Readers had the pleasure of meeting the disarming Miss Truesdale a couple years ago in Dark Horse Comics’ Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea from the creative duo of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and artist Jesse Lonergan. Now it’s time for her return–albeit in a unique way–in Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man, coming this December. In Fall of Hyperborea, she uncovered a connection to an ancient gladiator Anum Yassa… and, as we know of the past, it rarely stays at rest.
In Rise of Man, Miss Truesdale will find herself thrown to Anum Yassa’s time and world, merging with the man she was in her past life. Will she be able to contend with the beasts and horrors that await? And what will we learn about the Hellboy universe in the process? I caught up with artist Jesse Lonergan recently about working on The Rise of Man, where Miss Truesdale finds herself at the beginning of the new miniseries, working with Mike Mignola, and the fun drawing tales set in the Hellboy universe.
The first miniseries was so much fun and it was clear that Mignola and Lonergan were having a ball working on the story. Lonergan’s linework is so singularly unique and perfect for this story; as I said in the interview, I can’t imagine anyone else doing this romp. The Rise of Man looks to follow that same of path of joy mixed with weird.
Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man #1 Cover A by Jesse Lonergan
FreakSugar: For folks who might not be familiar with Miss Truesdale, what can you tell us about the character?
Jesse Lonergan: Miss Truesdale is a meek Victorian woman who comes to realize that in a past life she was a gladiator warrior named Annum Yassa in ancient Hyperborea. The first Miss Truesdale series had Miss Truesdale thrown into the past and into this gladiator’s life and battling evil forces corrupting Hyperborea.
FS: Where do we find our hero in Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man?
JL: Miss Truesdale and Annum Yassa have become one, and now she’s trapped in the past wandering the earth and battling a dark force that seems to be following her and corrupting all the beings that she meets. The events that transpire are fundamental to the shaping of the Hellboy world.
FS: Your design for Miss Truesdale and her world pops. When I look at it, I can’t imagine it looking like anything else, if that makes sense. What is your process in tackling the art for a Miss Truesdale story? What is your collaboration like with Mike Mignola?
JL: Thanks. It’s great working with Mike because he has such good story ideas and knows how to put those ideas together, and at the same time, he’s shown so much trust in me and given me so much freedom. I think this series was probably the closest I’ve worked to the Marvel Method. The scripts were very loose with minimal page breakdowns, leaving me to put things together as I saw fit. Then working from the finished pages, Mike would add dialogue and narration.
Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man #1 Cover B by Jesse Lonergan
FS: This is your second Miss Truesdale tale. What’s been the most gratifying part of working with this character?
JL: The first Miss Truesdale series was my first time working with Mike and my first time drawing this universe and these characters, and a bit of nervousness goes with that. This time, it’s more familiar and I’m more comfortable, so it feels like we can really roll and have fun.
FS: If you had a final pitch for Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man, what would it be?
JL: It’s a ton of fun! It’s got a great story by Mike Mignola. I had a blast laying out crazy pages and cramming as much action and energy as possible. There’s mermaids and lizard men and talking snakes. Pick it up!
Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man #1 goes on sale Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from Dark Horse Comics.
From the official issue description:
The gladiator Anum Yassa wanders the forest to learn about her lives—past, present, and future. But she isn’t a hero to all, as one darker entity will hunt her until she can be stopped—and the fate of man stopped with her.
• Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and artist Jesse Lonergan continue their acclaimed “Miss Truesdale” saga in this new miniseries.