Hellboy Universe Reading Order | BPRD Reading Order

Today I do a complete reading order of one of my favorite non superheroes of all time: Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. So join me for this look back at Mike Mignola's greatest creation and how to best read it.
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[@jearl75290]

20+ years ago I was at a flea Market in the middle of nowhere upstate NY and came across the first two Hellboy trades in a stack of books. I opened them up and they were signed by Mike Mignola. It is one of my coolest comic finds.

[@JakeTheComicBookDude]

I have a couple issues of HellBoy and HellBoy: The Wild Hunt. One of these days, I’d like to own HellBoy: The Seed of Destruction omnibus.

[@666SAVAGES]

@@JakeTheComicBookDudebro it’s very good, seed of destruction omnibus is something I do not regrett

[@lennylaserdiscs]

The Hellboy series has helped me through a real rough time in my life. It has a special place in my life! it’s such a heartwarming, funny, action packed, and scary series.

[@lj3287]

I love Mike Mignola's artwork.

[@jacktalkscomics19]

Ive been looking for a solid reading order for this universe for ages. I always love these videos, thank you man, for all the hard work you put into the channel for the fans!

[@stephentheshywarrior2759]

Hey Jack, I agree love Omar's reading orders. I love watching your channel as well Jack.🙂

[@jacktalkscomics19]

@@stephentheshywarrior2759 oh wow thats awesome to hear. Thank you so much!

[@middenway]

It's always interesting to see a new Hellboy Universe reading order. I did my own back in 2014 which I update annually on Multiversity Comics. (I'd drop a link, but it appears to be getting caught in a spam filter. Anyway, it's pretty easy to find.) There are also a bunch of other Hellboy Universe Reading Orders linked at the bottom, so it's easy enough to find one that suits your needs. Omar, I'll have to add a link to yours when I update for the 2022 version!

[@NearMintCondition]

Brother. Your reading order is amazing. Someone pointed me to it two years ago. Wish I had it years back when I started getting the trades. I’ll add a link in the description since I mentioned you and your list in the video.

[@middenway]

@@NearMintCondition Nice job on this list. I'll always say, there is no one reading order. There're so many ways to experience this universe.

[@batatinhacomics]

Your reading order is amazing, I check the new version every year, and I remember your username from the Mignolaverse subreddit, you were very helpful when I used to hang out there. I also enjoy your reviews with the other folks at Mignolaversity.

[@Mako2401]

Thank you, I was thinking about reading Hellboy and this is exactly what i needed.

[@lj3287]

Thanks to you....I discovered those Hellboy Library editions. LOVE THEM! GOT 'EM ALL!

[@middenway]

I love those books so much.

[@bigstewinorlando7059]

Big Thanks Omar..now I'll be on the Right Path to Collecting Hellboy and Universe 👍😁💜

[@MOGO8907]

Nice. Love these vids. Already have the first six Hellboys preordered. Going to complete the whole collection someday foo sure.

[@damonpono8337]

This is really helpful seeing the physicals, beforehand I used the multiversity comics page on the reading order but this is much clearer

[@dukedidgeridoo2289]

Awesome video, I’ve begun gathering these myself, so jealous of those OOP hardcovers

[@eduardoruiz7600]

Just ordered the hellboy omnibus box set!! Excited to finally dive into this series

[@AcademicType616]

Thank you so much for this 🙏

[@nikoladimitrijevic9713]

Great and very useful! So glad that someone is not talking only about mainstream and current happening stuff like Hawkeye and Eternals... Great video.

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much. Glad it was helpful.

[@Alvarakk]

I really enjoy those reading orders!!

[@nathankloske9313]

That is such a beautiful collection! *salivates* :D

[@TheMightyPirateTm]

I recently finished this and it was incredible! It took me a couple of years and I'm definitely getting into Witchfinder and Lobster Johnson omnibuses. I gotta say, the library editions are absolutely incredible in terms of presentation and price. And one thing I didn't expect is that Hellboy kinda took a back seat and I really enjoyed the BPRD storyline more. Cheers!

