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Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction
(Hellboy Omnibus #1)
by
The story jumps from Hellboy's mysterious World War II origin to his 1994 confrontation with the man who summoned him to earth, and the earliest signs of the plague of frogs. Avoiding his supposed fate as the herald of the end of the world, Hellboy continues with the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, fighting alongside Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and drafting Roger
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Paperback, 368 pages
Published
June 5th 2018
by Dark Horse Books
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Start your review of Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction

This first omnibus of the cult classic reality of Hellboy captures his first stories in a print plus a short all with overarching theme of relating to his origin, the NAZI conspiracy that is part of that origin and introducing the B.P.R.D and a number of their agents and team. I have pretty much read a significant amount of the 'best comic serials to read' and had continuously swerved this one as it didn't look my cup of tea... which it turned out it wasn't. Basic horror in the style I dislike t
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So two things crossed my mind when I picked up this title. Glad I waited because Hellboy (So far) is complete. So I'll be able to read it all. Second though after finishing this title is why in the blue (or red) hell did I wait so long to read this!?!?
So if you don't know anything about Hellboy (how could you not?) He's basically a big devil looking ape-looking dude who joins others who are special to stop the evils of the world. Mostly this volume focuses alot on Nazi's and Ragna Rok. This is b ...more
So if you don't know anything about Hellboy (how could you not?) He's basically a big devil looking ape-looking dude who joins others who are special to stop the evils of the world. Mostly this volume focuses alot on Nazi's and Ragna Rok. This is b ...more

"If I have a real name, I've never known it. I'm called Hellboy." -- page 34
This introductory volume has a fair amount of good features - the main character (a hulking half-demon / half-human, working for one of those shadowy government branches known as the Bureau for Paranormal Research & Defense), the WWII-set origin story, and Mignola's illustrations - but yet it occasionally and curiously still fell flat for me. Maybe it was that the plots seemed sort of thin or underwhelming - there were s ...more
This introductory volume has a fair amount of good features - the main character (a hulking half-demon / half-human, working for one of those shadowy government branches known as the Bureau for Paranormal Research & Defense), the WWII-set origin story, and Mignola's illustrations - but yet it occasionally and curiously still fell flat for me. Maybe it was that the plots seemed sort of thin or underwhelming - there were s ...more

Hellboy is one of my all time favorite comics. This is the perfect time to introduce yourself to Hellboy if you've never picked it up before. His entire core story is collected in these 4 omnibuses. Newer collections tell untold stories from Hellboy's past. I find myself going back to read through these again and again. The omnibuses change the order from the original releases to the proper story order and move some of the short stories into their own omnibuses. This omnibus collects the first 2
...more

Hellboy (HB) is the successful investigator for the USA’s Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. (Headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut if you ever want to stop by.) If you have never met this fellow, you have some treats and surprises ahead of you.
This is the first omnibus of Hellboy comics collected by Darkhorse. Hellboy (not his real name, but no one, including him, knows his real name) is billed as the “world’s greatest paranormal investigator.” And, maybe this is what attracted Guill ...more

There is something so seductive about he work of Mike Mignola and Hellboy himself (I cannot be the only one with board games and a reboot of the film franchise around the corner). And finally my wishes have been answered - the collected stories are finally coming out in Omnibus editions.
I have long since been follow Hellboys antics and adventures however making sense of the various stories - their interwoven references and the suspicion that a far longer story is being slowly played out all mean ...more
I have long since been follow Hellboys antics and adventures however making sense of the various stories - their interwoven references and the suspicion that a far longer story is being slowly played out all mean ...more

I liked it more than I thought I would, don't listen to people that say this one starts slow, I didn't think so at all. Actually it was nice for a change to have a story that doesn't try to be the most action packed epic within the first issue just to win the kids over (I am really tired of that). It has a nice calm pace to it with an interesting plot that unravels in unexpected ways.
Where the story shines the most are the characters. They are well written with a ton of detail, you just can't av ...more
Where the story shines the most are the characters. They are well written with a ton of detail, you just can't av ...more

