Thursday, September 6, 2012

Fast Comic: "Baltimore: the plague ships" by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

Fast Comic: Baltimore: the plague ships by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, 2011, 9781595820.

Art by Ben Stenbeck who, I presume, also does the Hellboy series because the artwork is the same.  My summary is in chronological order, comic novel was not.

August, 1916 and World War I is over after a plague of vampires.  Lord Baltimore was a British infantry Captain.  Baltimore awoke in no man's land after a failed attack to see giant bats eating his dead men.  One bat goes after Baltimore but Baltimore slices the bat's face with a bayonet.

Baltimore awakes in field hospital minus one leg and with a recently-one-eyed (big red slice on face) stranger standing at his bedside.  Stranger saying he will get revenge on Baltimore.  That the bats were content to eat the dead but Baltimore has started a new war.  Baltimore heads home to find his family murdered.  His wife comes back to life as vampire and Baltimore must kill her and burn the whole family.  Baltimore kits up and goes vampire hunting.

Baltimore is in a coastal French town recently under siege by vampires.  Baltimore kills many vampires.  Baltimore jailed by cops.  Baltimore freed by local gal who wants Baltimore to take her out of town as he chases main vampire down the coast.

Baltimore and Gal catch a ship.  Ship sinks in storm.  Baltimore and Gal land on shipwreck island, island also home to an abandoned and sunken u-boat fleet.  Sunken ships contain many vampires and vampire zombies. Baltimore and Gal fight vampires. Baltimore and Gal return to coastal town.  Gal bids adieu. Baltimore continues his hunt.

Comments:
1.  I liked the artwork.
2. Fast paced with nice flashbacks to fill in Baltimore's story.
3. I enjoy WWI settings. 

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