Hellboy: Emerald Hell

by Tom Piccirilli and Mike Mignola

Book Overview

Hellboy comes to the crossroads in Enigma, Georgia, a small town best by strange occurrences. Sent to keep an eye on Sarah Nail, a young girl hiding from the curse of her family, Hellboy becomes entangled in the blood debt of evil mystical preacher, Brother Jester. Stuck between human malice and the mysteries of the occult, Hellboy comes up against an intrigue of ghosts, demon trees, talking bullfrogs, and a race of lost mutant children.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595821414
• ISBN13: 9781595821416
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Dark Horse Books
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An excellent addition to the Hellboy arena!

I've been a rabid fan of Tom since I first discovered him with "The Night Class". When I heard that he would be doing a Hellboy novel, I was stoked. I throughly enjoyed Emerald Hell. Tom's unique voice and deft use of language was purely amazing and a pleasure to read. I didn't want this story to be over. Hopefully, he returns to the Hellboy world, it can't be soon enough! R. Thomas Riley Author of "The Monster Within Idea"

Excellent and fun read

This is a great book that delves into the depths of the deep swampy South and into the hearts and mind of the men and women there. At times it almost seems as if Hellboy is a secondary character as we learn about the ways and culture of the people of the swamp. The characters are well drawn up and detailed enough to create an inviting (if scary) world. Definitely recommend this book.

Great read and characters!

I'm not a regular Hellboy fan, though I loved the movie, but when I read that Piccirilli had based a character on Manley Wade Wellman's Silver John (I hate it when they call him hillbilly; the movie based on the character was called The Legend of Hillbilly John. What a travesty that was!), I had to get it. I enjoyed the book, though at first I wasn't sure where the author was going, but it had a satisfying ending--with a fantastic, imaginative trip on the way; and I liked Hellboy and the other characters. Well drawn, and Hellboy was Hellboy. This is not a graphic novel, btw; and there are horrific scenes.

A Good Read

The book follows Hellboy through the swamps of the south. Hot on his trail is a demonic preacher and two murderous country-boys. The book is an enjoyable read and the author's portrayal of the Hellboy character is consistent with Mike Mignola's vision of the character. Readers may feel this reads much more like a videogame than an in depth novel. While light on the depth, you really don't read Hellboy for intricate plot, you read it for the simple joy of it. If you've enjoyed the other Hellboy novelizations, I'd highly recommend this book.

Tremendously fun read

A solid entry and possibly the strongest novel to share the Hellboy world, EMERALD HELL is a fast-paced and often fascinating read. The setting this time is the deep south swampland, where Hellboy stumbles across a family curse, a tribe of lost mutant children, some mystical "granny women," and partners up with good ole boy who happens to be pure of heart and have a gift for magic. As HB searches for a trio of pregnant girls through the swamps he is hunted by a crazed mystical evil preacher and his two murderous henchmen. EMERALD HELL is a tremendously fun read, an obvious homage to Manly Wade Wellman's "Silver John" tales, and features a great deal of depth to its characters, who are sharply drawn and intriguing. The story also shows us an infrequently seen side to Hellboy's personality. Highly recommended.