The saga of Hellboy continues as he joins the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) on their missions to investigate paranormal threats across the planet.
While Hellboy begins to take centre stage, it’s worth noting that these stories are all set before the character made his debut as a number of limited series, one-shots and bonus stories flesh out the backstory of the unwilling ‘Harbinger of the Apocalypse’. These untold tales enrich the entire cast of BPRD characters, including Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman and Professor Trevor Bruttenholm.
While creator Mike Mignola handles the majority of the key tales, you’ll also find a wealth of other great creators contributing to Hellboy’s saga, including John Arcudi, Richard Corben, Duncan Fegredo, Mike Norton, Chris Roberson, Ben Stenbeck and many, many more.
A huge thank you to Dark Horse Comics, the Hellboy Wiki, Comic Vine & Fraser Sherman for their invaluable assistance.
SCROLL DOWN to the bottom for the KEY COLLECTED EDITIONS for this event!
Must Reads: Story arcs marked with a ✔ are must-read stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read. Some tales told in flashback that are set during this period will be marked as required reading in later Hellboy Universe Reading order entries.
Chronology: Every appearance of the characters from the Hellboy Universe set in this period are included in chronological order, laying out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue, so you don’t need to read the other four.
Chronology: Every appearance of Hellboy Universe from this period is included in chronological order, laying out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
Head back to the beginnings of the world of Hellboy with this reading order:
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the core reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns – just the stories:
- The Sword of Hyperborea #4
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 #1-5
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Phantom Hand/The Kelpie #1 [1/2]
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Witch Tree/Rawhead and Bloody Bones #1 [2/2]
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Witch Tree/Rawhead and Bloody Bones #1 [1/2]
- Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #1-5
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Phantom Hand/The Kelpie #1 [1/2]
- Hellboy Winter Special [2/4] (2016) “Wandering Souls”
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – Beyond the Fences #1-3
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – Black Sun #1-2
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – The Unreasoning Beast #1
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – Ghost Moon #1-2
- Free Comic Book Day: Serenity [2/3] (2016)“The Mirror”
- ✔ Dark Horse Presents (1986) #151 [1/3] “The Nature of the Beast”
- The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1
- Torch of Liberty Special #1
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Secret Nature #1
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Occult Intelligence #1-3
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Burning Season #1
- Hellboy: The Right Hand of Doom tpb [5/5] “King Vold”
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 #1-4
- ✔ Dark Horse Presents (2011) #7 [1/10] “Hellboy versus the Aztec Mummy”
- Hellboy vs Lobster Johnson: The Ring of Death [2/2]
- Dark Horse Presents #31-32 “Hellboy Gets Married”
- Hellboy 20th Anniversary Sampler [1/4] “The Coffin Man”
- Dark Horse Presents #200 [1/9]“The Coffin Man 2: The Rematch”
- ✔ Hellboy: House of the Living Dead
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 #5
- Frankenstein Underground #1-5
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Fearful Symmetry #1
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Falling Sky #1
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Family Ties #1
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Forgotten Lives #1
- Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – From Below #1
- Hellboy Winter Special [1/3] (2018) “Happy New Year, Ava Galluci”
- Hellboy Premiere Edition [1/2] (2004) “The Penanggalan”
- ✔ Hellboy: The Crooked Man #1-3
- ✔ Hellboy: The Corpse and the Iron Shoes [1/2]
- Comic Buyer’s Guide #1070 (1994)“World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator”
- Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil
- Playboy (May/June, 2018) “Return of the Lambton Worm”
- The Dark Horse Book of Monsters [1/7] “The Hydra and the Lion”
- Hellboy: The Corpse and the Iron Shoes[2/2]
- Hellboy vs Lobster Johnson: The Ring of Death [1/2]
- Hellboy and the BPRD: Night of the Cyclops #1
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: The Beast of Vargu #1
- ✔ The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft [2/9] (2004) “The Troll Witch”
- ✔ Hellboy vol.3: The Chained Coffin and Others [3/7]“The Baba Yaga”
- The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #2
- ✔ Hellboy: The Sleeping and the Dead #1-2
- ✔ Giant-Robot Hellboy #1-3
- Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1[2/2]
- The Goon (2003) #7
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb #1-2
- Castle Full of Blackbirds #1-4
- ✔ Hellboy and the BPRD: Saturn Returns #1-3
- ✔ Hellboy: Krampusnacht
- Hellboy Winter Special [3/4] (2016) “Mood Swings”
- ✔ BPRD: The Dead Remembered #1-3
- The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #3
- ✔ Hellboy in Love #1-5
- Hellboy and the BPRD: Her Fatal Hour and The Sending #1[1/2]
- MonsterMen #1 [2/2] (1999)– “Goodbye, Mister Tod”
- ✔ Abe Sapien: The Drowning #1-5
- BPRD: Casualties (2011, digital comic)
- Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others tpb [5/8] (2007) “The Vampire of Prague”
- ✔ Dark Horse Extra #14-19 “The Varcolac”
- ✔ Hellboy in Mexico #1
- Abe Sapien: The Haunted Boy
- ✔ Abe Sapien #8
- ✔ Abe Sapien #30
- Free Comic Book Day: Hellboy #1 (2024) [1/2]
- Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House #1-2
- ✔ Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1-2
- USA Today (11-12 October 2010) “The Whittier Legacy”
- ✔ Hellboy: Buster Oakley Gets His Wish #1
- Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest #1-2
- ✔ Hellboy: The Bride of Hell #1
- Hellboy and the BPRD: Old Man Whittier #1
- Hellboy: They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships
- ✔ Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #1-4
- Hellboy Winter Special 2019 [1/3] “The Miser’s Gift”
- Hellboy and the BPRD: Time is a River #1
- ✔ Hellboy Christmas Special [1/7] (1997) “A Christmas Underground”
- The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings [2/9] “Dr Carp’s Experiment”
- Hellboy and the BPRD: Her Fatal Hour and The Sending #1 [2/2]
- ✔ Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch #1
- Hellboy and the BPRD: The Seven Wives Club #1
- The Dark Horse Book of the Dead [2/10] “The Ghoul”
- Abe Sapien #23 “The Ogopogo”
- Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1 [1/2]
- Next Men #21
- ✔ Hellboy: Makoma #1-2
- The Visitor and Why He Stayed #4
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1 (p.14) (2017) 1950: The Visitor watches Hellboy trying to buy an issue of ‘Weird Tales’. | ||
| The Sword of Hyperborea #4 (2022) 1952: The Sword of Hyperborea falls into the hands of blues musician Elijah Bone comes across the Sword of Hyperborea, just as a strange supernatural phenomenon hits Chicago. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 #1-5 (2014-2015) 1952: The young Hellboy accompanies the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) on a mission to a fortress in Portugal where something threatens to turn his friends against him. 1st appearance: Robert Amsel, Susan Xiang | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Phantom Hand/The Kelpie #1 [1/2] (2015) 1953, Feb: A murderers severed hand haunts a village in England, attracting the attention of Hellboy, Professor Trevor Bruttonholm and Harry Middleton. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Witch Tree/Rawhead and Bloody Bones #1 [2/2] (2015) 1953, Mar: Hellboy’s journey through England continues with an encounter with Rawhead Rex and Bloody Bones who threaten a Yorkshire inn. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Witch Tree/Rawhead and Bloody Bones #1 [1/2] (2015) 1953, Apr: A with rises from the grave to bother Hellboy and Prof Bruttenholm in Shropshire. | ||
| Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #1-5 (2021-2022) 1953, Apr: Hellboy and Prof Bruttenholm finally arrive in London and hears tales of Sir Edward Grey, Sarah Jewell and the rest of the Silver Lantern Club. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Phantom Hand/The Kelpie #1 [1/2] (2015) 1953, Feb: Hellboy and Trevor Bruttonholm investigates the existence of a demonic water spirit in Wiltshire. | ||
| Hellboy Winter Special [2/4] (2016) 1953, Nov: “Wandering Souls” – Hellboy accompanies psychic BPRD member Susan Xiang to Wyoming when reports come in of restless spirits of murdered Chinese miners. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – Beyond the Fences #1 (pp.1-5) (2016) 1953, Dec: Hellboy and the BPRD receive a new mission. | |
| The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1 (p.15) (2017) 1953: The Visitor observes Hellboy and the BPRD carrying out an investigation. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – Beyond the Fences #1 (pp.6-22) (2016) Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – Beyond the Fences #2-3 (2016) 1953, Dec: Hellboy and the BPRD head to California where the disappearance of six local children may signal the return of the Jersey Devil. 1st appearance: Valentin Moravec, Rahel, Rebane, Dr NK Sandhu | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – Black Sun #1-2 (2016) 1954, Feb: Hellboy gets cocky when he and the BPRD investigate sightings of unusual creatures laying siege to an Artic research station, but their enemy is far more familiar than he was expecting. 1st appearance: Woodrow Farrier | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – The Unreasoning Beast #1 (2016) 1954, Jun: A monkey spirit wants Hellboy to pass its secrets to a grieving family. 1st appearance: Victor Koestler | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – Ghost Moon #1 (2017) Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – Ghost Moon #2 [1/2] (2017) 1954, Aug: Hellboy is drawn into espionage and intrigue in the Far East when he goes up against Chinese demons in Hong Kong. 1st appearance: Roland Childe | |
