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Mike Mignola's Tales from Lands Unknown
Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown
New folklore-inspired tales abound in this new anthology of fantasy stories written and drawn Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.
From a search for the beating heart of a long-dead sorcerer, to a pirate girl who makes a deal with the devil, to the titular boy who wins a grim prize in a game with some undead interlopers, and more.
Mignola builds a brand-new world filled with the weird, wicked and whimsical in this volume that will delight longtime Hellboy fans and new readers alike.
From a search for the beating heart of a long-dead sorcerer, to a pirate girl who makes a deal with the devil, to the titular boy who wins a grim prize in a game with some undead interlopers, and more.
Mignola builds a brand-new world filled with the weird, wicked and whimsical in this volume that will delight longtime Hellboy fans and new readers alike.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2025
31 people are currently reading
568 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,881 books2,492 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 114 reviews
February 6, 2025
So this is Mike Mignola's new project, a new universe we might call Lands Unknown? Because it's a fantastic world, including undead, fae folk and so on, it's not miles away from Hellboy, both in storytelling and art. But yeah, it's Mignola art, which will forever make me weak at the knees.
And the stories are lovely, when they are stories - some stuff here is more lore about the world, explaining what the gods are, etc. and it can be a bit dry.
That said, animals talk and sort of function like a funny little Greek choir. I'm not sure why I started that sentence with 'that said', but that said, there you go.
I'm excited to see what is to come.
(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
January 29, 2025
Mike Mignola's new big project.
As he says in the afterword, against his own advice here he created the world first, the characters second. And it does read like that, no characters really stood out for me. It feels like a fairy tale world. Mignola presents some tales, a sort of cosmogony, and a visual exploration of this fantasy world. It brings to mind the more esoteric Hellboy tales especially Hellboy in Hell.
At only 100 pages, this does feel like just a teaser trailer. I'm onboard for more!
As he says in the afterword, against his own advice here he created the world first, the characters second. And it does read like that, no characters really stood out for me. It feels like a fairy tale world. Mignola presents some tales, a sort of cosmogony, and a visual exploration of this fantasy world. It brings to mind the more esoteric Hellboy tales especially Hellboy in Hell.
At only 100 pages, this does feel like just a teaser trailer. I'm onboard for more!
June 17, 2025
Loved these dark short stories!
January 18, 2025
The artwork is more impressive than the stories. I felt like the stories were a bit lackluster, but the artists creativity and talent really shone through. I also enjoyed seeing bits of the creative process at the end of the book. That was a nice bonus.
July 13, 2025
If you have not read anything by Mike Mignola (MM) (or just Hellboy) you are really missing out! This new collection of tales is amazing: MM is one of the most 'atmospheric' artist/writers out there! It is almost as if a chill is coming from the pages; you feel sucked into a world that you are lost in! One of my 'comic dreams': MM adapting the stories/novels of Franz Kafka!
August 12, 2025
Vintage Mike Mignola, even if it's completely unrelated to Hellboy. We're dropped into a strange, vaguely medieval landscape where all sorts of odd adventures are afoot. Through a handful of tales, Mignola gently builds the world while leaving plenty of room for future ideas.
Of course, the artwork is stunning and the main reason to pick this up. But I'd say the goofy little stories are just as striking in their creativity. I'm totally enamored and can't wait for more.
Of course, the artwork is stunning and the main reason to pick this up. But I'd say the goofy little stories are just as striking in their creativity. I'm totally enamored and can't wait for more.
February 9, 2025
The art is amazing. The stories are good, but are more like small bits and pieces of a bigger world and end up feeling like an unconnected mess. More of a showcase of all his ideas instead of really doing any world building.
3.5 stars, rounding to 3 cause I hoped for something more.
3.5 stars, rounding to 3 cause I hoped for something more.
March 3, 2025
Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown is an anthology of short horror/occult/folklore inspired comics from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and serves as a loose introduction into the recently minted "Curious Objects" universe. Mike Mignola's distinctive minimalistic lines paired with Dave Stewart's moody flat colors is sure to make long time fans nostalgic, with each entry in Bowling with Corpses reading like a brief parable easily existing in the settings of earlier Mignola creations.
