Comics
Review: ‘Hellboy In Hell’ #2
Dark Horse Comics dropped one of their most anticipated titles prior to the New Year, Hellboy In Hell, bringing their most infamous characters back from the grave…sort of. Issue #1 caught us up on events surrounding Hellboy’s demise. This issue takes a different route as it focuses is on hell itself, its denizens, and its prime city but most importantly Hellboy’s true origin.
WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola
ART BY: Mike Mignola
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: 2.99
RELEASE DATE: January 2nd, 2013
Hellboy is in for one hell of a ride, literally, as he is taken to the main city and former seat of his father’s throne; Pandemonium. As this book progresses we are reminded of the role Hellboy was designed to take in hell, as the rightful King. Throughout both “B.P.R.D.” and “Hellboy” there have been continuous references to Hellboy’s past. Hellboy is under constant pressure to take up his father’s mantel and though he continues to refuse to do so it seems to me only a matter of time before our hero becomes a villain.
Mike Mignola has an amazing writing style; his dialogue has a philosophical air to it, continuously delivering a sense of foreboding. What I like most about his writing are his references to classic literature like Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in the first issue and to William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” in this one. This gives the story an epic grandeur, in turn giving me the tingles.
Where Mignola’s writing is intricate and delicate, his artistic style is anything but. Very rough look which Mignola is famous for, giving the art at first glance an unfinished look but on close inspection, it is obvious that every pump in the line or overly shaded area is intended to be exactly that way. Mignola puts great amount of effort and detail into his work to give it such a rough elegance. Many other artists for “B.P.R.D.” use a similar style but no one can imitate this man’s masterful rustic precision.
Dave Stewart also plays his part to a “T” as this book would lack a lot of its life without his colouring. Stewart uses darker tones for the bulk of the art but when it comes to the fire, monsters, and other hellish elements his use of bright reds, yellows, and oranges are a not so subtle.
This book is already turning heads and its only on its second issue, the story will no doubt increase in pace and scope as we journey alongside Hellboy through Hell.
4.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GreenBastard
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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