4 out of 5

I can admit it: sometimes I feel completely lost when reading a Hellboy book.  Mignola hops between mythology and past HB references so seamlessly I’m never sure if I’m supposed to take what’s seen for face value, or be adding it to some dots of previously established lore.  And as he often blends both internal and external history and then sprinkles thematic quotes from texts into his stories, it further enhances the feeling: is this something new or something old?  I can’t say for sure if that, specifically, is part of the intended effect, but I do think that Mike has evolved on all fronts as a creator toward this specific dream-like structure to his writer/artist works, and is smart enough to tighten things up to be more linear when passing the illustration torch to one of his many disciples in the exterior Hellboy books.

‘The Death Card’ is what’s mentioned above in full force: Hellboy in Hell, playing cards, runs afoul of a demon who likes staying in Hell playing games.  They fight, someone else with a creepy backstory shows up, some poetic dialogue, The End.  Do we know this demon?  Do we know the Someone Else?  Maybe.  I had no idea.  But, as part of this evolution for Mignola, there’s come a gift that has not been inherited to the books that seem less touched by his oversight – B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth an dAbe Sapien – that gift is one of making something that’s fun to read regardless of it being somewhat indescribable.  ‘Card’ is as gorgeous and paced as the rest of ‘in Hell,’ and there’s that master-stroke that’s been there since the start (that, gain, B.P.R.D. and Abe forget about): humor.  The ability to seed HB’s jocularity into the most dire events has always given the books a unique flavor, fortunate enough to actually sound like a human response instead of a forced attempt at a one-liner.

No idea what the puppet symbolism might be in this ish, besides the obvious.  But kudos for spreading out the fight for several pages; this bash and smash stuff sometimes get whittled down to one or two panels, but here its spread out effectively.  Only docking that star because this doesn’t quite stand fully on its own as the previous Golden Whips one-and-done ish did.