Hellboy: The Corpse

In this 2004 one-shot from Dark Horse, Mike Mignola both writes and illustrates a short, self-contained Hellboy tale that draws on the folk horror and dark fairy-tale atmosphere that defines the character's early adventures. The story finds Hellboy summoned to a remote Irish village to help a grieving mother, only to confront a sinister bargain involving a corpse and a changeling. Though brief, it’s a masterful example of Mignola’s ability to pack mythic weight and eerie, economical storytelling into a single issue.