Hellboy is not done with Hell just yet. Dark Horse Comics has reminded fans that Mike Mignola's big red hero is heading back to Pandemonium this December in Hellboy in Hell: Parade of Horrors, a two-issue series that drops him right into the middle of Satan's funeral.
A Funeral Procession Full Of Angry Demons
The story picks up after the events of Hellboy in Hell: Nothing But Blood, the new series from Mignola and artist Cyrille Pomes that kicked off earlier this month. In Parade of Horrors, Hellboy goes looking for a drink and ends up wandering through a cemetery just in time to witness a grim procession honoring the death of Satan.
As you might expect, not every demon in attendance is thrilled to see Hellboy show up so soon after their Lord was murdered. Dark Horse says the series will introduce a whole new group of characters lurking in Hell and send Hellboy on a fresh adventure through the surreal depths of Mignola's version of the underworld.
The book is written by Mignola with art and covers by Mark Laszlo, the artist behind Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: Time is a River. Dave Stewart handles colors, Clem Robins is on letters, and Mignola provides a variant cover for the first issue. Issue #2 gets a variant from Bridgit Connell.
Mignola Did Not Plan To Go Back
When the series was first announced, Mignola admitted that he never expected to return to this part of Hellboy's story, let alone let another artist into it.
"I hadn't planned to return to Hellboy's HELL. I certainly didn't think I'd ever let anyone else in there. But I love Mark's work, and when we met he said he wanted to do a story set there. Well, how could I say no?" Mignola said.
He explained that there were a couple of big gaps between the chapters he originally drew, and he thought Laszlo would have fun with the two dead soldiers readers meet in "The Three Gold Whips." Mignola only gave him a rough outline, and the story grew from there, including a few new pieces of Hell's history.
Laszlo sounds like he is having the time of his life. "It's all made up of stuff I'm very happy to draw: Hellboy stumbling through parading demons, dancing skeletons, bloody fights, and I even got to draw a few glimpses from the history behind this version of Hell," he said.
Why Hellboy In Hell Still Matters
The original Hellboy in Hell ran from 2012 to 2016 and is one of the most important chapters in the entire Hellboy universe. After dying at the end of The Storm and the Fury, Hellboy wakes up in Hell and finally learns the full truth about where he came from. Mignola drew the series himself, and many readers still consider it some of his finest work, with its stark shadows and gloomy, empty villages.
Now, a decade after that story ended, Mignola is inviting a new wave of artists to fill in the spaces between those chapters. With Nothing But Blood already underway and Parade of Horrors on the way, it is a great time for horror fans to catch up on one of comics' best dark fantasy sagas.
Release Dates And Details
- Hellboy in Hell: Parade of Horrors #1: December 16, 2026, 32 pages, $4.99
- Hellboy in Hell: Parade of Horrors #2: February 10, 2027
- Rated for ages 14 and up
Fans hoping to see Hellboy back on the big screen have also been keeping an eye on Ron Perlman, who recently hinted that he has spoken with Guillermo del Toro about a potential third movie. Until something happens there, the comics continue to be the best place to find new Hellboy stories.
Are you picking up Hellboy in Hell: Parade of Horrors, and which part of Mignola's Hell would you like to see explored next?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.