by Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo, Clem Robins, Dave Stewart
Despite moments of wonderful visual beauty, I was never overly impressed with Guillermo del Toro's film adaptations of the Hellboy comic book series. Part of it is found in the differences between the two mediums. A ninety minute feature film is always going to look cramped next to a long-form story told through many individual chapters and interlocking arcs. Recent events in the comic mirror the premise of Hellboy II: The Golden Army insofar as some disgruntled characters decide to declare war on humanity. But whereas del Toro resorted to a freshly-minted villain commanding a conveniently prefabricated army of shiny robots, creator Mike Mignola has taken years to build-up his rogues gallery. From the series pulp-inspired beginnings, Mignola has used the time to fashion a sizable cast of characters, and cleverly weave disparate mythological sources into the protagonist's quest to prevent Armageddon.
The Storm is by itself an incomplete arc - continuing where The Wild Hunt left off, and ending just before it reaches any resolution. But the screws are beginning to tighten. The pace quickens. The stakes are higher. The danger is more palpable. Several characters not seen for awhile reappear just to emphasize how things are going from bad to worse. Hellboy makes a surprising decision which is calculated to keep the reader on tenterhooks (Actually he makes a few smaller decisions too, like quitting alcohol now that the end of the world is nigh). And a familiar figure is revealed to be manipulating everything, tying together plot threads that originated at the beginning of the series.
Even with the situation becoming more dire, Mignola still leaves room for quieter character moments. The Gruagach finally gets his comeuppance for his part in instigating the war, and yet is still deserving of some pity. Hellboy reflects on his relationship with father figure, the late professor Trevor Bruttenholm. But it's the romance between him and Alice that finally comes into focus. Given penciller Duncan Fegredo's involvement since The Wild Hunt, she's now as much his creation as she is Mignola's. Not that Hellboy doesn't get to tussle with more monsters - there's one fight scene that forms the centerpiece of The Storm. But his relationship with Alice goes far in opening up the hero's stoic facade. I wonder if she'll come through all this intact when the story is concluded in The Fury...
