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Hellboy #4
Hellboy, Vol. 4: The Right Hand of Doom
Dark Horse presents new editions of the entire Hellboy line with new covers, beginning with Seed of Destruction, the basis of director Guillermo del Toro's upcoming film. Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding. Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.
"The best horror comic in a generation. This Mignola guy is a wizard"
- Frank Miller
Collects Pancakes (from Dark Horse Presents Annual 1999); The Nature of the Beast (from Dark Horse Presents #151'); King Vold; Heads (from Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead); Goodbye, Mr. Tod (from Gary Gianni's The MonsterMen); The Vârcolac, The Right Hand of Doom (from Dark Horse Presents Annual 1998; Box Full of Evil #1–2.
"The best horror comic in a generation. This Mignola guy is a wizard"
- Frank Miller
Collects Pancakes (from Dark Horse Presents Annual 1999); The Nature of the Beast (from Dark Horse Presents #151'); King Vold; Heads (from Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead); Goodbye, Mr. Tod (from Gary Gianni's The MonsterMen); The Vârcolac, The Right Hand of Doom (from Dark Horse Presents Annual 1998; Box Full of Evil #1–2.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,765 books2,391 followersMike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
March 8, 2021
"Y me asome al fin del mundo y vi a la bestia, y en la mano derecha empuñaba la llave del pozo sin fondo"
"Fui a parar a un sitio muy oscuro. Oí una voz que me decía que tenia que levar el caos al mundo, que había nacido con ese propósito, que de lo contrario moriría"
"No puedes escapar del destino! Los cuatro jinetes ya cabalgan por el mundo. Oscureceremos el sol, haremos sangrar a la luna y apagaremos las estrellas"
Cuarto tomo de la etapa clásica.
Incluye dos geniales historias principales de origen, y que desvelan detalles sobre el misterio de su mano de piedra, su relación con Hecate y su papel en el Apocalipsis. "La mano del destino" y "La caja del mal"
Ademas incluye historias breves muy divertidas. Como siempre con origen y trasfondo en mitos y leyendas y cuentos populares de diferentes culturas. y diferentes influencias y tributos, que provienen en su mayoría del Terror y el pulp.
Por describir brevemente algunas:"El Rey Vold". influenciado por diferentes cuentos populares noruegos. Con el espíritu de un rey errante decapitado y sus perros de caza ( en realidad son espíritus de berserkers) y que esta en la constante búsqueda de una Sirena.
"Cabezas" adaptación de un cuento japones. y en el que las cabezas de unos guerreros samuráis decapitados persiguen a Hellboy
"El Varcolac", una criatura de la mitología rumana . Y que se alimenta del Sol y la luna generando las fases lunares y los eclipses.
"Adiós Señor Tod" Donde en una sesión espiritista, el ectoplasma del médium se convierte en una criatura Lovecraftiana
"Fui a parar a un sitio muy oscuro. Oí una voz que me decía que tenia que levar el caos al mundo, que había nacido con ese propósito, que de lo contrario moriría"
"No puedes escapar del destino! Los cuatro jinetes ya cabalgan por el mundo. Oscureceremos el sol, haremos sangrar a la luna y apagaremos las estrellas"
Cuarto tomo de la etapa clásica.
Incluye dos geniales historias principales de origen, y que desvelan detalles sobre el misterio de su mano de piedra, su relación con Hecate y su papel en el Apocalipsis. "La mano del destino" y "La caja del mal"
Ademas incluye historias breves muy divertidas. Como siempre con origen y trasfondo en mitos y leyendas y cuentos populares de diferentes culturas. y diferentes influencias y tributos, que provienen en su mayoría del Terror y el pulp.
Por describir brevemente algunas:"El Rey Vold". influenciado por diferentes cuentos populares noruegos. Con el espíritu de un rey errante decapitado y sus perros de caza ( en realidad son espíritus de berserkers) y que esta en la constante búsqueda de una Sirena.
"Cabezas" adaptación de un cuento japones. y en el que las cabezas de unos guerreros samuráis decapitados persiguen a Hellboy
"El Varcolac", una criatura de la mitología rumana . Y que se alimenta del Sol y la luna generando las fases lunares y los eclipses.
"Adiós Señor Tod" Donde en una sesión espiritista, el ectoplasma del médium se convierte en una criatura Lovecraftiana
February 27, 2019
Five stars just for Pancakes alone. In many ways, these shorter stories do a better job of showcasing Hellboy's character than the longer form stories. I don't know if there's anything better than just cracking open a short story where Hellboy beats a monster into submission.
