Quickie Reviews: Hellboy Sleeping Dead #1, Ozma #3, & Conan Road of Kings #1

Hellboy Sleeping Dead #1
Dark Horse
Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Scott Hampton

Every time I pick up a Hellboy comic, I am reminded that I need to read more Hellboy. This two issue miniseries is a break from the regular storyline. We find our brave hero battling a vampire. Don’t you dare sneer at it because of the word vampire. There is, of course, a twist. Let’s just say that it doesn’t look good for humans. The art is glorious and moody with bright splashes of red against dark backgrounds. The visual design is so standout that I was distracted (just a little) from the story. The comic as a whole has a sort of supernatural noir feel. Go pick it up now!

Conan Road of Kings #1
Dark Horse
Written by Roy Thomas
Pencils by Mike Hawthorne

I’ve only read a little Conan. It’s been mostly stories from the beginning of the comic with Dark Horse. The bold style, the locations the comic traveled to, and the adventurous stories drew me in. So when I saw that a new storyline was starting up I figured I would at least check out the first issue. The new Road of Kings storyline sets our favorite barbarian on a new path. Conan’s a pirate. The swashbuckling lifestyle is new, and it opens a lot of potential stories. Pirate Conan seems to be a bit more lighthearted though, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I guess he’s allowed to have some of those moments. He also has the token buxom wench. The art is entertaining with just the right amount of gore. The colors are moody. I’ll probably check out the second issue.

Ozma of Oz # 3
Marvel
Written by Eric Shanower
Art by Skottie Young

The tale of Dorothy being lost in the enchanted land of Ev continues. She has just discovered and activated Tik-Tok, an automated mechanical droid of sorts. He knows the way to Oz, and he can protect her from the malicious wheelers that hover on the outskirts of Ev. This is a delightful miniseries in the land of Oz, and I’m happy to be tromping through L. Frank Baum’s Oz. The story is fun, but with this comic, I’m mostly obsessed with the wonderful illustrations. Artist Skottie Young really creates some fantastic characters and conveys so much through each drawing. It’s easy to see with one look that Dorothy is full of spunk. This issue is very amusing and ends with Dorothy running into the ruler of Ev – Princess Langwidere. She is subtly evil, which is the worst kind of evil to be. She’s quick to change her mind, and I sense that it doesn’t always lead to good things. The rather abrupt end of the issue hints at some reunions for Dorothy.