The titular story opens this collection, and it's pretty much what the title suggests. A young boy leaves home for adventure, and along the way he bowls with corpses. That isn't the thrust of the story, rather it's a short divergence from the ongoing adventure he goes on, but the outlandish occurrence serves to ground what the subsequent stories will read like. Mignola's scripts are sparse and pointed, with mild amounts of levity to maintain a rather charming undertone throughout. Despite the rather macabre elements throughout this short collection, Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown reads more like dark fables tailored for younger children. The following stories feature some creation myths for the "Lands Unknown", taking pages out of Norse, Celtic and other ancient real world mythologies. Other stories include conventional supernatural elements like ghosts, but all rendered with the cartoonish flurry of Mignola's sharp lines to add charm alongside the creepiness.
At 112 pages, the collection is brief, and you'll get through this fast. It'll have you wanting more, which is definitely an endorsement for Bowling with Corpses. Unfortunately, the brief nature of the stories also do render them a little too unsubstantial, which makes for an odd way to kick off a new set of stories. With no real distinctive characters introduced either, it's difficult to decipher what Mignola's plans are. I suppose that adds to the intrigue, and I'm hoping this serves as a strong teaser for what's to come. It seems like Mignola is walking back that "semi-retired" phase of his career a little, so hopefully a steady output leads to this new universe gaining traction.
As it currently stands, this collection stand as a singular totem of an unrealized world with potential.
The titular story opens this collection, and it's pretty much what the title suggests. A young boy leaves home for adventure, and along the way he bowls with corpses. That isn't the thrust of the story, rather it's a short divergence from the ongoing adventure he goes on, but the outlandish occurrence serves to ground what the subsequent stories will read like. Mignola's scripts are sparse and pointed, with mild amounts of levity to maintain a rather charming undertone throughout. Despite the rather macabre elements throughout this short collection, Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown reads more like dark fables tailored for younger children. The following stories feature some creation myths for the "Lands Unknown", taking pages out of Norse, Celtic and other ancient real world mythologies. Other stories include conventional supernatural elements like ghosts, but all rendered with the cartoonish flurry of Mignola's sharp lines to add charm alongside the creepiness.
At 112 pages, the collection is brief, and you'll get through this fast. It'll have you wanting more, which is definitely an endorsement for Bowling with Corpses. Unfortunately, the brief nature of the stories also do render them a little too unsubstantial, which makes for an odd way to kick off a new set of stories. With no real distinctive characters introduced either, it's difficult to decipher what Mignola's plans are. I suppose that adds to the intrigue, and I'm hoping this serves as a strong teaser for what's to come. It seems like Mignola is walking back that "semi-retired" phase of his career a little, so hopefully a steady output leads to this new universe gaining traction.
As it currently stands, this collection stand as a singular totem of an unrealized world with potential.
January 26, 2025
Mike Mignola is a rare and necessary gift to this weary planet, like fire or indoor plumbing. So imagine my delight upon discovering that he has clawed his way out of "semi-retirement"—a nebulous state he charmingly unravels in this book’s afterword—to grace us once more with his singular brand of dark magic.
This collection of short tales, drawn from the rich loam of folktales and myths across the globe, is an absolute joy—though, as with all things Mignola, the word joy must accommodate a fair amount of ghosts, sorrow, and things that go bump in the eternal night. It’s not the Hellboy universe, yet the DNA remains unmistakable: stories that are grim, wry, haunting, and quietly beautiful, often all at once. And best of all, we get to revel in Mignola’s art beyond just the covers—his drawings are as sharp and evocative as ever, with Dave Stewart’s immaculate colors breathing eerie life into every shadow.
And the best part? There’s more to come. Hopefully sooner rather than later, because Mignola is back, baby—and he’s kicking down the doors of the underworld with style.
