And Then I Read: HELLBOY IN HELL Volume 1

Image © Mike Mignola.

After the death of Hellboy, as it appeared, this was the logical place to go next with his story. He is, after all, a demon from Hell in the first place, though his origin is still not clear. Mignola’s Hell is quite different from those of classical writers such as Dante or even modern ones like Zander Cannon. It’s full of nightmarishly odd creatures and completely illogical situations that end up feeling very hellish indeed. Hellboy’s characteristic stoic and down-to-earth approach to any situation makes him feel like a fish out of water in some respects, but very human in others. Lots of the denizens of Hell have ideas about Hellboy and what he will do there, but of course the character himself doesn’t like to go along with anyone else’s plans. He wants to do the right thing, help others when he can, and be a good guy. Unfortunately, he’s in about the worst possible place for that.

Mike Mignola is still turning up gold and gems in his long dig in the Hellboy mine, and this series is full of them. The art remains deceptively simple, moody and effective, the writing is terrific even when not a lot happens. Wonderful work.

Highly recommended.