#IReadsYou Review: HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL 2017

HELLBOY WINTER SPECIAL (JANUARY 2017)
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, and Chris Roberson
ARTISTS: Christopher Mitten; Paul Grist; Sebastian Fiumara
COLORS: Dave Stewart; Bill Crabtree
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Sebastian Fiumara with Dave Stewart
BACK COVER: Geof Darrow with Dave Stewart
EDITOR: Scott Allie
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2017)

Hellboy, a superhero and horror comic book character, was created by writer-artist Mike Mignola and first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (cover date: August 1993).  The character's debut in his own comic book was Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 (March 1994).  However, Hellboy has been featured in short stories that have appeared in various publications for over two decades, including the Hellboy Winter Special.

The 2017 edition of the Hellboy Winter Special, an anthology comic book, was recently published and offers three Hellboy short stories.  It sports two covers:  a front cover by Sebastian Fiumara (colored by Dave Stewart) and a back cover drawn by Geof Darrow (and also colored by Stewart).  Eight creators contribute to Hellboy Winter Special – January 2017:  Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson, Christopher Mitten, Dave Stewart, Paul Grist, Bill Crabtree, Scott Allie, and Sebastian Fiumara.

The first story is “The Great Blizzard” by Mignola and Roberson and Mitten and Stewart.  The story is largely set in Cornwall, England and takes place in March 1891.  An excerpt from the “secret journals” of Sir Edward Grey, the story finds Grey and Sarah Jewell (of Rise of the Black Flame) trying to discover if a fierce winter storm that has gripped England is of supernatural origin.

“The Great Blizzard” seems like a prologue for a larger story to come.  It's okay, but I really didn't warm to it.

The second story is “God Rest Ye Merry” by Mignola and Roberson and Grist and Crabtree.  It is set in December 1961 and opens in Fairfield, Connecticut (the home of the BPRD, the occult research organization of which Hellboy is associated).  In the story, Hellboy has to battle a bad Santa.

Once again, “God Rest Ye Merry” did not arouse much interest in me.  It apparently is the intro to an upcoming comic book, entitled The Visitor.  Surprisingly, while the story doesn't excite me, I am curious about The Visitor, which will be a new “Mignola-verse” title.  On a side note, this story reminded me of what a stunningly “white bread” world Hellboy is.  Black and Latino characters are virtually nonexistent.  It is as if Hellboy was set in the programming world of MeTV (which has pretty much taken the place of “Nick at Nite” and “TVLand” when it comes to reruns of 1950 and 1960s, black and white television series).

Finally, we have “The Last Witch of Fairfield” by Mignola and Allie and Fiumara and Stewart.  The story is set in 1979, once again in Fairfield.  While searching for two missing girls, Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Liz Sherman encounter a tormented spirit.

“The Last Witch of Fairfield” is the best of the trio of stories presented here.  Sebastian Fiumara and Dave Stewart make a killer art team, and turn this comic book short story into a bejeweled fairy tale and ghost story.  I think “The Last Witch of Fairfield” would make a superb longer narrative, perhaps as a one-shot comic book or even as a miniseries.  It is classic weird Hellboy.

Overall, I don't think that Hellboy Winter Special 2017 has the dramatic heft and imagination of the 2016 edition.  2016 was filled with stories that are classic Mignola, classic Hellboy investigates, or classic Hellboy humor.  While “The Last Witch of Fairfield” matches the high-quality of last year's edition, “The Great Blizzard” and “God Rest Ye Merry” are minor works.

I would recommend Hellboy Winter Special 2016 to anyone who reads comic books.  I would only recommend Hellboy Winter Special 2017 to Hellboy completists.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

---------------------------

Review: Uncanny #1

UNCANNY #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

WRITER: Andy Diggle
ARTIST: Aaron Campbell
COLORS: Bill Crabtree
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
COVERS: Jock (A), Sean Phillips (B), Dan Panosian (subscription cover)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Rated T+

Season of Hungry Ghosts, Part One

Dynamite Entertainment launched its “Crime Line” with the comic book series, Red Team, from writer Garth Ennis. The second title in this new line is Uncanny. Written by Andy Diggle (Action Comics) and drawn by artist Aaron Campbell (The Shadow), Uncanny blends the supernatural (the lead character’s paranormal abilities) into a realistic genre (the fast-paced crime thriller).

Uncanny #1 introduces Weaver, a man born with an uncanny ability that allows him to steal other people’s skills. He can absorb their memories, abilities, and expertise and turn them into his own, but for only a short time. Weaver is a professional gambler, con-man, and thief-for-hire, and he prefers to look out for “Number One,” himself. When he tries to use his abilities at a casino card table in Hong Kong, he finds trouble that he did not expect. His only luck may be in the form of a mysterious young woman named Maggie.

