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Hellboy Novels #2
Hellboy: The Bones of Giants
On the frozen shores of Sweden, a freak lightning storm reveals the skeleton of a giant man, his bony fist gripped tight to the shaft of an ancient iron hammer. It's not every day that the remains of a Norse god and his war hammer appear on a beach, and the occult detective called Hellboy knows that whatever is coming next won't be pleasant. Acclaimed horror writer Christopher Golden joins forces with award-winning comic-book writer/artist Mike Mignola in crafting this stunning and suspenseful prose addition to the Hellboy saga.
Audio CD
First published December 5, 2001
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About the author
Christopher Golden
751Ìýbooks2,787ÌýfollowersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 20, 2024
Hellboy: The Bones of Giants
By Christopher Golden
I enjoyed this story with Hellboy and Abe. Hellboy is at an excavation site and picks up a hammer. Then he can't let go, and the hammer is controlling his mind and behavior.
By Christopher Golden
I enjoyed this story with Hellboy and Abe. Hellboy is at an excavation site and picks up a hammer. Then he can't let go, and the hammer is controlling his mind and behavior.
November 24, 2014
This Hellboy novel dealt with Norse mythology, and wasn't bad. I actually liked the previous Helloby novel, the Lost Army, better, but this one was entertaining as well. Without giving away too much, Hellboy ends up with the hammer of Thor and has to stop an invasion of creatures of myth from overrunning the Earth (that happens all the time time to him it seems.)
It's mostly action with a touch of horror, similar to most Hellboy books, and guest stars Abe Sapien. Contains illustrations by Mike Mignola. I would recommend this one to any Hellboy fan or fan of Norse Mythology. A very original, enjoyable tale!
It's mostly action with a touch of horror, similar to most Hellboy books, and guest stars Abe Sapien. Contains illustrations by Mike Mignola. I would recommend this one to any Hellboy fan or fan of Norse Mythology. A very original, enjoyable tale!
May 4, 2015
This book was one of those strange series of coincidences that all led to one book. I have seen the name Christopher Golden mentioned a number of times, I have enjoyed the films and graphic novels of Hellboy and on a recent trip out to a massive second hand book store I came across this title and it all seemed to fit.
So what about the book - well surprisingly it reads just as you would expect - now this may not seem strange but in my experience it is quite a feat. Why well it may be just me but when I read from a well established universe a story where the majority of the material is in one format but what I am reading is in another the majority of times I am left disappointed in one way or another. Take a well know TV series and I read a novelisation form it - do they get the characters right or their mannerisms. If I read a graphic novel from a book have the imaged it in the same way as I would have done, and so on. Its far harder than it first appears (and often as it appears to the author too!)
However this book has all the descriptions, mannerisms and storyline style of the Hellboy material I know and remember. it feels familiar which is what I wanted. The story is supported by small images in the same style as the comics (they were after all done by Mike Mignola)which gives it an air of authenticity.
So rather than read a 100page graphic novel I have a 300page novel but the same sense of mystery and adventure were there and I thorough enjoyed it. I may even face another novel from Hellboy we shall see.
So what about the book - well surprisingly it reads just as you would expect - now this may not seem strange but in my experience it is quite a feat. Why well it may be just me but when I read from a well established universe a story where the majority of the material is in one format but what I am reading is in another the majority of times I am left disappointed in one way or another. Take a well know TV series and I read a novelisation form it - do they get the characters right or their mannerisms. If I read a graphic novel from a book have the imaged it in the same way as I would have done, and so on. Its far harder than it first appears (and often as it appears to the author too!)
However this book has all the descriptions, mannerisms and storyline style of the Hellboy material I know and remember. it feels familiar which is what I wanted. The story is supported by small images in the same style as the comics (they were after all done by Mike Mignola)which gives it an air of authenticity.
So rather than read a 100page graphic novel I have a 300page novel but the same sense of mystery and adventure were there and I thorough enjoyed it. I may even face another novel from Hellboy we shall see.
June 19, 2020
I novelized HB story is a funny thing, it's got to have give you the story without the visuals and also because of the long story nature of it, sustain a story through 300+ pages which is way longer than your average 5 issue arc. I really liked enjoyed Golden's first book (The Lost Army) so how does this one fare?
World: The first thing that this book hooked me was the world building, not only the Norse setting with all the Gods and Ragnarok and Thor's hammer, but also the tie-in to the Mignolaverse. With Aikman from 'King Void' here this story feels like it matters, it's canon and it's fantastic. Golden is good at setting the stage and playing with mythology, he has an understanding of what makes a good HB story and it's found here.
