Baltimore: Or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire

by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola

Book Overview

Originally published in hardcover by Random House in 2007, Dark Horse is proud to release the trade paperback edition of BALTIMORE, OR THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER. When Lord Baltimore awakens the wrath... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553804715
• ISBN13: 9780553804713
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Spectra Books
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 1.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.6" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

Amidst the sounds of metallic rain

Before reviewing this book, I have to say that many of the editorial comments I've read under "plot synopsis" are understimations - and then some. They try to capture something and put it in a little box when it has a much more intoxicating allure than that, and it underestimates the read. It does have the vampire portion, the Hans C. Anderson appeal, WWI, the fiends, and so on. Still, one comes to expect more from an idea from Mike Mignola and, in Baltimore, the reader gets it. As far as the book goes, it is an utterly grand rad. While there have been a lot of Hellboy tales done by Mignola/Golden, I've never really seen anything the two created that I was overly impressed with (and I am writing about novelizations coupling the efforts of the two just for clarity's sake because Golden does god work and Mignola does fabulous work). I had heard a lot about Baltimore when it was in its initial phases, however, and reading a few introductory paragraphs made me think that it might be good. It was sooo much better than that. For one thing, the plotline being followed is complex and gives the reader something to enjoy. It moves back and forth in a syllabic dance as it introduces various themes, and the way this is done is really rewarding. The metaphors utilized in the book, the ideas given life; everything kept me pressing on toward the end. You could see the influence of both Mignola and Golden in the story, too, an the pictures that Mignola includes here and there bring that much more depth to the read. It was one of the best things I've read in quite some time. If you accustomed to what Mignola can do and you like the almost fairytale allure he presents in so much of his work, then you will enjoy this. It isn't really like the oddities he does or his more mainstream work, instead standing alone and making it that much better for doing so. Even people who do not like Mignola, dark tales, or most of the keywords that come up when looking for this book would probably find it a great read. I recommend it highly.

One of the best books I've ever read

One of the best horror works I've ever read. This book is full of an eerie brooding atmosphere, enhanced by the illustrations of Mike Mignola. Truely a great vampire yarn, it strips away the usual glamor that the undead have accumulated in modern times... leaving them a terrifying foe. But this is more then a vampire tale. Contained within are three tales of supernatural horror that rival the works of any of the old masters (such as Poe).

Both book and the tale within are beautifully done

"Baltimore's" size caught my attention before I ever heard a word about the novel. On most library shelves, it'd be tucked in the oversize volumes. The book itself is brilliant--good quality paper with illustrations rendered in black and white almost every page. More than anything, "Baltimore" reminds me of an illustrated library bound series I had growing up. If you love books and their construction, "Baltimore" is a joy to hold in your hands. Reading the story is like picking up a Poe. Elements in the narrative are so very familiar with just the subtle twists that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. "Baltimore" opens with Captain Henry Baltimore musing on the difference between toy soldiers and the real ones as he is set to cross No Man's Land with his men (World War I) to fight the Hessians. He is wounded and comes in and out of consciousness literally buried in a trench of his dead men. While fighting what he believes to be a carrion bird, he inadvertently injures the Red King, a vampire who was only at that time feasting on the dead. This act unleashes a plague--which we know of as the influenza epidemic of 1919. The book continues with similar tales told by Baltimore's three friends who have each had their own encounters with supernatural beings in various guises. Then Baltimore's diary arrives with the former soldier's recollections. "Baltimore" is a bleak read, but a fascinating one. The allegory of war at the beginning brought tears to my eyes. I definitely recommend you set aside whatever time you'd need to consume a 284 page novel when you start this book. If you're like me, you won't want to stop.

Fantastic

Things haven't looked too good lately in the vampire genre. Thankfully Lord Baltimore came along. It's the best piece of fiction I've read this year. Lord Baltimore isn't half in love with vampires. He's sworn to wipe the menance off the face of the earth. His friends aren't loveable goof balls or denizens of the night themselves; they're men: strong, loyal to the death and pretty quickwitted in their own right. The vampires in this novel are not sexy. They are vicious, foul, unmistakeably dangerous and and possessed of ratlike cunning. When Lady Elowen becomes one it's a horrible, unforgettable scene. There is nothing pretty in this novel. It's an old fashioned tribute to Dracula and in some ways to Salem's Lot. Baltimore is a steadfast man. He's suffered beyong most human endurance and is set to kill the vampire or die trying. And the in the end, when you find out what happened to his beloved wife's wedding ring I dare you not to wink back tears. Bravo. This makes up for the whole revolting pile of chick lit vamps that have been foisted on the bookbuying public.

The storyline is enthralling and the drawings embellish this dark vivid graphic horror thriller.

During World War I Captain Henry Baltimore was ordered to cross No Man's Land in the Ardennes separating the Allies from the Hessians. The object was to kill the Hessians and take the land so that the stalemate would be broken. Instead, they went into a trap and everyone but Lord Baltimore is killed; wounded in the leg, he sees a carrion eating Kites drinking the blood of his fallen comrades. He injures it. When he wakes up in the hospital, a human looking creature tells him because of what he has done there is war between the creatures and humanity. Plague spreads across the land, killing those it infects and they have not yet successfully stopped the diseases that spread with a gray skin and dark dead eyes of those that are still alive. When Henry arrives home, the plague has taken all those he loved and he vows to find and kill the creature. Years later Lord Baltimore calls three friends Dr. Lemuel Rose, Mr. Thomas Childress and Captain Demetrius Aischros, all who have dealt with the supernatural to an inn in the city. They don't know what the purpose of this gathering is but as night falls, the shadows close in. BALTIMORE is an interesting and exciting take on the vampire mythos. The curse threatens to wipe out humanity and Lord Baltimore is thrust into the position of protector of mankind. Readers get to know him through the reminiscences of his friends and their stories are equally fascinating in a macabre kind of way. There are 150 black and white ink drawings that allow the reader to see the story unfold. The storyline is enthralling and the drawings embellish this dark vivid graphic horror thriller. Harriet Klausner