July 7, 2017
All in all, I thought this was quite enjoyable.
Notably, the whole origin story for Hellboy and his place in the world.
Other than that, the short stories were relatively cool and I especially love the homages to folklore and mythology. I get a thrill out of old tales that seem ancient and obscure even to me. :)
Notably, the whole origin story for Hellboy and his place in the world.
Other than that, the short stories were relatively cool and I especially love the homages to folklore and mythology. I get a thrill out of old tales that seem ancient and obscure even to me. :)
February 15, 2020
In this volume, you'll learn how powerful pancakes can be against the forces of evil. Mignola's writing and art are strong. He's masterfully skilled at weaving together folklore and occult lore with pulp action.
January 22, 2014
For some reason, I grabbed this graphic novel from my library, thinking it was the second in the series. I read this right after I finished Seed of Destruction, and I have to say I liked this much more. Maybe because of the short story format and the use of different folklore legends. As I've said before in my reviews of Mignola's work, I love his appreciation and encyclopedic knowledge of folklore from all over the world. As a person who is an enormous life-time lover of folklore, mythology and fairytales, I am endlessly charmed by modern writers who plumb the depths of existing folklore traditions and explore those in their work. I share Mignola's interest in the darker folklore and also his appreciation for the Gothic and Classic horror story. He mixes these snippets together into a whole that brings a respectful homage to all and creates something new as a result.
Mignola starts off this collection with a charming story called "Pancakes," in which a young Hellboy experiences pancakes for the first time, and the demons of hell mourn because they know they have lost his loyalty. Pancakes will always trump over ruling in hell. You have to laugh at that!
I had never heard of St. Leonard of Limousin, a folk story about a hero who fights a dragon and where his blood drips, lilies grow. Mignola does a nice twist on this, in "The Nature of the Beast," where Hellboy (with some help from St. Leonard himself) wins the day.
"King Vord" taps into the Norse legends when Hellboy gets sent to Norway to help out an old friend of Professor Bruttenholm, and is both dark and amusing. Be careful what you wish for!
"Goodbye, Mr. Tod," is a nod towards Lovecraft and spiritualist belief in manipulating ectoplasm. I didn't have very strong feelings towards this story.
Hellboy is the narrator through frame stories that revisit dark folktales from as far away as Japan, such as the story "Heads" in which Hellboy spends the night in the house of very strange hosts who have a tendency to lose their heads. Nobody knows how to scare a reader like the Japanese, or so it seems. I am too much of a coward to watch the Japanese horror movies, but here is a nicely chilling story for me to enjoy in that tradition.
Readers of Le Fanu's "Carmilla" will appreciate "The Vârcolac" as it looks at Eastern European vampire legends and has a scene that stood out for me from reading "Carmilla."
My favorite story was "Box Full of Evil", a pure horror story that features the Hand of Glory folk legend and some really evil people who think they can make deals with devils and come out on top.
I have to give this one five stars because it captivated me and had me writing down the various legends to look them up. That's always good when a book makes me want to do research on the background material used in the stories. A very enjoyable read.
Mignola starts off this collection with a charming story called "Pancakes," in which a young Hellboy experiences pancakes for the first time, and the demons of hell mourn because they know they have lost his loyalty. Pancakes will always trump over ruling in hell. You have to laugh at that!
I had never heard of St. Leonard of Limousin, a folk story about a hero who fights a dragon and where his blood drips, lilies grow. Mignola does a nice twist on this, in "The Nature of the Beast," where Hellboy (with some help from St. Leonard himself) wins the day.
"King Vord" taps into the Norse legends when Hellboy gets sent to Norway to help out an old friend of Professor Bruttenholm, and is both dark and amusing. Be careful what you wish for!
"Goodbye, Mr. Tod," is a nod towards Lovecraft and spiritualist belief in manipulating ectoplasm. I didn't have very strong feelings towards this story.
Hellboy is the narrator through frame stories that revisit dark folktales from as far away as Japan, such as the story "Heads" in which Hellboy spends the night in the house of very strange hosts who have a tendency to lose their heads. Nobody knows how to scare a reader like the Japanese, or so it seems. I am too much of a coward to watch the Japanese horror movies, but here is a nicely chilling story for me to enjoy in that tradition.
