Hellboy: Weird Tales
Year: 2014
Author: Mike Mignola
Length: 261 pages
I have rarely read comics or graphic novels prior to seeing their movie adaptations, and Hellboy is no exception. I enjoyed the 2004 movie and its 2008 sequel but only just now picked up this anthology collection of Hellboy comics. It’s difficult to know where to start with any western comic series, so Hellboy: Weird Tales was actually a perfect injection point for me since nothing from these comics is necessarily canon. Instead, I was able to enjoy other artists’ take on this demon-fighting character’s adventures.
As with any anthology collection, not everything in Weird Tales is great. Still, there were a few comics that I enjoyed over the others. I appreciated the parody of comic books in the “Lobster Johnson” section and the manga-like “Hot” that also felt appropriate given the Japanese setting. The art style and punchline of “Haunted” were both entertaining. “Flight Risk” was bold and action-filled. “Family Story” and “The Dread Within” both had great twists. “Love is Scarier than Death” felt like it gave a side of Hellboy that might not be seen often.
Considering that the only thing that ties any of the stories together is that they share the Hellboy universe, there are some drastically different styles in this omnibus. If you’re reading this for more of the original artist’s work, you’d probably be better served looking elsewhere. Still, if you come in with an open mind, you might find some interesting storylines that are neatly wrapped up by the end of each of their respective comics. As bite-sized little pieces, I got to know some of these characters better and now I feel obligated to track down more of these collections from the canon since this collection has piqued my interest.
A good jumping-off point for getting into Hellboy, I give Hellboy: Weird Tales 3.5 stars out of 5.
1/2
