280 HELLBOY
U.S. government. Readers were instantly drawn to Mignola’s Lovecraftian tale that
combined horror story aesthetics with superhero action; a loyal fanbase quickly
formed.
Following this successful launch, Hellboy next appeared in a serialized story in
Dark Horse Presents , before future series gradually detailed his many adventures
and further revealed his origins: “Hellboy: Th e Corpse/Th e Iron Shoes” (1996),
“Hellboy: Wake the Devil” (1996), and “Hellboy: Almost Colossus” (1997). Hellboy
reached an important milestone with the release of “Th e Conqueror Worm” (2004),
which marked his 10-year anniversary. Th e many bizarre adventures span in time
from the 1940s to the present, and often include sorcery, werewolves, vampires ,
and ghosts. Nazis of diff erent varieties are also common occurrences: vampire
Nazis, Nazis from space, and zombie Nazis. Hellboy grows to be the lead agent
in the B.P.R.D, where he works with his good friend Abraham “Abe” Sapien, (an
amphibious humanoid of mysterious origin that can breathe underwater), Elizabeth
Sherman (Hellboy’s pyrokinetic love-interest), and Roger (a large homunculus).
A cast of equally fascinating characters make up Hellboy’s enemies, including
Grigori Rasputin, the infamous “Mad Monk” of Tsarist Russia, and Herman Von
Klempt, a deranged Nazi scientist who is in fact a disembodied head kept alive
inside a jar of liquid.
At the beginning of the series, Hellboy does not focus much on his demonic
birthright, choosing instead to fi ght for good; but over time he must confront his true
nature, with readers left to wonder whether he can escape his fate as a creature created
to destroy humanity. Th rough his subsequent trials and tribulations, readers learn that
Hellboy is certainly a force for good, with a strong will and desire to do the right thing.
He disavows and rejects his destiny as a harbinger of the apocalypse—an act symbol-
ized by a scene where he breaks of his horns. Mignola’s fl air for absurd humor shows
up often when Hellboy faces both internal and external confl ict with wise-cracks and
sarcasm. A “blue-collar” hero, Hellboy would just as soon knock back a cold beer and
light a stogie as send a demon back to Hell.
Hellboy’s success has led to all manner of comic book and graphic novel tie-ins
and crossovers, including appearances with Batman, Savage Dragon, and Pain Killer
Jane. In 1997, a Hellboy novel was commissioned; entitled Th e Lost Army , it was
written by Christopher Golden and illustrated by Mignola. Th at same year, Hellboy
Junior , a satire, was also released. In the following years, Hellboy appeared in several
more one-shots, specials, anthologies and miniseries, and additional Golden-penned
novels.
Th e 2004 fi lm, Hellboy , directed by Guillermo del Toro, brought a larger audience to
the Hellboy character and storyline. Del Toro also directed a sequel, titled Hellboy II:
Th e Golden Army , released in July 2008. Hellboy has also enjoyed success in animation,
starring in a series of feature-length animated movies released directly to DVD. To
date, only two of such fi lms have been released: Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms and
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron.