Story: The story is fairly straight forward for a HB story: Unexplained phenomena, giant monster, world ending event, HB beats the crap out of it. This is what you are getting with Bones of Giants and essentially with every HB story (early HB, the Mignolaverse right now is another thing altogether), with setting and lore changes. It's a great formula and if you love monsters fighting monsters this is a good one. The pacing is smooth and straight forward, the writing linear and easy to follow and the ending is exactly what you expected it. It's nothing super special in the writing or in it's creativity but it is what it is, and it's a super delicious HB junk food novel that satisfies.
Characters: There is character development here but not really anything of large note. Unlike the last book that introduced Anastasia and threw a new cog into HB's life this one is pretty much a standard case for HB and crew. Sure this time Abe is around and there is some minor development of his character but overall they are just reacting to the story and the roller coaster ride that it is, but nothing really of note changes them. For the other characters like Pernilla they are good, they are well fleshed out in the book and serves their purposes, they are not super complex and fairly forgettable, but in the story they work.
I like this story, it was fun, it was a different local and it was a HB flavored junk food book (which I very much enjoy). This is great when you know what you want and you just want that.
Onward to the next book!
World: The first thing that this book hooked me was the world building, not only the Norse setting with all the Gods and Ragnarok and Thor's hammer, but also the tie-in to the Mignolaverse. With Aikman from 'King Void' here this story feels like it matters, it's canon and it's fantastic. Golden is good at setting the stage and playing with mythology, he has an understanding of what makes a good HB story and it's found here.
Story: The story is fairly straight forward for a HB story: Unexplained phenomena, giant monster, world ending event, HB beats the crap out of it. This is what you are getting with Bones of Giants and essentially with every HB story (early HB, the Mignolaverse right now is another thing altogether), with setting and lore changes. It's a great formula and if you love monsters fighting monsters this is a good one. The pacing is smooth and straight forward, the writing linear and easy to follow and the ending is exactly what you expected it. It's nothing super special in the writing or in it's creativity but it is what it is, and it's a super delicious HB junk food novel that satisfies.
Characters: There is character development here but not really anything of large note. Unlike the last book that introduced Anastasia and threw a new cog into HB's life this one is pretty much a standard case for HB and crew. Sure this time Abe is around and there is some minor development of his character but overall they are just reacting to the story and the roller coaster ride that it is, but nothing really of note changes them. For the other characters like Pernilla they are good, they are well fleshed out in the book and serves their purposes, they are not super complex and fairly forgettable, but in the story they work.
I like this story, it was fun, it was a different local and it was a HB flavored junk food book (which I very much enjoy). This is great when you know what you want and you just want that.
Onward to the next book!
September 27, 2017
So far, the Hellboy novels haven't been as good as the comics are. I think this was oddly timed because I had just recently read Neil Gaimen's Norse Mythology, so I just am a little burnt out on that kinda stuff now (I've never been that big on mythology anyway). I think the first Hellboy novel was better, though this was by no means bad. Just not the best time for me to have read it.
January 25, 2008
I've been a fan of pretty much since its inception - or at least since before his first book was published. has create a gruff-but-lovable character and a lovably gruff cast. There are currently nine graphic collections (Hellboy found initial publication in serially released chapters in comic book form) exploring his world and investigations into myth, folklore, and the paranormal. Mignola's art perfects Hellboy's mood and the flow of action and thought throughout each story.
The books are another matter. The fact is: Hellboy just does not properly translate into other media, whether prose or cinema or animation. In fact, he doesn't even translate into his own native medium when presented by creators other than Mignola. So it's no surprise that The Bones of Giants might not be the best thing I've read this year.
Author crafts a story that is a little bit fun and adventurous. He's got some of the mythic and horror elements that make Mignola's series such a joy. He even ties into some of the obscure shorter stories that Mignola wrote in the mid-'90s (notably the Norwegian incident featuring King Vold). Yet, something is missing. It was like reading a report of what happened to Hellboy without actually living through it like one does with the comic format.
Golden's style is straightforward and hits all the right story points, yet despite the presence of Mignola's art illuminating the text, it's just not a Hellboy book. The Bones of Giants, put simply, is missing its heart.
There's also an obnoxious section in which a vision is recounted for a couple pages in italics. That is exactly the point where I put the book down when I tried to read it a few years ago. Large sections of oblique type do not make comfortable reading and it was only do to my own formidable tenacity that I was able to persevere this time through. Note to young authors: Don't do this in your books.
The books are another matter. The fact is: Hellboy just does not properly translate into other media, whether prose or cinema or animation. In fact, he doesn't even translate into his own native medium when presented by creators other than Mignola. So it's no surprise that The Bones of Giants might not be the best thing I've read this year.
