Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar’s Remedy #1 (of 2)
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writers: Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
Artist: Ben Stenbeck
Colors: Dave Stewart
First off, if there is anyone that hasn’t read about the horror-filled adventures of Lord Henry Baltimore in the pages of Dark Horse, then remedy that immediately. Speaking of remedies (that’s called a segue, people), we have another early Christmas present from Mike Mignola with his Baltimore franchise. Basically, it’s an old school take on a vampire plague that has more twists and turns than the D. C. Beltway. It also has the fiery and revenge driven lead character of Lord Henry Baltimore. He’s on a mission to stop vampires all over the globe, but specifically one named Haigus, who murdered his family. He’ll stop at nothing to avenge his family’s untimely death, and this book is no different. He crash lands on a remote island near Croatia, and after landing there, he soon finds out that vampires aren’t the only thing that haunt the dark corners of the Earth!
This series is one that has no equal on the shelves right now. In that it has vampires and other strange creatures, but in a setting of the early 1900s and all over the world. That, along with Mignola and Golden’s ability to blend all these cultures right in with Lord Baltimore’s vengeful mission, provides a recipe for a solid book. The different locales definitely add to the coolness of this series, but it would still be good without it. This is the third installment of the Baltimore franchise, and by all appearances, far from the last.
The team of Stenbeck and Stewart present a fantastically macabre story from cover to cover. The pages are dark, but not too dark, and it fits the mood of the book, but also the specific mood of Lord Baltimore. He looks tough, and hardened by the life he’s led since his family was killed. The children in this story are drawn quite well, too, and have a tough looking exterior even though they are still children at heart. I really enjoyed the two covers, as well, and both do a great service to this book. Mignola’s variants (below) for his “Year of Monsters” have all been very different from the regular covers. Most are plain or less busy than the regular covers, but their message is conveyed just as well. Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
