Hellboy, Vol. 6: Strange Places

By Mike Mignola

The mermaid bit is inspired by the Little Mermaid by Anderson, as well as African folklore. 3 sisters ask for 3 favors from the Bog Roosh, which require they drive a nail into the head of her enemy. In Africa, Mohlomi is waiting for HB, and apparently, is a few days late. HB mentions how Mohlomi is rumored to have died a couple centuries ago, which he muses on how his memory was going with the years, and Ananse the spider had told him stories of HB, years ago when he was still trapping animals; A bat, as well came to chat of HB, but he couldn't divulge why he was late.

HB relates how he'd eaten a banana off a haunted tree, and had been chucking garbage and rocks at him for a few days, Mohlomi knowing which ghost he referred. Mohlomi next leaves HB to sleep, 1 of his charms left to protect him. HB has a strange dream where the lions tell of he no longer being welcome in Africa, Mohlomi waking him, and they now being in a completely different spot on the continent. Mohlomi leads him to the beach, and gives him his charm before a tidal wave comes to collect him, the 3 sis' looking on.

They surround him, as well as a shark, 1 of the sis' pulling out the nail to stab him in 1 of his horns. HB wakes to a perceived bad sign, he next confronted by the g/ma at the start, Bog Roosh telling him he is stuck in her world, now. Then, the 3 sis' are rewarded for getting HB, the 1st getting her zombified bf back, and he killing her by biting her neck. The 2nd wants to be human for her boy up above, and ofc drowns.

The 3rd, HB tries to save, and gets his ass handed to him, but the girl wanting her pop's sword back, who had been a king, she planning to return it to his grave, and so Bog Roosh grants this and orders she leave, which she does with guilt for not being able to help HB. Bog Roosh next claims to the killing and the separating of his limbs would be for the good of the world. Meanwhile, the girl returns the sword and her pop is disgruntled for now she had harmed an innocent for a pointless tool, and for a creature which couldn't make use of it. Back with HB, Bog Roosh tells of a premonition of the disastrous fate when someone got a hold of his hand, HB noting BR's plan was to kill him quickening the terrible fate, but she laying out the plan of spreading his limbs about and getting the oldest whale to eat his hand which'd then disappear forever with it upon its death, and falling into the pit of Urr.

In a chat it's noted BR got HB fair and square, so the pig couldn't intervene, but he exacting revenge no matter what. HB wakes up and the lil sis had come back to set him free, but not before the chains started screaming for g/ma, she breaking the chains. BR comes after them, so til sis pushes HB to go Mohlomi reminding him he could pull the nail out if he wished, but he still wanting to help lil sis, who is still trapped with BR. HB tears apart the zombied sis as they were attacking lil sis, and after creating major rubble and octo sucker piles, he wonders where they were, lil sis replying it was BR's power-up spot.

HB then realizes it's Davy Jones' Locker, and tries to smash the jars of drowned sailors spirits, but they not breaking due to the BR still living. Then, bewilderingly, BR seems to kill herself on purpose, with the blade, and lil sis thinks she probably couldn't live with how her vision was wrong. HB again tries to leave with her, but she had now inherited the BR's powers, she releasing HB, and the spirits of sailors being safe from her, and her pop agreeing to stay with her.

The next 1 is based on The Boats of the Glen Carrig. It's the last half of the 1st chapter of HB's life. HB washes ashore, and sees the wreckage of ships strewn about. He finds some friendly ears to hear his story, and gives him drinks, 1 man spouting The Mermaid poem. When next HB turns around, they'd becomes skeletons, and he had a visitor.

Hecate comes out claiming him again, he telling how he'd changed, since his time underwater, which he's been living captured for a couple years. HB essentially tells her to fuck off, she vowing they'd be together at the end of the world, but HB not needing to see her til then. As he walks, he sees a forbidding ancient-looking castle as he says this. A scene unfolding where some priests are sacrificing someone who had done wrong in their humble spiritual opinions, so he showing them whilst their god resided far from them, his was in him.

HB is then in a sandy area where the castle stood, he interrupted from walking closer by a huge sandworm, and next stabbing at it, but it getting a good laugh by impaling him through the chest with a huge claw. The man with the god in him tells of gaining strength from his impending death, for he'd be returning in the future. HB is next out on a hilly plane, with Mohlomi, wondering if he'd died, and Mohlomi asking if he felt it was over. HB didn't think it was time, and just like so, he survives.

The man who had the god in him asks what HB could possibly be in order to be able to just continue on, same personality inside, and all. HB couldn't answer this, ofc, so he tells his origins, parts of which he didn't remember. He'd had the chance to study the oldest texts in existence, so now felt he was the living embodiment of this ancient knowledge. He next tells the origin of the 1 who had HB's hand, this creature making many bad things come to pass involving the 7 and how they'd created a more bodied version of itself which was thought to have been destroyed, but he warning HB of their soon waking up again.

He states of killing all except those who'd convert to the new ways of worship to ogdru hem. Fool talks some big talk about being the better version of HB, which HB shows he didn't give a crap over. Fool turns into a skelly and HB is bewildered again. Mohlomi speaks to Hecate of sensing worse ahead, and HB getting a boat ready to get off the island. The pig, Graugach, again wants, and he vowing to get it. I truly dig this series! It's so satisfying to read something which takes the old tales and gives it the HB stamp.