Author crafts a story that is a little bit fun and adventurous. He's got some of the mythic and horror elements that make Mignola's series such a joy. He even ties into some of the obscure shorter stories that Mignola wrote in the mid-'90s (notably the Norwegian incident featuring King Vold). Yet, something is missing. It was like reading a report of what happened to Hellboy without actually living through it like one does with the comic format.
Golden's style is straightforward and hits all the right story points, yet despite the presence of Mignola's art illuminating the text, it's just not a Hellboy book. The Bones of Giants, put simply, is missing its heart.
There's also an obnoxious section in which a vision is recounted for a couple pages in italics. That is exactly the point where I put the book down when I tried to read it a few years ago. Large sections of oblique type do not make comfortable reading and it was only do to my own formidable tenacity that I was able to persevere this time through. Note to young authors: Don't do this in your books.
December 22, 2023
Translating a visual medium like comics into prose can be a difficult job, particularly for titles/series/characters as idiosyncratic and iconic as Hellboy. Author Christopher Golden has done an admirable job though, capturing the essence of Hellboy, both the character and the world he inhabits, quite well, complete with some small single-panel illustrations from creator Mike Mignola peppered throughout to help drive the story home. As the story goes, the overall plot is fairly run-of-the-mill for Hellboy, but I have yet to meet a Hellboy story that isn't entertaining on some level, and Golden and Mignola have delivered one that is compelling (Mjollnir, the Hammer of Thor, is found and becomes fused to the Right Hand of Doom, Hellboy has to battle creatures from Norse mythology to prevent disaster) if somewhat formulaic, and happily features Abe Sapien along for the ride and a returning minor character from the comics who plays a brief part, and a couple brief scenes of Dr. Manning just trying to get by.
So, is this book top-tier Hellboy? No. Is it good? Yes, very good. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can see myself coming back to it when I need another Hellboy/Mignola fix. Recommended for Hellboy fans.
So, is this book top-tier Hellboy? No. Is it good? Yes, very good. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can see myself coming back to it when I need another Hellboy/Mignola fix. Recommended for Hellboy fans.
April 13, 2020
Como querÃa leer algo mas "pasajero" por el tema de la cuarentena y porque los libros de Hellboy que tengo (4 que se publicaron en España por editorial Norma) solo tenia pendiente dos, bueno ahora solo uno. Los anteriores que leà de Hellboy eran la anterior novela de Golden "El ejercito perdido" y una antologÃa de autores, "Casos insólitos". Las dos me parecieron superiores a esta novela. Básicamente porque esta se me ha echo larga y repetitiva, desaprovechada totalmente, teniendo en cuenta que era una buena idea descartada de Mike Mignola para sus comics, y que tenemos a la mitologÃa nórdica de fondo.
La idea central del libro es que los mitos nórdicos están volviendo a nuestro mundo y a Hellboy se le queda pegada a la mano de piedra el Mjölnir que recoje del cadáver de Thor. Como veis la idea no puede ser mas buena, aun asà no sabe aprovecharla en todo su conjunto. Porque solo pasaran por las paginas algunos de los mitos y otros solo de fondo. Ademas en la novela se nos presentan nuevos personajes que son solo simples monigotes para que la trama siga avanzando, y tenemos a un Abe Sapien en este caso muy caricaturizado (muy a la moda de las pelÃculas del Toro de ese momento, lo ves luego en AIDP con toda su profundidad y se te caen los huevos al suelo). Me gusto que recogieran parte de una trama de los comics como la del "Rey Vold" al salir en el libro uno de los personajes allà presentados (aunque aporte poco al final). También nos presentan a su hija, pero esta no deja de ser el personaje femenino para llenar el cupo totalmente prescindible y soso, en cambio el autor podrÃa haberle dado mas papel a las Valkirias las cuales deja de telón de fondo apareciendo en x momentos puntuales. Es un libro para pasar el rato si, pero si los personajes no te llegan y el libro se estira demasiado en continuas idas y venidas, encima con poca acción para lo que se busca en un libro asà pues, vamos apañados. La anterior, "el ejercito perdido" sin duda me entretuvo mas, iba mas al grano y supongo que la trama me atraÃa mas (nunca he sido totalmente fan de la mitologÃa nórdica, me tira mas otras).
