Happy Hellboy Day!

Happy Hellboy Day! Today, Saturday March 22nd, marks the official celebration of the 20th anniversary of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy comic series, published by Dark Horse Comics. Various festivities have been scheduled worldwide to celebrate the occasion, and lots of excellent articles and interviews have been popping up online throughout the week leading up to the big day. Since Hellboy is one of my all-time favorite characters and comic book series, I wanted to take a few minutes to personally pay tribute to him and his legacy.

Starting out as a sketch for a comic convention in 1991, before appearing on the cover of Dime Press #4 and San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 in 1993, then as a guest in John Byrne’s Next Men #21, and a four-page mini for Comic Buyer’s Guide, Hellboy’s look evolved before a proper coming out in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. There was no stopping Hellboy from there. Twenty years of Hellboy comics, various spinoff series, animated features, video games, and two live-action films later, Hellboy remains more popular and beloved by fans than ever.

So how has Hellboy managed to stay at the top of his game for so long? There’s just something special about the character that people relate to. A demon summoned by Nazis, Hellboy is an outsider who resists his destiny to bring about destruction, instead choosing to help mankind. I believe the man behind Hellboy, creator Mike Mignola, has everything to do with Hellboy’s appeal. Mr. Mignola is an incredible talent (and a very kind, polite gentleman whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many times throughout the years). From his distinct, instantly recognizable art style; to his knack for weaving humor…

…And tragedy into his compelling stories (along with nods to classic literature and mythology from around the world), Mike Mignola has retained control of his creator-owned characters. Sure, he lets other creators come in to play in his world, but the quality never suffers. It’s clear that Mr. Mignola cares deeply about his creations and their integrity. Hellboy is everything I love about creator-owned comics. While other titles come and go from my pull list, Hellboy (and all other Mignola books for that matter) have remained a constant for as long as I can remember. With Mr. Mignola back on art duties, as well as writing, the current saga of his iconic creation is still going strong in the pages of Hellboy in Hell.

So take some time today to celebrate Hellboy. Look for an event near you. Maybe check out Dark Horse’s excellent Hellboy sale. Look for the absolutely gorgeous Hellboy the First 20 Years art book at your LCS. Go back and reread your Hellboy comics (they get better every time). Watch the animated or live-action films. Eat some pancakes or drink rum with skeletons. Here’s to 20 years of Hellboy! I hope we get 20 more.

Bendis & Oeming’s ‘Powers’ Adaptation Finds a New Home

Hot damn, there’s fresh news about the Powers adaptation! For those not in the know (go read it NOW): Powers is a superb Image/Icon comic book series, co-created by Brian Micheal Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, about Chicago detectives who investigate superhero crimes. This genre-bending comic is so excellently written and illustrated that it was only a matter of time until someone realized it would be a perfect candidate for adaption into a live-action series. FX initially stepped up to the plate, a pilot episode was shot… And then Powers was condemned to a limbo that would make even Dante shake his fist in frustration. To the dismay of fans, FX decided to recast and reshoot Powers (as I reported, and to my delight was even reprinted, in Powers Vol. 3, Issue 10). All the while, Brian Michael Bendis remained confident and assured us things were moving ahead; but still we all waited with bated breath. And waited… At one point he even said that if Powers never found a real home, he would bring the damned original pilot on tour and screen it to audiences himself at comic conventions. And still we waited as our hope waned …

Now it appears Powers has found a new (and somewhat surprising) home. The world will finally get to see detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, in all their live-action glory. THR has confirmed that Powers has been picked up by Sony’s PlayStation Network! THR reports:

“The Sony-owned gaming console will recast the entire project with writer Charlie Huston stepping in for Charles Eglee. Circle of Confusion will return to executive produce alongside co-creators Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming. Michael Dinner will remain on board as an EP and director. Huston and Falling Skies’ Remi Aubuchon will exec produce, with Bendis and Huston set as showrunners. Circle of Confusion’s David Engel, David Alpert, and Lawrence Mattis will oversee for the company, which also produces AMC’s comics adaptation of The Walking Dead.”

Airing on PlayStation Network might initially seem like a downgrade from FX, but I’m not so sure it is. Recent Netflix hits like Orange is the New Black, and House of Cards have found great traction off the beaten track of cable network television, opening the door for more innovative programming through non-traditional venues. I’m not sure what the reported troubles FX ran into developing a series that is not only brilliant, but already storyboarded right there in the comic books (I’m guessing a lack of budget commitment or spine). It is also quite encouraging that Powers co-creator, Bendis, has been named a showrunner. This move shows a bold new direction for Sony and might be an indicator of exciting things to come. For now we’ll just have to wait and see again, but this scenario might ultimately prove to be even better for Powers. Keep your fingers crossed.