This week, Dark Horse released a new hardcover collection that includes all issues from Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. volumes 1955-1957. As a fan of the Hellboy comics and movies (maybe just the Guillermo del Toro ones), I was excited for this release.
Created by writer/artist and master paranormal storyteller Mike Mignola, Hellboy entered my comic consciousness in the early 1990s when I discovered the first issue in my local comic shop. I was immediately drawn in by Mignola’s cover and pencils, and I was already a fan of his work with Jim Starlin on Cosmic Odyssey and with Brian Augustyn on Gotham by Gaslight for DC Comics. I do have to admit to being a bit of a lapsed Hellboy fan, only picking up the occasional released mini-series here and there; however, even as a lapsed reader, I was able to easily follow and enjoy the more than four hundred pages of Hellboy goodness in this new hardcover release. I will say that if a reader is already familiar with the Hellboy universe, they might find deeper meaning in some of these early adventures of the B.P.R.D. Regardless, these stories stand strong on their own as captivating supernatural adventures with the usual Hellboy mystery and humor.
The writing duties in this hardcover are shared by Mignola and Hellboy veteran writer Chris Roberson, with the writers either working solo or in tandem. Despite having two different writers, the issues feel part of a cohesive whole and the two authors’ styles mesh well and complement each other. Mignola and Roberson are able to keep the characters’ voices consistent from issue to issue, making the creator switches less noticeable for the reader. I enjoyed my time in Hellboy’s early adventuring days, a time period I hadn’t previously explored. My Hellboy fandom centered more on Rasputin, Project Ragna Rok, and the Ogdru Jahad. Mignola and Roberson take Hellboy from battling a giant sea turtle on a secret base in the Pacific to the suburbs of America to battle a demon-possessed grandmother. There is even a slight detour in Mexico where Hellboy becomes a Lucha Libre movie star in Hellboy vs. Lobster Johnson in: The Ring of Death. There is a greater underlying narrative centered on the various paranormal agencies in the world and a secret arms race between them involving Hellboy villain Varvara, daughter of Rasputin. Each story, even those that are “standalone,” have scenes that push that greater narrative forward, and I eagerly followed Mignola and Roberson’s trail of breadcrumbs through the collection.
Though I missed Liz and Abe, I enjoyed getting to know the younger Professor Bruttenholm and Hellboy as well as their colleagues Archie (a grizzled B.P.R.D. veteran), Woody (a cryptozoologist just dying to discover his first cryptid), Margaret (a reluctant Chief Administrator), Stegner (a soldier haunted by war), and Susan (a psychic investigator). Of all the supporting characters, I felt the most drawn to Woody and his character arc from wide-eyed fresh recruit to cynical veteran as he watches his hopes of ever validating his cryptozoological ambitions fade over his years of service to the B.P.R.D. Susan is an agent just beginning to feel out the range of her psychic powers, and she provides a strong foil to Hellboy when they are in the field together; I liked their camaraderie. As her confidence grows as a field agent, she slowly became one of my favorite characters. Another standout is Professor Bruttenholm himself as we get to explore a bit more of his backstory and see the strengthening bond he has with Hellboy. Young Hellboy also loses a bit of his innocence in these stories set during his early cases with the B.P.R.D. A heart-breaking loss allows us to see the adolescent child beneath the menacing demonic façade. This punctuates the fact that we are reading a young Hellboy despite the fact he resembles his modern self.
The various artists who contribute to the series should all be commended for conveying the expected atmosphere and character of a Hellboy comic while at the same time inserting their own styles. In many ways, it feels like a series of collaborations with Mignola, with each penciller adding something of their own to the mix in order to enrich the whole. The Hellboy traditional neo-noir feel is intact throughout each issue with great creature designs on full display. Shawn Martinbrough’s full demon design in “Secret Nature” is slowly revealed and feels like it belongs in this world. Brian Churilla brings a wide-screen sense of action with his depiction of Hellboy’s battle against a giant, mutated sea turtle, a static comic scene imbued with a ton of movement and character. Churilla also gets the chance to design Hellboy as a Lucha Libre wrestler, fake horns and menacing cape included. And Paulo Rivera delivers a kinetic fire monster in one of the more somber issues in the entire hardcover. Lawrence Campbell handles the artist chores in a tale full of peril and tension. His pacing of the storytelling as Hellboy makes his way step by step down the corridor of a suburban home fills each panel with suspense and dread right up to the monstrous reveal in the end. Stephen Green tells a ghost story but also captures the emotions between a father and his son: Bruttenholm and Hellboy. You can feel each character’s regret at not giving in to their desire to just open up to each other to heal old wounds. Alison Sampson in “Fearful Symmetry” fills her story with deep details and frightening character designs. Hellboy’s visceral battle with the were-tiger was expertly choreographed.
I’ve always been fascinated with getting a peak behind the curtain of the production of comic books. In this hardcover, Dark Horse provides a generous amount of character sketches, early panel design, and commentary from the artists involved. It even included somewhat hilarious shots of the artists in various poses as reference material for their artwork. This supplemental material is divided up among the artists, and I loved delving into their creative processes, noting the similarities and differences between them as they tackled Hellboy’s world. Any longtime comic book fan will enjoy this deep dive into the making of this collection.
Dark Horse presents Hellboy fans with a hardcover full of commentary, cover art, and, of course, great stories. As an old Hellboy fan, it was a real treat to enter this world again and definitely made me nostalgic for the original Hellboy stories. A must-have for Hellboy fans who might have missed these stories when they were first released and a great collection for those, like me, who want to dig deeper into the creative process behind their favorite comics.
Creative Team: Mike Mignola (Writer/Creator), Shawn Martinbrough (Artist), Brian Churilla (Artist), Paulo Rivera (Artist), Joe Rivera (Artist), Mike Norton (Artist), Yishan Li (Artist), Michael Avon Oeming (Artist), Paul Grist (Artist), Laurence Campbell (Artist), Stephen Green (Artist), Alison Sampson (Artist), Ben Stenbeck (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Bill Crabtree (Colorist), Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Clem Robbins (Letterist).
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Click here to purchase.
