Hellboy in Love: The Art of Fire #1 – Burn the Witch

Hellboy in Love first hit shelves late 2022, and it gave readers something they hadn’t seen before: a happy Hellboy. Whether it is investigating small hauntings or world-ending threats, readers have seen Hellboy do it all, but Hellboy in Love gives readers a fascinating glimpse at Hellboy’s time away from the BPRD. With Hellboy in Love: The Art of Fire #1 – written by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, with art by Alex Nieto, and lettered by Clem Robins – readers find Hellboy and Anastasia Bransfield heading to Iceland to resurrect a long-dead witch. Mignola and Golden have created a solid writing partnership throughout the years. Few writers have successfully captured Mignola’s unique storytelling with deep character work within this universe. Whether it is comics, novels, or screenplays, Golden has a keen understanding of this universe and its characters, so even if Mignola outlined the plot and Golden handled the script, readers are getting an authentic Hellboy experience.

Alex Nieto does a wonderful job capturing the visual language of this universe, taking subtle cues from previous Hellboy in Love artists, while bringing in his own style. The visuals aren’t as gritty as other Hellboy stories, and that is a good creative choice. With this being the fourth entry of Hellboy in Love, the series highlights a more romantic tone while still dealing with supernatural horrors. It also works as a great contrast to other Hellboy stories while still maintaining the core elements of the character and universe, making this a great entry point for new readers. Nieto’s colors do something similar, capturing the classic Hellboy feel but simplified and less textured. Clem Robins is no stranger to lettering Hellboy stories, and the lettering in this issue does a fantastic job of bringing Mignola and Golden’s script to life in Nieto’s art. Do not let the softer visuals and the word “Love” in the title fool you, though. Hellboy in Love: The Art of Fire #1 delivers on the horror elements fans expect, and things will only get scarier from here.