The upcoming Hellboy reboot is pulling directly from the comics like never before, according to the character’s creator Mike Mignola. While talking to IGN, Mignola shared that while he’s officially credited as an executive producer, he’s also contributing to the story and acting as a general consultant to the filmmakers to make sure they capture the spirit of his comics. The side-by-side image below is a perfect example of how closely the comics are being adapted in the new movie.

Hellboy joins the Wild Hunt. (Image Credit: Dark Horse Comics/Lionsgate)

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(Image Credit: Dark Horse Comics)

A scene from Hellboy in Mexico. (Image Credit: Dark Horse Comics)

Check it out:Fans of the Hellboy comics will instantly recognize this as a scene from The Wild Hunt where Hellboy is recruited by a group of hunters to help take down a band of giants.“I will say, having been on set on the other two movies [by director Guillermo Del Toro], that was the first time I walked on set and saw something and said, ‘Holy s**t, that’s right out of the comic!’” Mignola enthused.Watch the trailer again below:In the comics, the Wild Hunt is the name of a secret order of giant hunters founded by British noblemen. When a larger-than-usual band of giants appear, they seek out Hellboy for some extra muscle. The group is steeped in ancient tradition with very specific garb and tools, which is the kind of detail that Mignola never expected to actually make it into the movie.“What threw me was seeing everybody on horseback,” Mignola said. “I thought if we did that scene, it would be somehow modernized, they would be either on foot or they’d be on motorcycles or something. But to get that old-fashioned thing I was going for, of these very ritualistic costumes, and this very sober thing with lances and horseback and a very medieval throwback image, I just never thought we’d see it.”And the cherry on top, the massive animal head worn by the leader of the Wild Hunt in tribute to Herne the Hunter, a ghostly figure with antlers from British folklore. Mignola actually wore the head himself while on set, leading to a humorous mishap. “Believe me, it’s not as easy as it looks. In fact, when I was wearing the head, I managed to get the antlers stuck in some tree branches. So, yeah, I wasn’t as smooth as some of the other guys as far as wearing that thing,” Mignola said.But was he alluding to a cameo? “Well, let’s just say there was a reason I wore it. It wasn’t just to entertain the director, though he did seem to think it was pretty funny when my antlers were stuck in the tree branches,” Mignola teased.Mignola said that the movie is largely adapting The Wild Hunt for its story, but is also pulling from several other comics. The Wild Hunt is the middle chapter of an epic three-part arc that starts with Darkness Calls and ends with The Storm and the Fury, so fans can expect to see elements from those included. While the hunt plays a key role in the comic, it also features the rise of the villainous Blood Queen and the revelation of Hellboy’s true heritage.“It’s the last, biggest arc of Hellboy’s journey on Earth,” he said. “So I wanted to make sure we were true to the mechanics of how that story worked, even though we were pulling bits and pieces from other stories.”One of those other stories in question is Hellboy in Mexico, a comic that saw Hellboy go south of the border to fight monsters with a group of luchadores, and Mignola said a big chunk of that story will be used in the movie. The comic features Camazotz the Mayan bat god of death, who can be glimpsed in the new trailer.“I’m real excited and I’m very grateful that they wanted to really look at the comics, and without being spot-on accurate to the comic, they really did draw so heavily from the comic, design-wise, story-wise,” Mignola gushed. “I’m very lucky that all the right people wanted to do the right things.”

IGN Premiere has rolled out an exclusive week of Hellboy content. Make sure you saw our interview with Academy Award-winning makeup artist Joel Harlow , and our trailer breakdown with David Harbour!

Joshua is Senior Editor of IGN Comics. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN