Hellboy Vol. 7 - The Troll Witch and Other Stories

Hellboy Vol. 7 - The Troll Witch and Other Stories
By Mike Mignola & others

So I sat down with the first seven Hellboy collections (I believe that as of this writing there are now eight) in an effort to get caught up and wrap my head around the cult phenomenon that is this big-fisted, cigar-chewing, red devil guy. That's what you've been reading the last week or two. Me churning my way through Mike Mignola's Little Franchise That Could.

It just sort of crept up on me, this Hellboy thing. One day it was this little book by some guy who was pretty good but far from a superstar, the next it's this whole Thing, with movies and cartoons and devoted fans. Word was, it was awesome. When my buddy Bill pushed, pushed, pushed for me to read it, I could not refuse. The collected editions landed at my door (thanks, Bill!) and I dove right in.

And now I’m done! The Troll Witch and Other Stories caps off my reading of this series (for now), and I've got to say, this was a satisfying finish. I've mentioned before that I think Hellboy shines in the short story format, and that continues to hold true throughout this volume. Here we've got short entries in the Hellboy mythology that get us in, show us something wild, and get us out again. Cool. I love that.

Following the events of Strange Places, Hellboy is now wandering the globe, searching for who he is, what he is, his purpose, answers, and so on and so forth. Yada yada yada, big mystical journey, you get the picture. But really what he's doing is allowing Mignola to toss him into all sorts of wild situations.

And toss him into wild situations he does.

The title story might have been the weakest one here. The standout for me was "Makoma," lifted from African fables and lovingly drawn by Richard Corben. Absolutely gorgeous in every way and bizarre in the way ancient fables are, this was a GEM. Lovely landscapes and happenings that leave you scratching your head, it's a great example of the sheer, limitless possibility inherent in Mignola's creation.

The other stories are a mixed bag, some better than others but largely solid stuff. This volume isn't as consistently strong as The Chained Coffin or The Right Hand of Doom, but it's well worth a dip even if only to see Mignola make world mythology his own.

This series has been a delight to read. Thanks to Bill Johnson and his monkey for making it possible.

An earlier version of this review was originally posted at IMWAN.com and was also featured at Popthought.com.

Read my regular, everything-and-anything (usually on writing and music) blog right over here.

Hellboy Vol. 6 - Strange Places

Hellboy Vol. 6 - Strange Places
By Mike Mignola

Near the end of "The Island," the second of two stories contained in Strange Places, Hellboy says, "Well, that was something."

And Hellboy is right. That was something.

Strange Places brings together two two-issue miniseries, but they might as well be one longer tale since they flow directly into one another. In one, Hellboy goes undersea (we later learn he's down there for years) and romps about in watery kingdoms. In the other, he goes ... well, I don't know where he goes, exactly. A ship graveyard and a weird old inn and to Hell, I guess. Something like that. Creator Mike Mignola doesn't exactly hold the reader by the hand. Chris Claremont he is not.

Both stories are connected with Hellboy's journey to find out why everyone expects him to destroy the world. (Was that a spoiler? Oops.) Both stories, especially the latter, reveal a lot about Hellboy's nature and the forces lined up against him. So, cool stuff, right?

Pretty much.

The first tale, "The Third Wish," is the better of the two. It's got mermaids and an undersea witch and an African dude and a bell that I don't quite understand. That's right, a bell. So that's neat. I still don't understand it, but it's neat.

The second story delves more into Hellboy's nature, but it's also kind of confused and all over the place. Mignola throws out ideas and concepts and creatures and places willy nilly. The reader's job is to take all this raw information and try to get it. There were times when I had to backtrack and reread what came before just to be sure I was still following things okay. I think I wrapped my head around it all, but this story is so impressionistic I may well have missed lots. As noted in another post (I think), Hellboy seems like a series that will reward rereading, in part because you'll get a lot of stuff you missed the first time around.

In the notes for this volume, Mignola says these stories close the door on the first chapter of Hellboy's life. What does that mean for the future? I don't know. What I do know is, I'm in. I'm on board. I'll follow along. I can call you Betty, and Betty you can call me fan.

An earlier version of this review was originally posted at IMWAN.com and was also featured at Popthought.com.

Read my regular, everything-and-anything (usually on writing and music) blog right over here.

