The Dark Horse Book of Monsters

The Dark Horse "Book of..." series of books are nicely packaged and come with a variety of stories, some old and thankfully not forgotten by readers and some newer mintings by authors that everyone is familiar with, and the three I've picked up so far have been excellent reads. This is not to say they are for everyone - when you buy these you are basically picking up books that are more akin to older comic titles than something new and you are picking up something with a gimmick that could be viewed as campy if you are not into things like this. I originally picked it up because I wanted to see the offering by Mike Mignola, quickly noticed the Hodgson story added to the fray and Moore-Reppion-Green addition that seemed like a pulp comic from a time long forgotten, and was happy with the buy. Hardbacked, with a motif that showcases a beautifully designed interior that makes it look like a book of monsters, I was actually impressed with the fun read that was not terribly priced. The Book of Monsters is basically seven stories that take up 82 pages, and the read is more like enjoying a stroll through comic horror than touching on anything serious. The best offering in the illustration department is, by far, the Mike Mignola piece, with a nice little story and the classic Hellboy catch. Also note that the Hodgson piece is a story and that it has pictures accompanying it; this really is a pulp piece that is like stepping back in time. The pieces include: (1) I Witnessed the End of the World! Busick, writer (2) The Hydra and the Lion: A Hellboy Adventure Mignola, writer (3) A Tropical Horror. Hodgson, writer Gianni -art (hopefully time will never lose Hodgson's place in horror history) (4) To Weave a Lover: A Rex Mundi Story Nelson, writer (5) The Horror Beneath Moore/Reppion, writers (6) Hidden: A Devil's Footprints Story. Allie, writer (7) A Dog and his Boy Dorkin/Dyer, writers If you want a diversion this is a good book and, if you are a Hellboy collector, this is a piece of the puzzle. It is short - 6 pages total - and most of the stories are going to be the same. The appeal is not for everyone but, if this is your kind of climate, it is a good buy.