Hellboy in Hell # 6

Written by Mike Mignola
Illustrated by Mike Mignola
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Clem Robins
Published by Dark Horse Comics

Hellboy, the giant red demon turned hero with the huge stone hand, is trapped in Hell.  In this issues story he is challenged an old enemy, the Vampire of Prague, who was once a gambler who would play against the dead and was cursed to haunt Prague until one of his victims beat him at his own game.

The prevailing mood in this comic is a strange kind of melancholy.  Far from being a place of endless fires and unending torment, Hell is depicted here as basically just kind of bleak and grim and depressing.  The damned sit around playing cards and chatting occasionally, and are just kind of dull.  The colours that predominate are grays, browns and deep blue, with shadows and occasional flashes of red.

It makes for an intriguing gothic flavoured horror tale, which has a strangely disquieting atmosphere to it.

It's definitely recommended for horror fans who have a taste for the bizarre and atmospherics over blood and guts.