I had no idea that this came from a comic story - although, knowing that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Men in Black, and R.I.P.D. all share this origin, I should have been able to guess the same was true for Hellboy. I did come across some of the graphic novels a short while after the film came out, but I wasn't very impressed with the look of the content - especially given the price tag for such short books.
Recently, I was able to obtain the first story, The Seed of Destruction (basis for the film) for free via Amazon Prime for Kindle, so I decided to read it - I thought it would be interesting to compare the original work with what I thought was a great film. I have to agree with sentiments that the film is very loosely based on the graphic novel. Surprisingly, reading the book is almost like reading a different story. It is a bit darker and was lacking much of the humor that was in the film, and it didn't really flesh out most of the characters very well (although, I think it may have done a better job of explaining the origin of Abe Sapien than the movie did - the film was confusing for me in this area). So, for me the film was a superior product. If I'd read the book first, I would say it was a good starting point which was made much better.
A positive of reading the book is that events in the book clearly scream for resolution, which must be revealed in later volumes, and I will say that I am interested in learning more. I believe I've heard the elements of at least two later graphic novels were used as base material for the second Hellboy film: The Golden Army.
All in all, this is a story worth checking out, and I think it will be interesting to see if elements of the film, such as the humor, start to appear in later volumes. As most are aware, films are typically inferior to the books that they are based on. For me, this is one of the major exceptions. The book is ok as a starting point, but the film is vastly superior.
If anyone else has enjoyed the film or read the books, let me know what you think. Which was better for you?
For those who have enjoyed the first film but have not read the books, here a are a few minor spoilers for the book in a list of differences that I observed. If you aren't interested - STOP HERE.
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Ok, here's a list of things that I noticed were different from the film.
- Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm is hardly in the story, and his demise is somewhat different.
- Karl Ruprecht Kroenen is a peripheral character - he is only mentioned and plays no part in the story at all, though he makes an actual appearance at the end. I thought he was a fantastic edition in the film. I have no idea how much of an appearance he makes in later Hellboy books.
- Ilsa Haupstein, Rasputin's lover, is also missing from the story, making a minor appearance at the very end.
- Hellboy is ultimately not needed to open the gate and free the Ogdru Jahad - Rasputin is able to use the power from Liz to attempt to accomplish this.
- Sammael is a frog monster, and has none of the powers exhibited in the film - much cooler in the film.
- Liz plays a very small part in the story, and there does not appear to be a relationship between Liz and Hellboy.
- Most of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is not in the story - certainly not Meyers or Manning (at least, not that I noticed).
- Most importantly, Hellboy does not fight one of the seven Ogdru Jahad (which I believe is what came forth from Rasputin at the end of the film). In the book, they aren't even released from their prison.
That's about all I remember off the top of my head without referring to the book again.
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