In my previous review of Weird Tales Volume 1, I noted that the series actually gained in strength in trade paperback form, and now that the whole thing is collected in trade, I can say that this is my preferred format for these series. There are a couple of clunkers in here for me, but in general I appreciated all of the stores in here a little bit more when reading them in this context, and I remain impressed by the stellar quality of writers and artists that editor Scott Allie was able to attract to the project. As with the previous volume, there's a playful, humorous tone to most of the stories found in this collection, staying right in line with the quirky nature of Hellboy but reflecting the individual voices of these creators as well.
My favorite stories come, unsurprisingly, from some of my favorite creators. Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer turn in a hilariously over-the-top piece about viking rockers which has a nifty little twist in its framing device and more gags per page than any other story in the book. Craig Thompson turns in a visual masterpiece with a strange sense of humor in "My Vacation in Hell," playing nicely off of the medieval woodcut interpretations of Hell. And Jill Thompson turns in a note-perfect take on the wisecracking, brawling Hellboy, all while throwing in a neat little metatextual gag about comic-book set dressing and all served up with her usual gorgeous painted artwork.
However, I was especially pleased in reading this volume to note how much better some of these stories resonated with me upon second read. Probably the best example is John Cassaday's "Lobster Johnson" strips, which I found mostly unremarkable when scattered throughout all eight issues, but which read much differently when put all together. When read in one shot, these reveal themselves to be not only a dead-on riff on the serialized pulp comics that inspired Lobster Johnson, but a none-too-subtle parody of them as well, with sexual innuendo (particularly in the name of the Nazi's device and the unusual garb of the hero's sidekick) and slapstick galore.
There are also some impressive collaborations with creators who aren't on my "must buy" list all of the time. Will Pfeifer and P. Craig Russell turn in a gorgeous and fun story of a murderous theatrical troupe, Haden Blackman and JH Williams provide an interesting adversary and an even more interesting look at Hellboy's mostly nonexistent love life and Buffy writers Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe team with Hellboy storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins for a very funny, fast-paced night on the town for Hellboy and Abe Sapien. I even dug the Hellboy meets anime work of Kia Asamiya and Akira Yoshida, two creators whose work I generally don't like.
By far what stood out for me in reading this volume was the extensive roster of artistic talent, and how everyone involved brought their A game to play. Paired with Ron Marz, Jim Starlin turns in an action-packed story with a terrific montage incorporating Mignola's artwork. Gene Colan's art, given a painted look by master colorist Dave Stewart, is jaw-dropping to look at, if featured in an all-too-brief story. Kev Walker, who impressed on Legion, gives a Mignola-esque art performance on a neat little tale of Johann, and Scott Morse gives a somewhat inscrutable but undeniably beautiful account of Hellboy taking a vacation to do some hiking and camping. And speaking of artwork, the cover galley and sketch gallery at the back of the book is truly impressive, with Michael William Kaluta's work as my personal favorite.
It has been a while since Mike Mignola has graced comics with a new Hellboy project, and I can see where Hellboy fans might have been a bit put out that the only way to experience the character was through the work of other creators. However, Dark Horse has done a phenomenal job of making the B.P.R.D. series and this Hellboy: Weird Tales series stand up to the high standards set by Mignola, and no Hellboy fan (diehard Mignola follower or not) should let these two trades pass them by. 9/10
