Earlier in the week Dark Horse announced that Hellboy would shed the mortal coil in the latest / last issue of this recent story arch – “The Fury”. This newest 3 issue run takes events that began 3 years ago in Hellboy: Darkness Calls and brings the story for the universe to a head with the death of the title character in the issue on stands August 10th (last Wednesday). Details on what’s next have been cagey but there are hints that while Hellboy is dead – he isn’t gone. Why would Dark Horse release a massive spoiler like that? Well it may have to do with the manner of the death. It is pretty common in comics to assume that people will inherently come back. It would not be a stretch to think that without the warning of “Yes, he’s dead, really truly dead” people might have reread the final pages a couple of times wondering if what they thought just happened really did.

Personally – I really enjoyed it. I thought it appropriate not only for HB as a character but for the whole universe. Yes – he dies. It has been a bit established that if eaten by a large enough monster he WILL just fight his way OUT of it (so you know it isn’t that). But I can’t imagine him going any other way than how he did. I further loved the stress on the idea through out the the story that the end is never JUST an end – but a beginning as well. So while there is no firm word on what is coming next – you have to wonder what does the afterlife hold for Big Red?

The Fury for all its sense of finality that fans may have some consternation towards does not disappoint. It’s epic, sweeping, and grand. It is pitch perfect Hellboy. I can’t say enough for Duncan Fregedo and his work penciling and to Dave Stewart constantly amazing coloring. The two of them capture and create the lush dark spirit that make the Hellboy books such a pleasure to read. One thing I have always loved in these comics is just the quality and beauty of the work. Having Mike Mignola himself on board writing this story also ads to the sense of this as something concrete and final. Mike made him – and Mike has killed him, and there is no arguing that.

While Hellboy is one of my favorite characters of all time and the big red guy does occupy a special part of my nerdy lil heart – it is the WORLD that Mike Mignola has so artfully and epically crafted on his own and with his latter collaborators that I really love. To say that the world of Hellboy is outright my favorite in the entire comics industry would probably not be an understatement. After reading the Fury my initial thoughts were to reread every Hellboy trade I have (and to buy the ones I don’t)…and to maybe talk to my tattoo artist about finally getting that Hellboy inspired tattoo I’ve been thinking over the past couple of years….

You can find Hellboy: The Fury #3 at stores now, or online at darkhorse.com