Hellboy Vol. 5 - Conqueror Worm

Hellboy Vol. 5 - Conqueror Worm
By Mike Mignola

In the previous two collections, The Chained Coffin and Others and The Right Hand of Doom, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola indulged in an array of short stories. They ranged from quirky fun to dark mythology. And most importantly, they were awesome.

With Conqueror Worm, Mignola tosses aside the short stories and works in the long form. Well, four issues isn't exactly "long form" in these days of 12-issue story arcs and massive 60-issue crossovers, but for Hellboy it is.

And this is the best long Hellboy story to date. It's got pretty much everything you could want: Great art, cool action, excellent supporting characters, a deeper glimpse into the workings of the Bureau, an exploration of Hellboy's true nature and a FREAKIN' AWESOME look at the dark universe Mignola has created. In short, this kicked ass. I guess that's why it won an Eisner in 2002 for Best Limited Series.

The homunculus from the colossus story returns (thanks in part to a short not collected here, damnit). He's now called Roger, and he's probably my favorite supporting character to date. I love this guy. Despite his inhumanity, in many ways he's the most human character in all of Hellboy. A thoughtful being with a lot of heart and a desire to improve himself as a person ... or thing ... Roger gives the cast a sympathetic hero. This was sorely needed. We also get Lobster Johnson, who is sort of like a Golden Age hero in Hellboy's world, but with a twist. Great character.

As for the story, well, it's like a nightmarish version of Jack Kirby's wildest flights of fancy. Dark space gods intent on returning to Earth and killing all. A really strange and twisted cosmic mythology. Nazi space programs. All sorts of borderline nonsensical stuff that manages to work despite being so nonsensical. I liked it!

And the worm mentioned in the title? Awesome. Huge and gruesome and evil and amazing to behold. A very satisfying conclusion to the whole thing, too, one that makes me want to see what happens with Hellboy next. No question about it, Conqueror Worm is twisted and strange and totally rad, as the kids say. Or used to say. Or something.

Oh yeah, did I mention Nazi space programs? Yeah. Awesome.

An earlier version of this review was originally posted at IMWAN.com and was also featured at Popthought.com.

Read my regular, everything-and-anything (usually on writing and music) blog right over here.

Hellboy Vol. 4 - The Right Hand of Doom

Hellboy Vol. 4 - The Right Hand of Doom
By Mike Mignola

First things first: "Pancakes" is the greatest story in the history of comic books. It's two pages long and the greatest story ever.

Okay, with that out of the way ... If I raved about The Chained Coffin, I must do the same about The Right Hand of Doom, another collection of shorter stories and another home run for Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. From start to finish, from the brief but brilliant "Pancakes" to the shocking "Box Full of Evil," this fourth volume of Hellboy stories was nothing short of a kickass treat. This is how Hellboy is meant to be read. In short bursts of awesome; bits of mythologies and stray ideas plucked from the crusty cracks of Mignola's mind; bite-sized nuggets of excellent.

There is lots to recommend here. "Pancakes" is just two pages, but I defy anyone to read this and not fall instantly in love. I read it over and over (and over and over). HILARIOUS! Hellboy as a kid is as cute as they come. "King Vold" is a very strong short that plays with some familiar European myths and some very traditional thematic ground. Nothing wrong with that, as Mignola knows how to twist those old tales in interesting ways. Really stunning art here, too. "Heads" was among my favorites. It's short and to the point, but it also features some of Mignola's best visuals and has a wicked sense of dark humor. How can you not love a swarm of angry, biting heads? This has to be seen to be believed.

But the real core of this collection are the title story and "Box Full of Evil," both of which offer insight into Hellboy's origins ... including telling us pretty much exactly what Hellboy truly is. And what he is ain't pretty. The truth had been hinted at before, but this just lays it out for all the world to see. Quite a bold character concept, and one that sank me into Hellboy's world for good.

With every story I read, Hellboy's unique blend of superheroic sensibilities, Gothic horror, myth, and small doses of noir grows more appealing. Mignola races through his tales at a brisk pace, utterly relentless in the flow of information. His art is as unique and stylized as anything else out there, yet his storytelling is generally clear and punchy and as good as anyone's. The writing is sparse but suits the tales being told.

In short, Hellboy rocks. I now get what the accolades are all about. I'm glad to call myself a fan.

An earlier version of this review was originally posted at IMWAN.com and was also featured at Popthought.com.

Read my regular, everything-and-anything (usually on writing and music) blog right over here.

