Colours by: Dave Stewart
Letters by: Clem Robins
Published by: Dark Horse Comics
Hellboy in Hell #7, by the legendary Mike Mignola, is a visual feast from the first panel until the last. What more could you expect from a Hellboy book? Normally with a book I tend to focus mainly on the story, the plot and pace, along with characterization – for me, story is KING. However, when presented with something so beautiful as this particular book, even I have to take a step back and appreciate the art. Mike Mignola’s compositions are luscious, and the colour is applied beautifully. The section around the World Tree is particularly uplifting visually. All of the book, with each representative element, is as you would expect: sumptuous. There is something so distinctively cool about a Mike Mignola book that it is easy to get lost in the art.
Now, back to the story…
Hellboy in Hell issue 7 kicks off with a disorientated Hellboy in a suitably bizarre sequence. The basics of the plot is a chronological progression for Hellboy – so a linear track for our hero to follow as he encounters strange doctors, a peculiar court and an impressive nemesis. As the story unfolds, as Hellboy navigates his way around his environs, encounters the denizens of various aspects, we are sucked in, body and soul, into the world of Hellboy. As much as the books of Mike Mignola are a visual delight, Mike also knows how to tell a story, how to build a character, and how to structure a compelling storyline that elicits empathy from the reader.
From my perspective, there are no negatives to this issue, other than the standard complaint that it is over too soon. But then there are constraints to which an issue of a comic must adhere to. That aside, this is a delightful book, rendered beautifully and told with an assured style as befitting a creator perfectly at one with his creation. The next issue should be an absolute treat, so keep an eye out for more Hellboy in Hell!
