Comic Book Review - The Sword of Hyperborea #1

Rob reviews The Sword of Hyperborea #1...

From legendary Hellboy creator, Mike Mignola and 2000 AD and DC Comics writer, Rob Williams comes the history of the Hyperborea Sword and how it shaped both the B.P.R.D and the wider "Hellboyverse".

Set over four issues, The Sword of Hyperborea will focus on a different part of the sword's history as we follow its many different bearers as the sword passes through time, from Gall Dennar, Sir Edward Grey, and right up to its current bearer - B.P.R.D Agent Ted Howards.

Kicking off issue #1 Mignola and Williams set us off on a journey of discovery - one that's full of familiar faces, and situations. The titular sword has always had an aura of mystery around it - and it's one that's never been fully explained. While this mini-series plans to uncover this mystery, this opening issue doesn't offer anything new (as such). If you're not familiar with the wider Hellboy world, the narrative here is a bit vague. What it does do is establish more detail to pre-existing events. 

We see a lot of Gall Dennar as he leads his tribe after his apparent death and subsequent resurrection. Plagued by Howards' "visions" from the future, Gall Dennar (as Howards) goes from questioning his existence to seeking out those who wish to end the world. It's a little disjointed, but considering we're dealing with a lot of history in 32-pages then this is to be expected. 

In true Mignola fashion, there's a lot of supernatural weirdness going on. From the opening scenes in New York to its finale in the ruins of Urrasan, giant tentacle monsters and dark wizards is lurking through time. Naturally, there's a lot here for Hellboy fans to digest, but for those coming in blind, it's not very accessible. 

Joining Mike Mignola and Rob Williams on art duties is Laurence Campbell and Quinton Winters. The art direction in The Sword of Hyperborea is very reminiscent of Mignola's own. There's plenty of heavy line work that pays homage to this whilst allowing Campbell to still place his mark on the universe. Each character is well detailed and Campbell shines when the action starts to pick up the pace. 

Quinton Winters colour work adds to this atmosphere and gives everything a gritty overtone. There's a lot of dark, brooding shadow work that works exceptionally well with the flashes of the colour of Winters' chosen palette. The opening scene of Howards standing in the shadows gives off a real sense of power as the veteran agent is clouded in darkness, while the Hyperborea Sword gives off a muted glow. The contrast of this comes when we flashback to Dennar's "cremation". The bright vigorous reds and oranges of the flames work incredibly well against the dark shadows of the tribe. It's quite an extravagant scene that builds upon his awakening and the mystery surrounding the sword.

All in all The Sword of Hyperborea #1 is a fairly decent read. Naturally, fans of Hellboy will get more enjoyment from this than those who aren't quite up-to-date. Both Mike Mignola and Rob Williams have already set in motion some interesting ideas that are certainly going to tie up those loose ends left in the present. Laurence Campbell and Quinton Winters bring plenty of atmosphere with their hauntingly beautiful artwork. The only real criticism I have is that this issue could have been done with a few more pages to cement what was going on. I can imagine when reading the whole series in one sitting it's going to be a heck of a read! 

Rating 8/10

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