Norma Editorial brings new works from Hellboy Universe. Created in partnership with Thomas Sniegoski and Craig Rousseau, a story where heroes must survive the perils of a virgin island.
Hellboy was always tied pastry† The character started out as a tribute to terror and comics with an old flavor, but gradually built up a solid and coherent universe in which even the character that made a cameo was worthy of being a spinoff. All this without losing a clear identity: telling naive, referenced stories of terror and suggesting a compelling mythology. All this through an anti-hero fighting his own nature.
He is without a doubt one of the most powerful icons ever given to American industry. And as such it is open to interpretation. Alongside the great creativity of Mike Mignola, one of his achievements is the acceptance of different voices. There are many artists and screenwriters who have made their mark on a character who has managed to have enough versatility to accept all possible styles, genres, and subgenres. In this way, it has managed to preserve its freshness for decades.
But arguably the most distinctive of all these stories is the line executed by the child/young version of the character. This is because prequels do not have to adhere to a complex continuum at this point. They are stories that can fill a large gap and do not respond to major narrative events. This, of course, provides even more creative freedom to suggest desired stories.
Teen Hellboy: The Secret Country It’s the maximum exponent of it all, to the extent that it doesn’t look like it’s facing a Hellboy comic. And that’s fine.
Mike Mignola decided to become a partner on this occasion. Thomas Sniegoskic and both managed to take the character to uncharted lands. This suffering friend has worked in this universe before (and collaborated with another old acquaintance from the Hellboy setting: Christopher Golden). However, he is not someone who is very aware of the developments. This assumes that there is a clear balance between something to say and being able to bring a new perspective, only then with the knowledge of the characters. This means that their charisma remains completely intact and is largely what prompted them to return to this universe.
The story revolves around Hellboy and his father when they have to go on a mission, but the plane carrying them is sabotaged. Instead, they end up on a completely barren and hostile uninhabited island in the jungle. They have to meet again and leave. Along the way, they meet mysterious inhabitants. Naturally, the aims of the characters change throughout the story.
With this premise, it’s easy to imagine the paths this story will take: novels of exploration and adventure on islands and/or strange and new lands owe it to the legends of colonialism. This type of work has the problem of not surprising a reader who is already accustomed to it. But the truth is, in the Hellboy universe it’s still something devastating, and that’s always welcome.
How he manages to create a self-contained story is fascinating, but filled with interesting incentives. There are no surprising twists and turns, and its development is actually quite schematic, but it keeps the reader interested in this part of the world. It is also a story told with a demonic rhythm (intended word game) and that’s always nice. Despite being a smaller concept, it manages to connect with the reader through the memory of the magic evoked by the pieces that take him to unknown lands.
Craig Rousseau A cartoonist specializing in youth comics. He’s a seasoned veteran of children’s drama adaptations, and it shows at the launch of this story. There’s a cartoon style that always aims to be iconic, but always does what it says. The truth is, it launches some pretty interesting character designs. This is the right place for it and this artist is very involved.
As for the story, it’s pretty classic. A skin that always seeks clarity and simplicity. It has a clear call to be accessible to attract new potential readers, and this is reflected in the way this story is told. It shows that it was a conscious effort to make it an old-school blockbuster. This requires some artistic sacrifices, ensuring that the visual section is consistently the most linear and friendly to readers of all genres. However, the art is cultivated with an extraordinary craft.
colors Dave Stewart They show once again that he is someone who knows how to adapt to any kind of project. Despite being included in this universe from the beginning, she’s managed to get far enough away to say she’s coming from someone completely new. Opt for a more colorful palette that exudes an air of creativity, optimism and adventure almost unheard of in the collection. It’s hard to come out of iteration and keep finding new ways to represent something you’ve been working on for a long time. It is therefore one of the best in the industry.
As usual, the Norma Editorial volume includes some illustrative sketches and original and alternate covers. Something that follows the edit line for this character and is pretty faithful to the original broadcast material.
Teen Hellboy: The Secret Country It’s not just the expansion of the universe into more remote areas than usual, it’s also a tribute to an adventurous spirit who is as vilified as it is relevant. A very satisfying lesson in degreasing and restoring the much needed desire to wonder.