[@simonlamarche1]

awsome !!!!!!!

[@Omar-cm5pb]

Another legendary reading order 🔥

[@rudigerkipferl4479]

Just finished the whole Hellboy BPRD run with The Devil you Know this summer. Mostly I tried to follow the timeline by Fraser Sherman, pretty similar to yours, it's a good way to do a first walkthrough. But when I reread, I definitely will try to go an even more chronological way and read all those 1946-1958 and extended stuff books earlier. Also looking forward to the Lobster Omni coming out soon. All in all Hellboy is just a fantastic read with those plush library editions being among the most beautiful books on the market, I just love how the pictures literally jump at you... ❤️

[@Plague_Archangel]

This came on the right moment--as I am preparing to buy some x-mas gifts for myself :) and I was wondering how to get into B.P.R.D. and Abe Sapien. As I have the 4 Hellboy Omni....Great stuff! Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria!

[@brianmeenan1971]

Finally a reading order i can do lol. I'm pretty sure the softcover plague of frogs are all oop now as well as I tried to get them before I found a deal for the hardcovers

[@axilleaskazuya5370]

Man its crazy when you think about it, you never hear mignola degreding in quality, sure people have their preferences but after what moore, russel, miller , moorcock and others praised even from the beggining seems to got stronger after so many years, damn

[@vincentmonet6172]

Thanks 😅 very useful!

[@krishnansutewari470]

Great job Uncanny Omar. I would also include Witchfinder Omnibus V1 since he's in the same universe

[@middenway]

Also Witchfinder - Volume 2, since it just came out last month ;)

[@DCPatrol]

I read all of this and life happened and haven't finished. I should get those final issues. Fun walk through

[@ReaperXC]

Yes!

[@ToolsOfDestructio85]

I’ve been wanting to collect more Hellboy and just bought the library edition vol 2 and hearing the news this morning about a new Hellboy movie also to mention the game. I’m pretty excited. Also glad that you happened to make this video cause I needed a good chronological order of the books and I’ve been going to you for comic book news.

[@NearMintCondition]

There is a huge Hellboy book coming out later this year too.

[@B8V88]

@@NearMintCondition what huge book?

[@tuhkathri9126]

Wow this is timely! I just decided to get into Hellboy. 👍 So it seems like less than 50% of this entire collection was drawn by Mignola, maybe only 30%? Interesting. I've heard a lot about his art style I thought he would have drawn more of it. Seems like he contributed more of a writer than an artist

[@middenway]

The Hellboy Universe currently spans around 90 trades. Of that, Mike Mignola has drawn maybe around maybe 10 trades worth of material. That said, while he may not be drawing the stories, he's still very involved in the design side of things.

[@Carnefice]

Mike is slow and only draws what he wants to draw. So he has more often farmed out the art to other artists. He's a master, and most of the artists he's picked are excellent even if they aren't at his level

[@earlyandoften3951]

There are so many ways to start with the Hellboy universe. Publishing order, Secret History, BPRD 1946, Lobster, Edward Grey, Hellboy .... all good starting points. I love the universe and every time i read it, i find new connections between the different series. If you like Guy Davis, go and get The Marquis. Maybe hard to find but worth it.

[@GuitarHeroKing55]

found the seed of destruction library edition sitting on the ground in portland, kinda fitting since mingola is from oregon

[@projektvyking7521]

with Dark Horse putting out the manga and Sin City Deluxe Editions it should only be a matter of time before we get the whole universe with Lobster J, Edward Grey, the backstory trades, etc. IDW set a precedent with Transformers and TMNT

[@stevesantiago8732]

I treasure my hardcovers of Hellboy and the BPRD! Another one to include is the BPRD Vampire trade which continues the story of agent Simon Anders after his encounter with vampires from the 1946 - 1948 HC. I don't think Vampire has been collected in HC yet, just trade. And artist Guy Davis's run on BPRD is what got me hooked on the series. That man can create monsters!

