zombies and submarines and badassery. so what is it i need to hold my interest?
because that is awesome, right?? giant vampire bats eating the corpses of WWI soldiers? yes, the answer is yes, that is awesome.
and i love his "sound effects"
i just wasn't in love with the story, overall. but i might just be the opinions of a brain clouded by illness. i will give it a reread,if i ever recover from this plague of my own, and probably read more in the series, who am i kidding?
SHUNK!!
November 6, 2020
No one does horror like Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck's art is fantastic. A plague has ended world War I prematurely. Under the cover of the plague vampires are taking over the villages of Europe with only Lord Baltimore to hold them back.
October 28, 2024
What do you get when you cross Dracula, Moby-Dick and All Quiet on the Western Front? Something close to this! Excellent story and art! Should be a move! In my opinion Mike Mignola is one of the most creative talents in the CB industry - so much of what he has done is material just waiting for movie/animation treatment.
December 16, 2019
This horror story is about Vampires and Zombies. I enjoyed myself reading this story. It entertained.
Lord Baltimore has survived a plague that is wiping out humanity caused by a vampire that almost took his life. The plague victims can come back as zombies and kill more people. We don't yet know what is bring to life the dead and what controls them. Lord Baltimore is hunting down the vampire.
He fought in WWI in the trenches. That's all the backstory we know. We start the story of by him finding shelter in an old woman's home and she is a fortune teller. Her daughter runs off with Lord Baltimore.
The horror is good and no graphic or extra bloody. There are plenty of wacking off heads and stuff, but it's not overly gross.
I am going to continue with this story.
Lord Baltimore has survived a plague that is wiping out humanity caused by a vampire that almost took his life. The plague victims can come back as zombies and kill more people. We don't yet know what is bring to life the dead and what controls them. Lord Baltimore is hunting down the vampire.
He fought in WWI in the trenches. That's all the backstory we know. We start the story of by him finding shelter in an old woman's home and she is a fortune teller. Her daughter runs off with Lord Baltimore.
The horror is good and no graphic or extra bloody. There are plenty of wacking off heads and stuff, but it's not overly gross.
I am going to continue with this story.
June 16, 2017
This was a series I had seen many people on GR reading and that motivated me to go out and get it. Well after having read it-I am glad I did. It has the same feel/style of Hellboy or BPRD but set in 1916.
The story starts in France during 1916, where the plague and a plague of vampires is spreading throughout the city. Enter Lord Baltimore, a vampire hunter extraordinaire. We see Baltimore's campaign against the Vampires and his meeting with a local witch and her granddaughter. As the granddaughter and Lord Baltimore set out on a trip to hunt down an old vampire named Haigus. The rest of the chapters show us Lord Baltimore's past and his relationship with Haigus. I shall not spoil this story for you with more.
Do you like horror as done by Mignola? Do you enjoy a story with vampires and zombies and a skilled hunter? Then likely you will enjoy this volume. I enjoyed the story overall but it has that "same old thing" feel. What do I mean? If you were to transplant Lord Baltimore with any other Mignola BPRD character-the story would have been similar. Lord Baltimore is a new character, but other than the peg leg, he could easily have been in BPRD.
That being said, deduct a point for originality, this was a story I enjoyed. I like vampires and their ilk. The representation of the Vampires here (i enjoyed the WW1 feeding scene) and Haigus' hatred of Lord Baltimore is understandable. In light of that, and other events, the grandmother witches admonishment about Lord baltimore are quite apt.
The artwork has a lot of similarity with the artwork usually found in BPRD and Hellboy. The artist Ben Stenbeck has a very similar style to Mignola. While I don't think he is as good as Mignola, his work is quite decent. I enjoyed it-and it works for this story.
I enjoyed this one, but I don't know if it's any different than any other BPRD story. That is not necessarily a bad thing-as I am a fan. So overall this is a 3 star volume and that means it's pretty good. I would recommend this to any Mignola fan. I think you will enjoy this as much as I did.
The story starts in France during 1916, where the plague and a plague of vampires is spreading throughout the city. Enter Lord Baltimore, a vampire hunter extraordinaire. We see Baltimore's campaign against the Vampires and his meeting with a local witch and her granddaughter. As the granddaughter and Lord Baltimore set out on a trip to hunt down an old vampire named Haigus. The rest of the chapters show us Lord Baltimore's past and his relationship with Haigus. I shall not spoil this story for you with more.
Do you like horror as done by Mignola? Do you enjoy a story with vampires and zombies and a skilled hunter? Then likely you will enjoy this volume. I enjoyed the story overall but it has that "same old thing" feel. What do I mean? If you were to transplant Lord Baltimore with any other Mignola BPRD character-the story would have been similar. Lord Baltimore is a new character, but other than the peg leg, he could easily have been in BPRD.
That being said, deduct a point for originality, this was a story I enjoyed. I like vampires and their ilk. The representation of the Vampires here (i enjoyed the WW1 feeding scene) and Haigus' hatred of Lord Baltimore is understandable. In light of that, and other events, the grandmother witches admonishment about Lord baltimore are quite apt.
The artwork has a lot of similarity with the artwork usually found in BPRD and Hellboy. The artist Ben Stenbeck has a very similar style to Mignola. While I don't think he is as good as Mignola, his work is quite decent. I enjoyed it-and it works for this story.
I enjoyed this one, but I don't know if it's any different than any other BPRD story. That is not necessarily a bad thing-as I am a fan. So overall this is a 3 star volume and that means it's pretty good. I would recommend this to any Mignola fan. I think you will enjoy this as much as I did.
