Originally published at Fangoria.com on August 21, 2011
Featuring nonstop action and an ending that will take your breath away, HELLBOY: THE FURY #3 (Dark Horse Comics) is a highly entertaining must-have for all comic book fans. In the battle between good and evil, Hellboy bravely faces off with the Destroyer. Without any of his friends by his side, Hellboy stands alone as he knows full well that there can only be one person left alive. At his most triumphant, this will also be Hellboy’s greatest loss! [Caution: SPOILERS!]
To give the world a little more time to live, Hellboy fearlessly fights to the death. A new world is about to begin as monsters long buried will all rise. Soon, the reign of monsters will fully take control of the Earth. As this prophecy has already been foretold, no matter what Hellboy does, he cannot win this battle. Everything he loves will be swept away and burned to the ground.
No matter how hard he is hit, no matter how much blood he is losing, Hellboy still stands on his own two feet during his epic fight with the Destroyer, who, at one point, digs its bloody claws deep into Hellboy’s back, leaving him momentarily paralyzed. Hellboy bites his lip, struggles to get back up and swings his big red fist again. The last words he will ultimately hear are, “We die together.”
Creator and writer Mike Mignola delivers a hell of a tale that will leave readers breathless. No matter how badly bruised and exhausted he is, Hellboy never loses his attitude and still makes sarcastic comments. Mignola proudly gives Hellboy an epic battle this kind of hero really deserves! And although the finale is bleak, Mignola’s storytelling is always riveting.
The artwork by Duncan Fegredo depicts the destruction and chaos as Hellboy battles to the death. Surrounded by fire and corpses, the combat between Hellboy and the giant dragon is fantastically drawn in vibrant illustrations. Using extreme close-ups and medium shots, readers will be glued to the final pages. Enhancing the apocalyptic setting, Dave Stewart layers the opening with orange-reddish hues and then, towards the end, washes away all color with gray tones.
This critic cannot talk about HELLBOY: THE FURY #3 without revealing THE MAJOR SPOILER! This is the issue where Hellboy dies! Death is an integral part in comic book history, as this year alone fans have lost Ultimate Spider-Man and Johnny Storm, the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four. There are interesting developments up ahead, as another central figure dies in B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH: MONSTERS #2. With Liz Sherman being an emotional wreck, how will she react to the deaths of her two closest friends? And how will Mignola hold a funeral for his monster hunter? This reader can’t wait to find out.
