Written and drawn by Mike Mignola
Once again we pick up where we left off with Hellboy making his way through the Hell city of Pandemonium. While previous issues have dealt with his initial exploration of the city and characters he encountered and were quite decompressed, this issue ratcheted up the plot developments with a fantastic ending.
Three issues in and this series already feels like the most epic tale that writer/artist Mike Mignola has told in this universe. Every panel is significant and cannot be overlooked. At the start of the issue we see exactly what happened at Hellboy’s birth and after the right hand of doom was grafted to his arm. The other lords of Hell, angry with Hellboy’s father for this, send gargantuan angels of death to destroy his birthplace forcing his father to magically send him away. This was a great scene and long-time fans finally get to see how Hellboy made his way to earth.
Leading on, we are treated to a fight between Hellboy and his two brothers who are vying for control of the right hand and ultimately the throne and crown of Hell. Like most fights that Mignola draws, it is both beautiful and brutal in its portrayal. Each crushing blow reverberates of the page and he uses the mythical hell beast Leviathan in a great crescendo to the fight. One of the best things about the Mignola-verse is getting to see his interpretations of all these mythic creatures and here Leviathan was used to great effect.
As good as the rest of the issue was, it was the last few pages of the issue that really got me pumped. Up until now we have taken for granted that what we were seeing from Hellboy’s point-of-view was correct but apparently not. With a heavy nod to Shakespeare and the Scottish play, a common theme in the first few issues, we learn that Hellboy murdered Satan while making his way through the city, an act that he was unaware of…
These events literally made me gasp. There is a lot at play here and we can’t now even be sure what we’ve seen so far can be taken literally. The last few pages are monumental to the plot and I’m really excited where we could be headed but with Mike Mignola at the helm I’m sure it will be one hell of a ride.
5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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