Hellboy In Love: The Art of Fire #1 (Dark Horse, 2025)

As a casual Hellboy fan, this was not my jam. But that doesn't mean it was bad. 

HELLBOY IN LOVE #1, script by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, art and colors by Alex Neito, and letters by Clem Robins.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to First Issues Now, the weekly show
posted daily about only the newest first issues released by
insert comic company. Here this week, I'll be looking at
the comics release for the week of August sixth, twenty
twenty five. I think the last time I read a
Hellboy book. It was actually a little bit ago when
I was rereading to follow along with Comics Collective when

(00:21):
they were covering the earlier hell Boy books. Yes, let's
start this episode with a plug to them, because they're
all awesome, especially Anne. Anyways, this is Hellboy in Love
number one. Script by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, Art
and colors by Alex Nato and letters by Clem Robbins.

(00:41):
Hellboy and archaeologist Anastasia Brandsfield check to Iceland for evidence
of a seemingly impossible network of occultists, but a fresh
dig site holds answers that come at a steep and
risky price. I know it seems a little easy to
go with the solicit but this is honestly just set
up issue. Okay, I'm gonna be a little bit more

(01:03):
honest about me and Hellboy. I like hell Boy as
a whole. When it's a graphic novel or an anthology
where it is a complete story. I love him as
a character, I love the world in habits, I love
it all. However, single issues I've always been a little
bit more ambivalent about. Some start with a bang, so

(01:24):
that first issue is a wild ride, it gets you invested,
and other times the whole story needs to be there,
and I think outside of maybe those that are already
caught up and ready for the newest installment, that is
what this is. Again. The writing is good for what
it is, but you're essentially getting the inciting incident in

(01:44):
the last couple of pages of this. And there is
even an argument to be made that the relationship or
the non let's raise a witch side is a bit
anemic too. Again, not that any of it's bad in
reading it, just that there's not a lot here, Especially
for new readers. This could be great if you read
the last Hellboy in Love or you live for Hellboy

(02:06):
and Anastasia being adorable, which I will say, I do
love that panel of them holding hands. It is noise,
it's great. It would be a fantastic issue seventy eight
and a Hellboy ongoing. But that then again also points
out the downside when you go for miniseries format, or
at least having singles before going into trade. I feel
like my verdict here is actually going to officially be

(02:29):
not applicable because while this does say number one on
the cover, this is most definitely not a number one issue.
It is the first half in a good story. Noe
oubt that fans of hell Boy may really like. But
that's why I think that it's worth reading if you're
up to date with Hellboy lore. But it isn't going
to be an issue that makes you want to become
a Hellian or whatever Hellboy fans are actually called. But

(02:54):
maybe I'm wrong. Let me know what your thoughts of
this issue is over on Facebook at the Comic Art
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