Christmas with Hellboy (and Krampus)

Hellboy: Krampusnacht
Story: Mike Mignola
Art: Adam Hughes
Letters: Clem Robbins
Designers: Mignola & Cary Grazzini
Digital Art Technician: Christina McKenzie
Editors: Scott Allie & Kath O'Brien
Cover: Hughes
Published by: Dark Horse
Released: Dec. 20, 2017

I was under the impression that I'd made more Christmas posts than I actually have. Back in 2021, I shared my three favorite Christmas comics – all Marvel issues, to the surprise of no one. And hopefully, I'll have at least one more Christmas-y post this year, also a Marvel comic.

So in an effort to mix things up a bit, I decided to read and review this one-shot that I got at a massive sale at a local comic shop where the deal was so good, I just had to overspend. After getting over my initial reservations about Hellboy and his name, I have enjoyed a number of comics featuring the character. Combining that with the seemingly suddenly popular Krampus character appeared to be a recipe for success.

From that haunting Hughes cover, we're dropped us right into a moody winter scene in Austria, 1975, featuring a cemetery and our demonic demon-buster walking through a wooded area. The narration is the opening verse to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.” That song isn't as obviously haunting as “Carol of the Bells” was a rocking action anthem even before Trans-Siberian Orchestra or the “Home Alone” folks got ahold of it, but here? It works.

The voice calling out to Hellboy belongs to the ghostly gal from the cover, asking him to save her boy. When he seeks more information, all he finds is a discarded child's toy.

Soon, though, he's invited into a cozy looking house in the woods by the very man he came to see. This unassuming fellow caused a stir in a local church by telekinetically tossing the furnishings about – and telling the priest that he is, in fact, Krampus. Hellboy confesses to not knowing a lot about the legend,* but his host informs him that his goal isn't to scare children into behaving. No, he kills them, and keeps their skulls as trophies. To prove himself, he tosses one to Hellboy, who relives the death of the son of the ghost lady.

And I thought “Fatman” was a dark Christmas story.

Krampus says he appeared at the church to draw Hellboy to him so Big Red could end his long, violent life and send him back home. To Hell. Hellboy is happy to oblige, but his gun won't do the trick. Krampus insists the big old right hand of doom is the proper tool.

But he's not going down without a fight, and Hellboy's having trouble finishing the job. That's when the skeletal spirits beg him to help them in a vision, and one of the little tykes hands him a knife, asking him to help Krampus.

Back in reality, Hellboy has the knife and Krampus is stabbed. The monster collapses, dying, before … withering away into a desiccated goat? Then, all the kids' skulls start shaking and I think their souls fly out in the forms of doves. Or something.

Back at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense a few days later, Professor Broom shares his theories on the nature of Krampus, and Hellboy describes the being as “a magic talking goat who somewhere along the line forgot he was a goat, started thinking he was a prince from Hell.”

The professor says “there must always be ghost stories at Christmas” – “The Muppet Christmas Carol” aside, I'm not sure it's a requirement – and congratulates Hellboy on helping the children rest in peace. Hellboy says he did the same for “that thing, too” and we see a drawing of Krampus pinned to a cross in the woods, next to toys that presumably belonged to the children.

I was not all that impressed with this story at first. It struck me as a fine, pretty standard, Hellboy tale, but not much more compelling than others I've read, particularly not for $3.99.** But going over it again for this post... well... I'm still not sold, but it is making me think.

I don't have any sympathy for Krampus, or the delusional talking goat, or whatever this creature was. But inviting Hellboy to come put it out of its misery is a bit different from your standard monster-hunting setup. The idea that at least one of the children feels sympathy for the creature is... I'm not sure what it is, but it's on odd wrinkle that doesn't feel like a throwaway twist. And the ambiguity at just what exactly the creature was is effective. Perhaps Hellboy feels a certain reluctant empathy for the monster, even though he didn't hesitate to put it down.

Despite the darkness – and I'm not exactly seeking a Christmas story involving child murder, but if a murderous Krampus is your chosen subject, then it should be dark – Hellboy's everyman attitude and casual quips entertain. Hughes' art is Mignolean here, imbuing the story with excellent atmosphere. Bonus points for not making the female ghost a bombshell like one associates with most of Hughes' work. A trio of Hellboy holiday scrapbook snapshots are fun extras.

This story probably isn't going to crack my favorite Christmas comics list. But it's a solid Hellboy entry nevertheless.

* - Me neither.

** - Though I can hardly complain when my price worked out to less than 50 cents.