Mike Mignola and Gary Gianni have been on a roll with their recent “Hellboy†comics. One of their newest offerings is “Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea†which has lots of greats things but some that bring it down.
Hellboy finds himself on a 19tgh Century ship where he is promptly tied up. Aboard there is a mysterious woman who is in charge of the boat and is looking for an ancient deity to prove that it is real. Since this is “Hellboy,†things don’t go that well.
The story does have a good idea in that Hellboy is tied up and at the mercy of someone. That’s also a drawback: Hellboy is tied up and helpless in human chains which he is more than strong enough to break. He does get some heartwarming talks with a young boy and his dog and the woman so that’s a plus.
While most of the story is great, the ending is a clichéd cop-out. It is something that is supposed to be beyond that of Mignola and Gianni’s talents.
Speaking of Gianni, the majority of the art is everything a “Hellboy†fan wants. The art is dark and makes everything seem scary and not from this world. Even the character designs give off that something is not quite right with them. The only downside is that the woman’s face is blurred 90% of the time and it is distracting. Here’s a character that’s supposed to be mysterious but she looks like she doesn’t even have a face most of the time when it’s established she’s a normal human with a normal face.
Despite some horrible decisions by the creators, “Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea†showcases an excellent story and art that will make any “Hellboy†fan happy as long as the mind-numbingly awful ending doesn’t ruin a fan’s love for the series.
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