Koshchei the Deathless story by Mike Mignola, art by Ben Stenbeck, and colors by Dave Stewart
A young, poor man has no particular talents so he becomes a soldier. He discovers his talent is for soldiering, engendering the jealousy of his fellow (less competent) soldiers. They beat him near to death and leave him in the woods. A dragon comes by in the form of a man and promises to heal the soldier if he will be the dragon's servant for nine years. The guy has no choice but to agree. The dragon's affection for him grows. The dragon releases him with a magic shirt that lets no weapon harm him. So the soldier (who is Koshchei) has an even more fabulous career as a mercenary, leading him down a dark path. Eventually, he becomes the servant of Baba Yaga, the Russian witch who had many battles with Hellboy. She uses Koshchei for her own ends, especially to finish off Hellboy.
The story is told as a flashback during a conversation between Koshchei and Hellboy, who are having drinks at a pub in Hell. So the setup is weird and doesn't quite follow logically. But Koshchei's sad tale of woe has plenty of pathos and rich mythology. It's a fascinating read for all its fantastical trappings. The art mimics Mignola's dark and simple style quite well, giving the story plenty of atmosphere.
Recommended, mostly for Hellboy fans.
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