This book is like a sandwich made of layers - each one better and tastier than the other. Art is extraordinary, characters and mythology are just breath-taking. There is only one other world-building enterprise that left this impact on me and that is Horus Heresy series from Black Library.

Although Hellboy tries to avoid the mess of fighting otherworldly creatures and tries to find peace it is not to be. After witches of England try to crown him as their king, his rejection together with child-like behavior of old beings from Earth's myth will bring Hellboy on the collision course against the demon bent on bringing doom and utter destruction upon the world (although everything ends up in a way nobody could predict). It seems that with the rise of the Queen of Blood end of world quickly follows.

if you enjoy fantasy, folk tales and mythology read this omnibus. One of the greatest qualities of Mike Mignola's work is that you can pick any book in any order and you will greatly enjoy it.

Highly recommended to all fantasy and of course Hellboy fans.

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I only read these stories in bits and pieces when they were first appearing, so when I saw this HUGE 500 page omnibus edition in the comic shop the other day I decided to spring for it... the price point is fantastic at something like $25.99. This book includes Darkness Calls, The Wild Hunt, and The Storm and the Fury.

The scope here is vast and mythic, pulling threads from the various Hellboy tales like "Wake the Devil," Arthurian lore, and more to craft a huge tale. Duncan Fegredo has a great line that riffs on Mike Mignola's iconic blocky style, but Fegredo inserts wonderful details, textures, and a certain special something that makes this definitely his own book... It's great to have this full set of stories with his art all in one volume.

The plotting can be a bit discursive and even off-putting at times... Some important moments happen interstitially between scenes (such as the fate of the Wild Hunt) and the reader must put things together by inference and guesswork. There is also a lot of speechifying as ancient helpers and villians alike drop copious amounts of exposition on Hellboy, and in turn the reader. But somehow I find these scenes to be amongst the most stirring in the book and in Hellboy in general... Mignola and co. have found a way to make these moments full of import, history, and menace.

I can't emphasize what a value these Omnibus editions are... Not the most impressive format, but pound for pound (and yes this is a heavy book) I don't think you'll find a comic with a higher value ratio. ( )