Hellboy's Revival Confirmed Ahead of A Major Anniversary

2 weeks ago 18

Ron Perlman smokes a cigar while playing Hellboy

Published Mar 24, 2026, 9:01 AM EDT

Sam Fang primarily covers news for CBR, with over a decade of experience writing about entertainment and pop culture and degrees in both journalism and art.

Hellboy fans who are looking to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of his original comics debut are in for a treat. The character will return with a special new limited series.

IGN exclusively revealed new details for Giant Robot Hellboy Returns, which will be written by Hellboy creator Mike Nignola with art by Duncan Fegredo. The series will be released on July 22 and is a follow-up to 2023's Giant Robot Hellboy, which put an unexpectedly silly twist on the usually-serious character, seeing him kidnapped and hooked up to a massive mecha-Hellboy for a mysterious mission.

Giant Robot Hellboy Returns in New Mecha Adventure

Dark Horse Comics' official solicit for the sequel teases that it will continue directly from its predecessor, connecting to both Hellboy and B.P.R.D.'s lore. "Scientists comb the deep sea for any sign of Giant Robot Hellboy after his disappearance, but find more than they bargained for when an interdimensional portal threatens to pull them in—or let monsters of unknown origin out."

"What started as a funny drawing—a joke—has taken on a life of its own," Mignola said in the press release announcing Giant Hellboy Returns. "And watching Duncan breathe life into this thing is pure joy."

Cover art for the upcoming issue shows the mecha-Hellboy underwater and taking on a life of his own. Preview pages from the interior of the issue also tease a disastrous threat lurking in the waters for a crew of scientists venturing into the deep sea.

The original Giant Robot Hellboy story spawned out of sketches Mignola drew during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic for charity. In an interview with CBR, artist Duncan Fegredo talked about bringing the original drawing and bringing it to life for the series. "We would build on that sketch and take the readers on a wild ride," he said.

"Without going into spoiler territory, I can say there is something about the island that may exert unusual effects upon its inhabitants, so it is just as well that Giant Robot Hellboy is appropriately named," he added of the original story's premise. All three issues of Giant Robot Hellboy are now available from Dark Horse for fans looking to catch up ahead of the sequel's release.

Hellboy Day Celebrations Revealed Another Upcoming Release

Giant Robot Hellboy Returns isn't the only exciting release to have come out of the annual Hellboy Day, which takes place on March 23rd every year. Dark Horse Comics shared that Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Ghost Ships of Labrador and Other Stories will be hitting stores this October. It will offer fans a more traditional collection of Hellboy stories in comparison to Giant Robot Hellboy's zany adventures.

The Ghost Ships of Labrador and Other Stories release will include both issues of its titular limited series and a collection of one-shots: Professor Harvey is Gone, The Monster of Nivola, Hellboy Winter Special: The Yule Cat, and Hellboy: The Fortune Teller. The publisher also teased that bonus material would be included in the special collection.

Giant Robot Hellboy Returns will go on sale July 22 from Dark Horse.