Hellboy: House of the Living Dead HC
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Mike Mignola
Artist: Richard Corben
Colorist: Dave Stewart
As we all know by now, Hellboy is on “hiatus” for a while, so Mike Mignola has brought us another great tale from the past. In this story, Hellboy is alone in the New Mexico desert, and he must make friends, fight vampires, werewolves, ghouls, you name it. There is a cool twist to this story, but I’m not going to give that away because it’s awesome. Honestly, the story is like a 56 page one-shot that shows Hellboy drinking like a fish, fighting a Frankenstein Monster-type creature, and trying to save the life of a young girl that’s in the clutches of a mad scientist type guy.
OK, first and foremost, was the foreword by Mignola. It was very short and to the point, but really good. It speaks of a time that we can all relate to, and I know that I can for sure. Ya know, back when you were young and thought even cheesy movies were good. This will definitely resonate with many readers, because I know a lot of people that fall into that category. Mignola has a way with Hellboy that will never get stale. Since he’s been around for decades (Hellboy, that is), there are endless possibilities for stories untold like this one. He can fight demons, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and everything else you can think of. The point is that the ending will always be different because of the diversity of the villains. Also, you can take into consideration his ties to the B.P.R.D., and the adventures with them as well.
Artist Richard Corben has been a mainstay in the horror/sci-fi genre since the 70s. His work includes Heavy Metal, Vampirella, Creepy, Eerie, and more. This book is done right for Hellboy fans out there, and I can speak on that. He draws Hellboy slightly thinner than Mignola, but it doesn’t take away from the strength or size of Hellboy’s stature. He seems just as strong and powerful as usual when he delivers a punch to a villain. And believe me, there are plenty of them in this book. I also liked the colorist, Dave Stewart, because his work really set things off, especially the big fight scene at the end. There were a lot of dark scenes that were really brought to life by some great red blood spatters!
Definitely give this book a shot, and hey, it’s Hellboy, so you know what you’re getting with that and Mignola. When you throw in Corben, that’s just a bonus! The book is on the shelf right now, so don’t waste time, pick it up!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
