Itty Bitty Hellboy #1 Review

I've read Hellboy and thought, “This is great, but it'd be nice if there were an adorable, all-ages version!” You thought that, right? Well, whether you thought that or not, Art Baltazar and Franco went ahead and made it. Itty Bitty Hellboy is pretty good, a newspaper-strip styled comic that, at times, plays like a solid Calvin and Hobbes story. It's silly, funny, and engaging. My five year-old even loved it and I always thought it'd be a few more years before he enjoyed a Hellboy comic.

Art Baltazar's strong line work and lettering really give this issue a great flow. It's simple, but effective. Most of the jokes play well because of the characters' expressions and the panel pacing. The beat as Hellboy realizes he's holding Roger's underwear. The moment when Liz tosses a baseball through Johann and the proclaims he can play short stop. There's a ton of well constructed moments throughout this entire issue. Itty Bitty Hellboy is just a really well put together comic.

If anything, the only problem this comic has is that it doesn't really need to be a Hellboy comic. There are some nice jokes at little red's expense and a few funny character moments, but most of the charm and humor exists outside of the Hellboy mythos. It just plays like a comic about a a group of neighborhood kids. This won't hurt your enjoyment of the comic, but it is an odd choice. If you're going to do Hellboy, do Hellboy.

Benjamin is a drinker of root beer and a lover of fine cheeses. Follow Benjamin on Twitter @616Earth, or find him on IGN.

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