Even though Hellboy fizzled out for me (all the setup didn't really pay off IMO - especially since it seems rather random that Big Red can walk away from some kinds of damage but apparently not others, even though it isn't clear what the difference should be), I'm interested in Hellboy in Hell, not least because I've missed Mignola doing the art.
The thing is, Hellboy was basically fighting the beast from Revelations. Actually, worse than that. It was a demon that predated demons. A primordial evil so powerful that a legion of angels could only imprison it, not kill it.
Nimue used the last of her strength to hit Hellboy, with five hundred witches dragging her to hell at that moment.
So yeah, HB's fights before were against bugs in comparison.
The main difference here is that Nimue was able to grab hold of Hellboy's soul as she was dying and drag him down to Hell with her. Hellboy's been able to walk away from literally everything else by sheer force of will because he's the Devil's son. I think in the past he assumed that he was mortal because of his whole denial thing, but after the encounter with the Ogdru Hem in The Island, he realized that he could take pretty much any damage and live.
He's not the Devil's son, though his father is a high ranking lord of hell. But you're close. Hellboy had a "No man born of woman can slay me" type aura around him. It's why so many powerful figures were vying for his allegiance. He can be killed, but only in very specific circumstances. Everything else he can walk off with a roll of the shoulders and a sore in the morning crack. Cosmically, he was supposed to be one to end the world, but he chose differently.
Also at a recent convention, a fan asked Mike if Hellboy would ever meet Lobster Johnson in hell and go on adventures. Mike said, "I honestly hadn't though about that," and got pretty excited at the idea.
Nothing set in stone obviously, but if it ever happened that would probably be the best Hellboy story ever.
Cheers for the confrimation on Edward Grey still being a mystery. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on some spin off book somewhere.
And yes, I suppose you're right that most of the Hellboy mysteries are pretty much cleared up. I guess Abe's nature is the last big mystery and BPRD seems to be heading on the way to giving us more details on that currently.
Oh, and what the hell is up with Daimio and Daryl the wendigo. Looking forward to finding out that one.
That Daimio is still out there living wilderness style and back to his old self most of the time. It also confirmed that Daryl is chilling with him at his camp but didn't give us any reasons for that whatsoever. Daimio refused to talk to Abe about it.
If there's anything beyond 'Russia' then I haven't read it yet as the next trade is only out in December!
That Daimio is still out there living wilderness style and back to his old self most of the time. It also confirmed that Daryl is chilling with him at his camp but didn't give us any reasons for that whatsoever. Daimio refused to talk to Abe about it.
If there's anything beyond 'Russia' then I haven't read it yet as the next trade is only out in December!
Daimo eventually went feral, and Johann tracked him down to kill him. The ending was ambiguous, but it looks like Daimo was killed by the wendigo - freeing the wendigo's soul and making Daimo the new wendigo.
Got BPRD, The Devil's Engine and The Long Death for Christmas.
The Long Death was pretty cool if with a slightly predictable end, but what the fuck was with The Devil's Engine? They'd better be building to something pretty good with that useless waste of pages because nothing bloody happened!
And now I'm sad to be entirely up to date on both Hellboy and BPRD trades. Well almost, need Abe's second book.
Guess it's time to look into Witchfinder or something.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
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Linespider5ALL HAIL KING KILLMONGERRegistered Userregular
Third issue is hitting...sometime...in February.
Hellboy in Hell is a beautiful book but I could imagine some people would be non-plussed about it, especially if issue one is their first taste of Hellboy in a long time.
i got all the HB graphic novels for Christmas and am slowly plugging away at them all while collecting the In Hell floppies. man, i love Mignola! he's a mad man genius!
Well, Hellboy in Hell issue one is a bit...floaty?
What actually happens in issue one?
1) Hellboy sees an old enemy and gets his ass kicked until a flying guy in a mask and a robe covers the enemy in magical glyphs and helps Hellboy flee into a rundown apartment in Hell.
2) Hellboy wanders the streets and sees a brief bit of a puppet show version of 'A Christmas Carol.'
3) Hellboy encounters a different, faceless flying person, who takes his hand. They fly away. The end.
Don't get me wrong. It's beautifully drawn. I understand how it sets the stage, but issue two has like five times as much story in comparison. Someone who isn't invested in the character may find little reason to care about what little transpires in issue one. The average reader might see it scan it and go, "Hellboy runs away from this guy-thing, a flying guy takes him away, he sees a talking puppet, and then another flying guy takes him somewhere else. Wow. I paid $4.26 for this?"
Plus, all the strengths of issue one are also better in issue two-the art is astonishing and the layouts are both minimal yet sublime.
I'm not saying it's a bad issue-just a very unconventional one that doesn't lay very much groundwork and isn't very forthcoming.
It's Mignola who's doing the art, right? I've always liked his expressionist style, and while it was nice to have other artists on the main Hellboy series as well, I've missed Mignola's style. It's one of the reasons why I'm interested in Hellboy in Hell. The other is that once the overall narrative took over the main series, it took away from the characters and the deadpan humour to some extent. I'm hoping that the new series is less about an overreaching apocalypse and more about the mood and characters.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
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FairchildRabbit used short words that were easy to understand, like "Hello Pooh, how about Lunch ?"Registered Userregular
Word. I think Mignola's spare, minimalist writing style is highly under-rated. In an era where comic book plotting has become heavier than a triple fudge brownie, Mignola really stands out.
There is an obvious point in Hellboy (Vol5: The Conqueror Worm) where he moves away from the BPRD. Things are pretty separate after that and you can take either fork at whatever pace you like. The two plots don't intertwine at all really beyond the odd oblique reference.
What you will want to do is make sure you've read the 'Lobster Johnson: Iron Prometheus' trade before a certain point in BPRD. I'll have to get back to you on when, but it's quite far in.
Hellboy is easily the most fun I've had reading a comic. Sandman is currently my favorite comic but that's partly because it's a summary of how I look at ideas, if not major influence at how I view the world and stories and partly because I'm in the perpetual honeymoon phase. (I haven't read past the first absolute edition, which I first read several years ago, and refuse to read it unless it's the next volume in that form).
Hellboy is just a blast. Preacher was similar, in a dirty "I don't want to be caught watching this with my pants down" sort of way, a staple of Ennis's books, but that predated my reading of Hellboy, and has since been superseded.
I cannot talk this series up enough, which is undoubtedly obvious since I'm spouting about it in this thread with avid fans in it. I've always loved Mignola's artstyle (and his collaborators's) whenever I saw it in passing, but his ability to combine so many different mythological sources into a mystical romp is nigh-unparalleled. I don't know how he does it, or how his art is so amazing. It's like Atomic Robo and Supernatural and Sandman had a baby. The Crooked Man is a seminal example and the final arcs were so good I'm losing my ability to find synonyms to describe it.
God I love this series. Hellboy in Hell is damn good thus far as well.
BPRD, while interesting, is not nearly as appealing to me as Hellboy is. Though the Collector arc was pretty damn cool.
Hellboy is easily the most fun I've had reading a comic. Sandman is currently my favorite comic but that's partly because it's a summary of how I look at ideas, if not major influence at how I view the world and stories and partly because I'm in the perpetual honeymoon phase. (I haven't read past the first absolute edition, which I first read several years ago, and refuse to read it unless it's the next volume in that form).
Hellboy is just a blast. Preacher was similar, in a dirty "I don't want to be caught watching this with my pants down" sort of way, a staple of Ennis's books, but that predated my reading of Hellboy, and has since been superseded.
I cannot talk this series up enough, which is undoubtedly obvious since I'm spouting about it in this thread with avid fans in it. I've always loved Mignola's artstyle (and his collaborators's) whenever I saw it in passing, but his ability to combine so many different mythological sources into a mystical romp is nigh-unparalleled. I don't know how he does it, or how his art is so amazing. It's like Atomic Robo and Supernatural and Sandman had a baby. The Crooked Man is a seminal example and the final arcs were so good I'm losing my ability to find synonyms to describe it.
God I love this series. Hellboy in Hell is damn good thus far as well.
BPRD, while interesting, is not nearly as appealing to me as Hellboy is. Though the Collector arc was pretty damn cool.
BPRD has its duller moments (the whole War on Frogs trade was pretty flat filler and I'm finding it hard to care about Devon at the moment) but it's high points are still pretty damn high.
The thing in the basement in the new base, The collector, Abe on the Island, The Wendigo. All top notch stuff. And I'm not at all ashamed to say that I shed a manly tear at:
the death of Roger.
Though I will admit the 'Here is a big scary thing, no-one can defeat it, oh wait Liz burned it to death we're fine now' process is maybe a little too often fallen back on with slight variations.