[@brianjones8721]

Guy Davis is really great, one of the best horror/gothic artists out there and you are right - he can really draw monsters! I met him a couple times at Heroes Con and he is also a nice chap and easy to talk to.

[@middenway]

B.P.R.D.: Vampire has a 1 on its spine for a reason. There will be further volumes eventually, and beyond that an omnibus collecting them.

[@Carnefice]

I hate the way Davis draws humans. For me, it really detracts from the story. I was relieved when he left.

[@CarlosRodriguez-sv4wd]

I would buy them all if I could get the hardcovers. My heart can’t take me getting some trades and some HC

[@djsuth7727]

Same. It puts me off investing in this series.

[@northgardencomics]

Thanks for this overview. I want to start reading some Hellboy but haven't known where to jump on. I see there's a "Monster-Sized Hellboy HC" coming soon. Will you be getting a copy and doing an overview?

[@doomguydemonkiller]

Hellboy is one of the best comics I've read in a while.

[@Teskal]

I would love to see all books in Library Edition.

[@cliffwoodbury5319]

I haven't watched the last movie but i watched the others and this character and universe is cool as hell

[@morriford]

I only have/have read the first two Hellboy Library editions guess I'll get the third and then hope they reprint the BPRD universe books!

[@MYTHNL90]

They will, just not in hardcover format unfortunately

[@danny_decheeto8300]

Still remember going to my local book store and picking up seed of destruction

[@RPRsChannel]

I do recall Mignola saying it's all the same universe and the Infograph I once downloaded has all his books in the same universe.

[@philipshomevideos9833]

Hahaha uv got awesome segues here it made me smile haha amusing. Well done.

[@mikeyduncan3268]

might have to do an updated video soon 😂

[@KINGWILLIAMS92]

My most complete series with hellboy and the bprd , I forgot about ABE sapient and witch finder , we need that complete collection

[@balkthor]

Witch finder should be available if you still need it, I just got my copy of Vol 1 and Vol 2 is about to be shipped

[@brianjones8721]

This is one of the toughest reading orders to put together in all of comics, thanks for the hard work on this Omar! As a long time Hellboy universe fan I read most of this in the order it came out, but if I ever go back to do a full re-read this will come in handy.

[@ReaperXC]

55,000. Congratulations.

[@kallestrand8301]

I am getting back Into the Mignola-Verse With Baltimore (Excellent Series!)and I will soon start over with Hellboy Library Editions, and want to read the entire Hellboy/BPRD-saga. I have mainly read Hellboy and I am trying to expand my library and get in to this readingorder, you have made such a nice video about. Having trouble to find these hardcovers. Q: Do you know if they are planning to reprint the HC Omnibuses? Plague Of Frogs, Abe Sapien, Hell on Earth. I Know they are releasing BPRD in TPB But I am intrested in HC:only. Google does not give much feedback, Unfortunately. New to the channel, I love it!

[@axilleaskazuya5370]

Ill try to follow this reading order, when i can sneak into koschei the deathless, im half russian i remember this name since i was very young but dont remember the story

[@t2comicbooksoverviews251]

congrats on 55k subs :)

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you

[@frankwhitebean2649]

I read hellboy, it was awesome. If I were to buy bprd, what arc would you suggest buying for the best read?

[@fishin4bass2002]

I’ve been thinking of getting into hellboy. It’s just a lot to get into. I read the first storyarc and didn’t think it was anything special. Hopefully it gets better.

[@Mando2121]

I've only read hell earth but I read it online it only had issues 107 to 147 so I missed I good portion I'm assuming I've read plague of frogs and the dead that's all I can remember

[@maximusaurelius9906]

Will anyone be buying the Monster Size Hellboy and will Omar be getting an advance copy from Darkhorse to review?

[@mr.1up932]

It is better to own the Library (1-6 + Hellboy in Hell) editions rather than the Omnibus editions (1-4 + Short Stories 1-2)??

[@erikbengtsson6772]

Will these books fit next to each other like this on the shelf ?

[@kylerchapman2972]

i was wondering what about the winter special i can’t find anything about it and in any reading order?

