Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destructioncollecting the 4-issue miniseries
by Mike Mignola and John Byrne
One of the opening dedications is to Jack Kirby, and you can really tell. A lot of the muscles are drawn with that Kirby-esque flair, and there are Kirby dots in the usual places. The idea behind the comic book is that Hellboy is one part of a group of paranormal researchers in the BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense). The main story revolves around a haunted house and a former Nazi scientist who seeks to open the gates of Hell and summon a demon.
Of course, they stop him, but there seems to be an unnecessarily think amount of backstory that gets in the way. As I was reading it on my device, it became more of a chore having to get through each panel than fun. It seemed to be about Rasputin the Nazi occult dude as much as it was about Hellboy, and I think that was a mistake -- Rasputin talks for an amount of panel time that doesn't really contribute to the plot. What I want to see more of is this gritty, tough-as-nails Hellboy.
Included with the trade are two short stories and some pin-ups: I think the short stories convey Mignola's vision much better than the main story, which gets bogged down in details and names and odd terms. Hellboy is a demon who faces down weird, supernatural stuff. He solves his problems by punching them.
You can also find the first issue for free, if you want just a nibble.
Usually I'll have two trades up for you, but not today. Today I have a video on the comiXology app for my device, the Kindle Fire!
The times, they are a-changin'.
No comments:
Post a Comment