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Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson, and Stephen Green’s newest Hellboy comic is a gorgeous and uncharacteristically understated story.
Mike Mignola’s Hellboy is no stranger to graveyards. Many of his adventures — alone and with the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense — have taken him into the world’s spookiest cemeteries. But Mignola and his collaborators find a new way to look at haunted burial grounds in Dark Horse’s Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1957: Forgotten Lives. Written by Mignola and Chris Roberson and with artwork by Stephen Green, the newest Hellboy adventure takes readers to the hero’s early days, solving paranormal mysteries with his mentor Dr. Bruttenholm. This stand-alone issue is a heartfelt ghost story.
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1957: Forgotten Lives sends Hellboy and Dr. Bruttenholm to a paupers’ grave haunted by a mysterious apparition every night. The two paranormal investigators stake out the graveyard until they encounter a spirit tortured by some unfinished business. Hellboy and the Dr. visit an estate sale where they discover the ghost’s connection to the pulp hero Lobster Johnson, and this ghost story takes on new meaning for the two heroes.
In Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1957: Forgotten Lives, Mignola and Roberson do an excellent job establishing a reflective tone. Instead of venturing into the depths of Hell, Dr. Bruttenholm and Hellboy spend the majority of this issue remembering the comrades they’ve lost and trying to help out a nameless ghost. This calm, melancholy approach gives the reader an opportunity to see Hellboy as something more than an action hero. He and his mentor finally have a chance to process some of the horrific things they’ve seen throughout their career. The end of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1957: Forgotten Lives takes a moment to celebrate the history of pulp fiction and storytelling, making this issue a loving homage to the work that inspired Hellboy’s creation.
Stephen Green’s art is gorgeous and haunting. He leaves plenty of negative space to reinforce the slow pace of this issue. Green captures Hellboy and Bruttenholm’s emotions without resorting to melodrama or absurd closeups. Mignola’s influence is obvious on every page, but Green still brings his unique style to the work. Dave Stewart leans into this approach by incorporating textures and shades he wouldn’t typically use to illuminate Mignola’s art. These nuances reflect the emotional depth of the story and encourage the reader to linger on each page alongside the characters.
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1957: Forgotten Lives is fairly subdued compared to most Hellboy comics. But Mignola and his fellow creators take the opportunity to tell a thoughtful story that highlights the depth and versatility of the titular character. Green’s art is pitch-perfect. Each page rewards rereading and the powerful ending inspires nostalgia and admiration for the work that is sure to stay with readers long after they’ve finished this story.
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