30 Years with Hellboy

It was a chilly night before Christmas in 1944. The Third Reich would do anything to win the war. Even summon a demon, or the devil himself, to help them destroy the enemy. They call upon the monk Rasputin to perform the ritual. It succeeds, but not in the way the Germans planned. Unexpectedly, a few kilometers away, a child appears in fire and smoke. So small, defenseless. And red… On top of that, the boy has horns and a stone hand. He gets the name Hellboy, because his real name, Anung un Rama, is hard for anyone to remember anyway. In the end, it was quite lucky that he didn't fall into the hands of the Reich, but into those of Allied soldiers.

Thus began one of the most charismatic comic book characters and a work that catapulted its author, writer, and artist, Mike Mignola, into comic book heaven. The American Mignola had been working for DC and Marvel for some time, but hadn't really made a big splash until then. Then, in March 1994, the first Hellboy issue was released, changing his life beyond recognition.

The US government takes charge of Hellboy's upbringing. A team is formed in New Mexico tasked with investigating paranormal phenomena. Hellboy might start filing down his horns, but he still doesn't look like someone who could sit behind a cash register at the mall. But a career as an agent for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense is perfect for him.

And he definitely isn't afraid to jump in headfirst! Often literally. Thanks to his hellish origin, he is equipped with supernatural super-strength, super-speed, super-reflexes, and who knows what other supers. At the same time, he likes a very personal approach to problem-solving. For that, he uses his trusty revolver and a stone hand that easily wipes the smile off many a villain's face. And when even that doesn't help, a classic badass one-liner or joke comes into play.

Yes, Hellboy's stories often end with him meeting an opponent, getting beaten up, and then pulling himself together at the last moment to win. It's a common comic book cliché. But Mignola is a very skilled writer, and he has managed to build a richly intertwined world around the fights. It teems with references to mythologies from all over the world, including Slavic ones. Hellboy thus fights Nazis, vampires (he even visits Prague), werewolves, the Greek goddess Hecate, and isn't ashamed to punch Baba Yaga in the face either.

Mignola managed to create a work that eventually spilled over the pages of the original comic series. Among the most famous spin-offs is mainly the B.P.R.D. series about Hellboy's colleagues. But thanks to Hellboy, a number of other series were created (see image). If you're a bit confused, I recommend checking out the practical overview prepared by the publisher Comics Centrum, which is in charge of publishing Hellboy here. And let's be grateful for that. Few would dedicate so much attention and love to this guy.

And that's obviously not all! Hellboy has appeared in three feature films, has several novels to his name (comics without pictures :)), a tabletop RPG, a board game, and video games. The latest release, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, unfortunately didn't make much of a splash.

What is the secret to Hellboy's success? First and foremost, it's the polished script, which often relies on the reader having some brains and at least a superficial knowledge of history and mythology. Hellboy is a big red guy with a tail, horns (basically like a devil), and a stone hand throwing one-liners wherever he can, yet he's actually a sympathetic character that fans can love.

A huge asset is also the amazing, stylish art supported by color work that regularly borders on genius. You can recognize a Mignola drawing at first glance. I love his minimalist shorthand, characters sketched with a single line, clean backgrounds, or panels containing only a flower or a small bird. In this, Mike Mignola is a genius! As Hellboy expanded, other artists came along, but Mignola still keeps a firm grip on the main series' script.

Hellboy doesn't have an easy fate in his world. He was supposed to destroy the world. To become the catalyst of the apocalypse. He fought against it his whole life. In the end, it was even discovered that Hellboy is a descendant of King Arthur, and thus the rightful King of England! In short, it sounds like total nonsense, but in the stories, it makes sense. One thing is clear, though – Hellboy will eventually have a crown. The question is whether on Earth or in hell.

And that is exactly where he goes in the latest miniseries Hellboy in Hell. Hellboy dies, appears to save the world, and ends up "home." There, all the story threads meet, he encounters his opponents again, and looks back at what he left behind on Earth.

Hellboy is clearly a legend that has written itself into comic book history in hellish red ink. These are comics that, besides fun action, offer a sophisticated world and a script from which, if you're not careful, you might even learn something. Thanks to the combination with Mignola's brilliant art, it's the best you can find in comics. Hellboy easily appeals to demanding adult readers as well. Thanks for a beautiful 30 years!

author Karel Krajča