Readers of Le Fanu's "Carmilla" will appreciate "The Vârcolac" as it looks at Eastern European vampire legends and has a scene that stood out for me from reading "Carmilla."
My favorite story was "Box Full of Evil", a pure horror story that features the Hand of Glory folk legend and some really evil people who think they can make deals with devils and come out on top.
I have to give this one five stars because it captivated me and had me writing down the various legends to look them up. That's always good when a book makes me want to do research on the background material used in the stories. A very enjoyable read.
July 30, 2014
These are a series of short stories about Hellboy from youth to maturity. It was mildly engaging and the last story with the Cthulhu references was the most interesting. The previous ones tried a bit too much for humor and only half delivered to my tastes. Some of the tales weren't developed enough, too.
ARTWORK: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus; OVERALL GRADE: B minus; WHEN READ: March to April 2012.
ARTWORK: B; STORY/PLOTTING: B minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B minus; OVERALL GRADE: B minus; WHEN READ: March to April 2012.
February 8, 2017
Slowly but surely continuing my re-read of Hellboy. The main thing in this volume is explaining the origin of Hellboy's stone hand and its role in the fate of the world, no less. An important volume, and a pretty fun read, although probably not as exciting as the stories that are yet to come. Still, a very solid collection.
First read: October 25, 2015
Rating: ★★★★・
Second read: January 3, 2017
Rating: ★★★★・
First read: October 25, 2015
Rating: ★★★★・
Second read: January 3, 2017
Rating: ★★★★・
August 6, 2013
I think I like each Hellboy trade I read a little bit more than the one before it. I love how Mignola uses folklore and mythology as a basis for many of his stories, I really like Hellboy as a character, and the pancakes story, short as it was, was brilliant.
January 6, 2019
By now, I am deeply convinced that every man, woman, octopus and chest-of-drawers with even the least trace of self-esteem is bound to have a bit of a crush on Hellboy.
But getting back to the point: This volume is a combination of several (very) short stories, and one longer narration, more deeply rooted into Hellboy’s origin. To begin with, there is a medieval saint, a dragon (very old-school) and flowers blooming where blood has fallen. I don’t know about you, but for me those kinds of legends have always worked like a magnet, so gloomy and atmospheric with their curses and charms and obscure mythology. Then there is also a Viking king turned pale rider. And I seriously couldn’t say which of those is cooler and moodier. Not to mention the dead mermaid. I had no idea how creepy even the sole idea of a dead mermaid is – like a dead fish, but also like a ghastly drowned dead body, a bloated Ophelia of sorts. Also, you get ghost samurais and something rather Lovecraftian breaking out.
(Though an honourable mention goes to the one feat I wouldn’t have thought possible: Mignola manages to create a fairly decent one-shot out of two unspeakably dreadful components – namely American-style pancakes and toddlers. It all seems to be a matter of craftsmanship and technique: Don’t overdo it, don’t push too many comic reliefs, wrap it up swiftly in roughly a dozen panels, and obviously it can work.)
As for the one big thread: Given that this is Hellboy and the title being “The Right Hand of Doom”, it is not hard to guess where the whole background/origin story is going. So no need to spoil the fun for anyone. But it can be said that there is a chimpanzee firing a pistol in one of the most pop-artsy panels out there, and that Abe is being his wonderful, sophisticated self. But there is also something so fluffy and tender and sweet here, and it comes down to being what you make of yourself on you own accord, as opposed to the impassive result of some predestination. Now, under any other circumstances that would be a tacky, sugary load of kitsch. But this is “Hellboy”. And with “Hellboy” anything goes and everything works. Because Hellboy is love.
But getting back to the point: This volume is a combination of several (very) short stories, and one longer narration, more deeply rooted into Hellboy’s origin. To begin with, there is a medieval saint, a dragon (very old-school) and flowers blooming where blood has fallen. I don’t know about you, but for me those kinds of legends have always worked like a magnet, so gloomy and atmospheric with their curses and charms and obscure mythology. Then there is also a Viking king turned pale rider. And I seriously couldn’t say which of those is cooler and moodier. Not to mention the dead mermaid. I had no idea how creepy even the sole idea of a dead mermaid is – like a dead fish, but also like a ghastly drowned dead body, a bloated Ophelia of sorts. Also, you get ghost samurais and something rather Lovecraftian breaking out.
