Mike Mignola’s Hellboy remains one of the most innovative indie comics ever created. Part of that is the fact that Mignola embraces a wide range of genres when it comes to writing Hellboy’s adventures: there’s, of course, the supernatural, but this is also a comic universe with aliens, folklore come to life, and cutting-edge science fiction. The biggest example of this is Giant Robot Hellboy, which saw Hellboy strapped into a giant robot version of himself and let loose to fight Kaiju. It’s pure comic book goodness, and it’s no surprise that Mignola decided to revisit this idea with the appropriately titled Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1.
Following the events of Giant Robot Hellboy, the massive robot Hellboy was trapped in is now wandering the ocean floor, and the scientists who developed the machine are searching for it. However, there’s a complication in the form of a massive wormhole at the bottom of the sea, which is bringing monsters from another dimension to our world. The only thing standing between humanity and these monsters? Giant Robot Hellboy.
While the plot might remind some readers of Pacific Rim, Mignola brings plenty of his signature style to Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1. There’s the group of scientists who stumble upon something they weren’t meant to see. There’s a vibe that can best be described as “Jack Kirby meets H.P. Lovecraft,” with the former’s dynamic sense of style and boundless creativity mixing with the latter’s tendencies to find horrors in the unknown. And while Hellboy himself might not be in this comic, it turns out his giant robot counterpart has inherited everything fans know and love about him – especially his skill for punching monsters in the face!
Mignola isn’t the only person who’s making a return to the world of Giant Robot Hellboy. Duncan Fegredo, who illustrated the original miniseries, is back on art duties and ups the ante with some gnarly imagery. Whether it’s the shadow of a massive submarine cutting through the ocean, Giant Robot Hellboy slugging kaiju and sending them flying through the waves, or the sheer horror of a scientist being ripped apart by what seems to be living coral and then transforming into a massive monster, Fegredo delivers pure creativity on every page. There are very few artists who can match Mignola when it comes to crafting Hellboy stories, but Fegredo is at the top of the list.
I can’t talk about a Hellboy comic without mentioning Dave Stewart and Clem Robins. Both have worked on a plethora of Hellboy comics over the years as colorist and letterer, respectively; they’re as much a part of Hellboy’s world as Mignola, and they help set the overall tone. Stewart’s colors are full of dark hues, with a mix of greens, purple, and sea blue bringing the true terror of the deep to life. As for Robins, he makes a flashback sequence detailing the events of Giant Robot Hellboy pop with carefully placed captions.
Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1 more than lives up to its name as it revisits one of the most creatively ambitious periods of Hellboy history. Mignola’s said in interviews that he feared this idea was too silly, but if you ask me, it’s the perfect story to show someone who wants to know more about Hellboy.
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