The comic series ended a little while ago, but since I only read physical trades or hardbacks I only just got round to finishing it myself a few weeks ago.
After reading the finale in Volume 8 The Red Kingdom, my initial impressions weren't positive.
But then, I hadn't much liked the direction it was going in since the change in artists back in volume 5. I've touched on this before: as a European comic reader going into American comics, coming from a mindset that the art IS the comic, coming face to face with having the art style change midway any given series is an utterly baffling state of affairs, and that the effect is even less welcome if the art style in question was perfect to begin with, subjectively speaking of course. I simply love Stenbeck's art in Baltimore.
After reading the finale in Volume 8 The Red Kingdom, my initial impressions weren't positive.
But then, I hadn't much liked the direction it was going in since the change in artists back in volume 5. I've touched on this before: as a European comic reader going into American comics, coming from a mindset that the art IS the comic, coming face to face with having the art style change midway any given series is an utterly baffling state of affairs, and that the effect is even less welcome if the art style in question was perfect to begin with, subjectively speaking of course. I simply love Stenbeck's art in Baltimore.
But my ire wasn't exactly the fault of the artist Peter Bergting who took over from him. It was rather more because of the story's change in dynamic. Let me explain.
The comics set out at the chronological beginning of Baltimore's quest, where left behind on the battlefields of WW1 he is assaulted by a member of a race of ancient Vampires that have devolved into a bestial state by the passing of interminable ages. In the tremors and screams of a world at war they have found their mindless slumber disturbed, and when they come to feed on the wounded and the dead they also come across lord Baltimore.
In the bloody struggle to survive he mutilates one of them which brings that creature back to itself and in that moment the fate of the world is changed.
In the bloody struggle to survive he mutilates one of them which brings that creature back to itself and in that moment the fate of the world is changed.
The beast is revealed to be a leader among its race and it takes cruel and horrible vengeance on the soldier that scarred it. From that loss and despair the Tin soldier is born. (We don't much refer to Lord Baltimore as such, but it's relevant to put that in here nonetheless.)
Volumes 1-3 are alot of fun and have a wide menagerie of monsters while expanding on the years of hunting in-between the awakening and the confrontation with Baltimore's nemesis in volume 4 .
Volume 4 The Chapel of Bones is an excellent comic in its own right because besides the beautifully manic swashbuckling of the Infernal Train,
...it also contains the straightforward adaptation of the novel, leaving out the flashback parts and the backstories of the three characters that serve as the narrative framing device of that novel, while focusing almost fully on the violent and bloody confrontation to come.
I'd like to make special mention of Dr Leskovar's Remedy, which apparently was what Stenback needed to draw at one point to get back into the groove. He was suffering ennui from drawing Baltimore and so, to forestall his inevitable departure, he was given free reign to draw what he liked and it really shows. There are some truly great moments in there, including one of my favourite panels of the series and it's still one of the best and most fun stand alone stories Baltimore has.
...it also contains the straightforward adaptation of the novel, leaving out the flashback parts and the backstories of the three characters that serve as the narrative framing device of that novel, while focusing almost fully on the violent and bloody confrontation to come.
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I'd like to mention that Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire is a lovely novel, written with a magic touch and if you're looking for it, this one can evoke that old fairy-tale feeling. You know, that sense you get from reading the Hobbit, Lud-in-the-Mist or American Gods; mystery and magic and a good sweeping narrative.
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Volume 5 serves as the lead-in for how the rest of the story will continue; the lovely, perfect art of Ben Stenbeck goes and in comes Peter Bergting. And with a shift in art style also comes a shift in story.
Where before, Baltimore was always on his own fighting the darkness with harpoon and sabre, and only with an occasional ally on his side, now he would have a constant team around him.
