Hellboy in Hell #5

by Sean Tonelli on December 04, 2013

Hellboy in Hell #5
A fresh cup of coffee. The corner slice of lasagna. A pull-through parking spot. A new Hellboy comic. It’s the little things that make life worthwhile and there are few things as joyful as a new Hellboy comic. Years ago, we took Hellboy releases with a grain of salt. Yes, they were excellent, but they were inevitable. Now that Big Red is dead, who knows the next time we will see our boy in action! Fret not, for the wait is over with this excellent one-shot sporting some gorgeous artwork from Mr. Mignola himself.

Picking up after the devilishly good events from last issue, Hellboy in Hell #5: The Three Whips finds Hellboy alone, accepting of his place in hell and having a nice long toke. His solidarity is disturbed however by an elderly vet who's in quite the pickle. Having sold his soul for riches, the vet enlists Hellboy aide hoping to find a way to find some eternal rests.

With all the heavy bombastic action of the BPRD of late, the slower pace of the issue is a refreshing change and quite fitting. Hellboy has been through hell and back (pun intended cheaaa) so it makes sense that Mignola wouldn’t want to get to crazy. What we have here is a spiritual journey where we learn the value of a soul, something that is a very hot commodity in hell as it turns out. We also learn a thing or two about the chaos down below in the wake of the Devil’s murder, with many factions at war.

The art is classic Mignola with all the fantastical imagery one would expect. Skeletons, talking snakes and flying dragons are all handled with simplistic perfection as our hero schleps through the underworld, ever the cigarette dangling from his lips.

Christmas has come a little early this year as Mignola treats fans to another excellent Hellboy tale. While Hellboy in Hell #5: The Three Whips may not be an action packed blockbuster, its still a great tale thats fits perfectly with a nice glass of brandy and warm fire.   

Hellboy in Hell #5: The Three Whips
Story & Art: Mike Mignola
Colours: Dave Stewart
Letters: Clem Robins
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Purchase: Dark Horse Comics

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside