It's a shame that we don't see an issue of Hellboy every month - but considering the high quality of the issues we get, it's difficult to complain.The adventures of writer and creator Mike Mignola's character run the range from tales of adventure to chilling horror stories, character studies and straightforward action tales, and you can credit Mignola with crafting a character - and a world - that allows for so much range in material.
Right now the series is in the middle of a rip-snorting lead-up to a story with devastating consequences for both the world and the title character.
War is coming, and Hellboy finds himself in the middle. To stop an incredibly powerful adversary, he may have no choice but to face a fate he's been fighting to avoid practically since he was born - one that might end with the destruction of... well, everything!
Mignola manages an amazing mix of horror, the supernatural, heroic battles, over-the-top action and even humor - it's an unbeatable combination that owes a debt to Jack Kirby, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, Arthurian legends and an assortment of other mythological creatures and events.
And if Mignola can't provide the art (aside from the excellent cover), then thank goodness for Duncan Fegredo, whose style manages to echo Mignola's without copying it. Loaded with moody detail, dramatic layouts and intense action, he's a great match with this character.
If you haven't been following along, you'll probably want to hold out for the collections - but I don't have the patience to wait that long.
Mignola's Hellboy is an automatic purchase for me - there's no other comic like it and few to match it. Highly recommended!
Grade: A
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