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FakefauxCóiste BodharDriving John McCain to meet some Iraqis who'd very much like to make his acquaintanceRegistered Userregular
So, how about that latest issue?
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Linespider5ALL HAIL KING KILLMONGERRegistered Userregular
It's pretty. It's not really the direction I wanted the story to go in, at all.
But it's not my story. So if this is what he wants he's got it. I'd argue it's a waste, but maybe...well. Clearly Mignola is doing whatever he wants and no one is telling him otherwise.
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FakefauxCóiste BodharDriving John McCain to meet some Iraqis who'd very much like to make his acquaintanceRegistered Userregular
I do have to admit, Astaroth seemed to go out rather ignominiously. Then again, Mignola has a track record of offing big, powerful villains with relatively little fanfare. I also find myself wondering what happened to all the other hell lords. We know Satan was sleeping, Azrael was imprisoned, and Astaroth was still kicking around... but this issue made it sound like there weren't any others.
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Linespider5ALL HAIL KING KILLMONGERRegistered Userregular
Now I think about it:
Hell will now be filled with the regular, working-Joe demons, not unlike Hellboy himself. Meaning Hell will kinda not be Hell so much as just a place underground full of red guys with horns and tails.
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Golden YakBurnished BovineThe sunny beaches of CanadaRegistered Userregular
Hellboy sure seems to get wrapped up in doing a lot of crap that he doesn't consciously remember actually doing.
So for those who are up on the greater cosmology, the demons of Hell - Satan and Azzael and Astaroth et al. - these are the greater spirits right? The watchers who shaped the world and took part in creating the Ogdru Jahad?
I'm not super caught up on Hellboy, but from where I last left off in Storm and Fury...
It was still implied that hell and its demons were separate from the Watchers, fallen angels who stole a fraction of God's power to "speed up" the creation process on Earth, but created the Ogdru Jahad instead. They're the floaty flaming skeleton dudes, and Hecate got her goddess power from devouring them.
Also, holy crap, Russian BPRD does not screw around.
Russian solution to problem, use gun. And if that don't work, use more gun.
Just read the Long Death. Damn that was sad. I take it the ending means...
Daimio is the new Wendigo and Daryl's spirit has moved on? That's how I remember the curse working.
Also, how the hell did
Kronen and Karl survive?
They just showed up in BPRD Russia, I feel like I'm missing a TPB or something.
There are some major spoilers in the rest of the preview, especially if you haven't read Return of the Master. But the conclusion to this battle looks like it's gonna be awesome. .
Posts
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
The thing is, Hellboy was basically fighting the beast from Revelations. Actually, worse than that. It was a demon that predated demons. A primordial evil so powerful that a legion of angels could only imprison it, not kill it.
Nimue used the last of her strength to hit Hellboy, with five hundred witches dragging her to hell at that moment.
So yeah, HB's fights before were against bugs in comparison.
He's not the Devil's son, though his father is a high ranking lord of hell. But you're close. Hellboy had a "No man born of woman can slay me" type aura around him. It's why so many powerful figures were vying for his allegiance. He can be killed, but only in very specific circumstances. Everything else he can walk off with a roll of the shoulders and a sore in the morning crack. Cosmically, he was supposed to be one to end the world, but he chose differently.
Also at a recent convention, a fan asked Mike if Hellboy would ever meet Lobster Johnson in hell and go on adventures. Mike said, "I honestly hadn't though about that," and got pretty excited at the idea.
Nothing set in stone obviously, but if it ever happened that would probably be the best Hellboy story ever.
And yes, I suppose you're right that most of the Hellboy mysteries are pretty much cleared up. I guess Abe's nature is the last big mystery and BPRD seems to be heading on the way to giving us more details on that currently.
Oh, and what the hell is up with Daimio and Daryl the wendigo. Looking forward to finding out that one.
But there's some newer stuff past that.
As for Grey, his story isn't finished yet but he's basically what England had as a BPRD agent before there was a BPRD.
If there's anything beyond 'Russia' then I haven't read it yet as the next trade is only out in December!
I'm getting this.
Think I may have gotten some drool on it.
It's funny you made the Atomic Robo comparison...
Aside from that, it's another Vril energy suit from Iron Prometheus, which shows up in the first Atomic Robo story too.
Got BPRD, The Devil's Engine and The Long Death for Christmas.
