By Hythum Rahman, The Geekery Contributor
Koshchei The Deathless #1
Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Ben Stenbeck
Colors by Dave Stewart
Cover by Mike Mignola
Hellboy’s immortal foe, Koshchei the Deathless makes a come back in this six part mini series written by Mike Mignola. Now for most of you guys who don’t remember this dude, he is the immortal slave of Baba Yaga. He literally cannot die as his soul was put inside a “goat” (yes you’ve read that right). The goat however is hidden and held hostage by Baba Yaga and so Koshchei must do her bidding, in hopes that one day his soul will be released which will allow him to die. (awesome sauce)
The issue starts off with a bit of a flashback from when Baba Yaga had sent Koshchei to kill our Red Skinned Friend. Fast forward to the present, they’re both sat down, having a drink and a nice little chat like old buddies in what seems to be a bar, in HELL. (awesome sauce intensifies)
As we move on, we realise this is where Koshchei tells Hellboy his origin story, to which he admits is a long one, but they both agree to have nothing but time on their hands.
This book reads by itself so fluently. The story is told from the perspective of a villain that goes on to show that there is certainly a lot more to these characters than meets the eye. I’ve got to hand it to Mike, I wasn’t expecting this when I picked up this book. Having been a Mike Mignola art fan for years, I will always miss his work in the new books but to that length I must say Ben Stenbeck does a great job on the pages. I like how he keeps it very similar to Mignola’s unique style but also isn’t shy to do his own thing on some panels. I usually complain about artists in Mignola books where he isn’t doing interiors but this book isn’t one of them. To that extent, I must also credit the colorist Dave Stewart (he obviously knows what he’s doing here. He’s been doing it for years). Their team up for the art job really makes this book a pulls-worthy book for me. It’s no Mignola, but it’s pretty damn decent. The best part about it is for those who aren’t well versed in Hellboy lore will find this very easy to get into as it establishes a great story, intriguing characters and a dark tone that leaves you coming back for more. Can’t wait to read the following issues.
Verdict - 4/5
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