Writer: Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden
Artist: Ben Stenbeck
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Mike MignolaSetting sail from a harbor choked with sunken ships, where plague victims are burned in great furnaces, Lord Baltimore reveals a terrible incident that took place during the war, where his men fell victim to creatures that feast on the freshly dead, and Baltimore himself first met the vampire who has become his obsession.
Check out what I thought of the second issue to the best vampire book on the market (yeah, I said it after two issues) after the cut.
Mike Mignola is an incredibly prolific creator. Heck, this is the second book of his I’m reviewing this week alone (see: my review of Hellboy: The Storm #3)! But the nice thing about a writer like Mignola is that he is rather good at staying solid throughout, and with a partner like Christopher Golden, we’re given quite an entertaining read.
Now, I usually say this as a preamble to certain reviews, but just so we’re clear: I don’t like vampires. I don’t like the concept, and I’ve never seen a version of a vampire story I’ve ever really loved. To be honest, they kind of creep me out. Well, they did before Twilight came out anyway. For reference, the only vampire film I really tolerate is Blade.
However, with this book, I actually do enjoy the vampire element so far. It’s not typical, I’ll give it that. I do not claim to be a vampire expert of any kind, but I have not seen the vampire being represented simply by a giant creepy bat. So between this issue and the last, I’m already enjoying their representation of the beast much more. In fact, as Baltimore tells his story through a flashback and we see some of what has happened to him and his first encounter with the vampire, it becomes less of a “vampire story” and more of a flat out “horror story” — and that is something that I love.
Two issues in and I already really enjoy the character of Lord Baltimore. A lot, quite honestly. The character is rather true to Mignola’s standard characterization (a quiet, stoic, and strong character) for leads (see: Hellboy, BPRD, Witchfinder, or even Lobster Johnson), but it’s obviously a set up that works well for him. Baltimore’s origin story (as it were) is a really interesting little tale, and it helps set a tone for the book through moody atmosphere and horrific events. There are few times I will read a comic and it’s sound effects paired with images and actually say “Ew” outloud. This issue was one of those few times (shrrippt!).
Stenbeck’s art here compliments the writing very well. As I mentioned before, the writing is very atmospheric, and within Baltimore’s flashback there is quite a few moments with no dialogue or narration. Mixed with Dave Stewart’s colors, the entire sequence is wonderful. It starts as this dark mix of blacks and whites and quickly moves to very full reds to create a true horror moment out of sequential pictures. Mignola is so great at collecting artists that work so well at his vision, and Stenbeck and Stewart are no exception here.
Baltimore has just started, and it certainly bodes well for it’s future. Mignola is juggling a lot here, but we’ve got Golden here to co-write and it works well. I would highly recommend seeking out the first issue if you didn’t already grab it. The last page of this issue particularly stands out to me, as it is such a good cliff hanger that it leaves me highly excited for what is to come. I’m rooting for Baltimore here, and I’d urge you to.
On the plus side, if you’ve always been intimidated to reading BPRD and Hellboy, Baltimore makes for a great place to start getting into Mignola’s work!
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
