TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Comics Review: "SPACE GHOST #9" is Some Powerful Sh*t

SPACE GHOST VOL. 1 #9

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Pepose

ART: Jonathan Lau

COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Francesco Mattina

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jae Lee with June Chung

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2025)

Rated “Teen”

“Invasion of the Space Armada!”

Space Ghost is a superhero character created by the American animation studio and production company, Hanna-Barbera Productions. The character first appeared in the Saturday morning cartoon series, “Space Ghost,” which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1966 to September 1967 for 20 episodes.

In his original incarnation, Space Ghost was a superhero whose base of operations was a small world known as “Ghost Planet.” He fought super-villains in outer space with his teen sidekicks, Jan and Jace, and their monkey, Blip. His main weapons were power bands he wore around his wrists and lower arms; the bands fired off multiple energy beam-based attacks, including heat, cold, and force, to name a few. Space Ghost could also fly, survive in space, and turn invisible (his “Inviso Power”). He also had a space ship known as “the Phantom Cruiser.”

Space Ghost sporadically appeared in various comic book publications over a fifty year period. Dynamite Entertainment has just launched a new Space Ghost comic book as part of its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Entitled Space Ghost Volume 1, it is written by David Pepose; drawn by Jonathan Lau; colored by Andrew Dalhouse; and lettered by Taylor Esposito. In the new series, twins Jan and Jace Keplar and their pet monkey, Blip, meet that legendary cosmic vigilante known as “the Space Ghost.”

Space Ghost Volume One #9 (“Invasion of the Space Armada!”) opens on Cetia-7, the Galactic Federation Homeworld. Having defeated the Space Ghost, General Metallus has launched a full-scale invasion of Cetia-7. When the planet falls, it will make the sound of an empire being born, an empire under the iron rule of Metallus. Don't count your empires before they hatch, Metallus, because you can't keep a good hero down.

Meanwhile, Jan, Jace, and Blip continue their valiant effort. Believing Space Ghost to be dead, the children and their pet monkey are determined to save as many people as they can. Can Space Ghost's young allies hold on until help arrives?

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. Space Ghost #9, Volume One is a recent issue that I have received.

Writer David Pepose has closed his two-part battle royale between Space Ghost and one of his most powerfully dangerous adversaries, Metallus, with enough power to light up a galactic homeworld. Pepose is so good at this Space Ghost comic book writing thing that I am starting to believe that if Space Ghost has a canon, this comic book stands right behind the original 1966-67 TV series.

Artist Jonathan Lau art makes Pepose's powerful script into all-powerful comic book storytelling. His art is textured and beautiful, dark and dangerous, and brings sexy back. Nothing Lau does as an illustrator is ordinary; his art leaps off the page and dazzles my imagination. It makes you believe that this is the great battle for the survival of the Galactic Federation ever.

Andrew Dalhouse's lovely colors bring new meaning to conflagration. Intergalactic planetary destruction usually only looks this good in movies with the help of CGI. Letterer Taylor Esposito goes symphonic with his fonts. I can feel the sound his lettering imparts.

I'm having a blast reading Space Ghost Volume One, dear readers. I am running out of words to praise this, but I won't run out of desire to read it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Dynamite Entertainment's Warner Bros. comic book series will want to read Space Ghost Volume One.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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Advanced Comics Review: "SUPERGUY #1" is a Super-Duper Great Read

SUPERGUY #1

STORY: Anthony Iannaccio

SCRIPT: Anthony Iannaccio

ART: Joey Murphy

COLORS: Joey Murphy

LETTERS: Joey Murphy

COVER: Joey Murphy

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Ahmed Raafat; Dominque Barlow; Billy Lahiff

28pp, Color, $10.00 U.S., $13.00 (variants); reward bundles

Superguy created by Anthony Iannaccio and Joey Murphy

“There Goes My Hero”

Superguy #1 is a new comic book from writer Anthony Iannaccio and artist Joey Murphy. The series follows the adventures and misadventures of a self-absorbed superhero, who is usually in his underwear, and his earnest robot sidekick, who has a mysterious and likely dark past. The story and script are by Iannaccio and the art, colors, and lettering are by Murphy.

Superguy #1 (“There Goes My Hero”) opens in Thebig City, specifically Thebig City Elementary School. It was supposed to be the school's “Graduation Day,” but that has been canceled so that they can have “Superguy Day!” Although the kids are excited to see Thebig City's favorite superhero, that superhero, the aforementioned Superguy, can't be bothered to show up on time.

