For the remainder of the month, I'll be in the Halloween mood when it comes to the comics I read. THE THEME: My selection of five this time involves comics set within the Hellboy universe. What better world to explore during the Halloween season than one of the most celebrated horror franchises in comics? THE COMICS: HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D.: SATURN RETURNS #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writers: Mike Mignola, Scott Allie Artist: Christopher Mitten Hellboy (accompanied by a different BPRD crew) investigates several dead bodies in the Massachusetts area, but as of the first issue, there aren't any leads yet as to who (or what) is responsible. Meanwhile, back in the BPRD HQ, Liz Sherman is dealing with her own shit. LOBSTER JOHNSON: GARDEN OF BONES Publisher: Dark Horse Writers: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi Artists: Stephen Green, Geoff Shaw Lobster Johnson is the first spinoff character of the Hellboy universe (that I know of), and he's an old-school vigilante from the '30s in the same vein as The Phantom or The Shadow. In this one, he investigates the case of a dead enforcer who has seemingly been brought back as a zombie. Lobster's partner Harry suspects voodoo was involved, but some things don't quite add up... FRANKENSTEIN UNDERGROUND #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writer: Mike Mignola Artist: Ben Stenbeck The Hellboy universe has its own version of Frankenstein's monster, and just like the original, this version's dealt with a lot of suffering over the decades. His journey causes him to cross paths with a mysterious old woman who understands his plight, but he's also being hunted down by an equally mysterious, powerful man who wants the monster in his "collection." KOSHCHEI THE DEATHLESS #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writer: Mike Mignola Artist: Ben Stenbeck Koshchei the Deathless is a character based on a figure from Russian folklore, and as his title suggests, there exist enchantments that prevent him from being killed. The Hellboy version was enslaved by Baba Yaga (another figure based on folklore), and before this comic, he was tasked with fighting Hellboy. Now free, Koshchei shares some of his backstory in this issue with Hellboy, including his history of violence, the first instances of him being granted immortality, and his first encounter with Baba Yaga. WITCHFINDER: THE REIGN OF DARKNESS #1 Publisher: Dark Horse Writers: Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson Artist: Christopher Mitten Sir Edward Grey is the titular Witchfinder, who serves Queen Victoria as the premier paranormal investigator in London. His case here is a pretty high profile one, as he looks into the killings of the notorious Jack the Ripper. He suspects that there's something occult afoot, but unfortunately, it seems that his investigations have hit some sort of dead end. What's worse, the police don't believe him. Hellboy's been going strong for over 20 years now, and the world has since delivered with cool takes on the supernatural, occult, Lovecraftian, and even adapted takes of folklore and literature. I enjoy exploring this universe a lot, and this lovely selection of spinoffs has me even more interested in reading more. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
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June 2024
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