(Though an honourable mention goes to the one feat I wouldn’t have thought possible: Mignola manages to create a fairly decent one-shot out of two unspeakably dreadful components – namely American-style pancakes and toddlers. It all seems to be a matter of craftsmanship and technique: Don’t overdo it, don’t push too many comic reliefs, wrap it up swiftly in roughly a dozen panels, and obviously it can work.)
As for the one big thread: Given that this is Hellboy and the title being “The Right Hand of Doom”, it is not hard to guess where the whole background/origin story is going. So no need to spoil the fun for anyone. But it can be said that there is a chimpanzee firing a pistol in one of the most pop-artsy panels out there, and that Abe is being his wonderful, sophisticated self. But there is also something so fluffy and tender and sweet here, and it comes down to being what you make of yourself on you own accord, as opposed to the impassive result of some predestination. Now, under any other circumstances that would be a tacky, sugary load of kitsch. But this is “Hellboy”. And with “Hellboy” anything goes and everything works. Because Hellboy is love.
December 4, 2008
OK, I admit it. I loved the pancakes.
August 6, 2024
More please!!
November 13, 2020
Best one in the series so far, very entertaining, with its blend of horror folklore and its own mythology.
November 23, 2020
While I am a fairly latecomer to the Hellboy comic series, did enjoy the three movies well enough, I am picking up some fun reads concerning this red demon champion for humanity.
The collection of short tales opens with Hellboy discovering pancakes which is hilarious. The other tales are visual feasts and story wise more excellent than not. You get more insight in the character of Hellboy and his place in the world.
Well worth you time reading these books.
The collection of short tales opens with Hellboy discovering pancakes which is hilarious. The other tales are visual feasts and story wise more excellent than not. You get more insight in the character of Hellboy and his place in the world.
Well worth you time reading these books.
January 3, 2018
4.5 stars
January 1, 2020
Re-read 8/1/15: Pretty much what I thought below continues true, though I was more amused this time by "King Vold," in which Hellboy is tricked into battling a hound of Hell on someone else's behalf. Even better is the final story, "Box Full of Evil," which has a lot of twists, as well as tying into "The Right Hand of Doom," which I like.
6/19/12: The fourth graphic novel in the series is another collection of stories, and I think I like this better than the previous (Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others), mainly because most of the stories are based on more interesting folklore. There's also the adorable very-short story "Pancakes" (proving Hellboy was a kid just like any other, once upon a time) and the titular "The Right Hand of Doom" with its explanation of why Hellboy has that stone hand which seems so very awkward.
6/19/12: The fourth graphic novel in the series is another collection of stories, and I think I like this better than the previous (Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others), mainly because most of the stories are based on more interesting folklore. There's also the adorable very-short story "Pancakes" (proving Hellboy was a kid just like any other, once upon a time) and the titular "The Right Hand of Doom" with its explanation of why Hellboy has that stone hand which seems so very awkward.
December 21, 2020
це зворушливо, як усілякі міфічні потвори й не вкрай мудрі людішки намагаються тицяти паличкою в того, на чийому червоному лобі написано «паличкою не тицяти. уб'є».
у цьому випуску – панування над потойбічними силами 101:
• будьте обережні з психоактивними речовинами;
• не чіпайте нічого голими руками;
• перевіряйте цілісність амулетів, перш ніж когось прикликати;
• стежте, щоб імена потойбічних сил не змінювались у процесі запановуванняя над ними;
• і серйозно, cannot stress this enough, тримайтеся подалі від великої червоної істоти.
у цьому випуску – панування над потойбічними силами 101:
• будьте обережні з психоактивними речовинами;
• не чіпайте нічого голими руками;
• перевіряйте цілісність амулетів, перш ніж когось прикликати;
• стежте, щоб імена потойбічних сил не змінювались у процесі запановуванняя над ними;
• і серйозно, cannot stress this enough, тримайтеся подалі від великої червоної істоти.
August 2, 2009
Japanese floating-head demons, killer ectoplasm, Romanian vampires, the Beast-of-the-Apocalypse, a gun-wielding monkey & a variety of occult hijinks-- all gloriously wrought by the pen of Mike Mignola-- and I'd give it five stars for "Pancakes" alone.
July 2, 2017
I liked each of the short stories in this volume, and how there's a bit more information in a couple of the stories about Hellboy's purpose on earth. And there are pancakes!
