Review – Hellboy And The B.P.R.D. 1954 – The Black Sun #1 (Dark Horse)

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson
Artist: Stephen Green, Dave Stewart (Colours)
Release Date: 21st September 2016

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. 1954: Black Sun marks a brand new story arc for our favourite demonic detective, and like every other Hellboy story in history it’s off to a great start. At this stage in his career I don’t think Mike Mignola is capable of producing work which is anything less than absolutely stellar, and Black Sun is no different. The Mignolaverse is the best place in the world to live if you’re a comic fan, and the more time we get to spend there the better.

For this particular story, it would seem that homage is being paid to the seminal sci-fi The Thing from Another World – especially John Carpenter’s 1984 cinematic adaptation, which is arguably the greatest horror film of all time. The story sees Hellboy called the Antarctic to protect a group of researchers from a monster that’s running amok. Who better to call than Big Red for this sort of situation?

Despite its obvious similarities to The Thing, this is still very much a Hellboy tale. The nods to Carpenter’s film are there, but it’s not a pastiche by any means. The story prods along at a brisk slow burn pace, building tension along the way before culminating with a colossal twist that’ll leave your jaw hanging. We’re used to unexpected twists in Hellboy stories, yet the majority are pulled off so brilliantly that it still comes as a shock when they are revealed; this is the case again with The Black Sun. This is brilliant horror storytelling with depth, handled by masters of the craft.

As always with a Hellboy story, the artwork is stunning. For this outing it comes courtesy Stephen Green, whose expertly drawn panels imbue the story with a sense of claustrophobia throughout. It’s so accurately drawn that it does a magnificent job of sucking you into the universe and watching it unfold almost cinematically. Pun aside, it’s chilling stuff.

The Black Sun will not disappoint fans of the character, and it continues to present him in fresh, exciting ways. After all these years, Hellboy is still a character who feels relevant and invigorated, and that’s all down to being involved in storytelling that never ceases to be extraordinary. Stories like The Black Sun.

Rating: 5/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK
[Click to Enlarge]