Written by Mike Mignola,
Thomas Sniegoski
Art by Craig Rousseau
Published by Dark Horse Comics
The fourth and final issue picks up right at the all-is-lost moment, when vampire queen Vesperra has gravely wounded the ape protector Gaaah, who shares a body with long-lost sky adventurer Scarlett Santiago, the Sky Devil.
Vesperra is ready to undo the magic spell that shifting the island to another dimension in order to keep her from world conquest.
And it seems like no one can stop her.
But hark!
The Ohnars – those sentient apes on the island – still have some magic up their sleeve to refresh their protector.
As that unfolds, Professor Bruttenholm is stuck in a heartbreaking moment of parenthood, standing over Gaaah’s bloody body. He stands on the verge of ripping away Hellboy’s childhood innocence twice: first, that his father can be powerless against something, and second, that sometimes the good guys lose.
But then things turn around – Gaaah survives!
Just when the action’s about to get good, as the giant ape Gaaah has been supercharged by the Ohnars’ magic and is about to pitch the battle royale against giant bat Vesperra …
Young Hellboy’s narration begins, and a panel shows him telling the Ohnar children of this adventure.
It’s a bit of a letdown, to be honest. I preferred to stay in the action completely, to remain immersed in watching the monsters battle and Gaaah emerge victorious. We know it’s gonna happen, and Hellboy’s gonna be spared, because this is in the past. But it’s about seeing the elements come together in expert hands.
That said, it still was a fun little story.
Young Hellboy regaling the Ohnar children, his fellow monster boys, with what he witnessed brings a lot of charm and pulp hero glory. He doesn’t know that he has his own adventures to come, ones that will take him to the end of the world and the end of hell itself.
But for now, it was neat to see that even our grizzled Hellboy was once a child with wonder in those giant, pupil-less, amber eyes.
