Hellboy, Vol. 9: The Wild Hunt

By Mike Mignola

Italy, a letter is dropped off for HB at a house as he's walking through the woods and meet a group mourning Dagda's death. HB hasn't heard of him, and is told of how he'd been killed. A bird shares of smelling the smoke of war before flying off, and HB spots Alice among the hooded group, before being woken and given his letter. HB travels to England and meets up with the Osiris Society, they talking of the giants buried around England, and how they periodically rose from their graves, and when the rare couple to a few came up at the same time, they'd organize hunts.

They show HB the mounted heads from the past kills, from the Wild Hunt, which began in 1259. The huntmaster, who wears a deer head invites HB to join, he accepting. Graugach also in England, tells how the giants remember the Queen of blood's promise to them from years before. The groundhog threatens Graugach with those who had followed the King would make Graugach pay if this Queen doesn't deliver.

Meanwhile, as the Osiris group readies for their hunt, HB is betrayed and stabbed. In England, the Osiris Society are planning on destroying HB, he seeing a skeleton looking like King Arthur, and a sword, someone saying his name. A bird orders him to wake up, the scene around them caused by giants. The giants aren't able to see HB, because he had a flower in his hand gifted by the bird's lady, trying to lead HB away, but he deciding to test the power, heading for a bunch of giants.

He chats to the bird, then decides to show himself, and fight them all. Meanwhile, Graugach q's an old fella, who states of being a traveler, and looking for him, but not believing it was him for seeing him as a man once. He then shares his story of having fallen in love with a human girl, showing his true form, than turning into a song bird. Next he gets et by a cat, despite her yelled warning, he forgetting himself and returning to the real world.

He becomes a baby to try and trade with a human child, HB finding him out, and burning him with iron. Now he's stuck as a pig til Nimue releases him, so he'd drained the blood from a whole village for her, and she finally greets them in her nekkid giant-bodied glory. In Ireland, HB is visiting the girl he'd saved from being kidnapped by the fairies. It's been 43 years since then, and she is expecting his visit esp, since seeing him at Dagda's funeral.

She then tells of drinking the hard stuff after they go out. Alice leads him to where she'd seen Queen Nimue, she wanting to chat with HB, Alice sharing what she'd been told, of Nimue blaming him for the war coming when he helped Alice as a baby. An old woman arrives and confirms Alice's words. She also regard the 1 way HB could escape his dark fate, Alice asking about what she'd meant about HB dying, a little creature looking at her.

HB is resurfacing after being deep in thought, the little creature introing himself as Duke Edmund, but noting he didn't know his real name, but is there to help HB get an army together. HB and Alice follow their Mab-given little helper through an area not-quite erf, but not quite elsewhere. This does them ill when he walks them into a mob. Alice gets nicked by a poisoned arrow, HB now having to figure a quick exit for them.

HB is helped by 3 hooded and oddly eye-colored ladies, bending space and next standing outside a gloomy castle, to where their mistress could help Alice. In England, Graugach is comforted by Nimue, she promising to help him punish HB. Meanwhile, HB is told of the task the hooded ladies required in order for him to get her help, he having to muscle out a knight who won't allow anyone to cross the bridge. HB gets his ass kicked, then a little demon gives him advice for later recognition when he became king.

HB destroys the dark knight, and gets Alice to a man with antidote, Morgan Le Fay coming down to meet them. Nimue is next sent a crown from a king to the North, and promises of joining her army, along with the other kings in the area. She requests a helmet to be made from the crown sent, with her names on it to show she is the goddess of war, and 3 birds on the front. HB chats with Le Fay, and she finally reveals HB's origin on his ma's side being the 1st male heir, since Mordred Pendragon.

Le Fay next shows HB something without Alice, leading him to his rightful, sword, which if he drew out of the ground, his army would rise, and Nimue would show the world her vision of blood. HB asks why Le Fay was so invested, she confessing how her son should've been king, so HB should be. Instead, he goes back to Alice, who'd dreamt of King Arthur telling her she'd see the true king first wearing his crown, so HB shouldn't worry, and get his soldiers to come to him. When she sleeps he hears again the fate dreamt up for him about breaking hell and making a new life for all on erf.

HB again refuses to allow the terrible fate which could occur if he took the sword, but this also supposedly the only way to stop Nimue. When HB returns to Alice's room, he finds a dusty skeleton, he next chatting with Vasilisa. HB is convinced to take the sword once thinking of how Alice had believed it'd help him. Upon drawing it out, the night turns to day, and Alice is fine, and next to him.

She doesn't remember if Nimue'd come, HB giving her a hug as Nimue states to Le Fay of not caring HB had gotten his sword. Graugach pisses off Nimueb by suggesting she couldn't change him, she ditching him. Next, upon learning of HB getting Excalibur, some of the Osiris members go crazy, and start shooting some fellow members telling of having to keep this news quite, but also for the idea of only the original 7 members being the only one's who were supposed to see HB's rise as K. Meanwhile, the crown for Nimue has been made into a helmet, as requested. Great damn installment, and staying strong after so many vols!