My favorite Hellboy trade so far is “The Chained Coffin and Other Stories”.  I think Mignola is the master of the one-shot story.  He handles myth so well, and does an excellent job of making it feel contemporary, even though he’s writing about the mid-twentieth century adventures involving myths that date back to the beginnings of written storytelling.

That said, I didn’t like this issue.  The art felt…rusty.  And the story was predictable, and not very fun or creepy.  I just don’t think it holds up to the best Hellboy stories, or even the recent “Crooked Man” storyline.  I’m hoping Mignola writes another Hellboy story soon, so I can go back to praising what a genius he is.