[@andrewcosta5001]

Wish Darkhorse would print a deluxe size of the library edition because the library editions are so damn big

[@bloodwarrior314]

anyone know where lobster johnson fits in?

[@pufferfancyfish]

When do you think I should read hellboy 1952-54 don’t think it was mentioned in the video despite being in the thumbnail and in your collection

[@edy1398]

Hi Omar,nice video again.What do you know about the Being HumanTPB , with the following stories,The Dead Remembered ,Casualties,Hellboy: Being Human,The Ectoplasmic Man ? As far as I know they are not collected in any of the Hard Cover Omnis,or I'm mistaken?

[@stevesantiago8732]

The "Being Human" story is collected in Hellboy Strange Places Omnibus vol 2. And the story "Casualties" is collected in Abe Sapien The Drowning and Other Stories omnibus. I'm not sure about the other two stories.

[@middenway]

@@stevesantiago8732 You're correct. The other two have not yet been collected.

[@edy1398]

@@stevesantiago8732 Thx for the answer :)

[@edy1398]

Thx a lot.I guess it was a smart thing that I held on to my tpb Being Human.

[@just23bulls]

Wish Dark Horse would reprint some of these bad boys! Regardless, great vid. :)

[@nicktroisi6347]

So do I have to read all these books or can I just read the Hellboy books. It’s not that I’m not interested in BPRD or Abe it’s just I love Red more. Also I can’t find the BPRD books anywhere they’re super rare but the Hellboy Library Editions I can collect easy

[@discoh0bbit965]

currently trying to decide if I am gonna wait for the monster size hellboy to come out or get the library editions...tough choice

[@JaEbala]

Get the library ones, the monster sized looks impossible to read and it doesn’t have the same content as the library, though it’s slightly cheaper I think.

[@roelvancamp5069]

Hey omar, I know it has nothing to do with this video, but is there a way i can contact you about an other big question where i am struggling with?

[@haywoco2]

I wish they had Library Editions for B.P.R.D. I guess it's just not popular enough, though.

[@djsuth7727]

I'd like to dip into the Mignolaverse more, but I'm put off by the fact that Dark Horse continues to neglect B.P.R.D and the other spin-off titles in hardcover format. I find it hard to believe readers, who have invested in the Hellboy Library editions, wouldn't want similar for the other titles.

[@lsdeann_3293]

Great timing as I'm reading Hellboy, but the rest of it seems like too much?! Abe Sapien books are ridiculously expensive, the BPRD books are only half available in paperback/half in hardcover. WitchFinder and Baltimore I might have a gander at.

[@skyyswaggstudios2934]

I think theyre fixing that problem with bprd rn

[@FreterP]

No Lobster Johnson or Sir Edward Grey?

[@tylerhayes9174]

So is Lobster Jonson not really worth the read?

[@matthewcosta5715]

Can I just read Hellboy volume 1-4 Omnibus to understand the full story or do I have to read every individual little book as well hopefully someone can answer this for me

[@NearMintCondition]

You absolutely can.

[@andreapalumbo4800]

How many comics and Manga do you read in a day? So out of curiosity because you have so many

[@tomb407]

Kinda prefer BPRD to Hellboy

[@NearMintCondition]

At times i do too.

[@stuartcrabbe123]

Could I possibly read the BPRD omnibus 1-5 without reading anything else? Not really concerned about timeline or even hellboy all that much

[@NearMintCondition]

You completely can. However, volume 4 will spoil something big in Hellboy!

[@Slathar]

If I just want to read about hellboy and not the bprd do I have to read the short stories omnibuses or can I just read the hellboy omnibuses?

[@NearMintCondition]

You can just read Hellboy.

[@Yalbou]

Is there much of a difference between the hard cover and tradepaper back bprd omnis?

[@NearMintCondition]

There aren’t. Just not hardcover.

[@Undertaker93]

👀 I see Disgea

[@axilleaskazuya5370]

At vol 4 library edition, theres seems to be a twist, because if im not mistaken on Tpds the troll wich is vol 7 and the croocked man comes much later, do you think it would be better storywise for me to read it in this order wich presented here or the classic Tpds?

[@middenway]

Hellboy Volumes 7 and 10 are standalone short stories. They are rearranged into chronological order in the Hellboy - Volume 4 library edition.

[@axilleaskazuya5370]

@@middenway so it wont ruin anything if i read em in that order on tpbs also right? And then pick up from vol 8 or some bprd stuff

[@middenway]

@@axilleaskazuya5370 Yeah, the trade order works just as well. They just shuffled things around for library editions so that readers could read Darkness Calls, The Wild Hunt, and The Storm and the Fury back to back.

[@axilleaskazuya5370]

@@middenway ok man thanx for the clarification, i wondered to jump just into vol 10 to experience some new art work, and then continue from where i left

[@ElArlequin]

What are the odds of us having a Hellboy Omnibus Boxed Set but for the BPRD stories? :O

[@balkthor]

They desperately need to reprint those hardcovers. Sitting on a gold mine.

[@essaywhu]

I need almost all of them. Been hesitant to get into them because I know I will have trouble getting some. I have The Secret Histories and 1952-1954.

[@balkthor]

@@essaywhu My advice, grab what you can if you see a reasonable deal. I got lucky last year and found a copy of Plague of Frogs vol 1 on ebay for like 40 bucks new.

[@frankwhitebean2649]

Ask dark horse if they can make an omnibus box set of bprd! Since they just released hellboys.

[@knivezinsane1839]

Why doesn't the plague of frogs hardcovers get a reprint?

[@lj3287]

That's what I've been saying.

[@brandon17760]

They better reprint abe sapien the drowning and other stories 😔 I have almost everything but that

[@jamesdaniel3257]

Pleae do a spawn reading order

[@ShadowManV3]

just curious sense its a reading order, why isnt Young Hellboy first?

[@NearMintCondition]

Because it was published wayyyy after all the other books. It’s a flashback that will ruin a couple of plot points later.

[@JaEbala]

Guys, could you please update the list with the current available books? So far I got this based on your video: - [ ] HB LE vol 1-3 - [ ] Abe Sapien the drowning - [ ] HB LE vol 4 - [ ] BPRD omni vol 1-3 - [ ] Young HB - [ ] HB weird tales - [ ] Witchfinder omni vol 1-2 - [ ] Baltimore omni vol 1-2 - [ ] BPRD omni 4 - [ ] HB LE vol 5 - [ ] BPRD 1946-1948 - [ ] HB universe secret histories - [ ] HB LE vol 6 - [ ] BPRD omni vol 5-7 - [ ] Abe Sapien dark and terrible 1 - [ ] BPRD omni vol 8 - [ ] HB in hell LE - [ ] Abe Sapien dark and terrible 2 - [ ] BPRD omni vol 9 - [ ] BPRD the devil you know - [ ] HB and Bprd 1952-1954, 1955

[@JaEbala]

I wonder where Koshchei books fit or Lobster Johnson. I guess you could read those anytime, but still would be cool to include them. Also I wonder about the collections of short stories, I don’t think they were mentioned here.

[@frankwhitebean2649]

Rate the 7 library editions from 1-10 I'm thinking of ordering them all.

[@stjimmy_45gingy31]

10 out of 10 no regrets on buying all of them

[@rafresendenrafresenden.1644]

people never talk about the novels

[@RPRsChannel]

Look at that tumbnail/the lineup of books.....why can't they all be the same size, all in tall black editions like the main Hellboy books?

[@NearMintCondition]

I'm not sure, but the softcover omnis of Hellboy are the same size as the HCs of BPRD.

[@kindrednerdsunited7513]

I would love to see these adapt Ina marvel movie way I would love to watch it

[@cesarcarlos75]

I have the 4 Hellboy digital omnibuses. Do you know if everything in the seven Hellboy hardcovers is contained in those?