The Long Death was pretty cool if with a slightly predictable end, but what the fuck was with The Devil's Engine? They'd better be building to something pretty good with that useless waste of pages because nothing bloody happened!
And now I'm sad to be entirely up to date on both Hellboy and BPRD trades. Well almost, need Abe's second book.
Guess it's time to look into Witchfinder or something.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Hellboy in Hell is a beautiful book but I could imagine some people would be non-plussed about it, especially if issue one is their first taste of Hellboy in a long time.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
Well, Hellboy in Hell issue one is a bit...floaty?
What actually happens in issue one?
1) Hellboy sees an old enemy and gets his ass kicked until a flying guy in a mask and a robe covers the enemy in magical glyphs and helps Hellboy flee into a rundown apartment in Hell.
2) Hellboy wanders the streets and sees a brief bit of a puppet show version of 'A Christmas Carol.'
3) Hellboy encounters a different, faceless flying person, who takes his hand. They fly away. The end.
Don't get me wrong. It's beautifully drawn. I understand how it sets the stage, but issue two has like five times as much story in comparison. Someone who isn't invested in the character may find little reason to care about what little transpires in issue one. The average reader might see it scan it and go, "Hellboy runs away from this guy-thing, a flying guy takes him away, he sees a talking puppet, and then another flying guy takes him somewhere else. Wow. I paid $4.26 for this?"
Plus, all the strengths of issue one are also better in issue two-the art is astonishing and the layouts are both minimal yet sublime.
I'm not saying it's a bad issue-just a very unconventional one that doesn't lay very much groundwork and isn't very forthcoming.
"Nothing is gonna save us forever but a lot of things can save us today." - Night in the Woods
What you will want to do is make sure you've read the 'Lobster Johnson: Iron Prometheus' trade before a certain point in BPRD. I'll have to get back to you on when, but it's quite far in.
Hellboy is just a blast. Preacher was similar, in a dirty "I don't want to be caught watching this with my pants down" sort of way, a staple of Ennis's books, but that predated my reading of Hellboy, and has since been superseded.
I cannot talk this series up enough, which is undoubtedly obvious since I'm spouting about it in this thread with avid fans in it. I've always loved Mignola's artstyle (and his collaborators's) whenever I saw it in passing, but his ability to combine so many different mythological sources into a mystical romp is nigh-unparalleled. I don't know how he does it, or how his art is so amazing. It's like Atomic Robo and Supernatural and Sandman had a baby. The Crooked Man is a seminal example and the final arcs were so good I'm losing my ability to find synonyms to describe it.
God I love this series. Hellboy in Hell is damn good thus far as well.
BPRD, while interesting, is not nearly as appealing to me as Hellboy is. Though the Collector arc was pretty damn cool.
Hellboy is just a blast. Preacher was similar, in a dirty "I don't want to be caught watching this with my pants down" sort of way, a staple of Ennis's books, but that predated my reading of Hellboy, and has since been superseded.
I cannot talk this series up enough, which is undoubtedly obvious since I'm spouting about it in this thread with avid fans in it. I've always loved Mignola's artstyle (and his collaborators's) whenever I saw it in passing, but his ability to combine so many different mythological sources into a mystical romp is nigh-unparalleled. I don't know how he does it, or how his art is so amazing. It's like Atomic Robo and Supernatural and Sandman had a baby. The Crooked Man is a seminal example and the final arcs were so good I'm losing my ability to find synonyms to describe it.
God I love this series. Hellboy in Hell is damn good thus far as well.
BPRD, while interesting, is not nearly as appealing to me as Hellboy is. Though the Collector arc was pretty damn cool.
The thing in the basement in the new base, The collector, Abe on the Island, The Wendigo. All top notch stuff. And I'm not at all ashamed to say that I shed a manly tear at:
Though I will admit the 'Here is a big scary thing, no-one can defeat it, oh wait Liz burned it to death we're fine now' process is maybe a little too often fallen back on with slight variations.
But it's not my story. So if this is what he wants he's got it. I'd argue it's a waste, but maybe...well. Clearly Mignola is doing whatever he wants and no one is telling him otherwise.
Also, holy crap, Russian BPRD does not screw around.
Russian solution to problem, use gun. And if that don't work, use more gun.
Just read the Long Death. Damn that was sad. I take it the ending means...
Also, how the hell did
From bad to worse.
There are some major spoilers in the rest of the preview, especially if you haven't read Return of the Master. But the conclusion to this battle looks like it's gonna be awesome. .