This collection of short tales, drawn from the rich loam of folktales and myths across the globe, is an absolute joy—though, as with all things Mignola, the word joy must accommodate a fair amount of ghosts, sorrow, and things that go bump in the eternal night. It’s not the Hellboy universe, yet the DNA remains unmistakable: stories that are grim, wry, haunting, and quietly beautiful, often all at once. And best of all, we get to revel in Mignola’s art beyond just the covers—his drawings are as sharp and evocative as ever, with Dave Stewart’s immaculate colors breathing eerie life into every shadow.
And the best part? There’s more to come. Hopefully sooner rather than later, because Mignola is back, baby—and he’s kicking down the doors of the underworld with style.
April 3, 2025
”…a graphic novel.”
I’m not even gonna try and hide my bias here, it gets 5 stars just for being a return to comics by Mike Mignola. Hellboy (and the surrounding Mignolaverse) is easily my favorite comic series in existence and Mike’s art is just…I don’t even know, I can’t stand how much I love it. I didn’t know this existed until a co-worker told me about it. What a happy day, with corpses, and bowling. I can’t wait to read more about these lands unknown.
I’m not even gonna try and hide my bias here, it gets 5 stars just for being a return to comics by Mike Mignola. Hellboy (and the surrounding Mignolaverse) is easily my favorite comic series in existence and Mike’s art is just…I don’t even know, I can’t stand how much I love it. I didn’t know this existed until a co-worker told me about it. What a happy day, with corpses, and bowling. I can’t wait to read more about these lands unknown.
April 16, 2025
What I love about the Mignolaverse is that everything feels so connected regardless of how important it is to another story- I can picture Hellboy exploring some of these caves filled with cursed coins and drinking in pubs filled with gnomes. He has such a singular vision that I personally think is one of the best in comics. I’d recommend these small stories to any fan of light horror or other Mignola stories.
February 21, 2025
Not a Hellboy or other usual Mignolaverse book but something new
Just as odd, whimsical, horrific, and folklore adjacent as that but with a new scope to it that I pray gets a second volume
Just as odd, whimsical, horrific, and folklore adjacent as that but with a new scope to it that I pray gets a second volume
February 9, 2025
(3,5 of 5 for this lucid fantasy dream of Mike's)
Mike is bored and basically done with Hellboyverse, so he thinks of a new medieval fantasy mythic world to fill. And this short book is a small taste of it. Yes, it very much feels like some mythology has been uncovered between Hellboy/BPRD/Grey stories and adventures. But without those adventures. Snippets glued together without any structure. It feels like the birth of something new but also very old, but sadly except for a very few of kind of standalone stories, it's confusing and boring, because it lacks a structure. Mike takes a lot of inspiration from folk tales. He has plenty of ideas on how to adapt and twist them to his liking and for him. That was as splendid as Hellboyverse, or other ones, but on its own, it was more confusing than anything.
Mike is bored and basically done with Hellboyverse, so he thinks of a new medieval fantasy mythic world to fill. And this short book is a small taste of it. Yes, it very much feels like some mythology has been uncovered between Hellboy/BPRD/Grey stories and adventures. But without those adventures. Snippets glued together without any structure. It feels like the birth of something new but also very old, but sadly except for a very few of kind of standalone stories, it's confusing and boring, because it lacks a structure. Mike takes a lot of inspiration from folk tales. He has plenty of ideas on how to adapt and twist them to his liking and for him. That was as splendid as Hellboyverse, or other ones, but on its own, it was more confusing than anything.
February 23, 2025
A lovely series of fantasy vignettes, illustrated beautifully by the masterful Mignola. I especially loved the talking animals, who natter away in the books margins.
In his afterword, Mignola says that he built the world, lore and history of Lands Unknown before having definite characters to people it. He says that he has advised against this in the past, thinking it best to begin a story with a strong character, who you can build a world around.
In Bowling With Corpses, no single character is especially strong, or compelling. And part of that is because we spend such little time with them. The tone of whimsy, menace and intrigue Mignola creates was enough to entertain me, and I look forward to the next collection of tales from the Lands Unknown.