October 24, 2020
PANCAKES IS THE BEST STORY EVER AND IT'S ONLY 2 PAGES, GIMME ALL THE CUTE BABY HELLBOY CONTENT NOW!
RTC.
RTC.
June 24, 2008
Another strong collection of short stories, though they just don't have the punch to them that the ones in volume three have. Each has a solid premise, but seems to end before a satisfying conclusion is reached. I love Hellboy's flip attitude and the way not everything has to have a logical explanation, but it's hard to feel satisfied by three straight stories that end with a shrug and "There you go," "You never see something like that coming," and "How's that?"
This one also contains the first Hellboy story I ever read, "The Right Hand of Doom" from the Dark Horse Presents Annual in 1998. I bought that issue for the first comic version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I didn't think too highly of, but came away with a desire to learn more about the big red guy and an appreciation that's lasted to this day.
This one also contains the first Hellboy story I ever read, "The Right Hand of Doom" from the Dark Horse Presents Annual in 1998. I bought that issue for the first comic version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I didn't think too highly of, but came away with a desire to learn more about the big red guy and an appreciation that's lasted to this day.
October 23, 2020
Unas historias muy divertidas, que aúnan misterio, terror y humor de manera admirable. Ahora sí que sí se puede decir que Mignola le tiene el pulso tomado a su personaje. Me quedo con ganas de más, desde luego. Seguiré con la serie próximamente, a ver si mi economía me lo permite pronto...
September 3, 2019
Finished "re-reading" this updated version, which still makes me like Hellboy more and more every time I read a story with him.
You like Hellboy? Keep reading!
You don't? No? Why? You suck! Read it.
You like Hellboy? Keep reading!
You don't? No? Why? You suck! Read it.
October 29, 2019
Halloween is fast approaching, but I didn't have anything spooky on the nightstand or the kindle, so I went to the library and picked up the next two volumes of Hellboy.
The Right Hand of Doom is a collection of eight stories: one backstory, five missions, and two which deal with Hellboy and his destiny.
Hellboy typically gives people the benefit of the doubt. He might harbor suspicions, but he won't act on them until he gets more information. As such, people mistake this behavior for weakness or cluelessness. But in the end, Hellboy rallies or fate intervenes, and these people ultimately come out on the losing end of things. This theme runs through "The Nature of the Beast," "King Vold," and "Heads."
And Hellboy has a sense of humor, too, although it can be a bit dark sometimes. "Pancakes," "Heads," and "Goodbye, Mister Tod" have their humorous incidents, whether they be intended or not.
"Pancakes" kicks things off, and it's about Hellboy's introduction to, as can be surmised, pancakes. It's a short—merely two pages—and cute. I won't say anything else to avoid spoiling it.
"The Nature of the Beast" sees Hellboy off to meet some cabal of Englishmen in 1954 to investigate the folktale of one Saint Leonard the Hermit. Apparently there's a dragon involved.
Professor Bruttenholm asks Hellboy to go to Norway in 1956 to help out a friend, and fellow paranormal researcher, in "King Vold." Said friend is investigating King Vold, aka the Flying Huntsman.
Hellboy goes to Japan in "Heads." The year is 1967, and Hellboy is wandering in the forests outside of Kyoto, looking for a haunted house, where he is put up for the night at the local equivalent of a bed and breakfast.
In 1979, the Bureau sends him to Portland, Oregon to investigate a complaint about a physical medium in "Goodbye, Mister Tod." "Just say no" never carried as serious a repercussion as what's portrayed here.
"The Vârcolac" sees Hellboy investigating the rise of Countess Ilona Kakosy, a powerful vampire, in Romania in 1992. Even Hellboy feels fear.
"The Right Hand of Doom" and "Box Full of Evil" are bookends of a sort. The collection's title track gathers all that we have learned about Hellboy's past and details that came up in volumes one and two and reflects upon them. The latter story finds someone attempting to force Hellboy's destiny upon him, not to bring about the Apocalypse as Rasputin hoped, but to enslave him. Combined, these stories reflect on destiny and fate. Are we bound to it, and thus, do we let it control us? Is free will an illusion? Do we make our own fate, or is it predetermined? These are questions that Hellboy has to answer for himself, with a little bit of help of course.
The artwork remains quintessential Mignola. The man knows how to make the most of shadows and light. Dave Stewart colored this volume, using a palette of muted pastels to evoke the surroundings of our intrepid red friend.
