Baltimore, Vol. 1: The Plague Ships

Europe’s Great War has collapsed in the face of plague and an infestation of vampires in this spinoff of a prose novel by Hellboy creator Mignola and genre vet Golden. The obsessive Lord Baltimore, the one-legged scourge of the undead, is joined on his quest by the gypsy Vanessa Kalderas; she soon learns that it was none other than Baltimore himself who set the calamity in motion when he gravely wounded the vampire Haigus in a previous encounter. Now the cursed Baltimore seeks endlessly for Haigus, hoping to bring an end to the horrors preying on the world and those who travel with him must fear death or worse. Mignola’s decayed, doomed Europe is gloomy even for a supernatural apocalypse. Although Baltimore seems immune to death, Lord Baltimore’s loved ones are not so lucky, and it is an imprudent companion who stays with him for any length of time. Longtime Mignola fans will find this work meets their no doubt high expectations, while those encountering Mignola for the first time will find this an enticing introduction to his oeuvre. (Jan.)