En fin, un libro que aunque su intención es entretener al final acaba resultando un tanto decepcionante, eso si, fÃsicamente el libro es impecable. Porque estas ediciones contienen ilustraciones de Mike Mingola que siempre son BIEN. Solo para muy fans y completistas del Mignolaverso como yo. El siguiente libro que me queda ya es otra antologÃa que resulta mucho mas interesante pues contiene relatos escritos por peña como Frank Darabont, pero a ese llegare en un futuro incierto (al anterior libro de Hellboy lo leà haya por 2017 xD). Para los que no conozcan a Hellboy, pasar de las novelas y ir a los comics, no os arrepentiréis.
La idea central del libro es que los mitos nórdicos están volviendo a nuestro mundo y a Hellboy se le queda pegada a la mano de piedra el Mjölnir que recoje del cadáver de Thor. Como veis la idea no puede ser mas buena, aun asà no sabe aprovecharla en todo su conjunto. Porque solo pasaran por las paginas algunos de los mitos y otros solo de fondo. Ademas en la novela se nos presentan nuevos personajes que son solo simples monigotes para que la trama siga avanzando, y tenemos a un Abe Sapien en este caso muy caricaturizado (muy a la moda de las pelÃculas del Toro de ese momento, lo ves luego en AIDP con toda su profundidad y se te caen los huevos al suelo). Me gusto que recogieran parte de una trama de los comics como la del "Rey Vold" al salir en el libro uno de los personajes allà presentados (aunque aporte poco al final). También nos presentan a su hija, pero esta no deja de ser el personaje femenino para llenar el cupo totalmente prescindible y soso, en cambio el autor podrÃa haberle dado mas papel a las Valkirias las cuales deja de telón de fondo apareciendo en x momentos puntuales. Es un libro para pasar el rato si, pero si los personajes no te llegan y el libro se estira demasiado en continuas idas y venidas, encima con poca acción para lo que se busca en un libro asà pues, vamos apañados. La anterior, "el ejercito perdido" sin duda me entretuvo mas, iba mas al grano y supongo que la trama me atraÃa mas (nunca he sido totalmente fan de la mitologÃa nórdica, me tira mas otras).
En fin, un libro que aunque su intención es entretener al final acaba resultando un tanto decepcionante, eso si, fÃsicamente el libro es impecable. Porque estas ediciones contienen ilustraciones de Mike Mingola que siempre son BIEN. Solo para muy fans y completistas del Mignolaverso como yo. El siguiente libro que me queda ya es otra antologÃa que resulta mucho mas interesante pues contiene relatos escritos por peña como Frank Darabont, pero a ese llegare en un futuro incierto (al anterior libro de Hellboy lo leà haya por 2017 xD). Para los que no conozcan a Hellboy, pasar de las novelas y ir a los comics, no os arrepentiréis.
February 17, 2018
El groso de la historia me gusto, bastante a decir verdad, sin embargo, el climax del libro fue bastante probre y decadente, a mi parecer.
May 6, 2020
There is an issue I have run into with this book that sort of bugs me. It is a minor problem with the consistency of the story in the universe the story takes place. Specifically, how real people may or may not react to a situation compared to the characters in this story. What I’m getting at is sometimes reading the inability for characters to believe the improbable, despite being face to face with the impossible. An example being that one character, a Swedish government agent named Klar, is told by Hellboy that another character (name withheld to prevent spoilers) is killed by elvish creatures. Klar basically scoffs at him as he can’t understand why he would even say something so preposterous:
“Elves?� Klar said, sniffing. “________ was killed by elves?� …Klar shook his head in disgust. “Get out of here. Stay out of my way. If you have any useful information you have my cellular phone number. Otherwise, stay out of my way.� Pg. 125
In real life, if someone were to tell a detective that elves murdered someone, I can imagine that it would be hard to believe, maybe even completely asinine. Yet, this book is not real life. Abe is, to be blunt, a walking fish man. Hellboy is, again to be blunt, a large red ape with sawed off horns, Elvis sideburns, and goat legs. I find it hard to believe that Klar, when told about a murder by Elves, as improbable that sounds, by the impossible figure of Hellboy, would react with disbelief. Why are Elves unbelievable? Why is there an indelible line separating Elves from the realm of belief in this story? “Hellboy and Abe Sapien exist, I’ve seen a lot of strange things up to this point, but Elves? No! I can’t believe it. It’s too much!�
It doesn’t make sense. If I were Klar, and I had Hellboy standing in front of me, saying that Elves killed a man, I might not only believe him I’d put out an APB. “Search for Deadly Elves. Elves are wanted for questioning.� If anyone laughed at such a thing I’d point to the giant red ape wearing a duster standing in the room and they might completely shut up. Christopher Golden is writing Klar as a government type, with a large ego, who wants complete control over a situation. Klar is intended to be someone blinded by arrogance and possibly power. That’s fine, it’s a cliché and acceptable. However, there is a difference between arrogance and ignorance. Klar’s reaction just doesn’t fit, nor makes sense, in this story.