| Free Comic Book Day: Serenity [2/3] (2016) 1954: Hellboy locates a magic mirror in France that wants more than his reflection. | ||
| ✔ | Dark Horse Presents #151 [1/3] (2000) / The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1 (p.16-22) (2017) 1954: The Osiris Club pit Hellboy against a dragon when he returns to England; the Visitor becomes convinced Hellboy is a force for good while observing him from the shadows. 1st appearance: The Osiris Club (ET Hatton) | |
| Torch of Liberty Special #1 (1996) The Torch of Liberty and his sidekick Radio Girl encounter Lenin‘s ghost. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Secret Nature #1 (2017) 1955, Mar: Hellboy and Woodrow Farrier face racism in Oregon when they look into demonic activity in the woods. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Occult Intelligence #1-3 (2017) 1955, Sep: The BPRD get caught up in the Cold War when both sides seek out a supernatural weapon; the BPRD realise this conflict is more complicated than they first thought. | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Burning Season #1 (2018) 1955, Oct: A series of spontaneous human combustion incidents in Florida leads to an investigation by the BPRD. | ||
| Hellboy: The Right Hand of Doom tpb [5/5] (2000) 1956: In Norway, Hellboy encounters the beheaded and cursed spirit of King Vold. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 #1-4 (2018-2019) 1956, May: Hellboy is sent on a mission to investigate mass killings in Mexico; the BPRD continue to find themselves drawn into the Cold War when both factions seek out occult Nazi weaponry; Varvara returns. | THE RING OF DEATH |
| ✔ | Dark Horse Presents #7 [1/10] (2011) 1956: While heavily under the influence of tequila, Hellboy tracks down a shapeshifting Aztec mummy. | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 (pp.1-7) (2019) 1956, Aug: The BPRD search for Hellboy after Prof Bruttenholm witnesses his appearances in low-budget films. | |
| Hellboy vs Lobster Johnson: The Ring of Death [2/2] (2019) 1956, Aug: “Down Mexico Way” – The Visitor locates Hellboy in Mexico, drunkenly taking part in a cheap film production. | THE RING OF DEATH | |
| Dark Horse Presents #31 [1/10] (2013) 1956: Hellboy becomes immediately enraptured by a Mexican woman and agrees to marry her, only to discover her secret… | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 #5 (p.8) (2019) 1956, Sep-Nov: Hellboy battles undead conquistadors. | THE RING OF DEATH |
| Dark Horse Presents #32 [1/10] (2013) 1956: Hellboy faces off against his demonic wife and her conquistador minions. | ||
| Hellboy 20th Anniversary Sampler [1/4] (2014) 1956: “The Coffin Man” – Hellboy reels from his brief marriage, falling prey to a Mexican sorcerer. | ||
| Dark Horse Presents #7/200 [1/9] (2015) 1956: Hellboy has a rematch with the Coffin Man, but it goes poorly. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: House of the Living Dead (2011) 1956: Hellboy continues to drown his sorrows and agrees to take part in a wrestling match against Frankenstein’s Monster. 1st appearance: Frankenstein | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 #5 (pp.8-22) (2019) 1956, Oct-Nov: The BPRD track Hellboy down in Mexico and bring him home. | THE RING OF DEATH |
| Frankenstein Underground #1-5 (2015) 1956: Frankenstein discovers a Hyperborean city beneath the Earth’s surface and recalls his tumultuous life. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Fearful Symmetry #1 (2023) 1957, Jan: Hellboy is reunited with Ginny Payne when he searches for a strange beast in India. 1st appearance: Virginia ‘Ginny’ Payne | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Falling Sky #1 (2022) 1957, Mar: Hellboy and Woodrow Farrier look into reports of a creature lurking in the Virginia woods. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Family Ties #1 (2021) 1957, July: Hellboy and Susan Xiang are called to deal with a demonic presence in suburbia. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Forgotten Lives #1 (2022) 1957, Autumn: Hellboy and Prof Bruttenholm look into the existence of a ghost who may have connections to the Lobster. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – From Below #1 (2023) 1957, Dec: Hellboy faces a horrifying monstrosity in Oregon. | ||
| Hellboy Winter Special [1/3] (2018) 1957, New Year’s Eve: “Happy New Year, Ava Galluci” – Hellboy returns to England for a deadly séance at Wakefield Manor. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| Hellboy Premiere Edition [1/2] (2004) 1958: “The Penanggalan” – Hellboy learns the bizarre origin of the Malaysian demon. Note: Included with Wizard Magazine #148. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Crooked Man #1-3 (2008) 1958: Hellboy tries to help Tom Ferrell reclaim his soul from the demonic Crooked Man. 1st appearance: Crooked Man, Tom Ferrell | |
