Comics
Review: ‘Itty Bitty Hellboy’ #1
If you’re planning, for whatever reason, to reimagine the world’s greatest paranormal investigator, from one of the most iconic comic books, by bizarrely thrusting him back into preadolescence, Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani are probably the men you want behind the process. Having created similar comics with fan-favourite titles like “Tiny Titans” and “Superman Family Adventures”, both writers clearly demonstrate their knack for adapting popular content to appeal to an all-ages market. Now, with the daunting task of effectively marrying Mike Mignola’s gritty supernatural world with colourful residential settings befitting of the Sunday funnies, Art and Franco deliver another obnoxiously adorable gem to add to their repertoire with Dark Horse Comics’ “Itty Bitty Hellboy” #1.
WRITTEN BY: Art Baltazar, Franco
ART BY: Art Baltazar
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: August 28, 2013
“Itty Bitty Hellboy” is a charming childproof alternate universe of another alternate universe, where the world-threatening mythical monsters of “Hellboy” are strangely not a reality that must be taken care of and kept quiet. Any material from the original source that may be deemed controversial in the hands of children is understandably omitted from this mini-series; but what remains is a silly playground spin on Mike Mignola’s recognizable and brilliant characters.
Take, for example, Hellboy’s Invulnerable Right Hand of Doom. Do Art and Franco acknowledge the fact that it contextually serves as the key to the end of the world? Of course not! That massive appendage is better suited as a destructive Walnut Smasher of Gluttony… obviously. It’s little things like that which makes this three-issue endeavor so delightfully comical. With amusingly kid-friendly adjustments and story events featuring a large supporting cast of characters, Art and Franco produce an engaging and approachable story that will resonate with younger readers, regardless of whether or not they possess any knowledge of the original source.
In terms of story, “Itty Bitty Hellboy” is a hypercompressed take on a long-lasting series, showcasing numerous short comics that relate to a larger narrative, yet can still stand alone as mini-comic one-shots. It follows the notable Karl Kroenen, Rasputin, and Herman Von Klempt, as they embark on an “evil” mission to usurp the B.P.R.D. agents of their huge refrigerator box fort. Characters like Liz Sherman, Roger the Homunculus, Johann Krauss, and Abe Sapien are given time to shine alongside Hellboy, as well; all adorably designed for a series which follows the amusing adventures of a group of youngsters, for a group of youngsters.
Baltazar’s art is colourful, fun, and vivacious. Character interaction is pure cheese, and incredibly suited to engage kids with his style of uncomplicated shapes and clean lines. His simple renderings of the characters’ faces surprisingly emote convincingly, and their reactions in scenes are just as communicative. The action and the numerous instances of humor are presented in a way that’s super justifiable given the overall theme of the project, and makes for an accessibly entertaining experience for the readers.
If you like your Hellboy with a rather large side helping of adorable, “Itty Bitty Hellboy” is your jam.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – ShadowJayd
Comics
‘You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive’ – IDW Dark’s Next Horror Comic Will Make You Question Reality
Five friends. Four houses. One perfect life. Bloody Disgusting is excited to exclusively announce You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive, a brand new horror comic from IDW Dark.
From Eisner-Nominated writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and rising horror artist Heather Vaughan, You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is described as a “paranoia-laced, socially-conscious, horror mystery that will leave you questioning reality, and reveal that this crafted world is more of a nightmare than the idealistic dream they were expecting.”
Phoebe Joplin has never questioned the world her parents built: a secluded community where she and her friends were raised to be smarter, stronger, and better than anyone else. No distractions. No dangers. No secrets. Until the night of their graduation.
When one of them dies under impossible circumstances, Phee starts to pull at the edges of her perfect life—and what she finds is something far more terrifying than she ever imagined.
Because this place isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a cage. And no one who discovers the truth ever leaves it alive.
Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Star Trek: The Last Starship) co-write the upcoming IDW Dark horror comic, featuring art by Heather Vaughan.
Jackson Lanzing said in a statement to Bloody Disgusting, “You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is in many ways a spiritual successor to our last creator-owned horror, The Principles of Necromancy – a dive into the promise and consequence of playing god with the blood of innocents. But the Hivemind book this reminds me of most is Clayface: One Bad Day. This is a deeply human story with intensely raw emotions – five best friends and their five mysterious parents, tearing one another apart for the promise of some impossible glory that’s waiting just beyond their darkest actions. We’re thrilled to be bringing this story to life with our long-time partner in crime, editor Heather Antos, at IDW Dark – and we’re particularly excited to give our Clayface fans a new, brutal and emotional horror made just for them.”
Adds Collin Kelly, “We’re deconstructing a feeling that seems universal these days; our elders have a death grip on their power, without any intention of giving it up to the generations that come next. YNLTPA is about growing up with the limitless potential of the future… and realizing how much it’s a lie we’ve been fed to keep us under the yoke of the past. Bringing this brutal experience to life is our artist and co-creator, Heather Vaughan, who brings an incredible amount of humanity to our cast. But it’s in our youthful leads that Heather’s art really shines – you are going to fall in love with these young people, even as they go through the worst experience of their lives. What we’ve all crafted together is going to be tragic, painful, but above all else, sincere – with a future so uncertain, there’s only one thing we can trust: you’ll never leave this place alive.”
“Some horror stories are about monsters in the dark. YNLTPA is about realizing the monsters raised you,” previews Senior Group Editor Heather Antos. “Working with Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly on this series has been a dream in the darkest possible way. They’ve built a story that’s layered, brutal, and deeply emotional, and every issue gives artist Heather Vaughan opportunities to push the art into places that feel both haunting and deeply personal. Some horror comics will keep you up at night…this is one that will stick with you for years to come.”
The first issue of You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive goes on sale October 14, 2026! Make sure to pre-order at your local comic shop by September to guarantee a copy.
Exclusively check out the various covers for Issue #1 down below.
IDW Publishing’s horror imprint IDW DARK features comics like A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, Smile: For the Camera, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Twilight Zone, Event Horizon: Dark Descent & Event Horizon: Inferno, and more.
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