Book Review: Hellboy 20th Anniversary Sampler by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy 20th Anniversary Sampler stories by Mike Mignola and R. Sikoryak, art by Fabio Moon, R. Sikoryak, Mike Mignola, and Cameron Stewart

Hellboy's twentieth anniversary was in 2014; I'm only reading this now because it was available as a free digital copy to read during the Corona Virus pandemic. Check here to see if it's still available! Here's what's inside:

1. The Coffin Man--During Hellboy's drunken blur in Mexico, he helps out a young girl whose uncle has just died. The uncle is buried but the niece is worried that a local witch, the Coffin Man, will disturb his eternal rest. Hellboy naturally has to investigate, with the usual weird and wonderful results ("usual" in the sense of what usually happens in Mexico with Hellboy).

2. B.P.R.D. Color Comics Fun!--This re-imagines the Sunday color comics with Hellboy universe characters (like Broom-Hilda is replaced with the Baba Yaga; the Jumble is all Chthulu monster names!). These are as funny as the Sunday funnies, but you'd need to be familiar with the Hellboy stories to appreciate them (so this probably isn't good for a sampler, come to think of it).

3. The Ghoul--Hellboy pursues a husband who goes out a lot at night. The security camera of a graveyard shows the husband having a "picnic." Hellboy investigates and finds a much longer history the guy has...a history that's about to end.

4. Another Day at the Office--A European zombie outbreak draws the attention of the B.P.R.D. They trace it back to a creepy castle where a monomaniacal aristocrat planned to take over the world hundreds of years ago. A treasure hunter came to the castle and got possessed by the old spirit, causing the mayhem. For the B.P.R.D. agents, this is, as the title suggests, an all to familiar scenario.

I enjoyed this volume a lot, though I have read The Coffin Man and the comics before. I don't remember the other two stories. They had the typical blend of creepy atmosphere and pulp action that is characteristic of the Hellboy stories.

Recommended, especially if it's still free!

Book Review: Hellboy in Mexico by M. Mignola et al.

Hellboy in Mexico written by Mike Mignola with art by Richard Corben, Mike Mignola, Mick Mahon, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon

This is a collection of stories written by Mike Mignola about the five months that Hellboy spent in Mexico back in 1956.

Hellboy in Mexico--Hellboy and Abe Sapien are stuck in the Mexican desert in 1982. They seek shelter in an abandoned gas station where Abe discovers a picture of Hellboy with some luchedores (Mexican wrestlers). Hellboy tells a story from his 1956 sojourn in Mexico. He went with two other B.P.R.D. agents to investigate some mass killings. Things were horrible and the other two left. Hellboy joined up with a band of luchedores who were already fighting vampires and other monsters. He doesn't know any Spanish but they manage to fight all day and drink all night, until the demons get the better of them. A bittersweet ending was in store, triggering a five-month stay in Mexico that is aptly described as "a drunken blur." The story is a great blend of horror and humor. The art by Richard Corben is distinct from Mignola's style but works very well for the story.

Hellboy versus the Aztec Mummy--Hellboy catches up to a bat-demon and has a big fight with it and a bunch of zombies. There isn't much story here, just plenty of atmospheric fun. The exposition dump at the end is probably unnecessary other than filling out the bottom of the last page.

Hellboy Gets Married--The drunken blur continues as Hellboy follows a mariachi band with a cute senorita in tow. He winds up marrying her though it turns out his beer goggles are exceptionally thick. Big fight ensues. The tale is a bit formulaic for Hellboy but Mignola includes lyrics from a few melancholic Mexican ballads to help set the tone. The weird talking wedding ring/snake is pretty cool too.

The Coffin Man--A small girl bursts into a bar asking help for her uncle. The locals say they buried him yesterday, so what's the deal? She's worried about the Coffin Man, a grave-robbing zombie witch. Hellboy, being a stand-up guy, stands up and head out to help the girl watch over her uncle's grave. This story showcases the weird, made up mythology that Mignola is so good at crafting.

House of the Living Dead--Hellboy has joined the luchedor circuit (mostly for drinking money) when he is called out by a mysterious doctor to fight the doctor's latest creation. That creation turns out to be Frankenstein's monster. The other classic Universal monsters (Dracula and the Wolf Man) show up, making a nice homage to the 1930's films. The story is both fun and melancholic, the classical Mignola blend. The art by Richard Corben follows the Hellboy in Mexico style and makes a nice conclusion to this book.

The book also contains one-page introductions by Mignola discussing the origins of the stories and weird details (who knew that Mexican vampires can turn into turkeys?). The back has various sketches by the artists working on the stories. They are almost all drafts of final art, which I find only mildly interesting. I like it better when they showcase different ideas or show the development of a character's look or style.

Book Review B.P.R.D. Vampire by Mike Mignola et al.

B.P.R.D. Vampire written by Mike Mignola, written and illustrated by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon

The B.P.R.D. has a long history of collecting misfits and using them as field agents. Hellboy is a demon child summoned by the Nazis at the end of World War II to change their fortunes. Abe Sapien is a fishman from the American Civil War era. Roger the Homunculus was grown in a German castle as a slave for bad guys. In B.P.R.D. 1948 Agent Simon Anders was a normal human until the souls of two crazy vampire sisters were imprisoned in him, turning him into a vampire. In this sequel, it's still 1948 and all Anders wants to do is hunt down other vampires. He's had dreams of a bizarre ceremony of vampires killing witches, nightmares inspired by the sisters' memories. Professor Broom sends him to Soviet Czechoslovakia to investigate a site of possible vampire activity. Anders goes on his own, hoping to wreak some vengeance.

The story is a fine blend of creepiness, sadness, and mythology that is so common in Hellboy and B.P.R.D. stories. The art does a great job of mimicking Mignola's style and telling the story without a lot of dialogue. It's well worth reading.