10 Incredible Comic Book Panels That Changed Everything

9. Hellboy Enters The Scene

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Dark Horse

The release of Mike Mignola's Hellboy marks one of the formative events in comic book horror, and yet its place in history is often overlooked.

Since the character's debut in 1993, Hellboy has managed to make a remarkable impact both on and off the page - a trend that looks set to continue with the upcoming Rise of the Blood Queen. The perfect thing about the Mignolaverse, however, is that not only is it one of the most accessible comics series out there (seriously, that sh*t's addictive), it's incredibly atmospheric too.

The mastery with which Mignola and other Dark Horse alum command myth, legend and gothic literature in the medium really is special, and Hellboy's arrival on the scene itself strikes all the tones indicative of later Mignola-led works.

The writer/artist's pencils are certainly formidable, but a person who undoubtedly deserves a whole heap of praise is colourist Dave Stewart, whose reds, whites, browns and blues all contrast to create the perfect atmosphere to compliment Mignola's work.

It's certainly not the most striking image to have featured ol' Red, but as a moment in the industry, it's one that is all too often forgotten.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.