You could argue that someone who is not used to impossibilities, who has not been around impossibilities or experienced them, may not believe in their existence despite there being an impossibility (i.e. Hellboy) in front of them. Fair point. Eventually, the book goes on to explain more of Klar’s backstory, which is nice, I enjoy character development:
“In his time as the Prime minister’s man, Klar had seen a number of strange things, freakish oddities and monstrosities. Things that should not exist, but did.� Pg. 169
So, with that statement now in mind, why didn’t he believe Hellboy about the Elves again?
There are other minor inconsistencies along these lines as well. One moment Hellboy is talking to a squirrel. Again, in real life, that would be somewhat bizarre. In this story, Abe sees this and reacts like anyone else would if their friend just suddenly began talking to a squirrel. They are not normal people though, they have fought and been around countless weird and strange paranormal situations. Why would talking to a squirrel phase Abe? Why would it phase Abe when the squirrel begins to talk back by exclaiming, “What the hell?� (Pg. 131) You could argue that talking to a squirrel is breaking away from Hellboy’s normal behavior, fine I can accept that. However, I can’t help but wonder, if that were the case that Abe would have acted differently. Abe would react with fascination, perhaps inquisitiveness, not doubt or disbelief.
I'm aware that, ultimately, I’m nitpicking. I am going on a tangent based on only a few lines of dialogue meant to spark a brief smile or enjoyment in the reader, a way of relating to the characters. I appreciate my roommate who got me this book for the holidays. When it comes down to it this book was a fun read. I enjoyed what this book had to offer, to the point where I’m willing to ignore the inconsistencies that I have come across.
“Elves?� Klar said, sniffing. “________ was killed by elves?� …Klar shook his head in disgust. “Get out of here. Stay out of my way. If you have any useful information you have my cellular phone number. Otherwise, stay out of my way.� Pg. 125
In real life, if someone were to tell a detective that elves murdered someone, I can imagine that it would be hard to believe, maybe even completely asinine. Yet, this book is not real life. Abe is, to be blunt, a walking fish man. Hellboy is, again to be blunt, a large red ape with sawed off horns, Elvis sideburns, and goat legs. I find it hard to believe that Klar, when told about a murder by Elves, as improbable that sounds, by the impossible figure of Hellboy, would react with disbelief. Why are Elves unbelievable? Why is there an indelible line separating Elves from the realm of belief in this story? “Hellboy and Abe Sapien exist, I’ve seen a lot of strange things up to this point, but Elves? No! I can’t believe it. It’s too much!�
It doesn’t make sense. If I were Klar, and I had Hellboy standing in front of me, saying that Elves killed a man, I might not only believe him I’d put out an APB. “Search for Deadly Elves. Elves are wanted for questioning.� If anyone laughed at such a thing I’d point to the giant red ape wearing a duster standing in the room and they might completely shut up. Christopher Golden is writing Klar as a government type, with a large ego, who wants complete control over a situation. Klar is intended to be someone blinded by arrogance and possibly power. That’s fine, it’s a cliché and acceptable. However, there is a difference between arrogance and ignorance. Klar’s reaction just doesn’t fit, nor makes sense, in this story.
You could argue that someone who is not used to impossibilities, who has not been around impossibilities or experienced them, may not believe in their existence despite there being an impossibility (i.e. Hellboy) in front of them. Fair point. Eventually, the book goes on to explain more of Klar’s backstory, which is nice, I enjoy character development:
“In his time as the Prime minister’s man, Klar had seen a number of strange things, freakish oddities and monstrosities. Things that should not exist, but did.� Pg. 169
So, with that statement now in mind, why didn’t he believe Hellboy about the Elves again?
There are other minor inconsistencies along these lines as well. One moment Hellboy is talking to a squirrel. Again, in real life, that would be somewhat bizarre. In this story, Abe sees this and reacts like anyone else would if their friend just suddenly began talking to a squirrel. They are not normal people though, they have fought and been around countless weird and strange paranormal situations. Why would talking to a squirrel phase Abe? Why would it phase Abe when the squirrel begins to talk back by exclaiming, “What the hell?� (Pg. 131) You could argue that talking to a squirrel is breaking away from Hellboy’s normal behavior, fine I can accept that. However, I can’t help but wonder, if that were the case that Abe would have acted differently. Abe would react with fascination, perhaps inquisitiveness, not doubt or disbelief.
