Part One: The Early Years Pancakes This two-page story by Mike Mignola was originally published in the
1999 Dark Horse Presents Annual and was colored for this collection. Mignola has stated that this is one of his favorite
Hellboy stories but it was one of the hardest to do as it was a very close adaptation of a
Japanese folktale that he wanted to have an authentic feel despite knowing nothing about the country. Mignola has stated that the story featuring the
hand of glory and
St. Dunstan was written to bring a final end to the Beast of the Apocalypse story-arc. A four-page epilogue was added for this collection to tie-in this conclusion with the preceding
The Right Hand of Doom story. In the story, a mysterious robbery in an ancient English mansion called Guarino's castle sets Hellboy and Abe Sapien on the trail of a saint, a warlock, a demon, an archduke of Hell, and a gun-wielding monkey. After Igor Bromhead releases minor demon
Ualac, the crown of the Beast of the Apocalypse becomes the main prize in the resulting conflict that summons forth the demon
Astaroth. ==References==