Hellboy: “The Crooked Man“

24+23+24 pgs. Appeared first time [COLOR] in Hellboy #33: The Crooked Man #1 to Hellboy #35: Croocked Man #3 (2008). Reprinted in Hellboy Vol. 10: The Crooked Man and Others [TB] (2010), Hellboy [Library Edition] Vol. 4 (2013), and Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories Vol. 1 [TB] (2018).
Story: Mike Mignola. Art: Richard Corben. Color: Dave Stewart. Lettering: Clem Robins.

France [FRA]: as Hellboy [FRA]: “The Crooked Man [FRA]” in Hellboy [FRA]: 11. L’Homme Tordu (2011), and in Hellboy par Richard Corben (2019).
Spain [SPA]: as “Hellboy [SPA] #14: El hombre retorcido” in Hellboy [SPA] #14: El hombre retorcido (2010).

Style: Black line with colors. Genre: Super Hero. Time Span: Fantasy/No particular moment of time. Nudity: Voluptuous girls.
Original Art Plate: The drawings are done in Sharpie pens on 11″ x 17″ Strathmore bristel paper. [Corben’s web site]
Keywords: Hellboy. Witches. Demons. Lucky Bone. Temptation. Money. Skin-changing. Animals.
Synopsis: In 1956, somewhere in the mountains of West Virginia, Hellboy encounters Tom, a man who in his youth sold his soul to a backwoods demon known as the Crooked Man. Together they travel back into the dark heart of the Appalachian mountains to confront that demon and see if Tom’s soul can’t be saved. Issue 2 includes an one time shooter, “Witchball”.
Comment: I’m not much familiar with Mike Mignola’s other stories, but I do like both of collaborations with Mr. Corben. This one even more than the first one. Both female characters are done very Corbenish way. And the marches of magots and other filthy animals are done greatly (issue #2 is visually the best). One single frame reminds a lot of one in the story “The Shadow” (clothed skeleton).

Copyright © 2008 Heart-Attack-Series, Ink!
Created: April 17, 2008. Last updated: July 1, 2019 at 21:04 pm