Superguy can't even be bothered to do his job, so that's why his loyal sidekick, Robotguy, steps into the job and starts saving the day. Eventually, however, that is going to rub a super-someone the wrong way. Before long, there is a battle for the ages, and no one really understands how bad it will get or how many players are watching from the sidelines.

THE LOWDOWN: Last year, Anthony Iannaccio sent me a PDF copy of a Superguy preview story that he and Joey Murphy produced. Iannaccio also generously provided me with an advanced PDF copy of Superguy #1, which is the subject of a new Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

I was really impressed by the Superguy preview I read last year. It was the kind of comic book story that young'un Leroy would have flipped over. I can say the same for Superguy #1, and I've been trying to figure out why that is so.

Perhaps, I think of Superguy as something that will appeal to comics readers, young and old, because it seems as much like a broadcast network animated television series as much as it is actually a comic book. Superguy is sort of like Fox's long-running animated series, “The Simpsons,” combined with humor of Seth MacFarlane, another Fox animation mainstay, but without the more obviously adult content. Superguy #1 is a humor comic book that does not downplay the superhero fantasy elements, and it is also a superhero comic book that does not temper the humor. Perhaps, I see its potential for broad appeal in the fact that it broadly embraces more than one or two genres and subgenres.

Iannaccio and Murphy are a good team; they are like a seamless pairing that cannot go astray. Iannaccio offers a suite of snappy comedy, sharp dialogue, and lively jokes that it usually takes a team of writers to produce. This is an impressive feat on his part. Murphy is a humor comics artist with solid drawing and storytelling chops. There is a consistency in his compositions that suggests a veteran talent, even if Murphy hasn't been doing this a long time. Murphy's art and storytelling depicts humor and comic timing so well that this also makes it seem like he is an old hand at comedy and comics.

In his own way, Superguy is a lovable man-child, full of jealousies and self-importance. Robotguy is a stand-up hero, as good as any human good guy, but destined to face his darkness. I love these characters. I love this comic book. I love what Iannaccio and Murphy are doing here. So far, their Superguy #1 Kickstarter is doing exceedingly well. I hope they make enough dough to fund at least a few more issues of Superguy because this comic book is a super-read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of pure comic book fun will want to read Superguy #1 over and over again.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Linktree for Anthony Iannaccio social media: https://linktr.ee/mrtonynacho

Link to the Joey Murphy's IG page: https://www.instagram.com/jorion/

Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mrtonynacho/superguy-1

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Saturday, March 22, 2025

Comics Review: "ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1" is the Dark Knight Begins

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1

DC COMICS

STORY: Scott Snyder

ART: Nick Dragotta

COLORS: Frank Martin

LETTERS: Clayton Cowles

EDITOR: Katie Kubert

COVER: Nick Dragotta with Frank Martin

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Wes Craig; Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair; Mitch Gerads; Ian Bertram; Jim Lee and Scott Williams

36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2024)

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

“The Zoo” Part One of Five

Batman is a DC Comics superhero that was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and that debuted in the Detective Comics #27 (apparently first published on March 30, 1939). Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in Gotham City. Batman's origin story begins when he is a child and his parents are murdered in front of him, leading young Bruce to swear vengeance on the city's criminal element.

The story of Bruce Wayne and of how he became Batman has been its own “Goldberg variations.” [2012's Batman: Earth One Volume One is an example.] Now, comes a new line of DC Comics, “Absolute Comics,” which is similar to Marvel's “Ultimate Comics” line, in that Absolute Comics presents alternate versions and the changed narratives of familiar DC Comics characters and their back stories. Welcome to “Earth-Alpha” and the “Absolute Universe.”

The first entry in the Absolute Comics line is the recently launched comic book series, Absolute Batman. It is written by Scott Snyder; drawn by Nick Dragotta; colored by Frank Martin; and lettered by Clayton Cowles. In the new series, Batman/Bruce Wayne isn't a billionaire with seemingly unlimited resources, but he is still a vigilante by night and now, a thug in the streets.

Absolute Batman #1 opens with a glimpse into the past. There, we see the incident that spurred young Bruce Wayne onto the mission of 24-year-old Bruce Wayne. Wayne is a talented, multi-skilled, much-employed, blue-collar civil engineer who fights crime at night as a mysterious vigilante.