From one man's quest for vengeance and his sole stand against the gothic monsters that plague his life and world, after volume 4, with vengeance attained, the story naturally evolves (or devolves, take your pick) into the group dynamic where a band of scarred survivors gather around the doomed hero to continue on the hunt for the root of all evil, and set against the backdrop of an intensely escalating world threatening to topple into apocalyptic fire and war.
For me, however, I've always been a loner, so I found the lone warrior dynamic vastly preferable to the group one, and I didn't much like the change. Add to that the change in art style, and the comic and I found ourselves at odds. But I gave it my time, because even though the change in art style was a little jarring, The Witch of Harju had some really great panels and though, it felt seemingly rushed, the whole was accepted because it was confidently and comfortably delivered as an origin piece for a new character rather than the progression of the mainline Baltimore story.
From one man's quest for vengeance and his sole stand against the gothic monsters that plague his life and world, after volume 4, with vengeance attained, the story naturally evolves (or devolves, take your pick) into the group dynamic where a band of scarred survivors gather around the doomed hero to continue on the hunt for the root of all evil, and set against the backdrop of an intensely escalating world threatening to topple into apocalyptic fire and war.
Sounds bloody good if you put it like that, no?
For me, however, I've always been a loner, so I found the lone warrior dynamic vastly preferable to the group one, and I didn't much like the change. Add to that the change in art style, and the comic and I found ourselves at odds. But I gave it my time, because even though the change in art style was a little jarring, The Witch of Harju had some really great panels and though, it felt seemingly rushed, the whole was accepted because it was confidently and comfortably delivered as an origin piece for a new character rather than the progression of the mainline Baltimore story.
At any rate, looking back, Volume 5 is still a badass read. The witch of Harju is indeed fast-paced but slows down where it needs to and the bloody violence makes up for any misgivings, while the Wolf and the Apostle is likely the best story in the entire Baltimore run, which is remarkable because it hardly has any Baltimore in it. It's a masterpiece in violent gothic horror and grotesquerie. Dripping with gore and tension the mood is impeccable, while the story with its questions of faith felt like it was tailor-made for me. One of my all-time favourite comic two-parters.
But then, after the excellence of the earlier books, Volumes 6 and 7 were instead a trudging slog. Endless talking and a group dynamic that was a bad one, with the new characters being thin stereotypes who never had enough time to grow on the reader, an ensemble cast that should have rooted themselves in hearts and minds, but who instead become nigh on disposable cannon fodder.
Bergting's art also left much to be desired and the grey and bleak story was very unsatisfying and when done proved to only be the build up for the finale, without any closure to it at all.
The story at its macro, through a fleeting lens, is good.
But it's where one focuses that the flaws are laid bare, and one can focus just about anywhere, the result is all the same: Rushed execution, thin characters, inconsistent storytelling with colossally wasted potential.
The characters are never given time to come into their own, once past volume 4. The old, glorious gods, those stalwart characters of the earlier volumes and the narrators of the novel itself, are torn down to make way for the slap-dash idols of tin and bronze of the comic, with as much substance as hollow, papier maché puppets, and with just as much longevity.
In my opinion this makes volumes 6 and 7 very much unpleasant to read, and this still remains so on re-read, even taking into account some of its stand-out panels.
Bergting's art also left much to be desired and the grey and bleak story was very unsatisfying and when done proved to only be the build up for the finale, without any closure to it at all.
The story at its macro, through a fleeting lens, is good.
But it's where one focuses that the flaws are laid bare, and one can focus just about anywhere, the result is all the same: Rushed execution, thin characters, inconsistent storytelling with colossally wasted potential.
The characters are never given time to come into their own, once past volume 4. The old, glorious gods, those stalwart characters of the earlier volumes and the narrators of the novel itself, are torn down to make way for the slap-dash idols of tin and bronze of the comic, with as much substance as hollow, papier maché puppets, and with just as much longevity.
In my opinion this makes volumes 6 and 7 very much unpleasant to read, and this still remains so on re-read, even taking into account some of its stand-out panels.
