Hellboy, Vol. 8: Darkness Calls

By Mike Mignola

Italy, a hooded man is praying occult-style with a pool of blood to Hecate, he speaking like he is commanding her to appear, but once she does, immediately grovels his allegiance to her, and shows her his lizard legs when she orders him. He goes rogue, though by deciding to bind her with her secret name, Ilsa, the lover of Giurescu. In England, a crow drops a carved HB figure to her sis', as HB is woken from a nap. An elderly man who refers to him as cousin, Middleton makes sure he's settled and tells of being happy to be hosting him despite it being impromptu.

Middleton also gifts him his old .45, since he lost his in the sea. He tells Harry he won't be long, and before he leaves, Harry states how proud Trevor is of him. HB walks through the woods as the sis' say their spell, HB seeing a corpse-like face in the trees. He then sees a trio traveling to a hangman's platform, to collect 3 sis' hung there by an infamous and corrupt witchfinder.

HB follows the group as they run off from what sounds like the sisters necks breaking, HB soon seeing them turn corpse and witchly as they speak of this being the night of witches gathering. They all really get into ganging up on HB, since they sense his connection to a witch. As they're flying him a way to Leeds, he gets himself loose, and falls into a house with more witches who know him, they recounting what'd occurred so far, and Bromhead having stolen Hecate's power. HB isn't sympathetic to them, so they promise war against him, and so turn to Baba Yaga to trap him, which she does.

HB is in a snowy, and hilly area, about to face off with an undead army head on. England, Graugach interrupts the witches, he talking how if they made Hecate queen of them, she could rejuvenate them again. Meanwhile, HB is taking the skeleton army on, and they tell of getting an eye for Baba Yaga, so HB runs off into the woods, where giant wolves go after the army and lead him to their leader, the Leshii, who gives HB 1 night to rest, then move on. HB starts off in the morning as BY gets help from another by promising his freedom. HB goes into a house and makes friends with a Russian house spirit, telling his war stories, the domovoi in return telling him he'd gotten the favor of Perun.

Domo also shares of Koshchei being bribed by BY to kill him, so now HB had a new goal. BY next goes after Perun, killing him, since she chooses to be the only god in Russia. In England, Graugach sees blood in a place the witches wish to reclaim, the giant who lives there, helps them open the top to a deep hole. HB is interrupted by Koshchei, who gives him a good few punches, but then HB gets a hold of his sword, but what really puts him down, is an ethereal and royal looking girl.

As Vasilisa leads HB off through the snow, she tells her origin story. As she shows HB how to leave, she also is killed, HB sadly facing off with Koshchei. Vasilisa gives 2 gifts to HB she'd received when she was old. HB uses it against Koshchei, and he's surrounded by a large tall-tree'd forest, which sprung from a comb.

Graugach waits for the giant to retrieve the 1 who could help his cause from the bottom of the deep hole. After, Graugach offers the giant join them, but he bows out in pref of chilling in the hole, having no interest in the destruction he'd seen happen with Graugach before. HB sees Koshchei's body stuck in the trees thinking BY would now have no choice, but to come after him herself, but she uses 1 more tactic, by reviving Koshchei with her breath, giving him power in the process. HB is now waylaid again before being able to exit. Koshchei is forced to combat HB til he succeeds in getting his eye for BY.

After stabbing HB with a staff, it's obv HB would have to willingly give his eye, and this wasn't going to happen any time soon. HB travels to Italy where Bromhead had made himself ill by swallowing the moon, and begs HB to send him to hell, so he obliges. Bromhead tells HB of seeing him on his dragon at the head of his army, and HB tells him to shut up before he dies. Then in England, Graugach refuses to listen to Dagda, 1 of his group killing him, then himself from guilt.

Graugach spouts of this being the time for the Queen of blood rather than the King of dust. In Colorado, at BPRD HQ, Abe listens to a letter from HB after 6 years of no contact, and the letter had been dated a month back. HB shares of being in England with Middleton, Abe noting the man having died in the mid-80s. In Hecate's tomb, Edward Gray gives Hecate a chance to tell her story. She does, but also shares his fate before bidding him farewell. Another trippy installment. Such an easy series to go through. Onward!