Reviewer: Kevin S. Mahoney
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Mike Mignola
Art by: Mike Mignola
Colored by: Dave Stewart
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Editor: Scott Allie
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
It’s tough not to be on the Hellboy bandwagon right now. The momentum gained by doing a better than shameful Hollywood film adaptation is only part of it. The re-release of certain collections, and even a bargain basement priced comic (to initiate those unwilling to risk the long green), and the limited series for his supporting cast would make big, red, and thumpy more appealing to more readers than he ever has been. The comics industry seems to be undergoing a horror/pulp renaissance, if books like this, Sea of Red, and Nightmare on Elm Street are to be taken seriously.
Hellboy has his own unique merits, of course. The idea of a monster battling other monsters is either novel or at least charmingly retro, in a Frankenstein meets the Wolfman sort of way. The manner in which the main character bounces from continent to continent battling the indigenous monsters of each native mythology is genius. Combine that with Hellboy’s rumored role in the end of all things, the quirky supporting cast, macabre repeat villains, the unlike-any-other style of the artwork, and stir in some funny pop references, and the book can’t help but entertain.
This issue, billed as the long awaited return of the character, certainly taps into the things that make the franchise worth reading (action, humor, strange monsters). Unfortunately, the tale’s plot reveals the drafted, revised, redrafted, and yet again adjusted nature of this long time coming story. There are some Hellboy episodes that zip along at madcap pace, some which inch forward carefully as the mysteries they exhibit are carefully revealed and resolved; this first episode of a two part mini-series seems to stutter step. While no single element of the plot seems out of place, the flow of the story makes it harder to enjoy than other prior efforts, much like having to start dessert, finish your vegetables, and then return to the soupy bowl of premium ice cream with that distinctive lima bean taste still lingering on the palate. It’s a bit jarring and deflating, despite this installment’s Cracker Jack dialogue and involving action scenes.
The art in this book equals that of the prior works of series creator Mike Mignola. That means it is enthralling to look at, highly stylized, inventively colored, and occasionally confusing as to what exactly is being depicted. Part of the problem is related to the current Lovcraftian bunch of monsters; tough to be terrified by something that one cannot make out the head(s) or tail(s) of. The apparently shape-shifting creature featured in this installment’s interlude also muddies the waters a bit. If there was a reason it appears, changes form in mid-dialogue, and then roots itself in place, it was unfathomable to the casual reader.
