Hellboy [Mass Market Paperback]

I cannot pinpoint why I expected Hellboy the book to be substandard; but, at this point, the reason is really quite irrelevant since the book turned out to be good. Yvonne Navarro gives the book an excellent and consistent voice that makes it easy to read, with the exception of a few typos that the editor should have spotted. I am especially impressed with the character development of Hellboy. He has the mannerisms, behaviors, and thought processes of a believable person, so I genuinely feel as though I got to know the inner workings of his personality. Given his sparse involvement, Abe Sapien is nicely worked also. But the book is not about Abe Sapien, so I forgive his light presence. Supporting characters such as Broom, Agent Clay, Myers, and Liz are also written as well as Abe Sapien. The noteworthy aspect of all of the "good guy" characters is that Navarro creates a lucid balance between them; she is careful not to overcrowd the story with too much information about the supporting characters. As much as I wanted to read more about Abe Sapien, I was somewhat glad that I did not because the book might then be less concise.

The most important improvement to note is the occasional typos in the book. For example: instead of "even though", I read "even thought" in one of the earlier chapters. It is a very easy mistake to make, especially when you're typing quickly and on a roll, but someone still should have spotted it. There is one other similar simple typo, but I cannot remember the details. I just remember stumbling over two typos and put the "even thought" one to memory because I have personally made that typo numerous times when I type.

The second improvement to note is the villains. They were quite underdeveloped, especially considering the suitable development of the "good guy" supporting characters. The villains' intentions are clear enough; however, their motivations are ambiguous. I have my assumptions about the "why" of their intentions, but Navarro does not answer the "why" in the book. It would be nice to know instead of assume.

Expect the plot to be a little on the wayside for the first 90 or so pages, but do not let that discourage you from reading the book because those first 90 or so pages are incredibly fun to read! These are the pages that give you insight into the kind of person Hellboy is. Every page thereafter solidifies that character development.

The ending is terse; but when I ponder how else it could end, I reluctantly realize that I cannot think of a better ending.

I once read a review that suggested Hellboy is a knockoff of X-men. The reviewer then proceeded to condemn Yvonne Navarro's work with Hellboy. I do not agree. Yes, the two stories involve non-humans and atypical Homo sapiens. The distinguishing characteristic is that the two stories operate on different concepts; X-men is clearly social commentary while Hellboy is not. X-men focuses on communal issues surrounding mutant discrimination and integration into society; Hellboy does not. Not once did I get the impression that Navarro was making any philosophically and/or socially substantial arguments about discrimination. There is nothing wrong with that; X-men does a wonderful job at it. Just do not expect it in this book.

Everything considered, I thoroughly enjoyed Hellboy the book and I even more eagerly await the theatrical release. If you like to read books in this genre, I recommend this book to you. If you like to read books in this genre AND you intend to see the movie, I highly recommend the book. I especially look forward to seeing if I even come close to Del Toro's vision. That ought to be fun

Navarro is fortunate in that Hellboy the film resonates with Hellboy the script. She captures the action of the film well, and the interior motivations and interactions are well communicated. Once the reader gets past a somewhat chaotic beginning, the story of a young demon who has given himself to the good, and the other members of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense unfolds easily.

The good fight moves from New Jersey to the darkesses of Russian crypts as Hellboy struggles against a host of enemies incarnated by the same evil forces that brought him into this world. Friendship and love are prime motivations for this teenager with the body of a giant as he faces enemies without and within.

My complaint is that Navarro is less able in taking the disjointed scenes in the script and creating the same continuity that the film builds with visual imagery. The beginning is where this is really apparent, and Navarro seems to have adopted a 'see the film first' approach. Of course, in most cases this will be true, but it never hurts to give the reader an even break. Once things settle down, Navarro's well-proven skills win the day, producing an eminently readable story.