- Title: Hellboy Winter Special: The Yule Cat (One-shot)
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Matt Smith
- Artist: Matt Smith
This one-shot holiday special set in 1990 from writer/artist Matt Smith takes Hellboy to Reykjavik to investigate the appearance of a giant cat which locals believe to be the Jólakötturinn, or Yule Cat, from Icelandic Christmas folklore, which appears around the end of the year to eat naughty children at Christmas time. Sadly, the issue doesn’t end with Hellboy getting a new pet cat.
Hellboy tangles with the cat both in town and out in the snow where it takes a more human-ish form before returning to the look of the cat. There’s plenty of action here, and I like the art of Smith. The story is framed by birds, and something more than birds discussing Hellboy, the Yule Cat, and destiny, along with scenes of Christmas time after Hellboy’s return home. Not a must-read by any means, but a fun enough X-Mas themed one-shot for those looking for some Hellboy this Christmas.
[Dark Horse, $3.99]