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Title: Hellboy by Yvonne Navarro ISBN: 0-7434-9289-7 Publisher: Pocket Star Pub. Date: 01 March, 2004 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (3 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Hellboy
Comment: TITLE: Hellboy
AUTHOR: Yvonne Navarro
PUBLISHER: Pocket Books
PAGES: 295
PRICE (softback): $6.99
PUBLICATION DATE: March 2004
ISBN: 0-7434-9289-7
CATEGORY: Fiction
During WWII, Grigori Rasputin gathers with a horde of Nazi soldiers inside an old ruin on a desolate island. Using black magic and advanced machinery, they embark on an excursion to unleash the Ogdru Jahad- the Seven Gods of Chaos. In the midst of the excursion a team of American soldiers, lead by Professor Broom, halts the ceremony. However before the portal is closed, something escapes from the dark void. From the depths of hell comes an extraordinary creature that baffles mankind and is known by his founders as Hellboy.
Sixty years later, Hellboy is spoken of as a modern-day Bigfoot. Sanctioned by the American government, he spends his time eluding society while he combats supernatural villains. Then one day Grigori Rasputin returns to attempt, once again, to open the portal to Ogdru Jahad. Rasputin forces Hellboy to confront the reason for his existence. He is made to choose either the dark side from which he was born or the good side in which he was raised.
Hellboy is based off a comic strip superhero and a movie directed and written by Guillermo Del Toro. In keeping with the comic book theme, the story is written in a manner which is short and to the point. If the reader can imagine reading a comic strip without the pictures, then he/she essentially has an understanding of the style the writer uses. Nearly every scene is comprised of some adventurous ordeal. Gore is a basic component in the book. The reader should be warned that the novel is filled with numerous carnage and murder scenes.
The author, Yvonne Navarro, intentionally advances through the beginning by giving little description of the surroundings or the character's background. Instead, she leads you right into the intensity of the story. As the beginning of the book flies by, the reader is left thinking that they missed something. The start also excludes enough inner-dialogue to allow the reader to connect with the characters emotionally. This is damaging to the introduction but after the first third of the book, the writing improves and the novel ends explosively.
The book, Hellboy, is comprised of exotic creatures and magical events. The plot behind the book is interesting, but the beginning is hard to swallow because it lacks character background and intentionally houses vague descriptions. The magnitude of action scenes may keep the audience captivated, but overall, without the ability to connect to the characters thoroughly, a person might as well pay the same price to see the movie.
Reviewer: Mary Dietrich
Date: May 3, 2004
Rating: 4
Summary: Pleasantly Surprised
Comment: Hellboy is about a demon that was brought to Earth for evil deeds a long time ago. A good-natured doctor intercepted the infant demon, Hellboy, and raised him to fight the good fight with the aid other unusual beings like Hellboy. There is just one problem; the evildoers from long ago are back to finish what they started!
I cannot pinpoint why I expected Hellboy the book to be substandard; but, at this point, the reason is really quite irrelevant since the book turned out to be good. Yvonne Navarro gives the book an excellent and consistent voice that makes it easy to read, with the exception of a few typos that the editor should have spotted. I am especially impressed with the character development of Hellboy. He has the mannerisms, behaviors, and thought processes of a believable person, so I genuinely feel as though I got to know the inner workings of his personality. Given his sparse involvement, Abe Sapien is nicely worked also. But the book is not about Abe Sapien, so I forgive his light presence. Supporting characters such as Broom, Agent Clay, Myers, and Liz are also written as well as Abe Sapien. The noteworthy aspect of all of the "good guy" characters is that Navarro creates a lucid balance between them; she is careful not to overcrowd the story with too much information about the supporting characters. As much as I wanted to read more about Abe Sapien, I was somewhat glad that I did not because the book might then be less concise.
The most important improvement to note is the occasional typos in the book. For example: instead of "even though", I read "even thought" in one of the earlier chapters. It is a very easy mistake to make, especially when you're typing quickly and on a roll, but someone still should have spotted it. There is one other similar simple typo, but I cannot remember the details. I just remember stumbling over two typos and put the "even thought" one to memory because I have personally made that typo numerous times when I type.
The second improvement to note is the villains. They were quite underdeveloped, especially considering the suitable development of the "good guy" supporting characters. The villains' intentions are clear enough; however, their motivations are ambiguous. I have my assumptions about the "why" of their intentions, but Navarro does not answer the "why" in the book. It would be nice to know instead of assume.
Expect the plot to be a little on the wayside for the first 90 or so pages, but do not let that discourage you from reading the book because those first 90 or so pages are incredibly fun to read! These are the pages that give you insight into the kind of person Hellboy is. Every page thereafter solidifies that character development.
The ending is terse; but when I ponder how else it could end, I reluctantly realize that I cannot think of a better ending.
I once read a review that suggested Hellboy is a knockoff of X-men. The reviewer then proceeded to condemn Yvonne Navarro's work with Hellboy. I do not agree. Yes, the two stories involve non-humans and atypical Homo sapiens. The distinguishing characteristic is that the two stories operate on different concepts; X-men is clearly social commentary while Hellboy is not. X-men focuses on communal issues surrounding mutant discrimination and integration into society; Hellboy does not. Not once did I get the impression that Navarro was making any philosophically and/or socially substantial arguments about discrimination. There is nothing wrong with that; X-men does a wonderful job at it. Just do not expect it in this book.
Everything considered, I thoroughly enjoyed Hellboy the book and I even more eagerly await the theatrical release. If you like to read books in this genre, I recommend this book to you. If you like to read books in this genre AND you intend to see the movie, I highly recommend the book. I especially look forward to seeing if I even come close to Del Toro's vision. That ought to be fun
Rating: 4
Summary: Good Read
Comment: First, I was not familiar with Hellboy until I read this book. I had heard about the movie and was planning to see it, but wanted to read the book since that is cheaper than going to a movie nowadays. However, now I am sure I will see the movie and read some of the comics!
Hellboy, a demon who escaped Hell during an occult ceremony to bring about the end of the world in October 1944, has become a modern day Bigfoot to the people in New York. Every day, there is another sighting and a grainy photograph. If only they knew that Hellboy stands between them and the apocolypse.
Even though I haven't seen the film, I can already tell from the book it has everything a summer movie should; big sets, outlandish plots, and lots and lots of action. So forget yourself and read "Hellboy" for nothing more than enjoyment.
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