[@kamikaze5528]

They are not. You are missing the Short Stories omibi (a 2 volume set). There are a few OGN stories in the Short Stories omni that are absent from the hardcovers, too.

[@cesarcarlos75]

@@kamikaze5528 I do have those two extra omnis though 😁 Does that mean I’m good?

[@kamikaze5528]

@@cesarcarlos75 Yep. You got it all. And I'd say, read both the Short Stories right after the Strange Places omnibus, and it's a good reading order.

[@middenway]

@@kamikaze5528 @Cesar Carlos I'd read the short stories omnibuses after the Seed of Destruction omnibus since Strange Places is already referencing events and characters from the short stories.

[@trueKurdebelek]

there is a typo in the title, you have 'BRPD Reading Order'

[@NearMintCondition]

You are the man. This is what happens when I edit text on my phone.

[@middenway]

@@NearMintCondition Yeah, phones really don't like "BPRD"

[@carsonmattes760]

Where is masks and monsters?

[@gdespo]

Omar, I hate to be that guy, but Johann is pronounced “Yoe-hann” not “Joe-Hann”. In Dutch, J’s sound like Y’s at the beginning of a word or name.

[@NearMintCondition]

Be that guy. I always pronounced it the way the Smurf character was pronounced :)

[@dmt3429]

Are the B.P.R.Ds hardcover? Everywhere I look, I'm finding paperbacks...

[@NearMintCondition]

Sadly out of print.

[@dmt3429]

@@NearMintCondition 👌 gotcha! Thanks soo much for the quick response Mr. Omar!

[@Chandasouk]

You mean Heckboy reading order, right?!

[@NearMintCondition]

Lol Alicia would be proud of you.

[@Ragamuffin-Guesses-cgc-grades]

Am I the only one who thinks a cross over with Hellboy and Raven from teen titans would be an instant classic?

[@NearMintCondition]

He had one with Batman and Starman :)

[@Ragamuffin-Guesses-cgc-grades]

I know, but I think a cross over with Raven would be cool because they would meet and Raven would most likely attack Hellboy because she doesn't usually like beings that look like demons. Then they'd realize they both have demon fathers and decide to work together, for as good as I think it would be it kinda wrights itself.

[@fishin4bass2002]

Wait I thought Baltimore wasn’t part of hellboy?

[@NearMintCondition]

I threw it in there as suggested since it’s part of the Golem universe and some have argued that it could be the Hellboy universe.

[@fishin4bass2002]

@@NearMintCondition I only read the first series so I don’t know what that is. I assume it has something to do with the scene in the first series where you have a group of people talk about them destroying all the different dimensions or universes

[@middenway]

@@fishin4bass2002 Baltimore (along with Joe Golem and Lady Baltimore) is part of the Outerverse, not the Hellboy Universe.

[@classicrock7871]

I can’t find weird tales on hc anymore 😥

[@middenway]

That one is notoriously difficult to find, I'm afraid.

[@classicrock7871]

@@middenway yea I might just have to get the two trades at Amazon then.

[@middenway]

@@classicrock7871 Unfortunately, the first two stories in the hardcover are the only canon stories, but they aren't in the trades. I'm hoping they get recollected elsewhere in future someday, because even though they're far from essential, they're excellent stories from Mignola and Davis. Maybe in a Koshchei the Deathless omnibus someday...

[@kamikaze5528]

You should NOT read the last story in that Abe Sapien volume right after Plague of Frogs. There are too many spoilers of Hell on Earth. That should be the last thing you read before The Devil You Know. Also, Baltimore is not part of the Hellboy Universe. It ties to Joe Golem, it's another completely different thing.

[@NearMintCondition]

I always thought the spoiler was for the ending of Plague.

[@kamikaze5528]

@@NearMintCondition Spoilers: You got the transformed Abe and Howards with the Hyperborean sword showing up. That's why.

[@middenway]

@@kamikaze5528 Yeah, the final story in Abe Sapien: The Drowning and Other Stories takes place at the same time as B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #7.

[@ReaperXC]

55,000. Congratulations.