Ittly Bitty Hellboy, Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani’s latest re-imagining of a mainstream comic into kid-friendly prose wraps up with issue #5. And while this issue has plenty of the goofiness that’s made this team a hit, run wasn’t quite as strong as their previous work.

Here’s official word from Darkhorse:

It had to happen. It was unavoidable. Sooner or later, we all end up there. That’s right! It’s time to visit our friend who lives underwater! Let’s go hang out with Abe Sapien! Are Hellboy and his pals underwater by choice? Or did something more sinister send them to the cold, lagoony depths? We know one thing: Abe does not mind the company! And where is Lobster Johnson during this visit? When all is said and done, sometimes a beach party is the best way to go . . . even if you happen to be in the swamp.

Don’t get me wrong: if this was the first series that this creative team had ever produced, I’d be blown away. Itty Bittly Hellboy is loaded with all the tropes that made this creative team stand out back when they were still producing Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. The pared down characterization of iconic super heroes is delightful, and the plots are playfully inane. But despite all this, Itty Bitty Hellboy doesn’t have the same pop as Baltazar and Franco’s earlier work does. Even issue #5, where Hellboy dives down into Abe Sapien’s realm feels surprisingly flat. Part of the reason for this is simple: there’s simply less story to this particular run, which means, in turn, there’s less of the self-referential humor that helped a series like Superman Family Adventures succeed.

If lack of story is a drawback, here’s the plus: the art is bolder, the panels are larger, and there’s more wide-lens imagery to issue #5 than in other books. While some might criticize this big expanses pages as a sign that the script was sparse, readers who only buy Itty Bitty for the art will be tickled pink.

Like most comic fans, I’m grateful that Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani exist. And that they’re trucking along on this beautiful and spastic mission of theirs. But I also don’t think Itty Bitty Hellboy will be remembered as their best work. That said, I’m already looking forward to their next project.

3/5