Hellboy Vol. 3 - The Chained Coffin and Others

This review was originally posted at IMWAN.com and was also featured at Popthought.com.



Hellboy Vol. 3 - The Chained Coffin and Others
By Mike Mignola

When I dipped into The Chained Coffin, the third collection of Mike Mignola's brilliant Hellboy, this one a collection of short stories, my reaction was immediate: Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, YES, as in the "yes" of great, great pleasure.

What I'm trying to say is, the third Hellboy collection is nothing short of pure, distilled AWESOME. Utterly, completely and totally awesome. Mignola completely ditches the Epic Story Arc approach so common in collected editions. Instead, this is a collection of short stories, and wow does Hellboy shine in the short format. And this is coming from a guy who reeeeaaaallly likes his epics.

Mignola gets in, gives us a dose of dark fable-laden adventure, and gets back out with the unpredictable grace of a drunken vampire bat, sometimes coasting on a current of moody visuals, at other times darting and swooping through bizarre characters and landscapes. Every story here is a winner, but each in a different way. From the wickedly funny "The Corpse" to "The Chained Coffin" and all it reveals about Hellboy's origins to the dark and ugly "The Wolves of Saint August" to the imaginative follow up to "Wake the Devil", "Almost Colossus", this volume is chock full o' reading goodness. Picking a favorite is difficult. The story of the sentient constructs in "Almost Colossus" was quite compelling, while Mignola's ability to get across tense, lurking horror in "The Wolves of Saint August" really grabbed me. WAY too much good stuff for one slim volume.

Hellboy + short stories = teh winz!

The list of things to like is extensive. Bits of humor help keep the Gothic horror from getting too suffocating. The highly stylized art is a real treat, Kirbyesque in its visual power, dark and brooding like Colan at his best, yet unlike either of them in execution and approach. The writing is just right, neither overbearing nor too sparse. Mignola carries his end of the bargain just fine. All in all, a rock solid bit o' dark adventure. I really, really liked this.

No, that's not correct. I LOVED this.

Read my regular, everything-and-anything (usually on writing and music) blog right over here.

Hellboy Vol. 2 - Wake the Devil

This review was originally posted at IMWAN.com and was also featured at Popthought.com.



Hellboy Vol. 2 - Wake the Devil
By Mike Mignola

Mike Mignola, who hand-built a nice little empire for himself with his fan favorite Hellboy, continues the Big Red Dude's saga in this second volume, Wake The Devil.

What an interesting, sometimes confusing, sometimes compelling story. Even more hints at who and what Hellboy really is? Check. More Nazis? Check. Vampires and strange creatures? Check. Suggestions something much larger is at work? Check.

Cool.

Mignola's unique, wild style is, as the kids say these days, wicked as hell. (Actually, I don't think the kids say that.) Strange angles and swaths of shadow and rough-hewn edges abound. It's dark, exciting art, as if Gene Colan's horror work were merged with Jack Kirby's wildest 1970s imaginings, and then tossed into a Frank Miller blender for good measure. He uses this style to great effect, giving us a story about vampires and talking heads and mysterious elder gods. Hellboy was maybe sent here to destroy the Earth or something, and Rasputin never really died and is conspiring to release some cosmic dragon or something, and it's all tied together into some big end of the world thing.

What?

Got to admit, there is a lot to swallow here, and it's thrown at you without hand-holding. There were brief moments when I had to pause in order to wrap my head around what I was reading. See, Mignola is sparse with his text and forces the reader to pay close attention to his rapid shifts in perspective. He doesn't litter his stories with captions, either. He just go, go, goes, leaving me sometimes scratching my head and saying, "What's going on here?"

But part of that is because he's clearly not playing his entire hand. He's got more to show you, but is in no rush to do so. Keeps you guessing. Keeps you interested. And that's cool with me.

The parts you do get are really interesting. Mignola seems to have taken a bunch of real mythologies and mixed them up and dished them back out as something new. It's a big fat blender filled with stuff nicked from here, there and everywhere. I love stuff like that. I like the bits he's playing with, how he's reinventing stuff, how he's re-imagining old myths as modern stories. Makes me curious to see more, to see exactly what he's got up his sleeve.

Seeing this, it's pretty to understand how Hellboy went from being the little book that could to a mini empire all its own.

Read my regular, everything-and-anything (usually on writing and music) blog right over here.