After one issue, I’m not ready to pass complete judgment on Uncanny, but it is not bad at all. Uncanny #1 is a good read, slick and polished in its script. It reminds me of one of those espionage television series that were so popular and prevalent in the 1960s. Add some of Richard Stark’s Parker to that and you have Uncanny and its star, Weaver.

The art by Aaron Campbell yields good, if not spectacular graphical storytelling. Honestly, the art won’t “wow” you with prettiness or striking page design, but it is good, clear storytelling. So it would be a crime for readers who don’t mind some paranormal in their crime fiction not to try Uncanny.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Diego Chi Reviews: THE SIXTH GUN #26

THE SIXTH GUN #26
ONI PRESS

Reviewed by DIEGO CHI

WRITER: Cullen Bunn
ARTIST: Brian Hurtt
COLORS: Bill Crabtree
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

REVIEW– SPOILERS

The Sixth Gun continues to be an exciting pull every month, marrying the thrills of western gun-slinging with the horrors of the occult. I'm happy to see that 26 issues in, Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt still manage to satisfy my thirst for action and simultaneously put a pit in my belly.

If you haven't yet checked out these books, the story centers around the pursuit of six mystical guns that are fabled to both create and destroy the world. The heroes, Drake Sinclaire and Becky Montcrief, have been stranded in a super-natural blizzard and hunted by a spirit creature called a Wendigo. In order to find Becky and Drake, an unlikely alliance has formed between Gord Cantrell (an ally), Kirby Hale (a thief), and Asher Cobb (a nine-foot-tall mummy. Yes, I said "mummy").

Issue #26 opens with Drake recalling a past encounter with a Wendigo, a creature of many forms. This flashback sequence introduces a woman named Abigail, a former employer of Drake. Drake had been hired by Abigail to track a group of thugs but when they came upon the camp of their bounty, they found only decapitated bodies. A stag-like Wendigo then suddenly appeared, wearing the heads of the thugs on its antlers– quite the chilling visual.

The story then shifts to Gord, Kirby, and Asher's quest to find Becky and Drake. The three are ambushed by an extremist group called the Knights of Solomon, who seek the six guns for their own purposes. This leads to a thrilling horse and wagon chase– the fast paced action makes for a nice break from the drawn out suspense of the first sequence.

Returning to the flashback, the climax hits when Drake figures out how to defeat the Wendigo: by killing the remaining thug who had become possessed by the creature, yet was still alive. As Drake and Becky search for the new Wendigo host, the issue closes with a gut-wrenching reveal– this time the creature had possessed a group of women and children. Will Drake kill the innocent to save himself and Becky? Good grief, what a cliffhanger!

Cullen Bunn's writing packs a lot into this single issue, perhaps a hair too much. Abigail's characterization was too varied between "confident" and "paralyzed with fear" to get a clear grasp on her, but Bunn usually reveals deep wells of intrigue in his characters so I look forward to her development. Brian Hurtt's visuals are fully capable of both gruesome mutilations and expressive head-shots. The tone and voice of the dialogue is heavily carried by the way Hurtt draws the eyes– sometimes cold and steely, other times full of terror or surprise. Bill Crabtree's colors add emotion to the elegance of Hurtt's style. He gracefully shifts the bleak mood during the flashbacks and winter sequences to the energized feel of the wagon chase. Overall, issue #26 proves Bunn and Hurtt have long since figured out that well-crafted plot and well-paced visuals make for a great comic.

Rating: 9/10

I Reads You Review: BAD MEDICINE #3

BAD MEDICINE #3
ONI PRESS

WRITERS: Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
ART: Christopher Mitten
COLORS: Bill Crabtree
LETTERS: Douglas E. Sherwood
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Bad Medicine is a new comic book series from the husband and wife writing team of Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir and artist Christopher Mitten (Wasteland). Weir described Bad Medicine (which is published by Oni Press) as “a sci-fi/horror medical procedural” that focuses on a team put together by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to “investigate strange diseases and outbreaks that science can't explain.”

Bad Medicine #3 (“Killing Moon” Part 1 of 3) opens after the first strange case, and Dr. Randal Horne gets his next one. Apparently, a police officer shot a rampaging werewolf-like creature in Portland, Maine. NYPD Detective Joely Huffman, glad to get away from the drama at work, tags along with Horne’s team. At the Portland Police Department, they find Officer Wilensky, who shot the werewolf, in distress over the shooting and the subsequent investigation. The team also discovers that the other possible eyewitness to the attack is uncooperative. The investigation takes the team to Deer Falls, a nearby small town where the citizens seem to love the place too much to ever leave.