In his afterword, Mignola says that he built the world, lore and history of Lands Unknown before having definite characters to people it. He says that he has advised against this in the past, thinking it best to begin a story with a strong character, who you can build a world around.
In Bowling With Corpses, no single character is especially strong, or compelling. And part of that is because we spend such little time with them. The tone of whimsy, menace and intrigue Mignola creates was enough to entertain me, and I look forward to the next collection of tales from the Lands Unknown.
March 4, 2025
In line with one of my favorite books, The Amazing Screw-On Head, Mignola has created a modern masterpiece.
Hellboy got plenty of flack for it's reoccurring trend of having a big guy with a big fist punch his way through most of the story arcs. This was changed for BPRD and fans loved it, but every time Mignola came back behind the helm we saw another iteration of physicality being the only means Mike could reason to his story's end.
Here, we see something very different. There are true tales of wonder here, in a world new and unique in its history. We have the brilliant art of Mignola that just cannot be beat, and a mature patience in these pages that was missing for a lot of Hellboy.
Give me 10 more trades of this and I'll buy them all. Well done, sir.
5/5 stars
Hellboy got plenty of flack for it's reoccurring trend of having a big guy with a big fist punch his way through most of the story arcs. This was changed for BPRD and fans loved it, but every time Mignola came back behind the helm we saw another iteration of physicality being the only means Mike could reason to his story's end.
Here, we see something very different. There are true tales of wonder here, in a world new and unique in its history. We have the brilliant art of Mignola that just cannot be beat, and a mature patience in these pages that was missing for a lot of Hellboy.
Give me 10 more trades of this and I'll buy them all. Well done, sir.
5/5 stars
February 19, 2025
Breathtaking, jaw-dropping art. Mignola is the king of comics 👑.
March 11, 2025
New world written and drawn by Mignola, what is best in life?!
January 23, 2025
From vengeful vampires to tiny cows, the short comics in this collection, presented in Mignola's chiaroscuro-laden artwork, capture the feeling of flipping through a volume of fairytales: their opaque logic of punishment and reward, the constantly uncanny sensation of a supernaturally charged world, and the mystery surrounding its inhabitants. Don't expect the epic scope of his Hellboy series, but rather a book that reminded me of the ghost stories of Lafcadio Hearn: ambiguous, condensed, and eerie.
February 20, 2025
Amazing! The master continues to hone his craft.
June 17, 2025
Mike Mignola has been an important writer and artist to me for a long time.
This book is an anthology, and it’s incredible to see the amount of ideas and creativity at play here.
I found this a frustrating read at times, but I love folklore and I enjoyed this overall. The book needs one big story to carry you through and invest you more deeply. In the afterword from Mignola, he says he approached writing this from the world first, rather than a specific character. "Perhaps this is not the best way to go about it?" he muses. I agree with him on this.
I am curious to see how he will weave all these different interests into a new world that isn’t in relation to Hellboy.
I will read the next volume, and I hope he continues with it, with longer tales about talking animals.
This book is an anthology, and it’s incredible to see the amount of ideas and creativity at play here.
I found this a frustrating read at times, but I love folklore and I enjoyed this overall. The book needs one big story to carry you through and invest you more deeply. In the afterword from Mignola, he says he approached writing this from the world first, rather than a specific character. "Perhaps this is not the best way to go about it?" he muses. I agree with him on this.
I am curious to see how he will weave all these different interests into a new world that isn’t in relation to Hellboy.
I will read the next volume, and I hope he continues with it, with longer tales about talking animals.
May 18, 2025
These stories are fun but just like with Mr Higgins Comes Home, I like the illustrations more than the writing. I'm still interested in reading more from this series if a sequel ever gets published.
May 15, 2025
i really want more of bowling with corpses, that was fun
April 11, 2025
This was a very pleasantly surprising read for me. When I first heard about this book, and that it was the start of the new "Lands Unknown" universe I was a bit put off. Another Universe™️ that I have to keep up with? But I trusted Mignola would do good work.
Bowling with Corpses is a new universe in that it's outlines creation mythology, the land, and the legends within that mythos. It's hard to compare it to anything else but free the first page I was hooked on the concept and can't wait to read more about what happens in the Lands Unknown.