I'm aware that, ultimately, I’m nitpicking. I am going on a tangent based on only a few lines of dialogue meant to spark a brief smile or enjoyment in the reader, a way of relating to the characters. I appreciate my roommate who got me this book for the holidays. When it comes down to it this book was a fun read. I enjoyed what this book had to offer, to the point where I’m willing to ignore the inconsistencies that I have come across.
March 26, 2023
Summary:
A bit better than The Lost Army, whether that was due to Golden's writing improving in the intervening years, it being adapted from a genuine Mignola concept, or the fact that it's a far more straightforward story. The Lost Army was juggling a love story, history, modern politics, and a miniature lost world. Here, it's about myths returning to life and threatening the world, with a side helping of grief for things dead and gone, and that's it. The lows are not nearly as low as The Lost Army, and the climax is atmospheric (especially the very brief confrontation between Hellboy and Hyndla), putting it around the mid tier Hellboy comics for me. If ever there was a case of a picture being worth a thousand words, it's action in comics. The Mignola illustrations do help a little bit.
It's slightly awkward reading now, because a lot of it was clearly recycled into later mainline Hellboy stories. "Makoma" covers Hellboy being an echo of a hammer wielding god-warrior from a previous world, Hellboy is consumed by rage while fighting undead giants in The Wild Hunt, and this book's climax reads like a prototype for The Storm and the Fury. This would be fine, since the books have always been quasi-canon, until recently when this book got a comic adaptation, so it's now part of the main story. I suppose things recurring and repeating, both before and after Hellboy's life was already part of the mythos, so it happening within his life isn't so much of a stretch. Of course, I haven't actually read the comic version of this, maybe they completely changed it.
It's one of those things you don't think about until it's thrust into your face, but despite being an "all myths are true" story, Hellboy has always leaned to the small scale and obscure when drawing from folklore and myth, using Mignola's homebrew lovecraftian theosophy for filling in the big picture, with the famous ancient pantheons hardly appearing at all. Cloacina appearing briefly in B.P.R.D. and that time Hellboy encountered the ghost of Hercules' shirt is seriously all I can think of for Greco-Roman. Thoth gets recast as the last king of Hyperborea, and that Comic Con oneshot where Anubis possesses a dog is it for Egypt. But here we have the whole Norse shebang, Ragnarok, Thor, Odin's ravens, giants, Jormungand everything. When this story got reworked into The Storm and the Fury, the scale was seriously pared down to Arthurian lore. Even in this story, the name Thor is only used once, by Hyndla.
The return of Aickman was a mixed blessing, leaning to bad. It adds to the continuity, since he didn't die in "King Vold", and the cast of side characters is one of the strengths of the comics, but he doesn't get much use. "King Vold" implied that he became a penniless beggar as a fairy tale ironic punishment for his greed and betrayal, which doesn't fit with him still being a researcher in this book. So it's near-pointless fanservice, apparently to add a daughter character who informs Hellboy and Abe of various mythological characters.
This along with Golden having people react poorly to Hellboy is quite annoying. People at large being fine with Hellboy was never realistic but it was part of the charm of the comics, that Hellboy's hatred of part of himself was largely internal, and reinforced by his encounters with magical beings, not from his life among humans, who mostly have complete faith in him. Golden assigning a dislike of studying and a lack of knowledge to Hellboy doesn't jive with how his character was later depicted, but I can't fault him for not knowing how the character would evolve over the ensuing 20 years. I can fault him for giving Hellboy a plot device in the memory of the hammer, and then jamming in these characters anyway. At least Anastasia revealed a different aspect of Hellboy's character from the usual.
-King Kong's lost 'spider scene' was discovered in the Hellboy universe
-Hellboy doesn't like clowns or rollercoasters
-Abe listens to Sting
-Hellboy smells like dry roasted peanuts
-Hellboy carries shuriken
-Hellboy doesn't necessarily believe in dowsing rods
-Abe can hotwire a car, taught by Liz
-Hellboy was once sucked into the Dreamtime by a pack of dingoes
-Liz has threatened to cut off Hellboy's manbun
-Anastasia knitted Hellboy a sweater
April 15, 2015
This is the second Hellboy prose novel, following The Lost Army, which was also written by Golden. I believe I prefer the first by a narrow margin, but this is still a very good one. It features Norse mythology (hmmm... the hammer of Thor's here... could you call it an alternate Marvel crossover? nah, never mind...), and the BPRD cast flourishes in the stark frozen North environment. The book is quite nicely illustrated by Mike Mignola.
November 18, 2023
In true Hellboy fashion, this book KICKED SO MUCH ASS!!!!
October 13, 2017
BLUFF: Much better than the first one. The story was interesting and left me eager to see how it ended. Unlike the first one that felt like a comic book in book form, this was a complete story and had better layers of complexity. I really enjoyed it.
Hellboy again. I know what your saying "Man, does this guy read anything not childish or nerdy?" and that's just rude, don't make me put down this Encyclopedia Brown book and give you a harsh talking to. (Yes I just ended that sentence in a preposition). This story was much deeper and layered than the first and I even found the character development to be far superior. I admit, Hellboy is just a fun character and love how he, while rough around the edges, is actually a genuinely goody two shoes despite his heritage. The story itself was a refreshing take on Norse mythology. Hell-Thor is front and center (see what I did there...aren't I so clever) and the action is very satisfying.
Why should you read it:
Did you not read the part where I said "Hell-Thor"....that's Hellboy + Thor...it's like peanut butter and chocolate...mmmm...now I want a Reeses. Moral of this sentence: Reeses Cups are delicious.
Hellboy again. I know what your saying "Man, does this guy read anything not childish or nerdy?" and that's just rude, don't make me put down this Encyclopedia Brown book and give you a harsh talking to. (Yes I just ended that sentence in a preposition). This story was much deeper and layered than the first and I even found the character development to be far superior. I admit, Hellboy is just a fun character and love how he, while rough around the edges, is actually a genuinely goody two shoes despite his heritage. The story itself was a refreshing take on Norse mythology. Hell-Thor is front and center (see what I did there...aren't I so clever) and the action is very satisfying.
Why should you read it:
Did you not read the part where I said "Hell-Thor"....that's Hellboy + Thor...it's like peanut butter and chocolate...mmmm...now I want a Reeses. Moral of this sentence: Reeses Cups are delicious.
May 18, 2023
What could be better than mixing Hellboy and Thor together in the same story? Mixing them up in Hellboy’s body! That’s the basic plot of this Hellboy novel. When the remains of the God of Thunder are discovered with his hammer, Hellboy accidentally gets Mjolnir grafted to his hand and the God of Thunder stuck in his head. He also gets the problem of an ancient Frost Giant trying to resurrect himself from his old bones so he can take over all the Norse realms including the one we live in, Midgard.
There’s a lot of delightful Norse mythology pulled together for this story and plenty of really tough foes for Hellboy to try out his new hammer on. There are also some human opponents who seem to be worried that Hellboy is trying to steal the priceless artifact grafted to his hand. Mostly, however, it’s just pure and simple action—Hellboy style. If you like the comics or the novels, you’ll love this story.
There’s a lot of delightful Norse mythology pulled together for this story and plenty of really tough foes for Hellboy to try out his new hammer on. There are also some human opponents who seem to be worried that Hellboy is trying to steal the priceless artifact grafted to his hand. Mostly, however, it’s just pure and simple action—Hellboy style. If you like the comics or the novels, you’ll love this story.
March 11, 2018
¡Hellboy portando a Mjölnir!
Esta no es ni de lejos la mejor historia del hermano Rojo, pero es divertida; tiene a Abe Sapien ligando (que es lo que hacen estos dÃas los anfibios antropomorficos), tiene gigantes nórdicos undead, tiene personajes mitológicos caminando por las calles (incluidos los enanos forjadores de Mjölnir, Eitri y Brokkr repartiendo trancazos), y me trae de regreso esa sensación de los Expedientes Secretos X en los noventa, donde por una parte se tiene que proteger al mundo de la devastación sobrenatural, pero eso sÃ, habrá que hacer un informe por triplicado al respecto.
Recomendable para los que gustan de las historias de mediodemonios destructores de mundos y de los mitos nórdicos.
Esta no es ni de lejos la mejor historia del hermano Rojo, pero es divertida; tiene a Abe Sapien ligando (que es lo que hacen estos dÃas los anfibios antropomorficos), tiene gigantes nórdicos undead, tiene personajes mitológicos caminando por las calles (incluidos los enanos forjadores de Mjölnir, Eitri y Brokkr repartiendo trancazos), y me trae de regreso esa sensación de los Expedientes Secretos X en los noventa, donde por una parte se tiene que proteger al mundo de la devastación sobrenatural, pero eso sÃ, habrá que hacer un informe por triplicado al respecto.
Recomendable para los que gustan de las historias de mediodemonios destructores de mundos y de los mitos nórdicos.
June 14, 2021
I LUV HELLBOY!!!! Hellboy novels are always a lot of fun and this was no exception! Giants and elves and dwarves oh my! Hehehehe.. Anyway, Hellboy ends up being inhabited by Thor, as in THAT Thor when he picks up what everyone is thinks is Mjolnir but doesn't want to say so because of the implications. Which is that the Norse gods were real. I loved the way Brokk and Eitri were written (the two dwarves who forged Mjolnir as well as few other things) as well as how Golden really captured the right atmosphere for the story. That being said the ending felt anti climactic and I wish it had more OOMPH to it. Anyway, good fun published fanfic, would read more by Golden.
