Preview - Hellboy; The Wild Hunt #6

[sherkahn.insanejournal.com]

The Hellboy universe has been surprisingly consistent work, with scenarios and scenes that keep surprisingly good storytelling with great foes that are plucked from all sorts of mythologies and lore. The continuity has been strong and logical. And there aren't horrible ret-cons, the dead stay dead and the stakes keep going up. Hellboy himself looks like he's going to have some more major revelations about the nature of who he is.

And I feel that he should be in part of the S_D image.

Some background.... Hellboy has found himself on the run from the resurrected Queen of Blood and her gathering armies of witches and other supernaturals. Hellboy has found refuge with someone who knows Hellboy's mortal family.

Someone who has been waiting for him for a long time.

Looks like Big Red has some ties to Arthurian lore.
Morgan Le Fey?
One of the Knights of the Round?
Jason Blood? (I keed, I keed)
Arthur himself?

Needless to say, this looks good.

Comments

[volksjager.insanejournal.com]

I have noticed their shipping seems to be on lately. I gave up on the Hellboy books, cause they were too sporadic and you really need good recall to stay up with the plot. I just waited til the comps came out and read them when I fly.

[statham1986.insanejournal.com]

You should totally buy the Hellboy Companion book that came out last year. It brings you up to speed on nearly everything and has exclusive pieces of Mignola artwork.

But I definitely agree that Hellboy and it's associated series are a little too sporadic and vague, which is why I'm a trade-waiter..

[statham1986.insanejournal.com]

Having read the Hellboy Companion, I do think it's safe to say that Mignola has had the game-plan for Hellboy himself in place the entire time. I think he wanted to go from the idea of old Nazi threats to the more mystical, ancient side of magic and the like. And it's amazing. I don't think that many books I can name outside of a limited series have that sort of idea of where they want to take the character and have the resolve to really see it through. That's the reason there's been no retcons whatsoever.

The only reason we've had books like BPRD and the like pop up is because they've proven popular in the main series, but they too contribute to the stories and backstory behind everything that's going on. BPRD in particular hints that the world is heading for a really, really dark place with the continued plague of frog-men, whilst Hellboy as a continued set of miniseries seems to be heading down the line that he will assume his role as a destroyer of worlds.

So yeah, this line of books has always been really, really strong, but I think it's hit a high-note since Mignola dropped the Nazis and started having fun with the writing. That he's stopped doing art, by and large, seems to be for the better, given Fegredo is that good.

[kingrockwell]

You mean this isn't Mignola on art? Damn, if you hadn't said anything I wouldn't have been able to tell, which I guess says something for Fegredo's sill at assimilating other styles!

[statham1986.insanejournal.com]

As far as I know, it isn't Mignola. The last work he did artistically on Hellboy was a one-shot from last year, but apparently, Fegredo is the 'ongoing' artist for the book, right now. He's definitely a good fit, although I think the colourist and inker play a large role in that.

[kingrockwell]

According to Dark Horse's website, this was pencilled and inked by Fegredo, colored by Dave Stewart and Alex Wald. Huh.

[sherkahn.insanejournal.com]

Looks like classic Mignola to me.

Good job, boys, of keeping the mood Mike works so hard to build!

[nymphgalatea.insanejournal.com]

Given the Arthurian connetion I really would cheerfully kill for a meetup between Hellboy & Etrigan The Demon.

[shanejayell.insanejournal.com]

I really need to find the Hellboy/Batman/Starman book, damn it.

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

!!

I had forgotten about Hellboy.

But now I have remembered! And it looks even better than it was! Mignola is some kind of magic.