Book Review: The Serpent in the Garden by M. Mignola et al.

The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Grey and the Last Battle for England written by Mike Mignola, art by Ben Stenbeck, and colors by Dave Stewart

Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder to Queen Victoria, was granted immortality through a set of bizarre and convoluted circumstances that I won't relate here (many situations in the Hellboy universe result from the bizarre and convoluted). He lives in England, the only part of the planet Earth spared from the apocalyptic ravages that have happened everywhere else. He lives a simple cottage life with Mary, though he is called upon by Queen of Avalon Alice to defend the country from a last ditch attempt by Morgan le Fay to take over. Morgan has her own champion Gruagach, an old foe of Hellboy. Things come to a blows when the small, piglike Gruagach is transformed into a more fitting champion and Grey is similarly transformed into a Green Man.

The story is interesting but leans heavily on previous Hellboy lore, so I am sure newcomers will not appreciate all the details laced into the plot. As with most other Hellboy-adjacent works, the art is delightful, capturing the richness of the world that Mignola has imagined. The ending has a nice payoff that is unexpected and satisfying.

Recommended for Hellboy fans who have kept up with the Witchfinder's tale and the general arc of the Hellboy universe.

Book Review: Koshchei in Hell by M. Mignola et al.

Koshchei in Hell story by Mike Mignola, art by Mike Mignola and Ben Stenbeck, colors by Dave Stewart, and letters by Clem Robins

Sir Edward Grey, while a ghost in Hell, goes in search of Koshchei the Deathless, another former living person who is a denizen of Hell. He wants to warn Koshchei that Pluto, god of the underworld banished before Satan took over, is coming back to reduce everything to chaos. Koshchei has found a house with dozens of libraries and a mile-long wine cellar (how did that wind up in Hell?) and is taking it easy. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes he does want to do something about the situation. Grey's strange odyssey through Hell's geography to Koshchei is just a warm up for the even stranger travels of Koshchei as he returns to the ruins of Pandemonium (the capital city of Hell) to seal up the hole through which Pluto will come.

The book is dominated by Mignola's narrative and visual style. He weaves in a lot of other stories and myths in the strange landscape of Hell. Koshchei is a reluctant hero, typical of Mignola. When he gets suited up for action, Koshchei is visually arresting, especially in fight scenes. The muted colors with lots of black suit the landscape. Mignola's stark characters and simple lines let the reader drink in the atmosphere. I enjoy Mignola's work a lot and this is a great example of it.

Recommended, highly for Hellboy and Mignola fans.

Book Review: Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club story by Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson with art by Christopher Mitten and Ben Stenbeck and colors by Michelle Madsen

In 1953, Hellboy and Professor Bruttenholm stop by an English pub to catch up with Bruttenholm's uncle Simon. Simon was a member of a turn-of-the-century band of paranormal investigators called the Silver Lantern Club, which included such luminaries as Sir Edward Grey and Sarah Jewell. Simon regales the duo with tales of hunting werewolves, exorcising demons, and dealing with other supernatural problems.

The stories are fun and harken back to the Hellboy "monster of the week" issues. The cast of characters are interesting and the framing device with Hellboy, Bruttenholm, and his uncle add some levity to the adventures. Roberson already has a lighter touch with his stories and dialogue. His skills shine here. 

Recommended, highly for Hellboy fans.

Book Review: Witchfinder Vol. 4 by M. Mignola et al.

Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder Volume 4: City of the Dead story by Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson, art by Ben Stenbeck, colors by Michelle Madsen, and letters by Clem Robins

Edward Grey stumbles upon another supernatural mystery as the workers digging out the London Underground find an ancient subterranean temple. Grey isn't the only one interested...the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra, a group that blends scientific understand and occult knowledge, also investigates. They offer to work together but Grey is extremely mistrustful (they are mostly villainous). When workers from a cemetery disappear, Grey comes into conflict with a big vampiric villain from the larger Hellboy narrative. With the London police doing their usual waffling, Grey may have to work with the Brotherhood after all.

The story moves at a good pace and has lots of atmospheric art. The underground scenes and the graveyards have implicit spookiness that artist Stenbeck enhances with his style. A good job all around.

Highly recommended--this may be the best Edward Grey story I've read.

Book Review: Sir Edward Grey Witchfinder Omnibus Vol. 1 by M. Mignola et al.

Sir Edward Grey Witchfinder Omnibus Volume 1 written by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Kim Newman, Maura McHugh, and Scott Allie, art by Ben Stenbeck, John Severin, Tyler Crook, and Patric Reynolds

In an interesting expansion of his Hellboy universe, Mike Mignola creates a Victorian-era supernatural investigator named Sir Edward Grey. Grey deals with a lot of problems and monsters similar to what Hellboy faces over a hundred years later. Grey is much more scholarly and reserved than Hellboy, giving him a different approach. Six stories fill this volume...

Murderous Intent--Three English witches want to kill Queen Victoria in 1879. Edward Grey has been appointed by Her Majesty to investigate occult occurrences, so it's his job to stop them. The story is very short and explains why he's called "Witchfinder." The art by Mignola is his classic style which I enjoy a lot.

In the Service of Angels--Investigating some truly bizarre deaths, Sir Edward comes in contact with some of the Mignolaverse mythology. An expedition in Egypt uncovered a subterranean passageway that might lead to Hyperborea, the ancient lost civilization that lived inside of the Earth. The members of the expedition have been dying off, the last few in London. They brought some strange bones back with them. The bones belonged to some demon-type being that has been hunting them on their return to England. The Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra (a weird pseudo-religious, pseudo-scientific cult) is also interested in the bones and wants Edward to hand them over. The plot is a slow-burn horror that reveals more of the bleak truth as it moves along. The art is gray and dismal, following the tone of the story and the environment of late 1800s England.

Lost and Gone Forever--Grey pursues a fellow Englishman to Utah in 1880. The trail disappears in a small town that's lost its Christian church and any sense of morals. Grey is pulled out of town by Morg, who has another bigger problem to deal with. A lot of local natives are following a young white woman who claims to be in touch with their gods and is using them for some unexplained purpose. Their investigation turns up some weird details. The sinister character of the story is well matched with a washed-out color palate. The art is more focused on the horror than the Old West, making the area more bleak and desolate, like the situation for the characters.

Beware the Ape--Back in London, Grey is called in to to confront Jerome Bagsby, a gentleman who, while at his club, beat another man for an archeological treasure. Bagsby denies responsibility and puts the blame on an ape in his home. Being weird fiction, this explanation turns out to be true as Grey confronts the beast. The story is very short but does the job.

The Mysteries of Unland--The town of Hallam has been reclaimed from English swamplands by industrialist Sir Horace Poole. He is trying to get approval for his health elixir made from the local waters. One of the queen's men has died mysteriously while inspecting the elixir-works to see if it meets royal approval (which would certainly boost sales). Grey is sent, though he thinks it is a common enough case. Poole is ill, so Grey is led around by underlings, including the local constable who does not seem very competent. Grey is ready to leave when his hotel room is attacked by giant eels who tell him to go back to London. Since the case does seem to have a supernatural element, Grey stays. The story moves methodically, building up the revelations and the horror as it goes. The art isn't as good as the other stories but the creepy eel people are very creepy.

The Burial of Katharine Baker--A short story about Henry Hood, a "witchfinder" from the 17th century. Katharine Baker was accused of witchcraft after ever other family's crops failed except hers. Also, she visits her boyfriend in a graveyard...the boyfriend who died several month ago! When Henry Hood hangs her, her family comes to give her a good burial. Another group shows up claiming to be her family, causing a lot of consternation and a chance for Hood to show off his skills. The story was interesting but very short.

Overall, I found the stories entertaining. Grey is an interesting character but sometimes he seems like he's more "along for the ride" than figuring things out on his own. The horror has a good variety and the different locations are used creatively.

Recommended--highly for Hellboy/Mignola fans.

Book Review: Lobster Johnson Vol. 6 by M. Mignola et al.

Lobster Johnson Volume 6: A Chain Forged in Life stories by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi with art by Troy Nixey, Peter Snejbjerg, Toni Fejzula, Stephen Gree, and Ben Stenbeck

Five one-shot stories in one volume!

A Chain Forged in Life--An inebriated donation-collecting Santa is found in a snowy rural area of New Jersey. The cops that find him get quite a story. The sodden Santa was collecting toy gifts from patrons at one of New York City's department stories. His shift ended when the store closed, which is also the time a trio of robbers burst out with the Christmas Eve sales money. Lobster Johnson appears out of nowhere and tries to stop the thieves. They kidnap the Santa and hightail it to Jersey with the loot and the hostage. Even with all that effort, the Lobster is still after them. The story is exciting and focused on the Santa character (he's narrating, so it makes sense). It follows in the Christmas-action-story tradition of Die Hard and works quite well.

The Forgotten Man--Some pretty massive plot holes ruin an otherwise interesting story of homeless people disappearing in 1935 New York City. The Lobster is drawn in when no one else (the cops or the papers) will help the indigent who face danger from the sewers and a fake preacher. The action is also standard and less interesting than it could be.

The Glass Mantis--The cops and the Lobster are tipped off about a hit happening at an art museum. Someone is supposed to kill a visiting Turkish artist who has made many beautiful glass sculptures for a visiting exhibit. The best is a glass mantis; a lot of other ones are much lesser works. The assassin turns out to be a Turkish woman who shouts "Imposter!" as she shoots. The cops have dressed up one of their own as the artist, but wearing a bulletproof vest and beard keeps him alive. The woman surrenders and escapes from the cops. When the Lobster catches up with her, she tells the story of what's really going on. The mystery of the story works really well along with the action. This is my favorite in this collection.

