Hellboy Animated is an American straight-to-DVD anime-inspired superhero film series based upon the Hellboy comic books by Mike Mignola. Both films are anthologies and contain the full-length titles named Sword of Storms and Blood and Iron, received the signature of Mike Mignola and Guillermo del Toro.

Production

Like the live-action films, it was co-produced by Revolution Studios. The animation was done by Japanese animation studio Madhouse. Both films were distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment, instead of Sony Pictures (first film), Universal Studios (second film), and Lawrence Gordon Productions (both live-action films). A third film was being planned but was never greenlit.^[1] Both films were re-released in Ultra HD Blu-ray as a double feature by Lionsgate Home Entertainment on April 12, 2019.^[2]

Cast

Ron Perlman, who played Hellboy in the live-action films, reprises his role in the animated version. Selma Blair and John Hurt also reprise their roles from the film Liz Sherman and Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, respectively. The voice of Abe Sapien is Doug Jones, who played Abe in prosthetic work in the live-action movies but did not provide the voice for the first film (Abe's vocals for that film were done by an uncredited David Hyde Pierce). He did, however, voice the character in the second film. Kate Corrigan is voiced by Peri Gilpin. Music is by Christopher Drake.

Films

Sword of Storms

In Sword of Storms (2006), Hellboy and Kate Corrigan are dispatched to Japan to solve the mystery of a professor possessed by the Japanese demons Thunder and Lightning. The demons wish to get their hands on a powerful haunted sword, which will free them, and allow them to unleash their brothers and destroy the world. While Hellboy is sent into an alternate dimension, facing Yokai on the way, his B.P.R.D. teammates, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman, try to stop one of the Dragons on the first wave of the coming chaos.

Blood and Iron

Hellboy: Blood and Iron (2007) deals with Professor Trevor Bruttenholm's experience with a vampiress (the blood countess) in 1934 and the present day. Hellboy also faces off against Hecate.

Short films

Iron Shoes

This short film was included as a bonus feature on the DVD for Hellboy: Blood and Iron.

The Dark Below

This short film was released in 2010 on various streaming services.^[3]

Comics

As with the DC animated universe's spin-off comic books, Dark Horse released three volumes under the Hellboy Animated range. These continued the adventures of the animated characters.

• Hellboy Animated:
  • The Black Wedding (80 pages, January 2007, ISBN 1-59307-700-9)^[4] contains:
    • "The Black Wedding" (written by Jim Pascoe with art by Rick Lacy)
    • "Pyramid of Death" (written by Tad Stones with art by Fabio Laguna)
  • Judgment Bell (80 pages, June 2007, ISBN 1-59307-799-8)^[5] contains:
    • "The Judgment Bell" (written by Jim Pascoe with art by Rick Lacy)
    • "The Menace of the Mechanical Monster" (written and drawn by Tad Stones)
  • The Menagerie (80 pages, December 2007, ISBN 1-59307-861-7)^[6] contains:
    • "The Menagerie" (written by Jason Hall with art by Rick Lacy)
    • "Small Victories" (written by Nate Piekos with art by Fabio Laguna)

Additionally, a minicomic titled Phantom Limbs (written by Jim Pascoe with art by Rick Lacy) was included with the DVD of Sword of Storms. Another minicomic, The Yearning (written by Jim Pascoe with art by Ben Stenbeck) was included with the DVD of Blood & Iron.

Merchandise

Gentle Giant Ltd, famed for its statues, has been given the license for the Hellboy Animated action figures. A first-look Hellboy figure shrink-wrapped to a copy of the Blood and Iron DVD was released as a Best Buy exclusive.^[7][8]