Baltimore: The Plague Ships #1 (2011) launches a chilling and beautifully realised new chapter in the dark universe created by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden. Set in a Europe still reeling from the Great War and beset by a vampiric plague, this first issue sets the tone for a brooding tale of vengeance, corruption, and cursed seas.

At the heart of the story is Lord Henry Baltimore, a haunted man driven by grief and rage. Having already survived unthinkable horrors in battle and lost his family to the plague, Baltimore has turned his back on society’s collapse to hunt the evil he believes is behind it all—a monstrous vampire named Haigus, whose influence continues to spread across the continent.

In The Plague Ships, Baltimore arrives at a small port town on the French coast where the dead are not staying buried and whispers of ghost ships fill the fog. What begins as a quiet investigation quickly becomes a battle for survival, as the supernatural forces at play reveal themselves to be more organised—and more devastating—than first feared.

The script by Mignola and Golden is steeped in Gothic horror, expertly blending folklore with post-war desolation. The tone is grim but compelling, with Baltimore emerging as a compelling anti-hero—uncompromising, relentless, and burdened by the weight of everything he’s lost.

Ben Stenbeck handles the artwork with moody elegance, delivering detailed, expressive panels that bring to life both the crumbling coastal villages and the horrific creatures that lurk within them. His use of shadow and space intensifies the tension, making even the quietest moments feel charged. Dave Stewart’s colouring enhances every scene, bathing it in cold, murky tones broken only by flickers of lantern light or blood-red violence.

Baltimore: The Plague Ships #1 is a perfect starting point for new readers entering the Baltimore series, while offering long-time fans a continuation of the mythos with powerful new themes and formidable threats. It's rich in atmosphere, world-building, and emotionally charged action—exactly what you'd expect from a tale rooted in the world of Hellboy, yet entirely its own.

This issue is now available at ComicBookXS.com, preserved in excellent condition. Orders are handled without delay and carefully packaged in rigid, reinforced materials—so your comic arrives safe, flat, and ready to be enjoyed or archived.

Step aboard the haunted voyage with The Plague Ships #1, and witness the beginning of Lord Baltimore’s relentless war against the darkness infecting the world.