At the end of the Hellboy series, Hellboy, prophesied king of Hell, supposedly destined to bring about the apocalypse, died. This was something of a surprise but in the world of Hellboy, death is not always final. Upon his death, Hellboy discovered himself in the afterlife, tumbling through Purgatory. His adventures do not end there – he made a LOT of enemies in his life, and most of them now lurk in Hell, eager for vengeance. Searching for a way out, he must battle foes on their home turf. But as Hellboy makes his way through Pandemonium, the city of demons, there are also those who aim to use him for their own ends. And the throne of Hell beckons, despite Hellboy's repeated refusal to take it...
Mike Mignola's Hellboy is one of the best series available. It melds pulp fiction of H.P. Lovecraft, world religions, folktales and contemporary history into an outstanding mythos that deals with the concept of destiny and free will. Each book from Mignola is amazing, and whether stories are short three page pieces or long full volume epics, they never fail to capture my interest. In this book, there are allusions to Macbeth as well as Paradise Lost and folktales like 'the Devil and his Grandmother' (one of my favourites), not to mention the overall comparison with Dante's Divine Comedy. Much like Sandman or The Unwritten, Hellboy is a work that shows an appreciation of great literature – in a story about a 7 foot tall demon with a stone hand battling fairies.
The volume furthers the journey of Hellboy as he's offered once again a temptation that he has previously rejected – dominion over Hell. The story is a little more surreal than one's in the previous series (and that's saying something) but it suits the setting perfectly. This is a plane of existence where the metaphysical is more important than the physical and spirits are corporeal. However, the classic Hellboy themes are still in place – he may not be a part of the B.P.R.D. (or the living) anymore, but he's still Hellboy. There are still fistfights with massive supernatural creatures and monsters out of legend. Hellboy's still the same guy we've grown accustomed to – just now he's dead. It's a great idea in a universe that has always had a strong reliance on the spirit realm and the afterlife. This volume possibly isn't quite as epic in scope or committed to developing the plot as earlier books, but it's volume one in a series – there'll be more to come.
Hellboy in Hell is available now.
Hellboy in Hell vol. 1: The Descent – Mike Mignola – 9781616554446 - $32.99 – 144 pages
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