May 17, 2017
Read a couple years ago. A very interesting take on the big red guy. I rather enjoyed allowing my brain to paint the pictures of what happened in this book, and I did enjoy it quite a bit.
I would certainly suggest it for anybody who has enjoyed the comics pre-BPRD split.
I would certainly suggest it for anybody who has enjoyed the comics pre-BPRD split.
November 17, 2024
Muy muuuy entretenida. Hellboy poseÃdo por el espÃritu de un noble guerrero continuando con su causa que lo llevó a la muerte? Count me in. Lo mejor era ver a Abe tratar de entender q wea le pasaba a Hellboy cuando alucinaba con dioses nórdicos, y el diseño de los gigantes muak hermosos
June 26, 2020
Hellboy meets Norse Mythology. Need I say more??
Read
June 30, 2020I really enjoyed this Hellboy tale. The Norse mythology was absolutely great. Hellboy using Mjölnir was just great.
November 16, 2022
Loved it. Everything I want from a Hellboy book. Cool story, good characterizations, and I love all the Mignola art scattered throughout
April 24, 2023
I loved this book! It’s my favorite non-graphic novel Hellboy story!
Great deep dive into Norse Mythology!
Fun! Well paced! Epic!
Atmospheric!
Great deep dive into Norse Mythology!
Fun! Well paced! Epic!
Atmospheric!
November 16, 2023
This one felt different than the normal stories, but if you enjoy Vikings and Thor, then hey, this ones for you!
January 20, 2024
A perfect book for lovers of Hellboy and Mythology
February 17, 2024
If you like art, read this book.
April 18, 2025
Giants. Myths. Dwarves. Monsters. And a big ol� sweater.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Can’t recommend it enough.
September 22, 2015
This was the first Hellboy novel I read. Saw it in the comic book store while browsing other Hellboy related products, read the summary, and was in. Plus, look at that cover! Hellboy holding what looks to be Thor's hammer, Mjolnir (spelled Mjollnir here). How could you not be intrigued? So, we have Hellboy and Norse mythology, what a combination!
And, it did not disappoint. A massive corpse is discovered in the Arctic Circle, holding a massive hammer that is continuously being struck by lightning, so the BPRD sends HB and Abe to investigate. Of course, everyone is thinking it, but nobody wants to say it. And then Hellboy touches the hammer and the chaos really begins.
Not only does this bring in major characters and heavy hitters from Norse myth, it also brings in a few old faces from earlier Hellboy adventures. Along with the regulars, Edmund Aickman makes a return appearance. He was last seen forcing Hellboy to fight off King Vold's spirit hounds for his own greed, and now HB and Abe find him right at the heart of this current case as well. But, as dwarves, Valkyrie, dark elves, and even Ratatosk start showing up; things seem to be less myth and more fact.
I am an unabashed fan of Hellboy, and this book is no exception. It's a truly fun read with monsters and mayhem, and the big red guy is right in the middle of it. Definitely worth checking out, in my opinion.
And, it did not disappoint. A massive corpse is discovered in the Arctic Circle, holding a massive hammer that is continuously being struck by lightning, so the BPRD sends HB and Abe to investigate. Of course, everyone is thinking it, but nobody wants to say it. And then Hellboy touches the hammer and the chaos really begins.
Not only does this bring in major characters and heavy hitters from Norse myth, it also brings in a few old faces from earlier Hellboy adventures. Along with the regulars, Edmund Aickman makes a return appearance. He was last seen forcing Hellboy to fight off King Vold's spirit hounds for his own greed, and now HB and Abe find him right at the heart of this current case as well. But, as dwarves, Valkyrie, dark elves, and even Ratatosk start showing up; things seem to be less myth and more fact.
I am an unabashed fan of Hellboy, and this book is no exception. It's a truly fun read with monsters and mayhem, and the big red guy is right in the middle of it. Definitely worth checking out, in my opinion.
November 24, 2020
Al fin ha caÃdo la segunda de las tres novelas escritas por Michael Golden para la franquicia de Hellboy, Los huesos de los gigantes. Hacia tiempo que leà la primera (El ejército perdido) y la tercera (the Dragon Pool, no publicada en castellano) pero por circunstancias diversas no me habÃa hecho con esta segunda, y eso que el tema principal, en principio, sonaba interesante: unir a Hellboy con la mitologÃa escandinava.
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