Hellboy

by Yvonne Navarro

Book Overview

Born in the flames of hell and brought to Earth to perpetrate evil, Hellboy (played by Ron Perlman) is rescued from sinister forces by the benevolent Dr. Broom (John Hurt) who raises him to be a hero. In Dr Broom's clandestine Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy creates an unlikely family, consisting of telepathic Mer-man Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and Liz Sherman, the woman he loves, who has the ability to control fire. Hidden from the...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743492897
• ISBN13: 9780743492898
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Pocket Star Books
• Length: 295 Pages
• Weight: 0.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

The movie tie-in and more

So, you've seen the HELLBOY live action movie, and/or the animated material, loved it, and are thirsting for more tales of the red skinned chief investigator of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense? Lucky for you there are several items currently available that should (at least temporarily) quench your thirst. If you'd like to relive the movie, try the HELLBOY novelization, by Yvonne Navarro. Navarro is an old hand at adapting screen properties, both large and small (she's done several BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER books, plus novelizations of SPECIES I and II) and can be counted on to do so in a readable and entertaining manner. Her work on HELLBOY is no exception. Writing from director Guillermo del Toro's script, and adding in her own little extras based on her intimate knowledge of the source material (she even gets HELLBOY's alternative spelling of "pancakes," substituting "m" for "n", correct), she produces a faithful adaptation of the movie. If you like her HELLBOY book, you might also sample some of Navarro's original novels. Books like AFTERAGE and MIRROR ME (available from The Overlook Connection Press), THAT'S NOT MY NAME, FINAL IMPACT, and RED SHADOWS are all well worth your time and money. If you wish to explore the comics that inspired the film, there are several reasonably priced HELLBOY collections available from Dark Horse Comics. The movie's main inspiration comes from HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION, written and drawn by HELLBOY 's creator, Mike Mignola, with an able assist from the venerable John Byrne of Superman and X-Men fame. HELLBOY: CONQUEROR WORM explores ideas Mignola touched on in SEED OF DESTRUCTION, finally explaining the origins of the strange race of aliens who appeared in that story. If you like those, you can sample HELLBOY: WAKE THE DEVIL, HELLBOY: THE CHAINED COFFIN, and HELLBOY: THE RIGHT HAND OF DOOM. WAKE THE DEVIL is one long story, the other two volumes present several stand alone short stories which explore world mythology and folklore (THE CHAINED COFFIN features "The Corpse", an amusing tale whose events feature prominently in the movie). To see how other folks handle HELLBOY and his eclectic supporting cast, try BPRD: HOLLOW EARTH AND OTHER STORIES, and HELLBOY: WEIRD TALES. If plain old prose is what floats your boat, there are several worthy original HELLBOY novels, among them HELLBOY: ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HELL by Brian Hodge, HELLBOY: THE GOD MACHINE by Thomas Sniegoski, HELLBOY: UNNATURAL SELECTION by Tim Lebbon, and three by Christopher Golden (of OF SAINTS AND SHADOWS fame), namely HELLBOY: THE LOST ARMY, HELLBOY: THE BONES OF GIANTS, and HELLBOY: THE DRAGON POOL. Golden also ably edited HELLBOY: ODD JOBS, an anthology featuring short stories by the likes of the aforementioned Brian Hodge, Poppy Z. Brite, Nancy Collins, Greg Rucka, and Chet Williamson.

I very much enjoyed reading "Hellboy"!

Once again, Yvonne Navarro shows her skills at bringing to life with words that which the director does with images. In the theater of your mind, she creates the three-dimensional characters that are a hallmark of her work. While a novelization gives the writer less freedom to expand and expound than an original novel, Navarro does well what any writer, director or other artist would hope for: she gives you reason to care about the characters and their fate. As with her other books, I very much enjoyed reading "Hellboy" and would whole-heartedly recommend it.

Great Job

I really enjoyed this book. It was clear to me that the author really liked the characters and cared about what they were doing. She has to have been a Hellboy fan to bring the characters to life the way she did. The book goes into the heads of the characters more than the movie. While the movie is good, it focuses more on action to hold the audience's attention. I'd recommend reading the book first, then seeing the movie.

More Hellboy Please

As a huge fan of Hellboy, I can't get enough. I've never bought a novelization before, but I had to get this one. I always figured they were just copies of the movies into words. I couldn't have been more wrong. I read this book after I saw the movie. It told things that I hadn't seen before. This book was like the bonus on a DVD. Gotta have it.

Good Read

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.I have recently seen the flm and I have to say, I like the book better. But, Helboy has mostly left the theaters and the DVD doesn't come out until July. So forget yourself and read "Hellboy" for nothing more than enjoyment.