In the present day, Alfred Pennyworth is some kind of operative, a secret agent working for a mysterious agency. His tasks including spying, monitoring, and killing for his bosses. He is currently in Gotham City investigating the “Party Animals,” apparently a criminal organization with worldwide reach. These “Party Animals” are in Gotham, killing and terrorizing in the most brutal fashion, and Pennyworth has an eye on them and on a new player in town.

However, this new player in town is like no other Gotham “player,” and he's going to show the Party Animals that he can be every bit as ruthless and as violent as they can be... and more. Who is “the Batman?” Without the mansion...without the money...without the butler...what's left is the Absolute Dark Knight!

THE LOWDOWN: I do not receive review PDFs from DC Comics. I bought a copy of the fifth printing of Absolute Batman #1 from “Stronghold Collectibles” at their booth at the recent Louisiana Comic Con 2025 (March 8-9) in Lafayette, Louisiana. So I'm free to say what I want, although, as I remember it, DC does not require people who receive access to their review PDFs to give positive reviews.

Honestly, I enjoyed reading Absolute Batman #1, not as much as I enjoyed series writer Scott Snyder's 2011 Batman #1 (or Tony S. Daniel's 2011 Detective Comics #1). But I enjoyed it nonetheless. My reading of this first issue suggests that Absolute Batman #1 seems like a kind of prequel or perhaps actual reboot of sorts of Frank Miller's seminal graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DKR). I could see the Batman/Bruce Wayne of Absolute Batman becoming the 50-year-old Batman/Bruce Wayne of DKR more than I can see the various iterations of Batman in Detective Comics or in the Batman ongoing comic book becoming DKR's vigilante.

Absolute Batman artist, Nick Dragotta, seems to be doing a riff on the art and compositions of Snyder's 2011 Batman collaborator, artist Greg Capullo. I'm impressed with Dragotta's take on Batman's costume, but his graphical style is still The New 52 era Capullo. That said, Dragotta's colorist, Frank Martin, an accomplished comic book colorist, seems to be going vintage in his coloring for this first issue, which I think recalls Richmond Lewis' coloring of David Mazuchelli art on the famous story arc, Batman: Year One (1987).

I can say that letterer Clayton Cowles is just being his good old self, and that is very good enough. His shifting fonts give Absolute Batman #1 style and flair, and the lettering actually encouraged me to really invest my imagination in the story.

I enjoyed this first issue enough that I may seek out more individual issues of Absolute Batman. Or I might just wait for the trade paperback collection. I can say that I'm interested in reading a Batman comic book on a regular basis more than I have been for at least half a decade.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Batman comic books will want to read Absolute Batman.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 1: THE ZOO is available at Amazon.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 16th to 22nd, 2025 - UPDATED #11

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?: There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

MOVIES - From WorldofReel: Multiple studios have reportedly shown interest in a reboot of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with rising star, Glen Powell, attached as star and JT Mollner ("Strange Darling") attached as the director.

AMAZON - From Variety: Former head of Sony Pictures, Amy Pascal, and producer David Heyman, are being considered to run the "James Bond" franchise for Amazon MGM Studios. Amazon is finalizing a deal to take creative control of the franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, whose family has managed the franchise for over half a century.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel: Actor Austin Abrams ("Euphoria") is in talks to star in director Zach Cregger's "Resident Evil" reboot, which will begin shooting this fall.

SCANDAL - From Deadline: Actor Jonathan Majors, whose career took a big hit because of a domestic abuse conviction, was on "The Sherri Shepherd Show" to talk about his new film, "Magazine Dreams." Shepherd was moved to tears by Major's portrayal of the film's lead character, "Killian Maddox."

ANIMATION - From Deadline: Last year (2024), independent production studio and film distributor, Ketchup Entertainment, obtained the North American rights to Warner Bros. Pictures' animated film, "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie." Now, Ketchup is negotiating an all-rights acquisition with Warner Bros. for its shelved live-action/animation hybrid film, "Coyote vs. Acme." If the deal goes through, the film will be released in 2026.

CANNES - From WorldofReel: The 2025 / 78th Cannes Film Festival will announce its official lineup on April 10th.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel: "Saw 11" has been cancelled, so the "Saw" film franchise might be dead... for the time being.

