Written by: Art Baltazar &Franco
Art by: Art Baltazar
Hellboy created by Mike Mignolia
Published by: Dark Horse Comics
It is no secret how I feel about these guys. They not only make comics that the smallest of kids can read, but they also opened their own comic shop, Aw Yeah Comics. Here they have annual Kids Make Comics Day, and actively encourage young readers to draw.
In Itty Bitty Hellboy, Art & Franco have taken a character that is nowhere near kid status and made him “kid friendly.” This is what they do! We remember Tiny Titans, the Eisner Award winning book that kids and adults alike could read together. Then there was Superman Family Adventures. My toddler (the littlest Superman fan) would often carry around Superman Family Adventures, and demand that I read it to him pronto. There is nothing better than watching your kid light up and laugh at the jokes that are made about their favorite superhero.
Itty Bitty Hellboy is chock full of jokes and cuteness. The art is classic and memorable. The colors are bright; the characters are drawn cartoon like with big faces. The word bubbles are easy to read with big bold words. We see the cute little ghost Rasputin, and Karl Ruptecht Kroenen, whose biggest worry is getting a bigger fort box. Or at least one bigger than the dishwasher box they are currently using. We also see Herman Von Klempt bouncing around and hiding in bushes. Itty Bitty Hellboy is, well, Itty Bitty and has a big hand for smashing walnuts!
This day and age, when kids comics are few and far between, it is so important to support comic creators that focus on our smallest heroes. Art and Franco have taken a Mike Mignola character and opened up a whole new kid fan base. The little kids that read this may grow up to become big Hellboy fans! I highly encourage the reading of any Art and Franco books.
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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