Supernatural heroes Hellboy and John Constantine cross paths in fan art bridging Dark Horse Comics with the DC Universe. Artist Daniel Canedo spotlights the natural pairing in an Instagram post which homages an iconic scene from Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro.
Occasionally, comic book publishers will collide with team-ups between fan favorite characters, like Marvel and DC’s JLA/Avengers. In recent years, Batman has joined forces with the Teenage Ninja Turtles, the Transformers have encountered the Ghostbusters, and the Power Rangers have met the Justice League. Although these unlikely storylines have proven to find an audience, there is still a wide selection of characters who have never met each other, and would similarly excite readers.
The fan art posted to Instagram by Daniel Canedo (@canedovisual) pays tribute to My Neighbor Totoro, as John Constantine stands at a bus stop in the rain next to the towering Hellboy, carrying the sword Excalibur over his shoulder. The two trench coat-wearing heroes have been known for their connections to the supernatural realm in comics, making a crossover seem like a natural idea. DC and Dark Horse haven’t had many inter-company crossovers, but the clashing personalities of Hellboy and Constantine would make for the perfect miniseries.
As a part of Justice League Dark, John Constantine has fought monsters among other supernatural threats with Etrigan the Demon at his side. Their dynamic might be comparable to the friendship which could come out of a Hellboy/Constantine team-up. By the end of their adventure, Hellboy could even become an honorary member of the League. Considering Doctor Fate’s fourth wall-breaking ability to enter the multiverse, it wouldn’t be a problem to bring him into the DC Universe on occasion. While the joining of multiversal forces might not phase DC readers, it would open up a vast realm of possibilities for the Dark Horse hero.
Constantine and Hellboy have individually taken on similar storylines in the past, with contrasting versions of the same concepts. As a paranormal investigator, Hellboy is practically in the same line of work as Constantine, known for his experience in the dark arts. Their irreverent approach to such serious situations set them aside from their fellow heroes in their distinct universes. Justice League Dark has already proven that Constantine benefits from a team dynamic, particularly involving super-powered beings like Deadman and Zatanna among others. Daniel Canedo’s fan art begs for fully realized crossover from DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics uniting Hellboy with John Constantine.
