Hellboy Volume 2: Wake the Devil

One of the best colorings i have ever seen in a comic book.

I don't even know is the story is that great. Lovecraftian elder gods etc. A
are okay, but what really stands out is Mignola's art. Artists with a strong inking background make a unique and powerful visual style that's unique to comic books. It's not just an homage to Jack Kirby either but also a perfect marriage of heavy blacks to occult subjects.

I pulled a random Hellboy book off the shelf and it seems to have been later in the series. Have to go back and read the books before this one, I suppose.

Where the first volume was lean and driven by vision and ambition alone, this one necessarily expands on that vision, preparing Hellboy for his still ongoing 30-year run. However, Mignola simply isn't there yet as a writer, failing to elegantly juggle all of the narrative balls he throws into the air. So it didn't surprise me when he revealed at the end of the volume that he made significant changes to the story halfway through and that one of its best parts—the Epilogue—was added later when the issues were collected.


That doesn't mean there aren't some major improvements. The art is more confident and dynamic, even though it lacks some of the dark, damp moodiness of the first volume that I liked so much. The dialogue is much more interesting and natural as well. And while it doesn't yet always come together in a satisfying way, the wild mix of myths and folklore is a lot of fun.

A bit more backstory on Hellboy, and more interesting plot than the first. The art isn't quite as arresting as the first volume, but I'm really enjoying these.