Editor's Desk 
‘Giant Robot Hellboy Returns’ #2 goes out with a Kaiju-sized bang
If Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1 was all about setting up a fight between its titular titanic machine and a legion of beasts from beyond, issue #2 is where that fight finally happens. To add an extra wrinkle into the mix, the crew of scientists who have stumbled upon Giant Robot Hellboy on the bottom of the sea finds themselves being overwhelmed by a horde of interdimensional insects. Said insects hunger for human flesh, and these scientists will find themselves depending on Giant Robot Hellboy to save them.
From the very beginning of this issue, Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo don’t shy away from the sheer terror an alternate dimension can bring. Most of the insects that the human crew encounters feel ripped from mankind’s darkest nightmares. There’s massive centipedes the size of snakes, giant ant-like creatures carrying ray guns, and maggots crawling out of every crevice in the sub. To make things even more horrifying, Fegredo showcases that these creatures don’t think much of humanity, as one of the poor scientists is impaled on a centipede’s legs while another has their skull lit on fire. And if that wasn’t enough, Clem Robins’ lettering features a constant “cht-cht” sound that resembles a massive amount of mandibles clicking together.
Outside the sub, Fegredo deftly shifts from horror to action as Giant Robot Hellboy takes on hordes of insects, including a massive roach-like beast. He also brings different environments to life, whether it’s the roiling sea, the strange dimension where the insects come from, or the crackling energy gate from where they’re spilling out of. It doesn’t hurt that Dave Stewart brings a collection of psychedelic colors to the table; readers will be subjected to dusty purple mountains, blasts of reddish-gold fire, and of course, the icy cold blue of the sea. These colors help separate our world from the strange alien dimensions that populate Hellboy‘s mythos, and reminds readers why Stewart is one of the best colorists in the business.
Dark Horse
The secret sauce of Giant Hellboy Returns #2 is Mignola’s script, which showcases that even if Hellboy isn’t physically inhabiting his giant robot form, his spirit is still within the machine. That’s made evident when it recognizes one of the scientists aboard the ship and starts smashing insects left and right. That’s pure Hellboy: he’s a character who genuinely cares about the people in his life and is willing to throw himself between them and harm. That approach is what’s helped make Hellboy a standout character in the indie space, and it’s something Mignola hasn’t lost sight of, whether Hellboy is stopping the Apocalypse or piloting a giant robot.
The issue ends on a surprisingly tight note, as it wraps up all of the loose ends while also leaving the door open to return if Mignola and Fegredo want to. I hope they do, because the idea of a giant robot Hellboy is the exact kind of crazy that comics need. Giant Robot Hellboy #2 is everything people love about the world of Hellboy, wrapped up in a package of horror and action.
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