Hellboy Volume 2: Wake the Devil

Where the first volume was lean and driven by vision and ambition alone, this one necessarily expands on that vision, preparing Hellboy for his still ongoing 30-year run. However, Mignola simply isn't there yet as a writer, failing to elegantly juggle all of the narrative balls he throws into the air. So it didn't surprise me when he revealed at the end of the volume that he made significant changes to the story halfway through and that one of its best parts—the Epilogue—was added later when the issues were collected.


That doesn't mean there aren't some major improvements. The art is more confident and dynamic, even though it lacks some of the dark, damp moodiness of the first volume that I liked so much. The dialogue is much more interesting and natural as well. And while it doesn't yet always come together in a satisfying way, the wild mix of myths and folklore is a lot of fun.