This Hellboy spin-off, a graphic novel written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, focuses on Koshchei the Deathless. He is a character from Eastern European folklore who appeared briefly in Hellboy as the servant of Baba Yaga, the Russian witch who lives in a house with chicken legs.
In a pub on the shores of Hell, Koshchei tells Hellboy the tale of his miserable and almost everlasting life. Their previous encounters are worked into the storyline, so new readers shouldn’t find it too difficult to follow. Beaten almost to death as a talented young soldier, Koshchei was restored by a dragon, after promising to work for nine years in the dragon’s castle. That service complete, he goes out into the world with the dragon’s blessing, only to come, once again, to a bloody end. This time the resurrection is permanent, and so begins a life that would have been better not lived at all.
With comics one can sometimes forget to read the art as well as the words, and that’s especially important in Hellboy comics, where the art often takes the lead in telling the story. Ben Stenbeck’s art here performs that duty admirably, being beautiful and horrifying as required, but always characterful, and the action is clear. His sketchbook section will provide young artists with a useful insight into the life of a working artist, for example how he will often have several runs at a design before getting it right, and how that process is a collaboration, involving input from the writer and editor. Stephen Theaker ****
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