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5.0 out of 5 stars
Waking the devil side, Jan 11 2009
"Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction" pitted our devilish anti-hero against the evil Russian sorcerer Rasputin.
But that adventure is not the end of Hellboy's clashes with Rasputin. "Hellboy Volume 2: Wake the Devil" ups the ante, with plenty of horrific action and a more complex three-way storyline. And Hellboy himself gets to see a bit more of the nature he's determined to deny completely -- and a destiny he wants no part in. Poor guy.
The BPRD sends three squads out to to find an ancient vampire in Romania ("Paprika chicken, baby!"), and Hellboy finds himself working solo. But soon he runs afoul of a bunch of Nazis who serve Rasputin's spirit -- and a bunch of mythic creatures that lurk in the castle's depths, including the vampiric Giurescu and a bunch of savage giant birds, who serve a ghastly, immortal lamia in the depths of his castle.
Elsewhere, Abe is falling into a trap of Rasputin's (since he stabbed the guy to death), and Liz's powers run amuck when her team finds an alchemist's lab with a seemingly dead homunculus. And Hellboy's fight with the lamia has shocking repercussions, when he finds himself hurtling into a darkness where his true purpose is revealed -- and he must choose what his destiny will be.
Lamia, skeleton vampires, Baba Yaga and Nazi heads -- Mike Mignola knows how to craft a monster-filled universe, where a demonic anti-hero seems downright normal. And while the first two books about him are technically separate stories, "Wake the Devil" seems more like the second half of the story started in "Seed of Destruction." It's also graced with a more complex, gradually-unfolding plot that branches out in unexpected directions.
Mignola does leave some plot threads hanging (what happens with Liz and the homunculus?), but he knows how to pack the story with plenty of creepy moments, warped humour and gory violence. He also knows how to use dialogue for atmosphere as few authors can ("Witches, striges, vampir... ghosts come forth from their tombs..."), but also utilizes Hellboy's acid wit to lighten the mood ("Not gonna happen... 'cause you're very very ugly and YOU HAVE A GIANT SNAKE BODY!").
Hellboy himself is a classic anti-hero -- despite his red skin, bulky body and sawed-off horns, he's very human in attitude, with a good heart and unselfish outlook. After being attacked by the iron lamia he's faced by what the infernal players want to use him for, but his good heart won't have it. And his snappy wit ("Insolent beast! Troglodyte!" "Big talk for a guy with no pants") only makes him more lovable.
"Hellboy Volume 2: Wake the Devil" is a suitable sequel to the series' debut, and nicely rounds off the first arc of Hellboy's story.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Nazis and vampires and ghosts, oh my!, Feb 13 2004
This is the second Hellboy graphic novel. It is an improvement over the first one, as we get to know the old characters better, and interesting new characters are introduced. Creator Mike Mignola's Kirbyesque artwork is terrific, and this time he handles the writing himself (the first graphic novel was scripted by John Byrne). I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I will explain that Hellboy is a paranormal investigator who appears to be a demon. This book is dedicated to Dracula, which should give you a clue as to what he encounters this time. This book should be especially appealing to people who like The X-Files or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I would encourage anyone who is a fan of sophisticated comic books to check it out.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Hellboy's hurly burly, Oct 7 2003
With "Hellboy: Wake the Devil" Mignola again shows his strength in weaving together unconnected folklore and his own inventions, creating a seamless fantastic reality that grows with every story. Darker, more confident than "Seeds of Destruction," the mythology comes together.Nazis, Imperial Prussians and Greek and Russian goddesses make for strange bedfellows, but here we have a Napoleonic vampire Commander, Vladimir Giurescu, the delightful Nazi scientists Ilsa Haupstein and the Ragna Rok Project, Rasputin the Mad Monk, the Baba Yaga, the Greek Goddess Hecate and of course a living Head in a Jar, all conspiring against our heroes. Fighting for the good guys are the usual cast of Abe Sapien, Hellboy and the BRPD. If that isn't enough to get your appetite wet, then you are reading the wrong customer review. More than most series, "Hellboy: Wake the Devil" advances the overall plot of Hellboy's story, uncovering key points of his origin and destiny. The epilog, only available in this trade paperback, adds an interesting element to the story of the Baba Yaga and Rasputin.
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