MUSIC/POLITICS - From Variety: The rock band, "Semisonic," has objected to the Trump White House using it 1998 hit, "Closing Time," in one of its social media video clips about deportation. Semisonic said that the clip misinterpret the song and was used without permission. "Closing Time" was written by the band's lead singer, Dan Wilson, and was nominated at the 41st Grammy Awards (1999) in the category of "Best Rock Song."

MOVIES - From Truthout: Truthout writer, Tim Brinkhof, says that director Bong Joon-Ho's film, "Mickey 17" hold up a mirror to life under a second Trump presidential administration. Brinkhof says that the film is "both a critique of gangster capitalism and an argument in favor of proletarian revolution."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 3/14 to 3/16/2025 weekend box office is Paramount Pictures' "Novocaine" with an estimated take of 8.7 million dollars.

From Deadline: "Deadline" looks at five directors who have films due in 2025 after some years of being away from the spotlight: Paul Thomas Anderson, Kathryn Bigelow, Derek Cianfrance, Paul Greengrass, and Lynne Ramsay.

STREAMING - From Deadline: There will be a Season 4 of "Ted Lasso" at Apple TV+.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Comics Review: Disney's "DARKWING DUCK #1" Makes Another Strong Debut

DARKWING DUCK VOLUME 2 #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Daniel Kibblesmith

ART: Ted Brandt & Ro Stein

COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly

LETTERS: Fabio Amelia

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

COVER: Tad Stones

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Bagley; Ted Brandt & Ro Stein; Nicoletta Baldari; Ciro Cangialosi; Tad Stones

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2025)

Rated “All Ages”

“Year One” Part One of Twelve: “Hi, Voltage!”

“Darkwing Duck” was an animated superhero comedy television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It originally aired for three seasons (for a total of 91 episodes) from 1991 to 1992, both as part of the syndicated programming block, “The Disney Afternoon,” and as part of ABC's Saturday morning lineup. “Darkwing Duck” focused on a suburban duck, Drake Mallard, and his superhero alter-ego, “Darkwing Duck.” The character was a parody of the pulp fiction vigilante character, The Shadow, and his alter-ego, Kent Allard.

A little over two years ago, Dynamite Entertainment launched a new Darkwing Duck comic book series. Now, it has recently relaunched the series with Darkwing Duck Volume 2. It is written by Daniel Kibblesmith; drawn by Ted Brandt & Ro Stein; and colored by Dearbhla Kelly; and lettered by Fabio Amelia. The new series revisits Darkwing Duck's first year as a superhero.

Darkwing Duck Volume 2 #1 (“Hi, Voltage!”) opens at night in the city of St. Canard. Then, the story moves to the suburbs of St. Canard, specifically the Mallard residence. Drake Mallard is regaling his adopted daughter, Gosalyn Mallard, with tales of his adventures as Darkwing Duck. It is, however, early in his crime-busting career, but Darkwing is ready to have... an arch-nemesis?! Meanwhile, one such candidate presents himself when Megavolt goes after “the max-capacity super battery.”

Meanwhile, Gosalyn does not want an early bedtime when her father is off having adventures. She wants to visit “the St. Canard-Once-a-Year-After-Hours-Fun-Time-Carnival.” And to do that, she needs to convince tonight's guard dog, Launchpad McQuack, that he wants to have fun, too. What are the chances both the father's and the daughter's missions cross paths?

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Darkwing Duck Volume 2, Issue #1, one of a few Darkwing Duck comic books that I have read.

I have never watched an episode of the “Darkwing Duck” animated series, although I have always wanted to do so. My only previous experience reading a Darkwing Duck comic book was Dynamite's 2023 series, and I only read the first four issues.

However, the work of this new series' creative team might make me stick around longer. Writer Daniel Kibblesmith spins a yarn that offers the usual fun of Darkwing Duck, while depicting a hero in the early days of his crime-busting. Still, Kibblesmith finds the joy in the character and personality of Darkwing Duck and in the series' signature brand of humor rather than focusing on the mechanics of a superhero's “Year One.”

The art team of illustrators Ted Brandt & Ro Stein and colorist Dearbhla Kelly offer a spry first chapter of storytelling that sparks on the page with adventure and humor. Brandt & Stein capture the Disney graphical aesthetic, while Kelly colors the story in a way that suggests something vintage or, at least, of recent vintage. Letterer Fabio Amelia keeps the energy going with battery-charged sound effects, captions, and word balloons.

I hope that Dynamite can find continued success with Darkwing Duck. There is an audience for this title, and it could be you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Darkwing Duck will want to try Dynamite's new Darkwing Duck Volume 2 comic book series.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Review: "HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN" Raises All Kinds of Hell, Boy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 of 2025 (No. 2018) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)

Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)

MPA – R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language

DIRECTOR: Brian Taylor

WRITERS: Brian Taylor, Christopher Golden, and Mike Mignola (based upon the Dark Horse comic book series created by Mike Mignola)

PRODUCERS: Jeffrey Greenstein, Sam Schulte, Robert Van Norden, Yariv Lerner, Mike Richardson, Les Weldon, and Jonathan Yunger

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ivan Vatsov (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Ryan Denmark

COMPOSER: Sven Faulconer

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring: Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Leah McNamara, Joseph Marcell, Martin Bassindale, Hannah Margetson, Bogdan Haralambov, Carola Columbo, Anton Trendafilov, Michael Flemming, and Suzanne Bertish

Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a 2024 superhero, horror, and dark fantasy film from director Brian Taylor. The film is based on the Hellboy character and comic books created by Mike Mignola and published by Dark Horse Comics. The film is also the second reboot of the Hellboy film franchise. In Hellboy: The Crooked Man, Hellboy and a first-time field agent unexpectedly find themselves in a mountain community dominated by witchcraft and ruled over by a local demon.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man opens in 1959. We meet Hellboy (Jack Kesy) and Special Agent Bobbie Jo Song (Adeline Rudolph), both of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). The two are transporting a supernatural toxic spider by train when something goes awry, and they suddenly find themselves stranded in the Appalachian Mountains. They wander until they come to a backwoods community that is filled with superstition and with the belief in witches.

They meet a former local, Tom Ferrell (Jefferson White), himself a witch, who has home to atone for his sins and to settle a hateful debt he owes. Witches and witchcraft, however, are not the only things that haunt this isolated mountain community. The devil is about in the form of Mister Onselm (Martin Bassindale), also known as “The Crooked Man.” He has come to collect a debt, and Hellboy, Song and Ferrell are the resistance. Soon, the mountain church of the blind Reverend Watts (Joseph Marcell) will be the scene of an epic battle of good versus evil.

I am not a big fan of Guillermo del Toro's 2004 film, Hellboy, the first film in the series. It has great production values, and it is a gorgeous movie filled with fantastical visual elements. On the other hand, the story is executed in a clunky and awkward fashion, and the characters are not particularly interesting. However, del Toro's follow-up to that film, the Oscar-nominated Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), is one of my all-time favorite films, and I consider it to be one of the best-ever films adapted from a comic book. Director Neil Marshall's 2019 film, Hellboy, was supposed to reboot the Hellboy film franchise. It was a box office bomb, with its worldwide box office failing to recoup even the film's production costs, but Hellboy 2019 is far superior to Hellboy 2004. It is closer to Hellboy II, in terms of quality, and almost seems like a reworking of the plot of the 2008 film.

All that said, Hellboy: The Crooked Man is another try at rebooting or restarting the series. I remember reading press and promotion for The Crooked Man stating that it was the closest of the four films in terms of being faithful to the comic book. I get that being faithful to the comic book is important to comic book people, especially the comic book creators and fans, but in the larger world of the film business, that is irrelevant. What the people behind Hellboy: The Crooked Man should have been doing is telling the world that The Crooked Man is one helluva movie...

...Because it is. Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a mutha f**kin' good movie. I enjoyed the hell outta it, so much so that I might owe The Crooked Man of the film a debt. I am not trying to say that it is perfect, because it is not. Hellboy: The Crooked Man starts off slow, dry, awkward, and forced, and its first act seems like a collection of contrivances.

Then, the movie loses it mind and goes bonkers, and Hellboy: The Crooked Man flips the script so fast that I didn't know what hit me. The Crooked Man's director, Brian Taylor, is known for his work with fellow writer-director Mark Neveldine, and the duo specializes in directing nutty and bonkers film like Crank (2006) and the 2011 comic book movie, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. The duo also wrote the kooky horror-Western film hybrid, Jonah Hex (2010).

Going solo on The Crooked Man, Taylor busts out a film that takes the gruesome dead of the 1982 film, Creepshow, and mixes them with hoary hell hounds of director Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981). The result is the most horrifying film in the Hellboy franchise, a film with enough bone-rattling folk horror to convince many viewers that it is a legit horror flick.

