Hellboy: The Crooked Man & The Return of Effie Kolb Writer: Mike Mignola Artist: Richard Corben, Zach Howard Colorist: Dave Stewart Letterer: Clem Robins Cover Artist: Mike Mignola with Dave Stewart Genre: Horror, Fantasy

This is a wonderful compilation that collects both stories related to the Appalachian witch Effie Kolb. The first one, Hellboy: The Crooked Man #1-3, features the work of the incredible Richard Corben, master of terror and comic art.

In this story, Hellboy will help a young man who sold his soul to the weird and horrid Crooked Man. Corben is, like Robert Crumb, an underground influence that focuses on a heavy line and distinct colors, a lesson for all of the new artists out there, both in color and in drawing style. The witches will surround a consecrated ground trying to convince the young man to surrender, led by the worst witch of them all, Effie Kolb (who has been riding his father as a horse as punishment for him running away).

In the sequel Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Return of Effie Kolb #1-2, by Mignola and Zach Howard, Hellboy is back where everything started. The young man is old now, and Effie is haunting him again. Someone—or something—has moved into the Crooked Man’s scary run-down mansion with the most wicked of intentions.

This is definitely a collector’s item!

Hellboy: The Crooked Man & The Return of Effie Kolb TPB is on sale since June 26, 2024
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Format: Format:
FC, 128 pages; TPB; 6.625 x 10.1875
Price: $14.99
Age range: 14+
ISBN-10: 1-50674-404-4
ISBN-13: 978-1-50674-404-9

Featured image by Richard Corben, all images belong to Dark Horse Comics