How good was this. I really enjoyed the Hellboy mythos and world. Great story lines, action and amazing characters. This contained a couple of volumes and some short stories. They all really continued and overall story arc, with great background information on the characters ( good and evil) as well combine perfect amounts of history. The artwork was really quite unique. I had been told that some people consider it too simiplistic. However, I feel like that it personifies Hellboy perfectly. My o
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Solid 4 stars.
Very nice art, distinctive style, definitely. The story (or stories) is very much original. I always enjoyed how the color red is underused in the panels so that when Hellboy shows up, he really pops and stands out. He's a very vibrant, bright red that leaps off the page.
Absolutely hungry for more. It helps a lot that the Omnibus editions (coming out this year, starting with Volume 1 in May 2018) organize the graphic novels in chronological order, so they make more sense.
Overall, ...more
Very nice art, distinctive style, definitely. The story (or stories) is very much original. I always enjoyed how the color red is underused in the panels so that when Hellboy shows up, he really pops and stands out. He's a very vibrant, bright red that leaps off the page.
Absolutely hungry for more. It helps a lot that the Omnibus editions (coming out this year, starting with Volume 1 in May 2018) organize the graphic novels in chronological order, so they make more sense.
Overall, ...more

Near the end of World War II, the evil Rasputin summoned a creature from another world -- a little red demon baby.
And so starts Mike Mignola's distinctly offbeat "Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil," two interconnected action-factory stories with a bright-red demon as its anti-hero. Mignola happily crams this rather brief tale with Lovecraftian horrors, mythic demons, a cursed mansion, a vampire in an old castle, and a truly malevolent villain who wants to destroy the world ...more
And so starts Mike Mignola's distinctly offbeat "Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil," two interconnected action-factory stories with a bright-red demon as its anti-hero. Mignola happily crams this rather brief tale with Lovecraftian horrors, mythic demons, a cursed mansion, a vampire in an old castle, and a truly malevolent villain who wants to destroy the world ...more

Mar 25, 2019
Jason
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
comics-and-graphic-novels,
monsters,
historical,
horror,
conflict,
scifi,
fantasy,
mystery,
adventure,
monkeys
It's been over a decade since I read these stories. I think I read the first 5 trades and then started collecting the single issues and have been ever since! It's pretty wild re-reading this after having read so much more of the rest of the story. Mignola combines action & adventure, mystery, horror, mythology, folklore, human drama, and even a dash of science fiction in a way no comics creator has before or since. And that he wrote AND drew a lot of the early stuff makes the accomplishment even
...more

Jul 09, 2019
Britton
added it
Recommends it for:
People who are patient enough to get to the good stuff
Recommended to Britton by:
Everybody
I avoided Hellboy for a long time...
That's not to say that I thought it was bad or anything like that. But I've been known to remark that I tend to be skeptical of widely praised works, like with comics like Saga. I often allow my nervousness to get in the way of objectively looking at works as best as I can (which can result in some shoddy reviews or half baked conceptions) and I attempt to not be a harsh critic when it comes to reviewing works, or I avoid works that doesn't nab my interest. Th ...more
That's not to say that I thought it was bad or anything like that. But I've been known to remark that I tend to be skeptical of widely praised works, like with comics like Saga. I often allow my nervousness to get in the way of objectively looking at works as best as I can (which can result in some shoddy reviews or half baked conceptions) and I attempt to not be a harsh critic when it comes to reviewing works, or I avoid works that doesn't nab my interest. Th ...more

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
It’s a bit hard to not have heard of this giant red ape-like creature. His presence alone invades the atmosphere and his charisma steals the show. And to turn him into the world’s greatest paranormal investigator too? He’s easily a character that has left a huge mark in our pop culture and is here to stay. Although a bit underrated, Hellboy has his fair share of lore to share with us and it is one that will please a lot of horror and mystic fans ...more
It’s a bit hard to not have heard of this giant red ape-like creature. His presence alone invades the atmosphere and his charisma steals the show. And to turn him into the world’s greatest paranormal investigator too? He’s easily a character that has left a huge mark in our pop culture and is here to stay. Although a bit underrated, Hellboy has his fair share of lore to share with us and it is one that will please a lot of horror and mystic fans ...more

I've never read any Hellboy so this is my first foray into it. I decided to read it in chronological order so unsure if it gets better in later volumes. First off the art is consistently good throughout, I'd actually say the story and dialogue are good as well... in fact, I don't actually think there's anything wrong with it. Reading this was like one of those relationships where you have to say "It isn't you, it's me" but actually mean it.
Things I didn't like?
Lots of repetition; Hellboy goes ...more
Things I didn't like?
Lots of repetition; Hellboy goes ...more

Very few comic artists have a style as distinctive as Mike Mignola, especially in mainstream comics. Before ever reading anything by him, I already knew and loved his style, and could recognize it a mile off, thanks to artwork I'd seen online and on the front covers of his books. As such, the calibre of his art needs little introduction – anyone who's into comics probably already knows. This collection is absolutely full of jaw-dropping images, with generous use of bold black inks (a little remi
...more

"We are what we are, and we have our paths to travel."
I've had a few friends recommend the Hellboy books to me over the years, so I was expecting some solid entertainment from the series.
What I wasn't expecting was a work of art that seamlessly blends a smorgasbord of literary and mythological influences with its own masterfully realized world.
I'm overjoyed that the whole damned series is being recollected just in time for new readers like myself to be exposed to some of the most effortlessl ...more

4.5 stars
Seed of Destruction: 4 stars
The Wolves of Saint August: 4 stars
The Chained Coffin: 4 stars
Wake the Devil: 5 stars
Almost Colossus: 5 stars
Seed of Destruction: 4 stars
The Wolves of Saint August: 4 stars
The Chained Coffin: 4 stars
Wake the Devil: 5 stars
Almost Colossus: 5 stars

Behind a monk who's supposed to be dead, the relics portraying demons caste in stone by memo-americans hide in shadows, and we all miss his words because a portal to another world, another time, opens and some new nightmare bursts forth to end humanity. And to all this Red just sighs, cocks his gun, and fires back into the abyss.
This omnibus gathered stories, many of which I've read already, but their arraignment, their updates colors, and their original incredible qualities as stories remind me ...more
This omnibus gathered stories, many of which I've read already, but their arraignment, their updates colors, and their original incredible qualities as stories remind me ...more

One of the few contemporary comic book heroes that has a achieved universal popularity. Enough so that his name is as synonymous with comic books as Batman or Spider-Man. His stories begin here with his origin and understanding why he came to be. The first movie borrows heavily from the first story in this omnibus, Seed of Destruction. This book, more so than I was expecting, is packed with a lot of Judeo Christian themes and imagery and their connections with real world occult. Mignola has a fu
...more

This series is better each and every time I read it. A perfect combination of Jack Kirby super-heroics and Lovecraftian horror and mythologizing. He synthesizes so many awesome things. Demons, Russian Folklore, arctic expeditions, a homunculus, Nazis, and so on.
The characters are great, the art is fantastic and the pacing is so fast its easy to underestimate just how many characters and plot points Mignola manages to stuff in.
I think that's why it's better each read. It's not until the 3rd rea ...more
The characters are great, the art is fantastic and the pacing is so fast its easy to underestimate just how many characters and plot points Mignola manages to stuff in.
I think that's why it's better each read. It's not until the 3rd rea ...more

The Hellboy series is the seed that provided the foundation for the vast and popular horror universe created by Mike Mignola, and is considered one of the best and most influential comic book series. So imagine my disappointment when I wasn't as blown away as I wanted to be by this first book. This first omnibus introduces Hellboy, a demon brought to Earth that grew up to be one of the world's preeminent paranormal investigators, as well as the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), t
...more

