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Entertainment & Arts

Paranormal investigators

By Jevon Phillips and Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers J.J. Abrams' latest series, "Fringe" is already drawing comparisons to another Fox series about FBI agents investigating claims of the paranormal -- "The X-Files." The immediate comparison may not hold as soon as "Fringe" has a few episodes to establish its own identity, but it's worth noting that "The X-Files" didn't invent the paranormal investigation format, there were a bunch of kids in a Mystery Machine around long before Mulder and Scully got their badges and trenchcoats. But while some investigators seem to keep coming back from the dead, others were quickly dispatched to the entertainment graveyard.

By Jevon Phillips and Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

J.J. Abrams’ latest series, “Fringe” is already drawing comparisons to another Fox series about FBI agents investigating claims of the paranormal -- “The X-Files.” The immediate comparison may not hold as soon as “Fringe” has a few episodes to establish its own identity, but it’s worth noting that “The X-Files” didn’t invent the paranormal investigation format, there were a bunch of kids in a Mystery Machine around long before Mulder and Scully got their badges and trenchcoats.

But while some investigators seem to keep coming back from the dead, others were quickly dispatched to the entertainment graveyard.  (Ben Mark Holzberg / Associated Press)

Hellboy

Hellboy

The movie: “Hellboy” and its comic book-spawned sequel follow the red demon hero and his government pals in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense department as they take on supernatural crimes.

Typical villain: Evil elves, undead monks.

Ability: Superhuman strength, telepathic and pyrokinetic friends, big baby (big gun).

Longevity: Hellboy has been around as a comic book for a while. Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse creation has weathered many storylines and a pair of movies, and has done solid, though not spectacular, business. If the film can keep its Guillermo Del Toro style, there could be more in its future.  (Egon Endrenyi / Associated Press)

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