COVER STORY: Dark Horse Presents #91

What makes the best comic book covers? It is a great topic for debate. For us, as individuals, there is no wrong answer, of course; it is purely subjective. But, with a little thought it’s possible to explain what it is about a particular image that grabs you. The best images are the ones that make you stop and check out something you weren’t previously planning to purchase – and in some cases, you even end up picking up a title you’ve never even heard of before.

In the 1990s, Dark Horse Comics unleashed its “Legend” line of books. The comic book publisher was red-hot and its stable of very talented Legend creators were writing and drawing winning books by sheer force of will – as well as by tapping into every popular trend they could find. These trends included superheroes, crime comics, and even good old fashioned, spinetingling horror. That leads us into the sophomore story of Mike Mignola’s “World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator” – Hellboy – in the pages and the cover of Dark Horse Presents #91.

Cover-dated November 1991, this cover has the devil’s scion (and we don’t mean Marvel’s Damien Hellstrom – The Son of Satan) facing off against the varied creations of ol’ Jack Scratch himself – who are off panel. What you have instead is Hellboy using a crucifix to bang the hell out of the bad guys! Devilishly clever – and hellacious in its creation – this cover is a must for fans of the dark side!

Buy it, trade for it, or double check your collection for it. It’s a comic book masterpiece that behooves you to own it!  

–Scott Braden