I find that David Harbour, who played Hellboy in the 2019 film, didn't stray far in his performance from what Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy star, Ron Perlman, did with the character. The Crooked Man's Hellboy actor, Jack Kesy, is more like Jeff Bridges' “Jeffrey 'The Dude' Lebowski” (from The Big Lebowski) than he is like the dark-fantasy action hero of the previous Hellboy films. It is not that Kesy is better or worse, for the matter; it is just that he takes a different path to bringing the character to life.

There are other good performances in this film. Jefferson White makes a mark as Tom Ferrell, but there are times when both White and his character, Ferrell, seem to get lost in the hell-raising of this film. Adeline Rudolph, however, does not get lost as Bobbie Jo Song, and Rudolph's robust performance makes Song not so much a supporting character as she is a co-lead. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Joseph Marcell as Reverend Watts because he is a scene-stealer in the role. I was shocked to learn that Marcell played “Geoffrey Butler,” the butler on the former NBC sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96).

Hellboy: The Crooked Man lacks the superhero fantasy, blockbuster bombast of its predecessors, but it is a truly unique superhero movie convincingly cos-playing a scary movie. I don't want to give away too many of its chilling, goose flesh-raising frights. The film did receive mixed reviews, but here, I won't send a mixed message. Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a damn good movie, and I would be damned if I said otherwise.

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

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Review: First "HELLBOY" Film Still Dances with the Devil

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hellboy (2004)

Running time: 122 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and frightening images

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro

WRITERS: Guillermo del Toro; from screen story by Peter Briggs & Guillermo del Toro (based upon the comic book by Mike Mignola)

PRODUCERS: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, and Mike Richardson

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro

EDITOR: Peter Amundson

COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR/ACTION/ADVENTURE and SCI/FANTASY

Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, John Hurt, Corey Johnson, Doug Jones, Brian Caspe, James Babson, Biddy Hodson, Jim Howick, Kevin Trainor, and (voice) David Hyde Pierce

Hellboy is a 2004 American superhero and horror-fantasy film from director Guillermo del Toro. The film is based upon the Hellboy comic book franchise and character created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. Hellboy the movie focuses on a demon who becomes a defender against the forces of darkness after being conjured by the Nazis as an infant.

Mike Mignola’s titular character of his wonderful Hellboy comic books comes to life in director Guillermo del Toro’s colorful and well-dressed B-movie, Hellboy. This horror/action flick is dry, slow, and even the action is deadpan, although there are a few funny and genuinely scary moments. Now, I can describe a plethora of movies as having “a few good moments,” but this movie does have quite a few.

The film begins late in World War II. A young scientist, Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm (Kevin Trainor) and a squad of Allied soldiers come upon a group of Nazi kooks. The kooks include the Russian mystic, Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), in the midst of a ritual to summon a group of big bow wow evil gods. The Allies stop the evil that is coming “from the other side,” but something does slip through – a little demon kid they name Hellboy.

Sixty years later, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is now an adult, having been raised by Trevor Bruttenholm (John Hurt). Hellboy is the main man/strongman for "The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense," which is a group fighting the good fight against all manner of bogeymen and boogens. Our entry into this dark world of supernatural special operations is an FBI newbie, John Myers (Rupert Evans). Myers comes just in time, as Rasputin and his gang of uglies are back to finish what they started six decades earlier.

Hellboy is a pleasant diversion, and it certainly is pretty to look at, featuring colorful art direction, set decoration, and makeup. Hellboy looks a lot like Guillermo del Toro’s last film, Blade II, but whereas the latter had a dark atmosphere and a convincing, unbroken line of suspense, Hellboy is flat and too long to be as flat as it is. Perlman is, at times, almost D.O.A. as the title character, and then, quite lively at other times. I don’t think Perlman's interpretation of Hellboy really fits the comic book original version of the character. The four color Hellboy is more humble and earthy, whereas Perlman’s creation often comes across as a cocky, uncouth roughneck.

Hellboy has excellent production values. It is a great looking film, from its set and environments to its costumes and hair and make-up that transform actors into a menagerie of inventive and imaginative characters. Still,I don't think audiences have to see Hellboy in a theater; they can save it for a rental.

5 of 10

B-

★★½ out of 4 stars

EDITED: Saturday, March 1, 2025

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