Miss Truesdale makes a bold return to the world of Hellboy in the sequel series, Rise of Man. Delving directly into the history of Hellboy’s world and how humanity came to be in that strange, magical, and often terrifying world, The Rise of Man offers us a glimpse of something incredible beyond comprehension.
Franchise creator and comic book legend Mike Mignola teams up once again with the outstanding Jesse Lonergan to tell a remarkable story about one woman’s journey through time. You’ll be reading from the edge of your seat. We at The Beat reached out to Lonergan to learn more about how the series came about and his interests as a bold and innovative artist.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Art: Jesse Lonergan
Jared Bird: Thank you very much for your time. Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Mankind will be released by Dark Horse Comics on December 10, 2025. How does it feel to be part of the legendary and vast world of Hellboy?
Jesse Lonergan: It’s a very rich world and there’s been a lot of great stuff so it’s an honor to have the opportunity to add a little bit to it. I was a bit intimidated by the first Miss Truesdale series, but this time I felt a little more at ease. I think people will pick up on that with Rise of Man because I had more fun with it.
Bird: What was it like reuniting with Mike Mignola and collaborating again?
Lonergan: Mike Mignola is great. He made it clear that he wanted me to do what I was doing and didn’t want me to feel tied down at all. The story was finished as soon as I thought of it, but the script was loose enough to allow me to sort out the issues myself and pace myself. The finished ink was then returned to the microphone to add text and dialogue.
Bird: What was it like working with Dark Horse Comics?
Lonergan: Dark Horse Comics was great. Katie O’Brien and Misha Gale have been the main people I’ve worked with so far and they’ve been very supportive.
Art: Jesse Lonergan
Bird: Miss Truesdale experiments with time and the protagonist perceives it. As an artist, how do you utilize and experiment with the comic book format?
Lonergan: I think comics are unique in that they can be played in parallel. At its simplest, you can juxtapose two different times, but I like to push it a little further and also convey the idea of different times through the structure of the panels. For example, you can have a set of straight square panels representing a time period, with a series of curved panels wandering through them to create harmony or dissonance on the page.
Bird: Rise of Man and Drome both explore origin myths and fantastical origins of the world and humanity. What draws you to exploring that concept?
Lonergan: It was a bit of a coincidence that Rise of Man and Drome came out so close together; Drome was something I started working on in 2020, and most of Rise of Man was completed this year. But they have their similarities. I like these kinds of epic stories where everything is about life and death and the driving force is fundamental aspects of humanity. I also like to start with a clean slate.
Art: Jesse Lonergan
Bird: What do you want readers to take away from your work?
Lonergan: I think I saw the potential. My favorite comics, books, music, and movies have inspired me to see the world with new eyes. I feel like I can do anything. I would be happy if readers who read my work thought so.
Byrd: How many other books of yours would you recommend to readers who enjoyed Miss Truesdale and The Rise of Man?
Lonergan: Anyone who skipped the first Miss Truesdale series should definitely read it. Drome is my latest solo book, and as I mentioned earlier, it has some similarities to Rise of Man.
Art: Jesse Lonergan
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