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Baltimore,: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire

Description

From celebrated comic artist Mike Mignola and award-winning novelist Christopher Golden comes a work of gothic storytelling like no other. Reminiscent of the illustrated tales of old, here is a lyrical, atmospheric novel of the paranormal—and a chilling allegory for the nature of war.

“Why do dead men rise up to torment the living?” Captain Henry Baltimore asks the malevolent winged creature. The vampire shakes its head. “It was you called us. All of you, with your war. The roar of your cannons shook us from our quiet graves…. You killers. You berserkers…. You will never be rid of us now.”

When Lord Henry Baltimore awakens the wrath of a vampire on the hellish battlefields of World War I, the world is forever changed. For a virulent plague has been unleashed—a plague that even death cannot end.

Now the lone soldier in an eternal struggle against darkness, Baltimore summons three old friends to a lonely inn—men whose travels and fantastical experiences incline them to fully believe in the evil that is devouring the soul of mankind.

As the men await their old friend, they share their tales of terror and misadventure, and contemplate what part they will play in Baltimore’s timeless battle. Before the night is through, they will learn what is required to banish the plague—and the creature who named Baltimore his nemesis—once and for all.

Reviews

Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2009-10-02
Summary: "A very good original read"

This is a horror story set in Europe during the early to mid 1900's (not told) and obviously is influenced by the Hans Christian Anderson tale "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", and this book even includes that story at the end of the novel (at least in the special edition). This book started a little rough, but then it kicked in and was a smooth ride. It seems to be a type of folklore and mythological tale - not only is the tale of Lord Baltimore like this, but all the side stories told within are like their own folklore tales. This was a very enjoyable read, even with the rough start, it barely affected the enjoyment of this original tale. It is obviously illustrated throughout by Mike Magnolia and it adds beautiful dark atmosphere to the story. I easily recommend this book.

The story itself starts off with Lord Baltimore in battle with the Hessians, and his army gets ambushed and slaughtered, somehow he survives and when the bats come in to feed off the dead soldiers one bat tries to feast on Baltimore, but Baltimore slices the bat across the face, and it flees, but before it does it blows on the wounded leg of Lord Baltimore. Baltimore looses his leg and finds himself looking for vengeance, because this was not a bat but a terrible evil, a vampire. Soon after this encounter a plague sweeps across Europe and destroys the war as all flee the plague, which is called the Red Death. But only Lord Baltimore knows what this plague is and how it started.

Most of the story is told by three men requested by Lord Baltimore to meet him in a plague ridden city somewhere in Europe; all have come across Lord Baltimore in some form or another, and while they pass the time waiting to see if Baltimore shows is tell the tales of how they came to know Lord Baltimore and each tells a story of how they came across some form of the supernatural. These stories are told because it is these stories that make them believe Lord Baltimore, and each is a little horror/fairy tale in itself. The puppet town was very atmospheric and a great fun to read. Also the history of Lord Baltimore is told in these tales and we find out that the vampire has been destroying everything that Baltimore loves while Baltimore hunts the man with the scar across his face. And while the three men wait the night gets longer and they try to answer questions about Lord Baltimore, the plague, and what their roles are in it? the ending was a little anti-climatic, but it did not run this great story!

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2009-08-27
Summary: "Excellent read for those with their own imagination"

I am a fan of Mike Mignola. I have been following his works since before Hellboy. One of the greatest things about this book is its complex simplicity. It doesn't tell you everything. It gives you enough information to set the scene, then allows your own imagination to take over and fully create the environment. I felt that I was thoroughly immersed in this book, and could not wait to see what happened next. I felt the somewhat elusive nature of Lord Baltimore added greatly to the story. The tragedy that is Baltimore's life is compounded by the chapter comparisons to The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

The artwork is simply sublime. I love Mignola's simple style in this book. It is enough to spark a little thought, and perhaps set your imagination in the right direction according to the story. Any more detail in the artwork would have been a distraction.

Overall, if you are looking for a book that takes you by the hand and walks you through a story piece by piece, then pass on this one. If you have an active imagination and enjoy letting it run wild with a little help fom a talented author and artist, then by all means, read and enjoy.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-02-17
Summary: "Awesome"

I really hope these two team up again, because I really enjoyed this book. I've never read anything of Christopher Golden's but I probably will now. I like Mignola from reading Hellboy so that was a given. Pick this book up if you are looking for a dark and eerie tale that gets your attention and keeps it.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2008-11-26
Summary: "Gothic Horror"

Three men gather at a dingy inn on a grim night, awaiting the arrival of a third. To pass the time and to make sense of their presence, they take turns telling their tales and their relationship to the mysterious Lord Baltimore.

Taking Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier as both a framing device and as a literary allusion, "Baltimore" is a gothic horror in the classic style. It is full of dank atmosphere and lugubrious woes, with supernatural beasts beating at the edge of reality and only a few brave stalwarts to stand against them. Purposely old-fashioned in style, it re-creates the old style of illustrated novelettes of the pulp era. I don't know who did most of the writing chores, but Mignola's style comes through clearly especially in the treatment of vampires and some of the imagery.

Much like Scott's Rob Roy, the title character does not even show up until near the end of the story. It is not actually Baltimore's tale, but more of a collection of linked short stories, each a tale of one of his companions; how they met Baltimore and how they came to understand the darker side of the world. This might disappoint some readers, but I was fully involved in the stories and loved the "gathering around the fire" feel of the book.

Strangely enough, if there is a weak point to "Baltimore", it is Mignola's illustrations. There are simply not enough of them, and they are all small and stark pictures that peak out like little windows in the text. The cover is the only fully colored illustration, which isn't bad in and of itself, but it would have been nice to seem some more fully rendered work.

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Rating: 2 / 5
Date: 2008-11-11
Summary: "A decent book but..."

A simple book with the simple writing style that you'd expect for a comic book writer, but even more simple then it should be.

There is nothing new or revolutionary in the story telling or the themes. The overall book was a lack luster thing. The small amount of imagery that is peppered through out it is more a gag then really adding anything to the over all feeling of the work.

Plus I felt a bit cheated by what it is described as. This book is almost entirely a standard word fiction. Yes there are images in the pages of the text. But they are little more then vague distracting icon level imagery without any of the depth of real art work I've seen from these artists before.

So I'd love to give it a higher rating, but just can't. The overall disappointment and cheapness of the end product is dragging it down from the 3 start it should deserve.