July 8, 2011
Set in the early 20th century, Lord Baltimore, Vampire Hunter, is hot on the heels of the aristocratic vampire who murdered his wife. Taking in everything from the bloody trenches of WW1, to a rural countryside blighted by the vampire curse, to submarine graveyards filled with zombies, and a prophecy of a forthcoming war between the living and the dead, "Baltimore" sees Mike Mignola and co. return to comics with another fantastic original series.
Ben Stenbeck returns to collaborate with Mignola after their first successful collaboration, "Witchfinder", became a success, and he does his best work in this book. The moody shadows and fiery battles are depicted wonderfully with styles ranging from the gothic to late 19th century romanticism.
Mignola supplies some of his best writing in this book. The book opens in a burst of action with the vampire hunter chasing vampires up to their zeppelin (!) and the pace never lets up from there on in. I won't go into the plot too much as it'll spoil some of the surprises for the reader, but suffice it to say that if you're a fan of Mike Mignola's, you won't be disappointed with this book. It's a real treat of supernatural adventure with dark magic and horror aplenty with a compelling main character in Baltimore. Mignola continues his winning streak in creating new series after Hellboy, BPRD, Abe Sapien, Witchfinder, and now Baltimore. A great read.
Ben Stenbeck returns to collaborate with Mignola after their first successful collaboration, "Witchfinder", became a success, and he does his best work in this book. The moody shadows and fiery battles are depicted wonderfully with styles ranging from the gothic to late 19th century romanticism.
Mignola supplies some of his best writing in this book. The book opens in a burst of action with the vampire hunter chasing vampires up to their zeppelin (!) and the pace never lets up from there on in. I won't go into the plot too much as it'll spoil some of the surprises for the reader, but suffice it to say that if you're a fan of Mike Mignola's, you won't be disappointed with this book. It's a real treat of supernatural adventure with dark magic and horror aplenty with a compelling main character in Baltimore. Mignola continues his winning streak in creating new series after Hellboy, BPRD, Abe Sapien, Witchfinder, and now Baltimore. A great read.
November 14, 2024
Dark story!
July 9, 2013
The Plague Ships is bonafide horror. Not only does our intrepid hero battle vampires, but he also battles Hessian zombies infected from nasty fungal blossoms! Baltimore is a relentlessly driven man with a soul full of vengeance and hurt. An act driven out of fear leads to his whole life being destroyed and the subsequent quest for vengeance against all vampires, and in particular one with a vicious scar on his face.
Mignola is an auto-read for me. His imagination is expansive and he plumbs the nightmares and dreams of the collective consciousness, offering up his resulting creations for the reader's enjoyment and consideration. This graphic novel is actually more true horror than his Hellboy stories, which straddle the dark fantasy line as much as horror. But the visions in this novel are right from the darkest depths of horror. The horror is of the more overt kind: vampires, plague and zombies, but also emotional. The endless quest of Baltimore and his non-healing heart wound from the loss of his family through his own well-meaning actions. The fact that he can never go home again, either emotionally or physically.
As much as the writing is a strength, so are the illustrations. They have a clarity and a concreteness, even though they are all almost monotonal (blacks, tans, reds). They convey action beautifully, making this graphic novel as much an action work as a horror work. The dialogue is rather spare, but the pictures give you the whole picture even when there is no narrative.
For readers who enjoy the enigmatic, dark loner on a quest for justice, knowing that he can no longer call any place his home, this is worth reading. I also recommend it to readers who enjoy the more traditional brand of horror, where the monsters aren't human, and where good fights against evil, even though man often struggles against the evil in his own heart.
It doesn't feel like a five star book, but it's definitely close.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Mignola is an auto-read for me. His imagination is expansive and he plumbs the nightmares and dreams of the collective consciousness, offering up his resulting creations for the reader's enjoyment and consideration. This graphic novel is actually more true horror than his Hellboy stories, which straddle the dark fantasy line as much as horror. But the visions in this novel are right from the darkest depths of horror. The horror is of the more overt kind: vampires, plague and zombies, but also emotional. The endless quest of Baltimore and his non-healing heart wound from the loss of his family through his own well-meaning actions. The fact that he can never go home again, either emotionally or physically.
As much as the writing is a strength, so are the illustrations. They have a clarity and a concreteness, even though they are all almost monotonal (blacks, tans, reds). They convey action beautifully, making this graphic novel as much an action work as a horror work. The dialogue is rather spare, but the pictures give you the whole picture even when there is no narrative.
For readers who enjoy the enigmatic, dark loner on a quest for justice, knowing that he can no longer call any place his home, this is worth reading. I also recommend it to readers who enjoy the more traditional brand of horror, where the monsters aren't human, and where good fights against evil, even though man often struggles against the evil in his own heart.
It doesn't feel like a five star book, but it's definitely close.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
March 23, 2015
Apparently there is a whole genre of horror comics and this is one of them. I'm reading these as part of a book challenge, so I'm probably not a good judge of what makes these good, or even great.
I am not the target audience for these graphic novels but I will say that the story was interesting and the art work was also interesting. I liked the end of the book where the illustrator showed preliminary drawings and had side-comments from his co-contributors on how the characters were drawn and developed. I also like the preface written by Joe Hill who 'splained about horror comics and how they have been censored for decades and are just now making a comeback for the mainstream. Again, very interesting stuff about which I had no idea.
I am not the target audience for these graphic novels but I will say that the story was interesting and the art work was also interesting. I liked the end of the book where the illustrator showed preliminary drawings and had side-comments from his co-contributors on how the characters were drawn and developed. I also like the preface written by Joe Hill who 'splained about horror comics and how they have been censored for decades and are just now making a comeback for the mainstream. Again, very interesting stuff about which I had no idea.
August 6, 2020
Майк Міньйола � це людина, творчість якої розвинулася в різних напрямках, як сценариста, так і художника. Він гарно будує сюжети на історичних фактах чи періодах із використанням міфологічних чи містичних елементів. Мальопис «Балтимор», де він був співавтором разом із Крістофером Ґолденом, а художником Бен Стенбек, є одним із таких.
⠶
У цій історії ми переносимось у період Першої світової війни, яка своєю жорстокістю та масштабністю розливає кров землями Європи. Але ця війна неочікувано закінчилася через невідому чуму, яка забере ще більше життів, ніж бої в окопах. Якби ж то була просто хвороба... Чума показала справжні гострі зуби. Люди почали ставити ходячими мерцями, вампірами й іншими зловісними потворами, які оголосили війну людству за їхні безрозсудні вчинки.
Розповідь починається з того, як лорд Генрі Балтимор потрапляє в маленьке морське містечко, що тоне в проклятті чуми. Прибув сюди він у пошуках упиря Гаіґуса, якого він уже давно намагається знайти та вбити. Сам лорд Балтимор ветеран війни, який зумів врятуватися від чуми та втратив ногу на фронті. Тут він знайшов притулок �� будинку старенької жінки, яка займається ворожінням, дочка якої виявила бажання втекти разом із ним, щоб забратися із цього пропащого містечка. Виглядає, що пошуки вампіра Гаіґуса буде лейтмотивом усього мальопису, із пригодами, прихованими жахами та несправедливістю.
⠶
Щодо сюжету, то після першого випуску він узагалі мене не зачепив. Чи то через свою незрозумілість, чи через те, що упирів уже «наївся». Та все ж із кожним новим випуском я з головою занурювався в цю історію та її темну атмосферу. А далі просто відриватися не мав сил і опинився аж у кінці мальопису.
⠶
Якраз цій темній та лячній атмосфері, маємо дякувати художнику Бену Стенбеку, який зумів показати жахи війни, чуми та страшну долю головного героя. Окремо треба згадати колориста Дейва Стюарта, який використовує маленьку палітру кольорів, де темні фарби переважають у більшості сцен. А світлі та не яскраві тони � тільки в трагічних флешбеках лорда Балтимора. Це створює ще більш гнітючу атмосферу.
⠶
Цей мальопис мені дуже сподобався і вартує вашої уваги!
⠶
У цій історії ми переносимось у період Першої світової війни, яка своєю жорстокістю та масштабністю розливає кров землями Європи. Але ця війна неочікувано закінчилася через невідому чуму, яка забере ще більше життів, ніж бої в окопах. Якби ж то була просто хвороба... Чума показала справжні гострі зуби. Люди почали ставити ходячими мерцями, вампірами й іншими зловісними потворами, які оголосили війну людству за їхні безрозсудні вчинки.
Розповідь починається з того, як лорд Генрі Балтимор потрапляє в маленьке морське містечко, що тоне в проклятті чуми. Прибув сюди він у пошуках упиря Гаіґуса, якого він уже давно намагається знайти та вбити. Сам лорд Балтимор ветеран війни, який зумів врятуватися від чуми та втратив ногу на фронті. Тут він знайшов притулок �� будинку старенької жінки, яка займається ворожінням, дочка якої виявила бажання втекти разом із ним, щоб забратися із цього пропащого містечка. Виглядає, що пошуки вампіра Гаіґуса буде лейтмотивом усього мальопису, із пригодами, прихованими жахами та несправедливістю.
⠶
Щодо сюжету, то після першого випуску він узагалі мене не зачепив. Чи то через свою незрозумілість, чи через те, що упирів уже «наївся». Та все ж із кожним новим випуском я з головою занурювався в цю історію та її темну атмосферу. А далі просто відриватися не мав сил і опинився аж у кінці мальопису.
⠶
Якраз цій темній та лячній атмосфері, маємо дякувати художнику Бену Стенбеку, який зумів показати жахи війни, чуми та страшну долю головного героя. Окремо треба згадати колориста Дейва Стюарта, який використовує маленьку палітру кольорів, де темні фарби переважають у більшості сцен. А світлі та не яскраві тони � тільки в трагічних флешбеках лорда Балтимора. Це створює ще більш гнітючу атмосферу.
⠶
Цей мальопис мені дуже сподобався і вартує вашої уваги!
August 26, 2020
Останнім часом, мене все більше вабить темне, реалістичне, сучасне фентезі та фантастика. Відчуваю щиру зловтіху та незмірне задоволення від жорстокого, несправедливого буття і BAD ENDів.Так склалося, що все те, що я по крупицях вишукував у знаних темних літературних циклах, створених Абекромбі, Веґнером чи Сапковським, я знаходжу в мальописах.
Мальовані історії від Майка Міньйоли, Ніла Ґеймана, Френка Міллера і от знову від Міньйоли та Ко від душі пригощають брутальним концентратом вахмурок, не розмінюючись на дрібниці.
«Балтимор. Чумні кораблі» як не крути, чергова ода генію Майка Міньйоли, майстерно втіленому сценаристом Крістофером Ґолденом і художником Беном Стенбеком. Як вмістити іронічну, жасну горор-історію в сотню з хвостиком сторінок, що подекуди має всього лиш одну текстову бульку на повноцінний розворот? Які потрібно сказати слова, щоб сценарист, художник і колорист досягти ідеального сторітелінгу, кореляції зображення та історії? Ніхто до кінця не знає, навіть Джо Гілл, передмову якого ви знайдете на початку історії, а він бачив деяке лайно.
Я міг би ще довго торочити про сюжет коміксу, про цей дивний “фреш�, що ідеально поєднує сетинг Першої Світової, чуму, зомбаків та упирів. Про історію, в якій знайшлося місце цинічному, похмурому герою, що поєднав у собі іронічну харизму Джона Константина, впертість і гарпун капітана Ахава, арсенал і безстрашність «Бі-Джей» Блажковича.
«Чумні кораблі» � особисто для мене, мальопис без жодних “але�. Проста, на перший погляд, історія, має купу “рушниць�, що віртуозно розвішані авторами, і будьте певні вистрелять вони в ідеальний момент. Це стилістично вивірений, жорсткий та динамічний художній стиль від Бена Стенбека, возведений в ідеал магом кольору Дейвом Стюартом. Це твір, кожну сторінку якого, хочеться смакувати нескінченно, а деякі розвороти та обкладинки вирвати і повісити замість весільного фото.
Наостанок наводжу цитату з передмови Джо Гілла: «Але, правду кажучи, моя реакція на “Чумн� кораблі� йшла з нервових закінчень. Була інтуїтивною, а не інтелектуальною. Стенбек, Стюарт, Ґолден і Міньйола підкорили мене вже на четвертій сторінці. Краще б Макс тікав».
Мальовані історії від Майка Міньйоли, Ніла Ґеймана, Френка Міллера і от знову від Міньйоли та Ко від душі пригощають брутальним концентратом вахмурок, не розмінюючись на дрібниці.
«Балтимор. Чумні кораблі» як не крути, чергова ода генію Майка Міньйоли, майстерно втіленому сценаристом Крістофером Ґолденом і художником Беном Стенбеком. Як вмістити іронічну, жасну горор-історію в сотню з хвостиком сторінок, що подекуди має всього лиш одну текстову бульку на повноцінний розворот? Які потрібно сказати слова, щоб сценарист, художник і колорист досягти ідеального сторітелінгу, кореляції зображення та історії? Ніхто до кінця не знає, навіть Джо Гілл, передмову якого ви знайдете на початку історії, а він бачив деяке лайно.
Я міг би ще довго торочити про сюжет коміксу, про цей дивний “фреш�, що ідеально поєднує сетинг Першої Світової, чуму, зомбаків та упирів. Про історію, в якій знайшлося місце цинічному, похмурому герою, що поєднав у собі іронічну харизму Джона Константина, впертість і гарпун капітана Ахава, арсенал і безстрашність «Бі-Джей» Блажковича.
«Чумні кораблі» � особисто для мене, мальопис без жодних “але�. Проста, на перший погляд, історія, має купу “рушниць�, що віртуозно розвішані авторами, і будьте певні вистрелять вони в ідеальний момент. Це стилістично вивірений, жорсткий та динамічний художній стиль від Бена Стенбека, возведений в ідеал магом кольору Дейвом Стюартом. Це твір, кожну сторінку якого, хочеться смакувати нескінченно, а деякі розвороти та обкладинки вирвати і повісити замість весільного фото.
Наостанок наводжу цитату з передмови Джо Гілла: «Але, правду кажучи, моя реакція на “Чумн� кораблі� йшла з нервових закінчень. Була інтуїтивною, а не інтелектуальною. Стенбек, Стюарт, Ґолден і Міньйола підкорили мене вже на четвертій сторінці. Краще б Макс тікав».
August 12, 2016
I really liked Baltimore. It was more of a my thing with the dark atmosphere, monsters and a grim Protagonist called Lord Hanry Baltimore. Baltimore's a monster hunter and he looks for a one eyed vampire named Haigus. This Haigus guy is a nasty guy, he killed and turned Baltimore's whole family in to vampires for revenge cause Baltimore took his one eye and the stuation turned in to vendetta between Baltimore and Haigus... Baltimore chases after Haigus for revenge in a world war 1 era Europe and kills all kinds of monsters from vampires to giant spiders which were awakened because of the desturaction and blood shed in world war 1. Will Baltimore have his revenge ? we will see
August 6, 2011
Very close to a 5-star rating for me--fungus zombies, submarine graveyards? What's not to like? The story could use a bit more tightening up, but otherwise this is loads of fun.
June 16, 2021
LOL @ me who thought this was non-fiction.
June 30, 2019
(This review was originally published by GraphicNovelReporter.com on Oct. 18, 2011)
Writer Mike Mignola moves away from the Hellboy universe he created to introduce readers to a new hero, Lord Henry Baltimore. Joined by co-writer and novelist Christopher Golden and artist Ben Stenbeck, Mignola presents a great addition to the canon of Victorian-inspired action/horror fiction.
Set during the years of the influenza plague following the end of World War I, the story follows vampires who have begun preying on the sick. Hunting those vampires is Lord Baltimore, an injured veteran of the war who first learned of the existence of vampires on the blood-soaked battlefields of Germany. Nearly killed there, he scarred one named Haigus and lost his leg to a gangrenous bullet wound. His confrontation with Haigus ignites a personal war between the two, and armed with a bevy of blades and guns, Baltimore stalks the quarantined streets of an old French village in search of retribution.
As a writer, Mignola is constantly inspired by gothic horror, and his work successfully captures the earlier romantic era of horror fiction. BALTIMORE: THE PLAGUE SHIPS marries its gothic sensibilities to a post-war setting that works really well and provides some innovative settings in which the story can unfold.
While Mignola and Golden aren't exactly reinventing the vampire genre, the trusty old warhorse of horror fiction if ever there were one, they at least populate it with interesting ideas and intriguing concepts. Setting their tale amidst a plague is a particular bit of genius that allows them to explore the vampiric infestation, as is their haunting submarine graveyard that sets up the book's finale.
Lord Baltimore himself is an intriguing character, and readers will likely be rooting for him quickly. His fall from grace and his struggles against Haigus pack a strong emotional wallop, which makes the revenge-driven narrative easily relatable. From a design standpoint, like Hellboy's giant stone fist, Baltimore is made instantly iconic by his wood-and-leather-jointed peg leg, studded by a series of nails. It's a great twist and speaks of the trials and agony he has suffered during and after the war.
Stenbeck's art is serviceable, but too often lacks clarity and detail. It's a nitty-gritty affair, which serves the book's atmosphere well, but unfortunately lends it an inconsistent appearance. The characters surrounding Baltimore, and of course Baltimore himself, are usually afforded a few close-up portraits that are nicely detailed, but when they are subsequently drawn, they quickly lose facial details and are often relegated to just being blob-like bipedal shapes. These moments of rushed and muddied artwork are a shame because Stenbeck proves to be quite a capable draftsman, as the supplemental sketchbook and pinups indicate. Taken as a whole, the artwork isn't bad and, in fact, has some truly amazing and wicked moments, but it suffers from a lack of attention to detail. Dave Stewart's coloring saves it from being a total loss, and gives the book a subdued, dark atmosphere that serves the writing's tone suitably.
THE PLAGUE SHIPS moves along at a rapid clip and presents some great, original ideas to a well-worn segment of the horror genre. Stenbeck is able to translate Mignola and Golden's script adequately, and creates several powerful, pinup-worthy images. One in particular, of the undead submarine crew reanimating, some clad in armored dive suits, is stunning and awesome.
In the end, Baltimore is a strange but imminently enjoyable ongoing horror comic that's inspired by equal parts DRACULA and MOBY-DICK. It introduces a terrific new vampire-hunting hero and establishes a strong plague-filled playground for the book's creators to run wild with.
Writer Mike Mignola moves away from the Hellboy universe he created to introduce readers to a new hero, Lord Henry Baltimore. Joined by co-writer and novelist Christopher Golden and artist Ben Stenbeck, Mignola presents a great addition to the canon of Victorian-inspired action/horror fiction.
Set during the years of the influenza plague following the end of World War I, the story follows vampires who have begun preying on the sick. Hunting those vampires is Lord Baltimore, an injured veteran of the war who first learned of the existence of vampires on the blood-soaked battlefields of Germany. Nearly killed there, he scarred one named Haigus and lost his leg to a gangrenous bullet wound. His confrontation with Haigus ignites a personal war between the two, and armed with a bevy of blades and guns, Baltimore stalks the quarantined streets of an old French village in search of retribution.
As a writer, Mignola is constantly inspired by gothic horror, and his work successfully captures the earlier romantic era of horror fiction. BALTIMORE: THE PLAGUE SHIPS marries its gothic sensibilities to a post-war setting that works really well and provides some innovative settings in which the story can unfold.
While Mignola and Golden aren't exactly reinventing the vampire genre, the trusty old warhorse of horror fiction if ever there were one, they at least populate it with interesting ideas and intriguing concepts. Setting their tale amidst a plague is a particular bit of genius that allows them to explore the vampiric infestation, as is their haunting submarine graveyard that sets up the book's finale.
Lord Baltimore himself is an intriguing character, and readers will likely be rooting for him quickly. His fall from grace and his struggles against Haigus pack a strong emotional wallop, which makes the revenge-driven narrative easily relatable. From a design standpoint, like Hellboy's giant stone fist, Baltimore is made instantly iconic by his wood-and-leather-jointed peg leg, studded by a series of nails. It's a great twist and speaks of the trials and agony he has suffered during and after the war.
Stenbeck's art is serviceable, but too often lacks clarity and detail. It's a nitty-gritty affair, which serves the book's atmosphere well, but unfortunately lends it an inconsistent appearance. The characters surrounding Baltimore, and of course Baltimore himself, are usually afforded a few close-up portraits that are nicely detailed, but when they are subsequently drawn, they quickly lose facial details and are often relegated to just being blob-like bipedal shapes. These moments of rushed and muddied artwork are a shame because Stenbeck proves to be quite a capable draftsman, as the supplemental sketchbook and pinups indicate. Taken as a whole, the artwork isn't bad and, in fact, has some truly amazing and wicked moments, but it suffers from a lack of attention to detail. Dave Stewart's coloring saves it from being a total loss, and gives the book a subdued, dark atmosphere that serves the writing's tone suitably.
THE PLAGUE SHIPS moves along at a rapid clip and presents some great, original ideas to a well-worn segment of the horror genre. Stenbeck is able to translate Mignola and Golden's script adequately, and creates several powerful, pinup-worthy images. One in particular, of the undead submarine crew reanimating, some clad in armored dive suits, is stunning and awesome.
In the end, Baltimore is a strange but imminently enjoyable ongoing horror comic that's inspired by equal parts DRACULA and MOBY-DICK. It introduces a terrific new vampire-hunting hero and establishes a strong plague-filled playground for the book's creators to run wild with.
April 12, 2018
This gets more than 1 star for art and character design alone. Without that exceptional work, this would be downright bad. The story is extremely familiar, devoid of meaningful character development, and only slightly elevated by its WWI setting. It seems like Mignola just kind of sleepwalked through this one, instead giving Christopher Golden a chance to shine with his detailed, creepy depictions of vampires, giant bats, and bloated fungus zombies straight out of Jacques Cousteau's Hell.
The setup is this: a plague has prematurely ended World War I, killing thousands, and also bringing with it vampires for some as-yet-unexplained reason. Lord Baltimore seems to be the only person capable of killing the vampires, and is as such waging a one-man war on them. He doesn't appear to have any supernatural powers or abilities, he's just, I guess, really good at fighting.
It's not explained how Baltimore can constantly scrape his way out of unbelievably overwhelming situations, and in fact often his escapes happen off-panel, so it's like Mignola truly doesn't even know what Baltimore's abilities are. And neither do we! It's lazy at best, infuriating at worst. I kept internally shouting "Who is this guy?!" and not in a way where I was, like, intrigued. There's just nothing to go on here. It's lightly hinted at that maybe Baltimore is some sort of divinely appointed vampire destroyer, but who knows. Maybe not. He certainly doesn't know.
The only thing we do know about Baltimore is his backstory, which is about as cliche as it gets. Think The Punisher but for vampires instead of mob guys, and you'll figure it out.
Outside of Baltimore, there aren't really any "characters" to speak of, just nameless hordes of vampires to be murdered and a couple of ill-defined supporting cast. He's on the hunt for some ultimate evil vampire guy whose only defining characteristic in this book is a facial scar. We don't get any actual information about him, just that he's bad and attacked Baltimore's family, so we have no idea why it's important for Baltimore to stop him in particular. Just simple vengeance, I guess, which isn't enough.
Then there's The Lady Who Always Needs Saving. I can't even remember her name. She just comes along with Baltimore on his journey because otherwise he wouldn't have anyone to tell his backstory to. Just when you think she's going to serve a purpose besides Being In The Way, she just gets in the way again.
So, truly, this is a terribly-written story. But, honestly, I found myself so engaged by Golden's art that I really chugged on through to the end. His designs are very eye-catching and the inks are a perfect compliment to them. It's like a slight riff on Mignola himself, only with more detailed and expressive faces and action. If this book just had an interesting premise, I'd be all in! Oh well.
The setup is this: a plague has prematurely ended World War I, killing thousands, and also bringing with it vampires for some as-yet-unexplained reason. Lord Baltimore seems to be the only person capable of killing the vampires, and is as such waging a one-man war on them. He doesn't appear to have any supernatural powers or abilities, he's just, I guess, really good at fighting.
It's not explained how Baltimore can constantly scrape his way out of unbelievably overwhelming situations, and in fact often his escapes happen off-panel, so it's like Mignola truly doesn't even know what Baltimore's abilities are. And neither do we! It's lazy at best, infuriating at worst. I kept internally shouting "Who is this guy?!" and not in a way where I was, like, intrigued. There's just nothing to go on here. It's lightly hinted at that maybe Baltimore is some sort of divinely appointed vampire destroyer, but who knows. Maybe not. He certainly doesn't know.
The only thing we do know about Baltimore is his backstory, which is about as cliche as it gets. Think The Punisher but for vampires instead of mob guys, and you'll figure it out.
Outside of Baltimore, there aren't really any "characters" to speak of, just nameless hordes of vampires to be murdered and a couple of ill-defined supporting cast. He's on the hunt for some ultimate evil vampire guy whose only defining characteristic in this book is a facial scar. We don't get any actual information about him, just that he's bad and attacked Baltimore's family, so we have no idea why it's important for Baltimore to stop him in particular. Just simple vengeance, I guess, which isn't enough.
Then there's The Lady Who Always Needs Saving. I can't even remember her name. She just comes along with Baltimore on his journey because otherwise he wouldn't have anyone to tell his backstory to. Just when you think she's going to serve a purpose besides Being In The Way, she just gets in the way again.
So, truly, this is a terribly-written story. But, honestly, I found myself so engaged by Golden's art that I really chugged on through to the end. His designs are very eye-catching and the inks are a perfect compliment to them. It's like a slight riff on Mignola himself, only with more detailed and expressive faces and action. If this book just had an interesting premise, I'd be all in! Oh well.
March 24, 2019
Pretty great but needs some depth.
World: The art is stylish and sets the tone beautifully for this book, the melancholy and doom that oozes from the pages is great. The world building is alright, there is a lot of tone and atmosphere in the world building and some context and history to the story but there is no concrete depth to the plague and the vampire curse which I feel is needed (I want the book to establish the rules...do u have to burn the bird or not cause Baltimore didn't kill each bird in the house...that kind of stuff...or the ones in the submarine...see what I mean! What are the rules?).
Story: The story moves quick, it feels like an early Hellboy taken with the monster fighting a monster. The stakes are set (pun intended) and the quest starts with some grey and ambiguous characters. It's good, the story is an enjoyable one with a good emotional kick to with the Baltimore backstory. But as I said above, the rules are a hit wishy washy and it annoyed me in that regard and I hope future books clarify it. I like the seeds planted for things to come, I'm gonna enjoy this series.
Characters: Baltimore is the torture hero to a T. He's solidly written and his story is emotional enough. I am hoping for more depth in the future but at this moment it's fine. I also want more depth with the villain but at this moment him being a monster in the shadows is also fine. The female character was rather weak, I don't really remember her name and her role in the book was far too damsel to be of note.
It was okay, I like this, I'll read more.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is stylish and sets the tone beautifully for this book, the melancholy and doom that oozes from the pages is great. The world building is alright, there is a lot of tone and atmosphere in the world building and some context and history to the story but there is no concrete depth to the plague and the vampire curse which I feel is needed (I want the book to establish the rules...do u have to burn the bird or not cause Baltimore didn't kill each bird in the house...that kind of stuff...or the ones in the submarine...see what I mean! What are the rules?).
Story: The story moves quick, it feels like an early Hellboy taken with the monster fighting a monster. The stakes are set (pun intended) and the quest starts with some grey and ambiguous characters. It's good, the story is an enjoyable one with a good emotional kick to with the Baltimore backstory. But as I said above, the rules are a hit wishy washy and it annoyed me in that regard and I hope future books clarify it. I like the seeds planted for things to come, I'm gonna enjoy this series.
Characters: Baltimore is the torture hero to a T. He's solidly written and his story is emotional enough. I am hoping for more depth in the future but at this moment it's fine. I also want more depth with the villain but at this moment him being a monster in the shadows is also fine. The female character was rather weak, I don't really remember her name and her role in the book was far too damsel to be of note.
It was okay, I like this, I'll read more.
Onward to the next book!
June 6, 2017
I liked this fine. Not as much as I thought I would. I love the set up, and the art is fairly simple but it works for what the story. But two things will probably prevent me from going any further than Vol. 1. First, where thing end didn't really leave me wanting to see what would happen next, and the fact that each volume is a hard cover (at least it is at my local shop) and costs $25. I don't think I can justify spending that kind of cash on something that I just wasn't crazy about.
September 17, 2011
Most excellent fast-paced adventure story, deliciously delving into Mignola's macabre (and Golden's) and with superb gorgeous art by Ben Stenbeck.
December 23, 2020
A fairly standard Dracula story. A WWI officer injures a vampire that is feeding on battlefield corpses, and it responds by declaring war on him, hunting his family in vengeance for the scar it wears. Some years later he is a veteran vampire hunter, tracking his prey across Europe and running afoul of a Holy Inquisitor who refuses to distinguish between monster and monster-hunter.
The story zooms along rather too quickly, skipping across the beats with light text and shallow illustrations. The art is adequate but unimpressive, what I kept thinking of as 'competent amateur'. I do want to call out to the scene of underwater flowers and zombies in old-timey brass diving suits rising from the deep. It looked amazing and was a neat use of purples.
Baltimore has good bones but plenty of room for improvement.
The story zooms along rather too quickly, skipping across the beats with light text and shallow illustrations. The art is adequate but unimpressive, what I kept thinking of as 'competent amateur'. I do want to call out to the scene of underwater flowers and zombies in old-timey brass diving suits rising from the deep. It looked amazing and was a neat use of purples.
Baltimore has good bones but plenty of room for improvement.
June 9, 2017
Α, γιες. Λίγος Μινόλα ακόμα. Αυτή η μούρη του Μπάλτιμορ, ίδιος Ιταλός της δεκαετίας του '50. Για να δούμε, θα είναι μόνο μια ιστορία εκδίκησης, όπως φαίνεται, ή θα βάλει ο θεούλης ο Μάικ το χεράκι του να μας κάνει τα μυαλά πουρέ;
October 3, 2021
Це геніально! Та як і все, що створює Майк Міньола. Готично, темно, з легким нальотом жаху та смерті.
"Балтимор. Том 1: Чумні кораблі" Майк Міньйола, Крістофер Ґолден, Бен Стенбек переносить нас в альтернативну реальність. Рік 1917, Перша світова війна закінчилася раніше, але не перемогою країн Антанти чи Німеччини і союзників, в гру вступила третя сторона - зовсім не люди. Носферату, або, простіше кажучи, вампіри стали погибеллю для обох сторін. Люди майже безсилі проти них. Лише лорд Генрі Балтимор успішно полює та вбиває цих тварюк. І то - чи на довго його вистачить?
Не знаю чи це улюблена тема Майка Міньйоли, але малювати комікси про вампірів в нього виходить чудово. Попередній його комікс, який я читала, теж був про вампірів. Але це була переспівана класика - "Дракула", а тут зовсім новий сеттінг. Такий же ж чудовий, може навіть і кращий.
Мені подобається як Міньйола підходить до деталей оповіді. Все виважено, чітко, грунтовно. Цікавим елементом була історія самого лорда та його мотиви.
Комікс промальовано ідеально, все ок - від зображень і до кольорів. Вампіри тут жаскі, герой "не зовсім герой", а історія потрапляє прямо в ціль.
"Балтимор. Том 1: Чумні кораблі" Майк Міньйола, Крістофер Ґолден, Бен Стенбек переносить нас в альтернативну реальність. Рік 1917, Перша світова війна закінчилася раніше, але не перемогою країн Антанти чи Німеччини і союзників, в гру вступила третя сторона - зовсім не люди. Носферату, або, простіше кажучи, вампіри стали погибеллю для обох сторін. Люди майже безсилі проти них. Лише лорд Генрі Балтимор успішно полює та вбиває цих тварюк. І то - чи на довго його вистачить?
Не знаю чи це улюблена тема Майка Міньйоли, але малювати комікси про вампірів в нього виходить чудово. Попередній його комікс, який я читала, теж був про вампірів. Але це була переспівана класика - "Дракула", а тут зовсім новий сеттінг. Такий же ж чудовий, може навіть і кращий.
Мені подобається як Міньйола підходить до деталей оповіді. Все виважено, чітко, грунтовно. Цікавим елементом була історія самого лорда та його мотиви.
Комікс промальовано ідеально, все ок - від зображень і до кольорів. Вампіри тут жаскі, герой "не зовсім герой", а історія потрапляє прямо в ціль.
June 14, 2011
I've been really excited about getting my hands on this. Of course I'm always excited about anything that's got Mignola's involvement, and I was a big fan of the source novel, but I've also really enjoyed Ben Stenbeck's other work in the Mignola universe (notably on the first book). Plus, this one has fungus zombies on an island. What could be better?
It's pretty great, but it's something of a retread if you've read the novel. That's not really a problem, as the events are seen through a slightly different lens, and it's nice to see them in comic form, but I'll be looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here, especially if the Free Comic Book Day tale was any indication of direction.
It's pretty great, but it's something of a retread if you've read the novel. That's not really a problem, as the events are seen through a slightly different lens, and it's nice to see them in comic form, but I'll be looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here, especially if the Free Comic Book Day tale was any indication of direction.
February 8, 2017
This graphic novel is a love letter to the gothic with a classic B movie feel.
It has elements that would usually make me love it, but it never really pulled me in. I've never been a big fan of Mignola's writing so that might have something to do with how hard it was for me to actually care about the lead characters, but the only thing that kept me reading was the art.
Stenbeck's art is an homage to Mignola's trademark style (which I really enjoy) and Dave Stewart does a phenomenal job of creating the world and atmosphere with his coloring.
That said, it did leave me interested in seeing where the story is headed and thinking about the story long after I'd turned the last page. I'm thinking that merits a second volume read.
It has elements that would usually make me love it, but it never really pulled me in. I've never been a big fan of Mignola's writing so that might have something to do with how hard it was for me to actually care about the lead characters, but the only thing that kept me reading was the art.
Stenbeck's art is an homage to Mignola's trademark style (which I really enjoy) and Dave Stewart does a phenomenal job of creating the world and atmosphere with his coloring.
That said, it did leave me interested in seeing where the story is headed and thinking about the story long after I'd turned the last page. I'm thinking that merits a second volume read.
December 29, 2018
Mignola should collaborate authorship more often, if this book is any indication. As much as I like the Hellboy world, I may like this story more. A lot of the Hellboy stories have a certain lack of cohesion, and a vagueness that can be frustrating. This book has mystery, but one that is generated by the background and details of the story, not by vague implication or panels of artwork that are frustratingly difficult to interpret. This book is marked by it's clarity, even when jumping between 3 different time frames, something I frequently find irritating, but handled here with dexterity. I found the characters to be compelling, and the story intriguing, and I look forward to the rest of the volumes. I also like that it is a series with an end.
January 18, 2012
Perhaps the rating is a bit high as Mike Mignola teams with other creators to bring his Lord Henry Baltimore character from prose to graphic novel. Without having read the prose novel I do feel I have missed some world building background, but Mignola and company do give us sufficient background on Baltimore himself, and his motives, for hunting down vampires. This does appear to be an AU piece as the plague, apparently of vampires, has put an early end to WWI. A very fast read, and quickly paced. If succeeding volumes hold up this creation could rival Mignola's Hellboy.
October 17, 2012
Fun story, great action, but it suffers from the main character being something of a cypher. Even after giving him a significant back-story, there doesn't seem to be much to him, or at best nothing intriguing for me. Still, the rest of it hangs together nicely, and I'll likely give the next book another go.
October 27, 2017
A light Halloween read. The plot was very basic and there's not a lot of character development. Felt the story was lacking.
July 10, 2020
3.5
Mignola takes a breath and creates a new story away from the Hellboy universe. He doesn't stretch his imagination away from the gothic stories and lands with a Van Helsing styled new character. The book is typical Mignola storyline and artwork which makes this a must-read for us fanboys. It's not a groundbreaking new series but if you're in the market for some monster slaying, this will appeal to you.
Why the 3.5?
This honestly could've been placed in the Hellboy world. Mignola hasn't attempted anything risky and it begs the question of why. I understand the plague and the vampires couldn't be in the Hellboy universe as these events couldn't work there but Mignola played it safe. The book is fun but the overall arc is forced and I didn't understand why the villain was so upset to take everything so personal with Baltimore. Baltimore is a great character and I enjoyed the first volume even with my comparison issues. I would've liked Mignola to attempt something different but in the end It's not bad and a good jumping on point for others who feel Hellboy is inaccessible.
Mignola takes a breath and creates a new story away from the Hellboy universe. He doesn't stretch his imagination away from the gothic stories and lands with a Van Helsing styled new character. The book is typical Mignola storyline and artwork which makes this a must-read for us fanboys. It's not a groundbreaking new series but if you're in the market for some monster slaying, this will appeal to you.
Why the 3.5?
This honestly could've been placed in the Hellboy world. Mignola hasn't attempted anything risky and it begs the question of why. I understand the plague and the vampires couldn't be in the Hellboy universe as these events couldn't work there but Mignola played it safe. The book is fun but the overall arc is forced and I didn't understand why the villain was so upset to take everything so personal with Baltimore. Baltimore is a great character and I enjoyed the first volume even with my comparison issues. I would've liked Mignola to attempt something different but in the end It's not bad and a good jumping on point for others who feel Hellboy is inaccessible.
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