Product Description: Hellboy has finally returned from his adventures at sea, but no sooner has he settled on land than a conclave of witches drags him from his respite and into the heart of Russian folklore, where he becomes the quarry of the powerful and bloodthirsty witch Baba Yaga. Bent on revenge for the eye she had lost to Hellboy, Baba Yaga has enlisted the aid of a deathless warrior who will stop at nothing to destroy Hellboy. Creator Mike Mignola turns over drawing duties to Duncan Fegredo (Enigma, Ultimate Adventures) for a new chapter in the life of the World's Greatest Paranormal Investigator. Hellboy: Darkness Calls collects the entire six-issue miniseries, along with two new epilogues-one drawn by Mignola, and one by Fegredo-and an extensive sketchbook section from both artists and includes many plot elements from the major motion picture, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, directed by Academy Award winner, Guillermo del Toro and slated for release in July 2008!
Hellboy Sometimes art doesn't matter. Sometimes it's the writing that carries a book through. Up to now, the Hellboy series has been a delicate balance between writing and artwork. Mignola's art is exceptional, and his writing is slightly more then above average. Unfortunatly this outing replaces his art with Duncan Fegredo's.
Fegredo is good, but, it is defiantly a step down from Mignola's work. Fortunately, Mignola continues the writing duties, which may well be the only reason the book really works.
Fegredo does his best to emulate Mignola's art style, and the book retains the limited color pallet common to the series. Unfortunately his art, which, while quite good, is also quite cluttered, and would probably benefit from a broader selection of colors. What his art lacks is the elegant surrealism that Mignola creates. The story itself retains every bit of Mignola's flavor, style and pacing.
If your primary interest in Mignola's work is in his writing, then this is every bit as good as what came before, as Hellboy explores a world of Russian folklore. If your love for the series comes primarily from his art, then expect to be disappointed. It's still Hellboy, but, somehow it feels less fluid then you've come to expect over the last 14 years.
Prime Ad Space FYI: HELLBOY 8, as delivered by Amazon 6/08, includes a small sticker on the cover (atop the art) advertising the Hellboy movie. Shoulda been in the solicitation image. Selling another product on THE COVER is low.
Good Hellboy, Kick some A This is not only a great story, but it also has amazing art. The artist who worked on this book did an amazing job that definitely impressed me. Being a fan of Mike's art work, I can sometimes me skeptical of other people that pick up the torch and illustrate his books. The art is amazing and I recommend it to any fan of Hellboy.
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