SDCC 23: Giant Robot Hellboy set to put the hurt on some kaiju this Halloween

Back with a brand new Hellboy tale is creator Mike Mignola, but this one’s a bit different than fans might be used to. And that’s for one very big reason.

Big silver devil

Thankfully back once more, and back in the creative seat of Hellboy, is Mike MIgnola. The artist and creative force has seen his Hellboy universe evolve radically since it was created, but it’s still very much rolling. And with the main storyline more or less set in an apocalyptic future at this point, Hellboy’s past is ripe for a basically endless series of spinoffs.

The latest to be revealed was debuted at this past Comic Con weekend, and as Hellboy books go, it’s a bit one. No, like actually a big one, since it envisions a Red who’s strapped into the control seat of a massive mech, and on a collision course with an island filled with equally giant monsters.

“Giant Robot Hellboy is my very obvious nod to all those Japanese giant monster movies—which I actually have no particular love for. What I DO love is listening to Geof Darrow and Art Adams TALK about those movies—so really, I guess this series was inspired by those guys. I had the idea for this one a long time ago but figured it was too silly to actually do—then the pandemic came along and I started to do all those sketches I would post online. I had never given a serious thought to what a giant robot Hellboy would look like but I knocked out a few sketches and I liked them—and so the thing started to seem like something that could actually be done. But I knew I wasn’t the artist for it and I knew both Arthur and Geof were busy with other things, so the only other artist I thought of was Duncan. I had no idea how Duncan would respond. Too silly? I didn’t know,  but I figured I’d pitch it to him and if he said no that would be an end to it. The rest is history.”

Mike Mignola

The story behind the action is a pretty straightforward one, with Hellboy being kidnapped and hooked up to the robot that you see in the promo pictures here. Mad scientists being what they are and all, they’re seemingly pushing him to tackle the aforementioned island all by himself. No doubt, he’s not going to be too thrilled with that.

Find out just how ‘not thrilled’ he is, when Giant Robot Hellboy #1 (of 3) hits stands this October 25th, from Dark Horse Comics.