The Right Hand of Doom is a collection of eight stories: one backstory, five missions, and two which deal with Hellboy and his destiny.
Hellboy typically gives people the benefit of the doubt. He might harbor suspicions, but he won't act on them until he gets more information. As such, people mistake this behavior for weakness or cluelessness. But in the end, Hellboy rallies or fate intervenes, and these people ultimately come out on the losing end of things. This theme runs through "The Nature of the Beast," "King Vold," and "Heads."
And Hellboy has a sense of humor, too, although it can be a bit dark sometimes. "Pancakes," "Heads," and "Goodbye, Mister Tod" have their humorous incidents, whether they be intended or not.
"Pancakes" kicks things off, and it's about Hellboy's introduction to, as can be surmised, pancakes. It's a short—merely two pages—and cute. I won't say anything else to avoid spoiling it.
"The Nature of the Beast" sees Hellboy off to meet some cabal of Englishmen in 1954 to investigate the folktale of one Saint Leonard the Hermit. Apparently there's a dragon involved.
Professor Bruttenholm asks Hellboy to go to Norway in 1956 to help out a friend, and fellow paranormal researcher, in "King Vold." Said friend is investigating King Vold, aka the Flying Huntsman.
Hellboy goes to Japan in "Heads." The year is 1967, and Hellboy is wandering in the forests outside of Kyoto, looking for a haunted house, where he is put up for the night at the local equivalent of a bed and breakfast.
In 1979, the Bureau sends him to Portland, Oregon to investigate a complaint about a physical medium in "Goodbye, Mister Tod." "Just say no" never carried as serious a repercussion as what's portrayed here.
"The Vârcolac" sees Hellboy investigating the rise of Countess Ilona Kakosy, a powerful vampire, in Romania in 1992. Even Hellboy feels fear.
"The Right Hand of Doom" and "Box Full of Evil" are bookends of a sort. The collection's title track gathers all that we have learned about Hellboy's past and details that came up in volumes one and two and reflects upon them. The latter story finds someone attempting to force Hellboy's destiny upon him, not to bring about the Apocalypse as Rasputin hoped, but to enslave him. Combined, these stories reflect on destiny and fate. Are we bound to it, and thus, do we let it control us? Is free will an illusion? Do we make our own fate, or is it predetermined? These are questions that Hellboy has to answer for himself, with a little bit of help of course.
The artwork remains quintessential Mignola. The man knows how to make the most of shadows and light. Dave Stewart colored this volume, using a palette of muted pastels to evoke the surroundings of our intrepid red friend.
April 16, 2020
The Right Hand of Doom (which is my favorite title of all the books in Mignola's Hellboy series), is a collection of eight short stories featuring everybody's favorite big red guy. They're set at various times through his career and based on different bits of folklore or mythology. The art is terrific, varying in shading and detail depending on the tone and circumstances of the story. Mignola seemed willing to be more experimental and bold in these shorter pieces. Pancakes is a hysterically funny two-pager, and my two favorites are Heads and Box Full of Evil, though they're all superior works. Recommended!
December 3, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
It's getting a little repetitive already, but my near fawning praise for this series seems to know no bounds. I'm sure there will be dips and drops in quality here and there, but for now, this is a breath of rancid, demonic air into the fairly stale and uninteresting genre of horror comics. Mignola makes it all look rather easy. Simple art, somewhat simple plotting and storytelling, maximum results. Quite why it's taken me this long to read the entirety of the Hellboy collection I have sitting on my shelves is anyone's guess. I'm just glad I finally got around to it. Really bloody good. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
It's getting a little repetitive already, but my near fawning praise for this series seems to know no bounds. I'm sure there will be dips and drops in quality here and there, but for now, this is a breath of rancid, demonic air into the fairly stale and uninteresting genre of horror comics. Mignola makes it all look rather easy. Simple art, somewhat simple plotting and storytelling, maximum results. Quite why it's taken me this long to read the entirety of the Hellboy collection I have sitting on my shelves is anyone's guess. I'm just glad I finally got around to it. Really bloody good. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
May 23, 2023
4,5*
Algunes històries curtes que tracten sobre l’origen de Hellboy. Com sempre, el folklore i les llegendes populars nodreixen els guions, combinant fantasia i terror, amb un gran dibuix, amb l’estil únic de l’autor, que ho complementa perfectament.
Prèstec de la Biblioteca de la Universitat Jaume I.