I can happily say that the first story arc (the two-part “Unseen”) of Bad Medicine was not a fluke, and it seems that the series can remain consistent with the beginning of a second intriguing arc. Bad Medicine reads like a blending of elements of The X-Files, “Fringe,” and “CSI,” but the strongest element about the series is the cast.

However, with this third issue, I find myself having a problem with the series. Most of the first chapter of “Killing Moon” is a set up for the rest of the story. The real meat of this werewolf story comes later, so $3.99 (before tax) is simply too much to pay for the 22-pages of the set-up of a story. Of course, I realize that this is an industry-wide problem. Perhaps, the publisher wants Bad Medicine to be a monthly, but maybe publishing the story arcs as a series of one-shots would give better value for the readers’ money.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

I Reads You Review: Bad Medicine #2

"Good Medicine, actually"
BAD MEDICINE #2
ONI PRESS

WRITERS: Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
ART: Christopher Mitten
COLORS: Bill Crabtree
LETTERS: Douglas E. Sherwood
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Published by Oni Press, Bad Medicine is a new kind of crime comic book series from the husband and wife writing team of Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir and artist Christopher Mitten (Wasteland). In an interview with the website, Comic Book Resources, Weir described Bad Medicine as “a sci-fi/horror medical procedural” that focuses on a team put together by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to “investigate strange diseases and outbreaks that science can't explain.”

The series opened with the discovery of a corpse without a head, but it turned out that the head was still attached to the body. The head was just invisible. The body belonged to a lab assistant named Matt Dalton, and his superior, Dr. Charles Keefer, is the lead suspect or “person of interest.” Disgraced physician Dr. Randal Horne has been traveling the world studying different alternative medicines and non-western views of science. He returns to New York City to help NYPD Detective Joely Huffman unravel this strange, possible homicide case.

As Bad Medicine #2 (“Unseen” Part 2 of 2) opens, Dr. Keefer, now an invisible man, strikes. How can Horne and Huffman bring in someone they cannot see? Also, surprising decisions from the CDC only complicate matters.

I can happily say that the first issue of Bad Medicine was not a fluke. The opening story arc offers a nice, new take on the crazy invisible man tale, but what has made this series already a success is the excellent character writing. It isn’t the sci-fi gimmick/trope that drives this narrative; the intriguing players are the drivers. I must say, however, that this issue’s epilogue that acts as a prologue to the third issue does offer a killer genre hook.

Readers looking for something different and something good in crime comics will go to Drs. DeFilippis and Weir for a prescription of Bad Medicine.

A

Leroy Douresseaux Reviews: BAD MEDICINE #1

BAD MEDICINE #1
ONI PRESS

WRITERS: Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir
ART: Christopher Mitten
COLORS: Bill Crabtree
LETTERS: Douglas E. Sherwood
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Christina Weir and Nunzio DeFilippis form the wife and husband writing team that wrote New Mutants and New X-Men from Marvel Comics over a three-year period. The couple also wrote the crime fiction graphic novels, Skinwalker and Three Strikes.

Published by Oni Press, Bad Medicine is a new kind of crime comic written by DeFilippis and Weir and drawn by artist Christopher Mitten (Wasteland). In a an interview with the website, Comic Book Resources, Christina Weir described Bad Medicine as “a sci-fi/horror medical procedural” that focuses on a team put together by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to “investigate strange diseases and outbreaks that science can't explain.”

Bad Medicine #1 (“Unseen” Part 1 of 2) introduces team leader, Dr. Randal Horne. The good doctor has been traveling the world to study different alternative medicines and non-western views of science. He returns to New York City to help NYPD Detective Joely Huffman unravel a strange murder case. The corpse of a man has been found in an abandoned lab, and the corpse’s head is invisible.

A new comic book series should not begin with a bang, but rather with intriguing characters. They make the bang better and louder. Bad Medicine has good characters to spare, and one of them seems to be some kind of spirit. As interesting as the “invisible head” murder is, the characters just make it all the better. Dr. Horne and Det. Huffman are a match made in crime fiction heaven, and there is even a squabbling Laurel and Hardy-like pair to add comedic flare. Weir described this as “House” meets “The X-Files.” I still love “The X-Files,” but never wanted to be bothered with “House.” Let’s try “The X-Files” meets “C.S.I.”

Readers looking for something different and good in crime comics will want a prescription for Bad Medicine.

A