I read this because it's Halloween time.
Now, you might be thinking, Pete, it's early September.
Yeah, it is.
I have a guide to help you on your holiday journey, especially in deciding whether it's too early to start celebrating a holiday: go fuck yourself, I do what I want.
Oh, and when it comes to Christmas, not before the first snow.
I read about a petition to move Halloween to the last Saturday in October. I thought about it, and I hate it. Why? Because when you do something fun, it should inv ...more
Now, you might be thinking, Pete, it's early September.
Yeah, it is.
I have a guide to help you on your holiday journey, especially in deciding whether it's too early to start celebrating a holiday: go fuck yourself, I do what I want.
Oh, and when it comes to Christmas, not before the first snow.
I read about a petition to move Halloween to the last Saturday in October. I thought about it, and I hate it. Why? Because when you do something fun, it should inv ...more

Well, dang. I regret waiting so long to get around to reading Hellboy. I knew about the comic from the movies, and I've read one novel based on the series, but this is really my first go-round with the comic, and, honestly, the character. It's an effective piece of work. I was interested and intrigued through Seed of Destruction, but it was "The Wolves of St. August" where I saw how horrifying, touching, and well-written the series could be. That's the story that sold me on the series.
I'll proba ...more
I'll proba ...more

Hellboy: One of the most iconic franchises of modern comics, which I've been wanting to investigate for a while! Verdict? It's fine.
It feels a bit dated now, but it's still good. It sort of treads a fine line between banal, goofy pulp action and dialogue, and rich lore and mysterious atmosphere — and the two come clashing at odds for me quite often. Still, there's no denying Mignola has built an expansive and intriguing universe here, and the art is great. ...more
It feels a bit dated now, but it's still good. It sort of treads a fine line between banal, goofy pulp action and dialogue, and rich lore and mysterious atmosphere — and the two come clashing at odds for me quite often. Still, there's no denying Mignola has built an expansive and intriguing universe here, and the art is great. ...more

Took me long enough, but I finally started reading Hellboy. Maybe waiting for this omnibus to come out was a good idea. If your like me and not sure where to start with Hellboy, this volume is for you. Dark Horse is not only putting these out faster than most omnibus editions, but these are in reading order too. One reason I never read Hellboy before is because there are SO MANY different volumes it gets messy and confusing.
So far I like Hellboy. I've only seen the movie before and I liked it, b ...more
So far I like Hellboy. I've only seen the movie before and I liked it, b ...more

Basically a perfect comic. We'll be discussing this book on the Living Between Wednesdays Podcast this week.
...more

Wow - what a fantastic volume of comics! Where to start?? The art is probably the most prominent thing about this work: chunky black inking with limited color palette gives each panel a designed feel and it works incredibly well in eBook form.
Then there's the language: the bad guys speak in this turn-of-century gothic floral prose, whilst the good guys are just modern cops. Apart from Hellboy, HB's just one of the lads, always after that quick laff with some banter. The juxtaposition in languag ...more
Then there's the language: the bad guys speak in this turn-of-century gothic floral prose, whilst the good guys are just modern cops. Apart from Hellboy, HB's just one of the lads, always after that quick laff with some banter. The juxtaposition in languag ...more

I've been a big fan of the Hellboy movies since they originally came out. I've held off on reading the comics because I was worried that I might not like them as much. The art style alone is worth the price of admission. The sense of line, movement, composition, and especially color are too good to pass up. They could just delete the words from the book and I would still give it five stars for the art alone.
The plot is a little underwhelming. Not that it's bad, it's just that by the end of the O ...more
The plot is a little underwhelming. Not that it's bad, it's just that by the end of the O ...more
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Mike 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 wo ...more
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began wo ...more
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“Maybe you were telling the truth, maybe it was you who brought me to Earth. But I didn't ask to come, and I don't owe you for the favor!”
—
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