Written by: Mike Mignola
Art by: Paolo Rivera
Publisher: Dark Horse
Mike Mignola and his creepy, paranormal universe had been growing strong with Dark Horse Comics recently, with his own personal world growing larger and larger as the years go by. Hellboy and company have been adventuring for over two decades now in print, but my favorite devilish hero goes back a long time ago in his own world. I always had a fondness for Mignola’s most popular character, and seeing his escapades in the 1950’s is a lot of fun. The adventures continue in 1953 – Beyond the Fences #1. I tend to judge books by their covers, and this cover (esp. the alt. by David Mack) invite me in.
I normally I’d talk about the writing first, but I want to approach Mr. Rivera’s pencils first, plus the inks and coloring from Joe Rivera and Dave Stewart respectively. The art overall is pretty solid, but I felt as if the tone feels a bit lighter than usual. Everything’s a bit brighter (just a tad), it’s a bit funnier (just a tad), etc., etc. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, and the paranormal and darker elements are still there, of course, even in this first issue, but it’s worth noting.
Any who, the writing is still pretty solid. Hellboy, young in his career in the B.P.R.D. is a swell dude and immensely likable, even with the immense power he possesses. The plot begins ominously, in all the right ways, when Hellboy and company investigate strange disappearances in California, with largely children victims. The rest of the returning cast all have their own mysteries to be investigated, although I wish characters like Stegner, who’s a bit skeptical something’s actually wrong, were a bit more savvy of their occupations and what it will entails. Granted, it’s relatively early in the Hellboy universe, so that could rationally be excused. The plot thickens in a wonderfully cryptic way, and I am excited to find out more, frankly.
I’ll be honest, given the nature of a horror book, it’s hard to talk about the matter without giving juicy details away. Just take my word for it this is an exciting book to start looking into. Hellboy has always seemingly had this consistent quality, and it shines here.
