Book Review: Hellboy: Weird Tales by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy: Weird Tales written by Mike Mignola and others with art by Mike Mignola and others

27 different tales from the Hellboy universe are compiled in this volume. The stories feature Hellboy himself, though close to half are about other characters related to him, both heroes and villains. The art styles vary widely, from some that faithfully imitate Mignola's dark and brooding visuals to others that are more like comics, to occasional eclectic styles. The stories also run the gamut, from horror to comedy to winsome character studies. Naturally, the appeal for individual readers will shift. None of the stories are earth-shattering and they only tangentially relate to Hellboy's larger story. As a bunch of side stories, I enjoyed just about everything, so I was happy with the collection. 

My favorite stories were the first, "How Koshchei Became Deathless," and "Theatre of the Dead." Special honors goes to "Lobster Johnson: Action Detective Adventure," which presents the story as a Sunday newspaper comic appearing over several weeks, with that distinctive art style and repetitious story reviews.

Recommended, highly for Hellboy fans.