‘Hellboy: Being Human’ is the latest BPRD one-shot to be released by Dark Horse. Hellboy decides to take the Steinbeck-reading homunculus, Roger, into the field with him. They visit a decrepit house by a crumbling cemetery. Word is that the remains of a family who all died tragically were seen sitting in the house. Hellboy and Roger stake the place out, and the dead indeed rise and walk into their old house. They don’t do so of their own will though; magic is involved.
I’ve yet to start Hellboy from the beginning, and until I get around to doing that, these one-shots are a perfect bite-sized snack. Mike Mignola weaves a story of the bizarre together with action, soul-searching, and emotions as seamlessly as ever. The title – Being Human – provides the moral of the story. Roger questions his humanity despite being a homunculus. Hellboy doesn’t have answers, but he does have insight on that problem.
Even if I had no inkling what the story was about, the dark and moody art of Hellboy is enough to make me pick up the comics. The art by Richard Corben and the beautiful colors by Dave Stewart made this issue outstanding. Yep, I really need to read more Hellboy.
