You might have heard something about an upcoming Hellboy movie. In addition to B.P.R.D. specials, an Art of Hellboy volume and a Hellboy anthology series, Dark Horse has decided to commemorate this "mainstreaming" of Mignola's concept with new, slick designs of his original trade paperbacks. This is great timing for me, as I've been toying with the notion of picking up some of the trades, and new designs that look sharp on a bookshelf after I've read and enjoyed them is a nice bonus. The big selling point, however, is the artwork and imaginative horror/adventure style of Mignola that can be found in these volumes. For those who are unfamiliar with Hellboy, it's probably best described as "What If Jack Kirby and H.P. Lovecraft had collaborated to create the X-Files?" It's pretty amazing to look at volume one of this series and see that Mignola had a pretty good idea what he was going for right from the start, and while the series definitely improves a little bit in terms of focus and style with volume two, where Mignola flies solo (John Byrne scripted volume one), this first volume is excellent reading.
Seed of Destruction focuses on a story right out of H.P. Lovecraft, as a lone investigator looks into the lives of eccentric, rich folks with a tie to someone they know personally and find some very strange things going on. However, Mignola and Byrne add quite a few odd touches, not the least of which is that the investigator is a gigantic demon with a trenchcoat and a gun backed up by a secret government organization that includes among its number an amphibious special agent and a pyrokinetic. For that matter, Mignola also spices things up by linking the Cthulhu-esque menace to the mad monk Rasputin and the Nazis. Heck, there's even a page that mixes in aliens talking about Earth's destiny in the mix!
All of this genre-bending and guest starring high concepts could easily have come across as forced, or worse, as a jumble of concepts that don't belong together. Mignola and Byrne teeter on the edge of the "...and the kitchen sink" approach, and I'll be the first to admit that the alien pages could probably have been cut given that they have basically no relevance, but in general what this flood of disparate elements brings is pure genre joy. Legendary historical figures summoning a demon ostensibly to help the Nazis but actually to forward the schemes of an ancient evil frog demon? It has a certain campy sound to it, but Mignola and Byrne keep it just the right side of campy, in no small part thanks to the down-to-earth nature of Hellboy and his fellow investigators.
Hellboy is a work of genius, not just because his visual is so engaging but because Mignola has captured both the otherworldly nature of the character and a sort of relatable, everyman hero in the same design. Sure, he's a gigantic demon, but there's a certain working-class look to his face and in the way he dresses, reminiscent of Fantastic Four's The Thing. And while Mignola gives Hellboy both a temper and some impressive physical power, as well as the mysterious Right Hand of Doom, he also steers clear of making him a brutish hero or someone who struggles with his evil side. Instead, he's a smart investigator with a sense of humor and a grounded personality. When he's tempted by Rasputin to join in his evil scheme, he doesn't respond with inner thoughts of turmoil about his evil nature or angsty worry of what he was brought to Earth to do... instead, his response is more along the lines of the "you've got to be kidding me" sarcasm that you wish more heroes would have when their delusional villains try to entrance them with mad schemes.
You can't talk about Hellboy without talking about Mignola's artwork and how it's so perfect for the creation. Though guest artists have done a pretty good job with the B.P.R.D. tales in the various B.P.R.D. one-shots and in Hellboy: Weird Tales this year, I finally understand why folks say there is no substitute for Mignola on Hellboy. His arcane, sometimes inscrutable designs of technology or mystical symbols bring just the right element of mystery to the work, and his mastery of shadows gives the book a creepy, horror-tinged feel that keeps the mix of story elements from becoming goofy. In addition, while Hellboy's design is the true masterpiece of the series, the alien and yet sympathetic appearance of Abe Sapien is another strong point, and Mignola's design of Rasputin just oozes pure evil, especially given that he is usually hidden in those omnipresent shadows, and comes across as much more than a man or magician, but indeed as an actual presence of villainy.