Cue Volume 8 and we start the story off... five years after the cliffhanger ending of volume 7...
The world is revealed to be overrun with armies of the damned, spearheaded by Witches, Vampires and the shambling undead. The monstrous tides are unstoppable and the end seems inevitable. The only hope of despairing humankind lies in the destruction of the entity that is worshiped as the Red King. The monster destined to recreate the world in the image of his choosing. But he has disappeared and presumably gone into hiding. Meanwhile, Lord Henry Baltimore is also missing and even his friends don't know where he is.
You know, in a way, I get it. Skipping ahead 5 years opens up the scale, re-imagines the playing field and shifts it into a state of constant warfare, the stagnant status quo goes from 'uh-oh' into 'last ditch effort'. From a world threatened, to a world in fucking hell. It's all-out, all-in and no way back.
The world is revealed to be overrun with armies of the damned, spearheaded by Witches, Vampires and the shambling undead. The monstrous tides are unstoppable and the end seems inevitable. The only hope of despairing humankind lies in the destruction of the entity that is worshiped as the Red King. The monster destined to recreate the world in the image of his choosing. But he has disappeared and presumably gone into hiding. Meanwhile, Lord Henry Baltimore is also missing and even his friends don't know where he is.
You know, in a way, I get it. Skipping ahead 5 years opens up the scale, re-imagines the playing field and shifts it into a state of constant warfare, the stagnant status quo goes from 'uh-oh' into 'last ditch effort'. From a world threatened, to a world in fucking hell. It's all-out, all-in and no way back.
But even now, I find I don't much like how this turned out. The time skip is a rotten little tool, and in my opinion, every story that relies on it has done something wrong. There's always exceptions of course. But Baltimore isn't one of those.
So. The world is overrun. Humanity is at war with demons, witches and other general horror. It is in fact the end of the world.
In theory it should be perfect. It's only the damned end times right, what do you expect?
Horror and carnage running rampant in the streets, endless wailing and gnashing of teeth, witches desecrate and summon storms of blood to drown cities in steaming gore, while monstrous vampire bats and other less describable horrors chew through the last armies of men in a blood crazed bid for destruction. No-one is left untouched.
Well, I don't know about you. But that sounds pretty damn amazing. And when those things are on display, it really is too.
The problem is, of course, that there's just five issues left and that there needs to be a story told to go along with and to ultimately be able to work against all that apocalyptic horror. And there's just not enough space to do that in.
For the whole first issue Lord Baltimore is gone and the story needs to be carried by those characters that survived both the arcs of volumes 6 and 7 and the war that came after. And they're less interesting than ever and the story still doth operate on the very mistaken assumption that I somehow care about them despite never having really put the effort into making sure I did.
But you know, the depictions of the world at war is good. It sumptuous and the depictions of witchery and slaughter are very welcome. But those scenes are a blind. They're there for a reason and mostly that reason is that time is running out and there's 5 years of catching up to do. And how does that one generally do in comics? With very on the nose expository dialogue:
And I care because it started out so damn good, but it didn't stay that way.
It's all about perceived wasted potential of course, I suspect that this is where all my ire is coming from.
There were only a limited amount of ways this could've gone correctly though.
So. The world is overrun. Humanity is at war with demons, witches and other general horror. It is in fact the end of the world.
In theory it should be perfect. It's only the damned end times right, what do you expect?
Well, I don't know about you. But that sounds pretty damn amazing. And when those things are on display, it really is too.
The problem is, of course, that there's just five issues left and that there needs to be a story told to go along with and to ultimately be able to work against all that apocalyptic horror. And there's just not enough space to do that in.
For the whole first issue Lord Baltimore is gone and the story needs to be carried by those characters that survived both the arcs of volumes 6 and 7 and the war that came after. And they're less interesting than ever and the story still doth operate on the very mistaken assumption that I somehow care about them despite never having really put the effort into making sure I did.
