Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Hellboy In Hell #8
Dark Horse Comics
Mignola & Stewart
"Hellboy" wraps up its short, two-issue, arc with a solid issue. Delays forthcoming for the overall story, this issue is a decent filler for some of Hellboy's back story and provides some moments to remind the reader how great of a character this is and how great the storytelling can get when Mignola handles the writing and art duties. This is a good comic book to take a look at but isn't anything game-changing.
Hellboy is in Hell and wraps up his battle from the previous issue in short order. This leads him to get put in a situation that appears to be some kind of trial or judgement. This presents the most interesting aspect of the character.
Hellboy goes through a story about his parents, how he ended up on Earth and some of the other family battles he's had over the years. This brings a confrontation with a relative of his. The readers that have followed this character's adventures over the years are going to be pleased at how Mignola adds another piece to the origin puzzle. However, the newer readers could easily get lost in the continuity-heavy pages that explain some of what's happening but stops short of holding the reader's hand. I enjoyed the surprises in this sequence.
The comic has some action, it has some one-liners, it has charm, it has great visuals and a twist or two. The book excels at seeding the occasional, "Son of..." reference. The comic tends to leave a lot unsaid. This is good and bad. There are pieces to the story seem to lay outside of the issue. This can be frustrating at times as I found myself trying to recall if this was a piece to something that has already been told or a piece to a new story element.
The artwork is stellar. Mignola and Stewart bring the look and feel of Hell and Hellboy like no other pair. The comic book has some important moments and has some action packed ones and the artwork delivers each time. There were two panels that were close ups that were very difficult to discern what was happening. This isn't really a comment on the art but on the storytelling choice. However, the comic excels when Hellboy is either belting a bad guy or being tossed like a coin.
"Hellboy" closes out the short arc with a revealing issue. This one provides a recap of some of his past and adds some interesting family pieces to the puzzle, but also reveals a few more questions. The comic has action and terrific artwork to help pace the book nicely. Unfortunately the wait now begins for the next installment in the series and it appears it will be a while. However, this issue was worth picking up and was definitely an entertaining read.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
