Hellboy Winter Special 2019 Review: Special

The wintertime doesn’t feel right without certain traditions. One of the newest ones is “Dark Horse’s” annual “Hellboy: Winter Special” and this year’s “Winter Special” feels like that: special. 

The first story, “The Miser’s Gift” by Mike Mignola and artist Márk László, sees Hellboy learning about an old man with a sack who was aided by one of Hellboy’s accomplices and it turned out the coin the accomplice received was cursed and the old man a ghost. Now they have to return it to stop the curse.

While it does seem like this could go one way, it instead goes another. In fact, this was probably the best way to g about this kind of story since the obvious “Hellboy” way would be too predictable. László decided to go a bit more kind-hearted with the art. The best way to describe it is it looks like A Saturday morning cartoon from the early 90s and, in a way, it works. “The Longest Night” by Chris Roberson with artist Leila Del Duca sees Sarah Jewell hiding out in a cabin with a group of people during the winter solstice because a monster called the Boogam is prowling outside. This is a monster attack story that turns into a whodunnit quickly. While it’s a simple story, it’s still entertaining in that Roberson does turn Jewell into a brilliant storyteller. Del Duca goes above and beyond with the art for something that’s just a short story. It’s one of the best looking “Hellboy” comics out there. In fact, the Boogam is one of the best looking “Hellboy” monsters ever drawn.    

Finally, “The Beast of Ingelheim” by Scott Allie and artist Andrea Mutti is about 15^th-century priest Johannes von Berg writing a confession about the time he went after a beast that was preying on wildlife near his home. This is another story with a surprise ending. While some may not like the ending, in a philosophical way, this is how it should have ended. Mutti us the only artist who went with the traditional “Hellboy” art. It doesn’t hinder the art at all, nor does it help. It’s just something readers are used to. The 2019 “Hellboy: Winter Special” has plenty to like. Three stories with strong writing, plots and great art make this year yet another year for “Hellboy” fans to celebrate the winter. It’s a tradition that should continue for years to come.