Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 Kindle & comiXology

Love this thank you!

The four issue Hellboy mini-series "Seed of Destruction" came out over the course of 1994. Those four issues were ultimately collected and released in hardback and paperback omnibus form, but those omnibus editions are hard to find and pricey. Now, (or at least as of the date of this review), each of the four comics, which were reissued by the publisher in 2015, is available as a Kindle download. (Note, though, that Amazon has confused Issue #1 of the 4, and Volume #1, which collects the four issues. Check page length to make sure you're ordering what you want. Reviews for both books are on the same product page, so they won't help you.)This is where it all started. We begin with a flashback intro to the Hellboy origin story. That's about half of this first comic. Then we set up the ongoing story. It's fifty years later and the last survivor from the original Hellboy discovery team, Hellboy's beloved Dr. Bruttenholm, (aka "Broom"), is telling Hellboy about a tragic and doomed expedition to the Arctic in search of some ancient, mystic artifacts. At that point everything hits the fan and we're off to the races. NO SPOILERS, but over the course of the four issues we have vampire frogs, a creepy mansion on a dead lake, a creepy family, tentacles, curses, an evil villain set on world domination, and a vaguely Lovecraftian feel that works well enough for this opening frame. On top of that we are introduced to Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman and the BPRD, and we get a little more on Hellboy's Nazi occultist backstory, so this really does set many of the pieces in motion for the entire continuing Hellboy saga. And beside all that, it's just smart, fast-paced, fun.This mini-series introduced Hellboy to the world and it is the place to start if you are new to Hellboy, and a great memory piece for those who have followed Hellboy's adventures and elaborate story ever since. Note that in Issue #1 the character is just getting up to speed; he isn't the tough talking, wise cracking, engagingly conflicted and yet witty guy we've come to know. This Hellboy starts out as a more traditional general purpose hero. (Issue #1 wasn't even written by Mignola.) That said, by the end of the series we have been introduced to many major characters and we begin to see the outlines of the Hellboy to come.What is there, right from the beginning, is Mignola's gorgeous art. Heavy black lines, a few detailed background scene setting pages, many spare but atmospheric panels, sometimes just a suggestion of action - this work was often impressionistic but was never confusing or unclear. The Hellboy look is unique and compelling.I was curious about how a comic would appear as a download. I downloaded this issue to a Kindle Fire and it worked fine. An entire page comes up on the screen. You can read it, but the print is very small. You can double tap the first panel on a page and then cycle through each panel from the page, with each panel being the size of the screen. Once you go through the four to six panels the next thing up is the next full page. You follow the same procedure there. This is a little cumbersome, but it's a price I'm willing to pay.So, bottom line, this is an excellent and accessible Hellboy and a good deal. If you've ever wondered about this character, or if you'd like to take a trip down memory lane, this is a great find.

Love a bit of hellboy, just a little bit short. Wanted more bang for my metaphorical buck, but a good read.

Great first read of hellboy I really enjoyed this one now looking forward to reading some more hellboy graphic novels

Old style graphic, interesting story proposition. Plenty to open the saga with. Always wanted to read this original arc, so far colour me intrigued.

Simply put one of the absolute best #1 single issues you will ever read. Amazing in every possible way and seminal in many other ways.

If you are waiting for the new iteration if Hellboy you should look no further to where it all began. Mignola does the seeds here for a story 20 years in the telling. Quality.

The first issue of probably the greatest Hellboy story is a great introduction for anyone to Big Red, it's dark gritty storyline sets the tone for the start of another of our favourite Cambion's adventures. Plus a mention of the BPRD and Frogs! A must read.