Bowling with Corpses is a new universe in that it's outlines creation mythology, the land, and the legends within that mythos. It's hard to compare it to anything else but free the first page I was hooked on the concept and can't wait to read more about what happens in the Lands Unknown.
January 26, 2025
i enjoy that mike mignola seems to have built an entire mythology in this short book, and we're seeing multiple short comics related to the lore of this imagined world, some re amazing while others were a bit confusing.
the art is beautiful, and my favorite has to be the first (and title) story: bowling with corpses.
the art is beautiful, and my favorite has to be the first (and title) story: bowling with corpses.
April 27, 2025
This non-Hellboy title from the prolific Mike Mignola is minor but fun, exploring "folklore-inspired tales" with a dark comic sensibility. Mignola has always had a very distinctive graphic style, and these short pieces give him plenty of opportunity to draw castles and other medieval-themed delights, which he does very well.
April 7, 2025
All the things one has come to love about Mignola’s story telling and artwork all in one beautifully crafted book.
I savored each story.
I would read 1-2 stories a day so I could go back and look at each panel and be fully immersed in the different sections of this world.
I savored each story.
I would read 1-2 stories a day so I could go back and look at each panel and be fully immersed in the different sections of this world.
April 14, 2025
This is a short story comic collection featuring a variety of dark and spooky tales, often with a dash of dark humor, in a medieval setting. Some of the stories were absorbing, but others felt disjointed and unfinished.
May 29, 2025
Feels like a new level of freedom and joy from Mignola, unburdened from the Hellboy mythos. A master at the peak of his powers. Unspeakably gorgeous. I hope he just keeps doing these forever.
June 20, 2025
I'm a huge huge huge Mignola fan and this new book of his did not disappoint. He's always been a wonderful storyteller and illustrator, but this book really got to showcase his creative world building talents in a whole new way and at a masterful level. I think that if like me, you've followed his work for...30 years now, you will see all of your favorite Mignola quirks and hallmarks executed at a superlative level. I can't remember the last time I was drawn in so quickly into a new cosmology.
The world he's building will feel familiar, but different, and like the stories within, common, and universal with a delicious toping of the uncanny to finish it off. I'm very pleased to hear that he is putting so much of his creative energy into this project and I'm going to do my best to support and encourage him! Tell your friends!
also-
Mignola's work is usually characterized by heavy contrasts and clear cutting line, but at the end of this TPB, there are a nice series of sketches that show how delicate his pencil work can be and I don't say this lightly, but they actually kind of reminded me of the cartoons done by some of the renaissance masters. Be sure to check these out too!
I think I'm going to pitch this world to be the setting for my groups next D&D/RPG universe. I'm that excited about it.
The world he's building will feel familiar, but different, and like the stories within, common, and universal with a delicious toping of the uncanny to finish it off. I'm very pleased to hear that he is putting so much of his creative energy into this project and I'm going to do my best to support and encourage him! Tell your friends!
also-
Mignola's work is usually characterized by heavy contrasts and clear cutting line, but at the end of this TPB, there are a nice series of sketches that show how delicate his pencil work can be and I don't say this lightly, but they actually kind of reminded me of the cartoons done by some of the renaissance masters. Be sure to check these out too!
I think I'm going to pitch this world to be the setting for my groups next D&D/RPG universe. I'm that excited about it.
August 4, 2025
Doslov tuhle sbírku moc hezky shrnuje. Mignola je starej, už nepotřebuje na komiksové scéně udělat BAM, a tak si na stará kolena kreslí a píše pro radost. Hnát je sbírkou divných povídek, které inspiruje folklor a pohádky (občas jsem z toho cítil i našeho Erbena/Němcovou) a je super, že se tu neřeší problémy rukou zkázy.
Má to styl a atmosféru, líbí se mi to, ale závěry mi přijdou slabší.
3,5*
Má to styl a atmosféru, líbí se mi to, ale závěry mi přijdou slabší.
3,5*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews