Reviews

"A brooding loner with a mysterious past does battle across the world with ancient creatures of folklore and mythology, slowing coming to understand his central role in a much larger battle." If that synopsis sounds familiar, it's because Mignola did the exact same thing with Hellboy, and like Hellboy, Baltimore as a series is better in conception than execution, falling into a stale and predictable pattern that fails to produce an impactful conclusion. Design and artwork are as glorious as ever, but by the end of this lengthy omnibus the reader will be desperate for something more than ghouls being slaughtered by a humorless, lifeless hero.

booksofbelwood's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It was good but not nearly as good as volume 1. It felt a bit disjointed and rushed at times… Good enough, but a “what could’ve been.”

philipf's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

4.25

redhairedashreads's review

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3.0

3 stars - I liked it

Lord Baltimore is still alive and fighting monsters. This time he is fighting witches who are trying to bring back a monster. It was a violent battle with a lot of friends lost for Baltimore. While I enjoyed this series overall, I feel like some of the chapters in this collection were slightly boring. I just wasn’t as interested in connecting with the other members of his team considering they keep dying.

bluehairedlibrarian's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A very long, mostly satisfying conclusion to the Baltimore story. In the first volume, it ends with Baltimore finally killing his nemesis, but learning that there is something much larger at play. As the Red King starts gaining more power, Baltimore and his cohort have to piece together a way to stop him before he destroys the entire world.

The highlight of this story is the collection of allies Baltimore collects along his journeys. In the prior volume, he had helpers, but they were there and gone for the most part. They weren't part of a team fighting evil. All the stories are well-done, but the very ending happens so quickly that it feels a bit underwhelming for a 500 page volume. Also, I could have really used a glossary of the different side character because I couldn't for the life of me remember who Dr. Rose was and the internet was not helpful.

This is an expansive horror comic that feels pulpy yet modern. The art feels like Mignola's a lot of the time, but there's a big enough difference that it feels like homage rather than ripping off the style.

barb4ry1's review

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4.0

The series has its ups and downs but consumed in Omnibus format it delivers plenty of thrills. Mignola and Golden have created fascinating and dark lore, and memorable characters driven by vengeance. Highly recommended.

wrath1776's review

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5.0

Mignola's best work so far, though I haven't finished Hellboy yet.

Baltimore is a power house and the art/lore is amazing.

5/5 hogs still in the 2nd half of the series. Execution, art, writing, world all perfect. Could not have been better.

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