Miss Truesdale boldly returns to the Hellboy universe with sequel series The Rise of Man. Diving straight into the history of the world of Hellboy and how humanity came to be within its strange, magical and often terrifying world, The Rise of Man is going to give us a glimpse into something astonishing that defies comprehension.
Franchise creator and comic book legend Mike Mignola teams up once again with the remarkable Jesse Lonergan to tell a wonderful story about one woman’s journey across time, which will leave you reading from the edge of your seat. We at The Beat reached out to Lonergan to learn more about how the series came to be and what interests him as a bold and innovative artist.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Jared Bird: Thank you so much for your time. Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man launches December 10, 2025 from Dark Horse Comics. How has it felt to be a part of the legendary and expansive Hellboy universe?
Jesse Lonergan: It is such a rich universe and there’s been so much great stuff that has come before that it’s an honor to get the chance to add a little bit to it. With our first Miss Truesdale series I was a bit intimidated, but I feel a bit more comfortable this time around. I had more fun with it, and I think people will see that in Rise of Man.
Bird: What has been like to reunite with Mike Mignola and collaborate once more?
Lonergan: Mike Mignola’s great. He’s made it clear that he wants me to do what I do and doesn’t want me to feel inhibited at all. The story was finished when it got to me, but the scripts were loose and I was able to organize and pace the issues on my own. Then my finished inks went back to Mike to add the text and dialogue.
Bird: What has it been like to work with Dark Horse Comics?
Lonergan: Dark Horse Comics have been wonderful. Katii O’Brien and Misha Gehr have been the main people I’ve dealt with and they’ve been super supportive.
Bird: Miss Truesdale experiments with time and the protagonist perceives it. How do you, as an artist, use the comics form to add to that experimentation?
Lonergan: I think comics are unique in that they have a juxtapositional aspect that can be played with. At its simplest, you can have two different times side by side, but I like to push it a little more and have the structure of the panels convey the idea of different times as well. For example, you can have one set of straight square panels representing one time period, while a meandering set of curved panels wanders through it, creating harmony or dissonance on the page.
Bird: Both Rise of Man and Drome explore origin myths and fantastical origins for the world and humanity. What draws you to exploring that concept?
Lonergan: It’s a little coincidental that Rise of Man and Drome came out so close together, Drome being something I started work on in 2020, and most of the Rise of Man being done this year. They do have that similarity though. I like these kinds of grand epic stories where everything is life and death and the driving forces are these fundamental aspects of humanity. I also like having a clean slate to start with.
Bird: What would you say you want readers to take away from your work?
Lonergan: I guess a sense of possibility. With the comics, books, music, and movies I like best, I find myself inspired and sort of seeing the world with new eyes. It feels like anything is possible. I’d like it if readers felt that way after reading something of mine.
Bird: What other books of yours would you recommend to readers who enjoyed MIss Truesdale and the Rise of Man?
Lonergan: If they skipped the first Miss Truesdale series, they should definitely read that. Drome is my most recent solo book and as has been mentioned has some similarities with Rise of Man.