But you know, the depictions of the world at war is good. It sumptuous and the depictions of witchery and slaughter are very welcome. But those scenes are a blind. They're there for a reason and mostly that reason is that time is running out and there's 5 years of catching up to do. And how does that one generally do in comics? With very on the nose expository dialogue:
Endless fucking pages of it.
The five year skip forces the reader into a state of constantly playing catch-up, and as I said before; in comics there's only a few ways in which the medium can do that. And because there are only five issues left you'll have to pay the price for those beautiful panels of large scale supernatural mayhem with something that nobody should have to submit to; third rate storytelling.
There was years worth of material here, and this is something that Golden readily acknowledges in interviews but he also submits that it was a deliberate choice not to do that. He does however also state that they could always go back to fill in where necessary or where a good story presents itself.
But not really, because you shot your load and you missed the target. Whenever something is published, first impressions of the public are everything and you can't unring the dinner bell, because the self-entitled hordes are already here and they're not gonna come again when they remember what rotten tripe you served up last time.
That self entitled horde is me, of course.
Baltimore's ending has been received with a lot of positivity. All this rage and entitlement is mine.
And I know I spent too much time on it. But that's only because I really care.
It's all about perceived wasted potential of course, I suspect that this is where all my ire is coming from.
There were only a limited amount of ways this could've gone correctly though.
Baltimore's problem in the last 3 volumes is mainly that it was a monster hunting story at its start. It's a type of story which mostly relies on the beast of the week feature and when it's adapted to a comic works really well. Bite-sized short stories being what comics do best.
But when you shift the gear to epic storytelling, one beast can not help but become another. And this clashes. And what once felt one way, now feels other, different, and maybe even inimical. I can admit, that even besides all the flaws in the final 3 volumes of Baltimore, that first and foremost it is this that trips me up. That it doesn't feel the same.
The magical quality to the storytelling that was present in the Baltimore novel, and which was carried through to every volume until 5, was completely lost by the 6th volume, never to return.
And so the end comes.
Plod past the first four issues and I must admit that the fifth does in fact deliver.
It's everything that was expected, but it isn't more. It is in fact exactly as expected.
It's good but could've been better. The story is what it always was going to be and regardless of it all, that is still a shame.
Plod past the first four issues and I must admit that the fifth does in fact deliver.
It's everything that was expected, but it isn't more. It is in fact exactly as expected.
It's good but could've been better. The story is what it always was going to be and regardless of it all, that is still a shame.
It would have left a bad taste in my mouth, regardless of a little bit of grudging positivity on re-read, except...
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Somewhere this year I read the news that the Joe Golem comics were linked to the Baltimore stories.
And all of a sudden, the ending wasn't the end and hope was rekindled.
Don't get me wrong though, I wasn't hoping for anything in specific and as I said, Baltimore's story ended the way I had expected it to since the closing of volume 4. This particular conclusion was always foregone, destined to be this way, with the ending to the novel being the way it is. But it is a balm for the disappointments felt. When there is a future to this world still in development there is a possibility for the story not to end in mediocrity and to re-attain the greatness that the story started out from.
Whatever happens next I'm more pleased with Baltimore now because that shared world of his has a continuation. And, because it's all part of the same world, it's all part of the same story.
So, with hope and good-will, I went on to read Joe Golem...
And I fell in love all over again.
Don't get me wrong though, I wasn't hoping for anything in specific and as I said, Baltimore's story ended the way I had expected it to since the closing of volume 4. This particular conclusion was always foregone, destined to be this way, with the ending to the novel being the way it is. But it is a balm for the disappointments felt. When there is a future to this world still in development there is a possibility for the story not to end in mediocrity and to re-attain the greatness that the story started out from.
Whatever happens next I'm more pleased with Baltimore now because that shared world of his has a continuation. And, because it's all part of the same world, it's all part of the same story.
So, with hope and good-will, I went on to read Joe Golem...
And I fell in love all over again.
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