Panya – The Mummy’s Curse
Writer: Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson
Artist: Christopher Mitten
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Letterer: Clem Robins
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: April 2024
Long before the B.P.R.D, and even longer before Hellboy, there was a girl in Ancient Egypt, cursed with visions of the beginning and the end. Detailing the origin story of B.P.R.D mainstay Panya, The Mummy’s Curse is about a young girl trying to make sense of things far outside of her control, trusting her faith in herself and seeking answers.
The Ancient Egyptian setting of this comic is one of its most compelling factors to me. The series is set in a real historical period, during the reign of Pharoah Akhenaten, who attempted to abandon traditional Egyptian gods for a new belief system focused on one god, Aten. This massive social upheaval is the backdrop as the series begins, with a young Panya struggling between the myths and legends she loves and has been told all her life, in contrast with the ‘new’ god promoted by the Pharoah. As disaster strikes, Panya is sent on a journey across Egypt, seeking a mysterious light that she is sure will have answers for her mysterious visions. At it’s core, this is a story about differing elements of faith. Faith in one’s self, faith in others, religious faith and what happens when you’ve misplaced your faith. It’s not a story with a particularly happy ending, especially if you know the state Panya is in during B.P.R.D, but it’s a riveting one. It’s got a surprising amount of emotional punch to it, as Panya is very much at the influence of things completely outside of her control, but that doesn’t stop her fighting her hardest to try, which I found very beautiful.
The four issue miniseries collected into this trade is co-plotted and written by Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson. It is far from the first collaboration between the two, as Roberson has been a regular writer in the Hellboy Universe for years now, including Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club. From my understanding, Mignola mainly focuses on plotting, while Roberson handles dialogue, so that will be the perspective I will use for this review. Roberson’s dialogue is a perfect fit for the Hellboy Universe and it is not hard to see why Mignola enjoys working with him so much. He handles the mythic, fantastical nature of the narration here well whilst still providing small-scale intimate character moments to flesh out Panya and the world around her. Mignola’s tragic story for how Panya came to be the living mummy readers know and love is one that unfurls slowly. For a moment I almost thought this was simply the beginning of a much longer story, but when the climax hits and the story begins to show its true hand, it’s comic book magic at its finest, hitting the reader with the force of an eighteen wheeler. Together, Roberson and Mignola tell an incredibly compelling story, but it wouldn’t be nearly as effective as it is without the third piece of the puzzle.
Illustrated by Christopher Mitten (The Autumn Kingdom), another Hellboy Universe mainstay, the artwork of this book is flat out gorgeous. The book is filled with beautiful artwork from Mitten, including some of the most mind-blowing page spreads I have seen in a book in years. The colors by Michelle Madsen give the book so much personality and flavor, bathing the book in a contrast of warm orange and beige with dark blue nights. The visions are particularly striking visually, with Mitten and Madsen in perfect balance artistically. I’ve become a massive fan of Mitten’s artwork in the last few years, and I think he’s only getting better and better. He’s this book’s secret weapon, and much of the beautiful and gut-wrenching moments in the book come from how effective Mitten’s artwork is at complimenting the storytelling.
Like with most given Hellboy Universe titles, you can read this independently and still read a great-quality, compelling standalone story, but it works even better if you know the context. The four issues collected here tell a complete story with a definitive conclusion, and work even better in trade than they do in single issues. The hardcover trade also contains various illustrations and sketches by Mitten, which are incredible and shed some light on the creative process of the book. If I was to make a personal anecdote, reading this comic while listening to the album Emperor of Sand by Mastodon is a great experience that I recommend.
Overall is a beautifully tragic tale in the Hellboy universe, a wonderful journey about faith with a gut punch of an ending. It’s a great read for newcomers trying to get a handle on the style of storytelling in this universe, but fleshes out a fan-favorite for the pre-existing dedicated fanbase. This trade is a fantastic reading experience with a unique and well-realised setting and well worth the read.
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