Hellboy hallmarks adhere to horrific, historical, hereditary havoc not withholding harbouring horrendous hullabaloo happening in a hospitable haven and I hear the hollers hallelujah on the horizon!
The British Paranormal Society: Time Out of Mind #1 is the first issue in a new mini-series from Dark Horse Comics. From the world of Hellboy, Simon Bruttenholm and Honora Grant must unravel the mystery of a small British village involving the horrors of folklore from their culture.
In a story by Chris Roberson set in 1910, the pair arrive in the seemingly quaint, quiet town of Noxton. Things get odd when the locals are questioned. They either give extremely vague answers about the town’s upcoming festival or avoid questions completely. Some run away unexpectedly with no explanation. The chemistry between the two characters delightfully reminds me of when they appeared as side characters in Witchfinder, another spin-off series about Sir Edward Grey. To see them get their own book is simply sublime. For those familiar with the Hellboy comics, you may recognize the name Simon Bruttenholm because he’s appeared in numerous issues before. More importantly, he’s the Uncle of Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who was the founder of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, and the parental guardian of Hellboy. The same goes for Honora Grant, she’s also appeared within the world of Hellboy created by Mike Mignola. For the unfamiliar, it may sound complicated but this book stands on its own without having to know any pre-established Hellboy lore. Both characters have missions with their own personal investments. It’s a tantalizing tale reminiscent of the film Hot Fuzz but more serious and whimsical in tone combined with the film Midsommar. I’m very interested to see where it goes from here.
The artwork is by Andrea Mutti. Each character has a unique look with a wide array of emotions expressively on display. Different line thicknesses are used for people’s faces to indicate depth for the natural creases or used to designate predominant facial features like jawlines and cheekbones. The village of Noxton is blooming with charm too. The architecture of each building is unique, making them easily distinguishable. All this is drenched in a brightly coloured palette of golden yellows to accentuate the daylight hours before continuing into the darkness of night in a forest of cooler colours using blues and green tones. The art style is consistent with the Hellboy universe too. I’m all about continuity.
Overall, it’s astutely written to appeal to both long-time fans and newcomers alike. This seems to be a promising beginning to a thrilling mystery I’d like to see through to the end. The illustrations place readers in an unsettling period piece where darkness looms with things that go bump in the night around every corner. Hopefully, it gets the uninitiated interested in reading more Hellboy content because he’s a thought-provoking complex, iconic horror comic book character with a fabulously rich world worth exploring.. And remember, this issue and the ever-expanding world-building in the Hellboy universe can be summarized this famous Hellboy quote “I can promise you two things: One, I’ll always look this good, and two, I’ll never give up on you.”
Grade: 9/10