Garden of Bones--Lobster Johnson investigates a graveyard (the titular garden of bones) with his assistant Harry, hunting down a cop-killer who has an M.O. very similar to mob enforcer Big Benny Jeunot. The only problem is Benny is supposed to be six feet under and voodoo magic doesn't work on consecrated ground. They do have a run-in with Benny, leading to a small cult of Fimbakonu, which is not voodoo. The cult follows all the voodoo rules, leading Harry to save the day at the end. It's a fun story but pretty short.

Mangekyo--The Lobster and his crew stop a prison break set up for a German spy. A bunch of monkeys in kabuki masks tried to dynamite the prison wall. The crew follows the monkeys back into the forest where they confront the Crimson Lotus, a Japanese magic-weaving woman who lays traps for them, some psychological or mystical. The story is a lot of fun.

Recommended.

Book Review: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Beast of Vargu and Others by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Beast of Vargu and Others stories by Mike Mignola with art by Duncan Fegredo, Christopher Mitten, Adam Hughes, and Ben Stenbeck

Some more adventures from Hellboy's past...

The Beast of Vargu--Hellboy goes to Romania and encounters the titular beast at Vargu Castle. A local gypsy woman also tells him his own adventure via a puppet show which is bizarrely tied to the defeat of the beast. The tale is weird but not particularly satisfying. The art by Duncan Fegredo is great and makes up for other failings.

Saturn Returns--In 1974, a remote New England woodland grove is home to dozens of corpses. People had been vanishing or "leaving town" for decades. The rock wall of the grove is covered with occult symbols, so Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. have been called in to help the investigation. The fresher corpses show their rib cages pulled out and their hearts missing. Meanwhile, Liz Sherman makes an escape from the Connecticut headquarters and runs into trouble. Hellboy is pulled off the investigation to help out Liz. The stories are loosely tied together. The supernatural investigation is more interesting than the teenage runaway plight.

Krampusnacht--Hellboy faces off against the Krampus, a legendary Christmas monster who is interested in punishing those on Santa's naughty list. They face off a couple of days before Christmas in a remote Austrian home. Mignola does a great job building up some character and mythology for the Krampus, with the typical spooky and violent ending. The story is a fun cross of "monster of the week" and "Christmas special."

Return of the Lambton Worm--Hellboy and the Professor investigate a medieval knight's grave. The knight claimed to have defeated a dragon that he accidentally summoned to his neighborhood. The tomb of the knight has a few surprises in store. It's a fun, very short story.

Recommended--an enjoyable collection!

Book Review: Koshchei the Deathless by M. Mignola et al.

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.

Book Review: Frankenstein Underground by Mike Mignola et al.

Frankenstein Underground story by Mike Mignola, art by Ben Stenbeck, colors by Dave Stewart, letters by Clem Robins

Frankenstein's monster is wandering around 1956 Mexico after his bout with Hellboy. He's been shot in the chest and wanders into some ancient ruins. He finds an old woman who heals him through magical powers of the ancient gods symbolized by the enormous statues in the ruins. Meanwhile, a French noble who deals in the arcane (he has one of *those* bookstores, if you know what I mean) wants to add the monster to his collection of odd beings. He sends one of his agents with strict instructions not to harm or kill the monster. In the fight, the old witch is mortally wounded and the monster is harmed, prompting the collector to suddenly summon back his agent. The monster cradles the dying witch in his arms. He asks her to heal herself but she cannot. He goes berserk and demands the gods around him heal her. He smashes up the statues, which collapse on top of him. Everything crashes through the ground, dropping into a subterranean world of horrors and remnants of the ancient Hyperborean civilization, where even more bizarre things happen.

The monster is an interesting character. Like many of Mignola's other semi-human beings (Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Roger the Homunculus), Frankenstein's monster is unsure of who he is and what his purpose is in the world. Mignola follows the basics of Mary Shelly's original but has moved in his own direction far beyond that story. The monster grapples with the questions like whether he is good or evil, can he find redemption for the killing he has done, is he human or just a thing, etc. He isn't quite smart enough to come to any conclusions. But at least he is trying.

The story also lets Mignola explore more of his Lovecraftian mythology. Other people's interest in the monster is tied to the ancient "golden people," who lived in Hyperborea (the warm and inviting paradise of the remote past that is now the arctic region). The Hyperboreans created the ancient monsters that have been plaguing Hellboy's world (similar to Lovecraft's elder gods) and built colonies inside the earth. The modern-day scientists in the story are interested in the monster as a being brought to life through the ancient Vril energy that created the earth and was used by the Hyperboreans. It is interesting to see the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. mythology developed further.

The art is classic Mignola style: dark with plenty of blacks and lovingly drawn weird details. I love his art style so that by itself makes this book fun to read.

Recommended highly more for Hellboy fans than Frankenstein fans.