Hellboy: Wake The Devil (Comics) | Review

The second major Hellboy storyline by author Mike Mignola (Hellboy: Weird Tales, Hellboy: The Wild Hunt) doesn't waste time with pleasantries. Wake The Devil throws you straight into the kind of horror that feels both ancient and disturbingly intimate. This isn't just another demon-punching adventure waiting to happen up next.

It's the story where Hellboy's past catches up with him in the worst possible way imaginable. The narrative drags him through castles, crypts and conspiracies that make his origin story look like a warm-up act for something far more sinister and personally devastating.

Published across five issues in 1996 and 1997, this arc reunites writer-artist Mike Mignola with colorist James Sinclair to deliver definitive Hellboy storytelling at its best. The story picks up threads from Seed of Destruction while establishing the template for everything that follows in the Hellboy universe going forward with precision.

If you're wondering where Hellboy transitions from interesting concept to legendary character, this is that moment. The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense expands, the mythology deepens and the stakes feel genuinely dangerous for the first time in the series.

A group of vampires steals the corpse of Vladimir Giurescu, a Romanian nobleman with connections to Nazis and occult experiments during World War II that should stay buried forever. Their goal is bringing him back to life through ancient rituals nobody should be attempting under any circumstances whatsoever.

Hellboy, along with BPRD agents Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman, gets pulled into the investigation when bodies start piling up across Europe. What starts as a straightforward vampire hunt quickly spirals into something far more twisted and dangerous than anyone anticipated.

The story takes you through abandoned castles, forgotten ancient temples and the kind of dark history that makes you question whether some doors should stay closed. Mignola weaves together Nazi occultism, Hellboy's demonic heritage and the Giurescu family's monstrous legacy into one cohesive nightmare of epic proportions.

The vampires aren't your typical bloodsuckers looking for their next meal to satisfy hunger. They're tools in a larger, more horrifying plan that connects directly to Hellboy's true purpose on Earth and the destiny he's been running from since birth and beyond all else.

What makes this work so well is how personal it gets for our protagonist throughout the entire story arc. Hellboy isn't just fighting monsters for the sake of it anymore at all. He's confronting the reality of what he was meant to become and whether he can escape that fate.

The story references Project Ragna Rok from his origin but now the implications hit harder than ever for Hellboy personally on every level. There's a goddess named Hecate directly involved in the sinister plot. There's a creepy humanoid creature that speaks in cryptic riddles and dark prophecies nobody ever wants to see come true.

There's the ghost of Ilsa Haupstein, one of the Nazis responsible for summoning Hellboy in the first place. Every single element feeds into the central question at hand: can Hellboy escape his destiny or is he just delaying the inevitable apocalypse he was born to trigger?

The pacing never lets up across these five issues and keeps you hooked throughout the entire arc. Mignola structures each chapter like a horror film masterpiece, building tension through shadows and uncomfortable silence before unleashing violent chaos that feels earned rather than gratuitous or forced for cheap shock value.

You get quiet moments where characters actually talk and process what they're experiencing. Then sudden violence erupts that reminds you these people are constantly one mistake away from death. The climax involves Hellboy making a choice that defines his character for decades.

This arc also establishes the BPRD as more than just Hellboy's employer providing paychecks. Abe Sapien gets real development here, showing his intelligence and empathy in ways that matter. Liz Sherman struggles with her powers, adding weight to every scene she appears in.

These aren't sidekicks waiting around for the hero to save them from danger. They're people dealing with trauma and responsibility, trying to stop supernatural threats while barely holding themselves together under pressure. The team dynamic feels genuine, which makes the danger feel real and the stakes actually matter in the end.

Mignola's art here is where his signature style fully clicks into place for good this time. The heavy blacks, the minimal backgrounds, the way shadows seem to have weight and presence in every single panel throughout. Every page looks like it could hang in a proper gallery.

He uses negative space better than almost anyone in entire comics history. Darkness tells half the story without a single word of dialogue anywhere. The character designs are instantly iconic and memorable, from Hellboy's battle-worn appearance to the genuinely unsettling vampires and that horrific, nightmarish resurrection scene.

James Sinclair's colors deserve equal credit for the atmosphere. The palette is deep reds, sickly yellows and oppressive blues. Nothing feels safe or warm, even in supposedly peaceful moments. The combination creates visual language copied endlessly but never replicated.

The writing strikes a perfect balance between mythology and character development. Mignola doesn't overexplain anything. He trusts you to keep up, dropping references to occult history without stopping for exposition dumps. The dialogue sounds natural, especially Hellboy's sardonic reactions to increasingly odd situations.

Wake The Devil is where Hellboy truly becomes essential reading for any comic fan period without a doubt. It's not just a strong sequel to Seed of Destruction in any way whatsoever. It's the story that proves Mignola had a singular vision worth following for decades to come.

The horror is visceral, the mythology is compelling and the character work elevates everything beyond typical superhero fare. If you're new to Hellboy, this is where you'll understand why people obsess over these comics. If you're a fan, this belongs on your shelf permanently.

The way this arc connects Nazi occultism, vampire folklore and Hellboy's demonic nature without feeling cluttered is pure masterclass storytelling. It's dark without being edgy, complex without being confusing and beautiful in the most unsettling way possible today. This is what happens when creators have complete control.

Wake The Devil doesn't just work as a Hellboy story for longtime readers at all. It works as horror, as mythology, as genuine art that transcends the medium completely and utterly. That's rare in any format and it's why this arc remains so influential decades after publication.

Hellboy: Wake the Devil is collected as Hellboy Volume 2: Wake the Devil, a trade paperback published by Dark Horse Comics that gathers the five-issue limited series plus its epilogue. A digital edition is also available on Amazon Kindle, ComiXology, Dark Horse Digital and other platforms that carry Dark Horse Comics backlist.

Wake the Devil also included in the Hellboy Omnibus Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction for those starting the series fresh. This collection provides the best value and includes additional bonus material, sketches and some behind-the-scenes content from Mignola himself.