Algunes històries curtes que tracten sobre l’origen de Hellboy. Com sempre, el folklore i les llegendes populars nodreixen els guions, combinant fantasia i terror, amb un gran dibuix, amb l’estil únic de l’autor, que ho complementa perfectament.
Prèstec de la Biblioteca de la Universitat Jaume I.
March 23, 2021
Nemám rád blívance!
January 31, 2011
Hellboy: The Right Hand of Doom
A demon . . .
A demon skeptical of paranormal phenomena who happens to love pancakes = formula for success.
Mignola is one of the few writer/artists who really knows what he's doing. In "The Nature of the Beast" Mignola says just as much through the paneling as he does through dialogue. Contained in only a few pages we find a solid plot, dramatic irony, depth of character and a delicate splice of various mythologies.
And that's only one of the many stories in this book.
One of the things I really appreciate about Hellboy is that you can enjoy the material even if you're not familiar with the mythology contained therein. While I'm familiar with the lore of Lovecraft featured in "Goodbye Mr. Todd," I'm not familiar with Japanese floating heads in "Heads." But I enjoyed both stories equally.
Some of the stories move a little quick. However, most of the stories were written to be featured in collections, which means Mignola was likely offered a specific number of pages to accomplish his task, and you have to appreciate the stories in that context.
After getting several glimpses into the history of Hellboy, we finally get a fairly comprehensive, albeit rushed, life story in "The Right Hand of Doom."
This book, for me, really marks the transition from Hellboy as a series of shorts to a series of full-length TPB's. The Right Hand of Doom is the exposition of the Hellboy saga, and as such is not to be missed.
A demon . . .
A demon skeptical of paranormal phenomena who happens to love pancakes = formula for success.
Mignola is one of the few writer/artists who really knows what he's doing. In "The Nature of the Beast" Mignola says just as much through the paneling as he does through dialogue. Contained in only a few pages we find a solid plot, dramatic irony, depth of character and a delicate splice of various mythologies.
And that's only one of the many stories in this book.
One of the things I really appreciate about Hellboy is that you can enjoy the material even if you're not familiar with the mythology contained therein. While I'm familiar with the lore of Lovecraft featured in "Goodbye Mr. Todd," I'm not familiar with Japanese floating heads in "Heads." But I enjoyed both stories equally.
Some of the stories move a little quick. However, most of the stories were written to be featured in collections, which means Mignola was likely offered a specific number of pages to accomplish his task, and you have to appreciate the stories in that context.
After getting several glimpses into the history of Hellboy, we finally get a fairly comprehensive, albeit rushed, life story in "The Right Hand of Doom."
This book, for me, really marks the transition from Hellboy as a series of shorts to a series of full-length TPB's. The Right Hand of Doom is the exposition of the Hellboy saga, and as such is not to be missed.
May 17, 2014
More of the shorter stories from other places that Mignola's collected together and either edited or added to.
Hellboy interacts with all the fables and stories that Mignola adapts. It's a cool way to have him do a bunch of things, and to show just how deep his history is. We also get a lot of stuff about the true nature of Hellboy, the roots in Hell, and with evil, and how he ignores where he came from and just moves along. Hence our title: Right Hand of Doom, which explains how he's fated to bring evil into the universe.
As usual, the art is top notch, and there's still Hellboy's irreverent humour in the face of death. He catches a lot of beatdowns here, poor bastard. We also see him and Abe Sapien check out some weird shit involving: Castles, spirits, evil, no that doesn't sound like them at all!
3.5 stars.
Hellboy interacts with all the fables and stories that Mignola adapts. It's a cool way to have him do a bunch of things, and to show just how deep his history is. We also get a lot of stuff about the true nature of Hellboy, the roots in Hell, and with evil, and how he ignores where he came from and just moves along. Hence our title: Right Hand of Doom, which explains how he's fated to bring evil into the universe.
As usual, the art is top notch, and there's still Hellboy's irreverent humour in the face of death. He catches a lot of beatdowns here, poor bastard. We also see him and Abe Sapien check out some weird shit involving: Castles, spirits, evil, no that doesn't sound like them at all!
3.5 stars.
June 9, 2010
Maybe slightly less completely amazing than The Chained Coffin, The Right Hand of Doom still features a near-perfect collection of Hellboy short stories, including "Heads," "Goodbye, Mister Tod," and "Box Full of Evil."
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