Having siblings can be hell. In the case of Hellboy, it literally is. Brothers Mike and Todd Mignola reunite to revisit Hellboy’s devilish family in the two-part story “The Crown: A Tale of Hell” with artist Warwick Johnson-Cadwell that feels like something out of Shakespeare’s plays.
1566, Hellboy’s father, Azzael, is preparing to crown his successor. As is usual with these sorts of things, there is a lot of political drama and signs of possible backstabbing, with each parent choosing a son to whom they believe should have the crown. There’s also a hint at a third choice of who may be Azzael’s successor.
This story reveals more of Hellboy’s origin and his family. The first half nicely sets up what appears to be an all-out war in the second. Obviously, when it comes to the politics of succession, there is usually blood, and that’s the way readers like it. It’s hard to pick a side because Hellboy’s family is awful. They all come off asl power-hungry rich snobs who’re not afraid to kill their own family to get what they want.
Johnson-Cadwell’s art is weird. The characters look blocky with distorted heads and overly long limbs. It almost looks like a Picasso painting. That doesn’t necessarily make it terrible; it’s an artistic choice for this kind of story. That doesn’t make it great either. It’s more of a personal taste for the reader to decide whether they like it or not. Or be confused by it.
‘The Crown: A Take of Hell” gives us more of Hellboy’s family with how his father came to decide who should be his successor. The first half sets up what appears to be a bloody family civil war full of intrigue. The art is more or less fine and its quality is up to the reader’s taste or may cause confusion among the reader.
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