Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others & The Right Hand of Doom, a Review

The Chained Coffin and Others is different from the previous two volumes in the Hellboy saga. Volume 3 is a collections of small vignettes that re-tells folktales Mike Mignola has come across. One such example is "The Chained Coffin," which stems from an Irish folktale the author once read.

Like the first two collections, this volume is beautifully illustrated and wonderfully scripted. The colors are still rich and dark, capturing the essence of the gothic-horror feel. The characters are getting more developed, especially Hellboy, and I'm very interested to see how his future will play out.

Also included in this collection is a story about the Baba Yaga, of whom I was interested from the Fables series as well as some previous stories of Hellboy. In fact, there are several short, wonderfully dark tales that any fan of folklore or fairy tales will love.

Overall, this collection was highly enjoyable, easing off the familiar plot of the previous volumes and venturing into short-story. Still, even these short tales add to the complex character of Hellboy and his world, and I was most impressed with Mignola's work. This is a highly recommendable addition to the so-far excellent series.

***

The Right Hand of Doom is similar to Volume 3, in that it collects a few short folktales in the beginning of the book and one longer story arc, "The Right Hand of Doom," to finish the work.

Like the previous edition, the short stories are all beautiful renditions of global tales I've never heard. Mignola deals with mostly European folklore, but he also includes a Japanese story in this issue that I found beautiful and interesting.

One thing I really liked about this volume was the revelations of Hellboy and his destiny. Most of these tales hint at his purpose in this world, and "The Right Hand of Doom" comes right out and tells it. Coupled with breathtaking artwork, the plot moves along nicely and captures the reader's attention.

The Right Hand of Doom doesn't carry the same conventional story progression as Volumes 1 & 2 do, but it's still a great addition to the Hellboy universe, easily worthy to sit alongside the rest. And with the truth about Hellboy coming out, I'm certainly eager to see where the hero will go now.