INTERVIEW: Witchfinder takes on supernatural forces

When comic book fans think of Mike Mignola’s work, images of Hellboy probably come to mind. The red demon who fought a difficult childhood and became a protector of the world continues to be a dominating force in comic books, and a cinematic reboot is in the works as well.

However, Mignola’s creation extends beyond Hellboy and also includes the world he summoned up around the central character. From Lobster Johnson to the agents of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, the characters and mythologies of the Hellboy universe are wondrously complex and a marvel to behold.

Chris Roberson, a comic book writer who is fascinated by the Hellboy world, loves some of the side characters that have populated Mignola’s brain, and he has brought one of the most iconic to life in a new five-part miniseries from Dark Horse. Witchfinder: The Gates of Heaven features Sir Edward Grey, Queen Victoria’s witchfinder, who is tasked with unearthing a mysterious series of occult events that have dire consequences for London and the world.

Mignola and Roberson wrote the miniseries, which is set in Victorian England; the artwork is by D’Israeli, and the colorist is Michelle Madsen. In a letter to fans, Roberson said the five issues have all of the elements he loves in good stories: “occult detectives, secret societies, steampunk technology, ancient mysteries and cursed artifacts, ghosts and monsters and demons.”

Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Roberson about the new miniseries. The writer is known for his work on Serenity, Hellboy and the B.P.R.D., Aliens and a previous Witchfinder title, City of the Dead. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.

What inspired you to tell a standalone story of the Witchfinder?

I’ve always been a fan of stories set in the Victorian era, and detective stories, and especially Victorian occult detective stories, and so Sir Edward Grey sits right in the Venn diagram where many of my interests overlap. The previous Witchfinder miniseries, Witchfinder: City of the Dead, was actually the first project I had the chance to work on in the world of Hellboy, and I’ve been eager to work with the character again ever since.

Do you feel restricted in any way when there’s a large Hellboy canon hanging over your shoulders?

I see the established lore of the character and his world less as a restriction and more as an opportunity to potentially tie each new story in with something that has already been established. It’s a big canvas, and it’s always nice to find ways to link up things in new and unexpected ways.

Do you feel you need to stick to the essence of the world that has already been built?

One of the strengths of the world that Mignola and his collaborators have built over the years is that it is pretty wide ranging and has room for stories that vary considerably in tone. So long as the story is true to the characters and consistent with the ways that they’ve been portrayed in the past, there’s plenty of room to explore.

Did you have to conduct any research on the historical time period?

Yes, and far more than we ended up using. But as with tying each new story in with the established fictional continuity, the fun of doing period piece stories is finding interesting historical moments in which a story might take place, or unexpected bits of history that might be incorporated into the story in meaningful ways.

What’s it like to work with Mike Mignola, D’Israeli and Michelle Madsen?

Absolutely fantastic! Mike is responsible for some of my all-time favorite comics, and getting the chance to work with him is a highlight of my professional career. As for the art, I’ve been an admirer of D’Israeli’s for nearly 30 years, and the work that he’s doing on this book with Michelle is just phenomenal.

Any hints for what fans can expect moving forward in the series?

We’ll be seeing some familiar faces and exploring some connections between Sir Edward’s Victorian era and other parts of Hellboy’s world.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Witchfinder: The Gates of Heaven, issues 1 and 2, are now available. The five-part miniseries will continue throughout the summer. Writers: Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson. Art and cover: D’Israeli. Colors: Michelle Madsen. Publisher: Dark Horse. Click here for more information.