We stand in the thick of superhero season, with "The Incredible Hulk," "Iron Man" and "Hancock" behind us, "The Dark Knight" looming ahead and "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" opening today. What saves us from a sense of oversaturation is the style and sensibility each film brings to the old formula of heroic angst, exploding gas stations and fiendish enemies.

The "Hellboy" films, with their amiable grouch of a hero, baroque visual excess and goofball humor, take their responsibility to entertain us seriously, but nothing else. They are comic-book movies with the fun put back in. And they are made by a fanboy of genius who can communicate a sense of childish wonderment: Mexican auteur Guillermo Del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth"). It's the biggest, richest, most imaginative superhero movie of the summer, and yes, you can take that line for the poster, Universal.

Hellboy, for those unfamiliar with his origins, is a crimson, horned demon discovered by Allied forces at the end of World War II. Lovingly raised by a kindly scientist (John Hurt, seen here in a fleeting cameo), he has grown from a candy-and-TV-loving imp to a big bruiser (Ron Perlman, performing capably under layers of latex) assigned to protect mankind from supernatural invaders.

He's a bit self-conscious about his horns, grinding them down to hockey-puck stumps on his forehead, as if that made a towering red secret agent with an oversized stone right hand any less conspicuous. Like the Men in Black, Hellboy and his fellow strangelings at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense are supposed to operate under the public's radar. But Hellboy, instinctively opposed to authority, poses for snapshots and mugs on home videos. "I hate YouTube!" groans his much-abused FBI handler, Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor).

There are bigger headaches on the horizon, however. A chalk-skinned prince of the underworld (Luke Goss) is about to break an ancient truce between the old gods and humankind, sending the legendary Golden Army of mechanical warriors into battle against the mortals. As if that's not enough, Hellboy and his neurotic firestarter squeeze, Liz (Selma Blair), are having heated arguments. Literally. His aquatic pal Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) experiences the pangs of first love with the prince's twin sister (Anna Walton), who plays a crucial role in her sibling's quest for power.

Blah blah blah. You've heard it all before in one form or another. The delight of the "Hellboy" films is that they play the clash-of-titans story line seriously enough to keep us on edge while surprising us with extravagantly cool images, gratuitous moments of wonder and smartass humor.

The creatures that populate Del Toro's imagination are astoundingly lifelike and diverse enough to have originated in other dimensions. At the small end of the scale are the Tooth Fairies, cute little pixies that can strip a human carcass clean in minutes. At the other end there's Wink, a cross between a WWE wrestler and a water buffalo, with a nifty mace-and-chain contraption in place of his right fist. In between is a menagerie of goblins, banshees and jabberwockies that make the "Star Wars" Tattooine saloon look like the Dubuque Greyhound depot.

The film aims higher than just tickling comic-book collectors, though. There are passages of awe-inspiring grace here, too. A showdown between Hellboy and a plant giant is chock full of the requisite thrills, with buckled pavement, smashed cars and screaming throngs. Del Toro gives it an unexpected poignancy as Hellboy, cradling an endangered infant in his paw, takes aim at the menace with his free hand. If he kills the weird being, its race will be extinct. He weighs the decision for a few thought-provoking moments, then resolves it in a gesture of breathtaking, unexpected loveliness.

Similarly, the movie colors outside the traditional comic-book lines with its sense of humor. The comic relief in the films is the contrast between the paranormal agents' apocalyptic work life and their humdrum personal concerns. Hellboy and Abe, utterly stumped by the women in their lives, slug back several cases of Mexico's Tecate beer (even the product placement here is witty). Then they proceed to belt out a Barry Manilow tune in honor of their baffling lady loves. Chorus after chorus after chorus. It does nothing to maintain the momentum or advance the story, but it's one of the most endearing character moments in ages.

The same light touch extends to the film's vocal casting. Those with sensitive ears may detect that it's "Family Guy's" Seth MacFarlane speaking the part of an ectoplasmic German agent who joins Hellboy's team. If there's a criticism to be leveled here, it's that Del Toro is reaching too far in every scene, trying to add more layers and ideas and dimensions to an already hectic story. But since most of it succeeds so well, who's complaining? "Hellboy" is one hell of a ride.

Colin Covert • 612-673-7186