While the iconic Hellboy has been a beloved mascot of Dark Horse Comics since his debut in 1993, the world he inhabits is protected by another master of the macabre: Sir Edward Grey. And in a world without Hellboy, witch hunter Ed Gray must take responsibility for The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Gray and the Last Battle of England .
The new series is set to begin on November 27th, uniting the creative team of Mike Mignola, Ben Stenbeck, Dave Stewart and Clem Robins. While details of this "battle" (and Grey's role) are being kept under wraps for now, Screen Rant is pleased to share an exclusive preview of the three-part miniseries below:
The illustrious and supernatural career of 19th century paranormal investigator Ed Gray has been a fundamental part of Mike Mignola's Hellboy Universe. Since its first appearance in Hellboy: Wake the Devil to his unforgettable roles in Hellboy in Hell and Sir Edward Grey: Witch HunterGray has always been one of the most important and enigmatic figures in the Hellboy Universe.
Occurring after the events of BPRD: The Devil You Know and Mignola and Stenbeck Koshchei in Hell, The Serpent in the Garden follows Gray after he is summoned from Hell by Alice, queen of the last kingdom on Earth, to help defend England from King Arthur's half-sister Morgan Le Fay and her fearsome champion.
Ed Gray returns to the spotlight for Hellboy fans
The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Gray and the Last Battle of England by Mike Mignola, Ben Stenbeck, Dave Stewart and Clem Robins
As seen above, the first few pages of the The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Gray and the Last Battle of England #1 recapping Hellboy's death before diving into the next journey Ed Gray will embark on. To the unknown, Sir Edward Gray made his panel debut for the first time in Hellboy: Wake the Devil, a 1996 five-part miniseries. After killing his first werewolf at age 12, Gray commits to investigating the supernatural full-time in the West Sussex area. Mike Mignola is eager to return to the detective character, expressing his excitement in the official press release:
"Ed Gray seems to me like he took off like a rocket. He was my 'regular guy' occult detective, but then he kept going. Being dismembered and stitched back together didn't even slow him down. He became a magician and flew around doing things, he decided face some of Hellboy's curses and everything kept hitting him and he kept getting up, and before long, I felt bad for him and wanted to give him a quiet place to sit - retire BUT he just had more peace. one thing (hopefully) to do and then not only could he retire, but he could also retire another one of my favorite characters. Let's hope they can both finally relax after this last battle for England.
In addition to Mignola returning once again to his "normal guy" for another adventure, artist Ben Stenbeck confirms this will be the last Hellboy Universe story to which he will be contributing "for some time." Even more reason to see this series as a special farewell.
Sir Edward Gray Is Keeping Hellboy's Universe Safe (Without Him)
Your potential dark horse leader for the future
The stories continued in hell boy universe without Hellboy are a welcome chance, in a medium often anchored to its title characters. Of course, this isn't the first time Hellboy has been taken off the board. But in your universe, it is unwise to expect death to be permanent. However, if Ed Gray could be positioned as a demon fighter in Hellboy's place, then the hell boy universe is in good hands.
Not just because Mignola and even the departing Stenbeck have a great fondness for the character of Ed Gray, but Gray is just as endlessly interesting as hell boy It was always on the page.
The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Gray and the Last Battle of England will be on sale from Dark Horse Comics on November 27, 2024