| ✔ | Capital City’s Advance Comics #75-82 (1995) Hellboy: The Corpse and the Iron Shoes [1/2] (1996) 1959: “The Corpse” – Hellboy has to give a hanged corpse a Christian burial in exchange for a baby replaced by a changeling. 1st appearance: Dagda, Gruagach of Lough Leane, Alice Monaghan Note: Eight pages of ‘The Corpse’ ran in Capital City’s Advance Comics #75-82; those issues were reprinted along with the remainder of the story in Hellboy: The Corpse and the Iron Shoes #1. | |
| Comic Buyer’s Guide #1070 (1994) 1959: “World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator” – Hellboy rescues a woman kidnapped by Nazi scientist Herman von Klempt and his Kriegsaffe. 1st appearance: Kriegsaffe | ||
| Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil [1/2] (2010) 1960: “Sullivan’s Reward” – Hellboy is tricked into entering a room in a haunted house in Kansas. | ||
| Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil [2/2] (2010) 1960: “The House of Sebak” – A man who can restore mummies to life uses his abilities to try and kill Hellboy. | ||
| Playboy (May/June, 2018) 1960: “Return of the Lambton Worm” – Hellboy returns to England once again, this time heading under North Yorkshire with Prof Bruttenholm to seek out the Lambton Worm. | ||
| The Dark Horse Book of Monsters [1/7] (2006) 1961: “The Hydra and the Lion” – Monsters roam Alaska, following the death of a local circus strongman; Hellboy faces the legendary Hydra. | ||
| Hellboy: The Corpse and the Iron Shoes [2/2] (1996) 1961: “The Iron Shoes” – Hellboy faces a goblin called Iron Shoes who lacks his kind’s usual weakness to iron. | ||
| Hellboy vs Lobster Johnson: The Ring of Death [1/2] (2019) 1962, Jan: “The Ring of Death” – BPRD agent Victor Koestler watches the wrestling film Hellboy made back in 1956 when he ‘fought’ the wrestler Lobster Johnson. | THE RING OF DEATH | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Night of the Cyclops #1 (2022) 1962, Apr: Hellboy does battle with a jealous god in Greece. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Beast of Vargu #1 (2019) 1962: Hellboy faces a man-eating monster and a creepy living puppet in Romania. | |
| ✔ | The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft [2/9] (2004) 1963: “The Troll Witch” – A series for gruesome murders in Norway leads to Hellboy clashing with a band of trolls. | |
| ✔ | Hellboy vol.3: The Chained Coffin and Others [3/7] (1998) 1964: “The Baba Yaga” – The legendary witch Baba Yaga is confronted by Hellboy. 1st appearance: Baba Yaga | |
| The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #2 (2017) 1964: The Visitor continues to track Hellboy’s movements, observing him clashing with a giant-sized armadillo in Texas before dealing with an Oghdru Hem. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Sleeping and the Dead #1-2 (2010-2011) 1966: Hellboy finds a nest of vampires in England, but discovers a far larger conspiracy. | |
| ✔ | Giant-Robot Hellboy #1-3 (2023) 1967: A strange experiment places Hellboy’s life-force within a gigantic robot body. | |
| Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1 [2/2] (1998) 1967: Hellboy stays over in a haunted house in Kyoto. 1st appearance: Lu | ||
| The Goon #7 (2004) 1965/1967: Hellboy and the Goon battle a wrench-wielding octopus on Lonely Street. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb #1-2 (2020) 1967: Hellboy is reunited with Tom Ferrell when a new threat takes over the Crooked Man’s house. 1st appearance: Sara May Blackburn | |
| Castle Full of Blackbirds #1-4 (2022-2023) 1967: Sara May Blackburn heads to the Linton School for Girls to discover the source of her powers. |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: Saturn Returns #1-3 (2019) 1975, Oct: While Hellboy deals with ghoul on a skilling spree in New Hampshire, runaway Liz Sherman struggles with life on the streets. | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: Krampusnacht (2017) 1975, Winter: Hellboy has a showdown with the terrifying Krampus in Austria. | |
| Hellboy Winter Special [3/4] (2016) 1975, Dec 24: “Mood Swings” – Liz Sherman struggles to settle in at the BPRD. | ||
| ✔ | BPRD: The Dead Remembered #1-3 (2011) 1976: On a trip to New England, Liz Sherman has an accidental solo adventure of her own. | |
| The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #3 (2017) 1978: The Visitor tracks down a cult in the Southwest who are attempting to summon a demonic Oghdru Hem. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy in Love #1-5 (2023) 1979, Jun-Aug: Hellboy’s adventures with archaeologist Anastasia Chase leads to romance s they pursue fey in England, goblins in Turkey and the Suaren Artea in India. 1st appearance: Anastasia Chase | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Her Fatal Hour and The Sending #1 [1/2] (2020) 1979, Autumn: Hellboy is summoned back to Romania to help those who assisted him against the Beast of Vargu. | ||
| MonsterMen #1 [2/2] (1999) 1979: “Goodbye, Mister. Tod” – Hellboy comes to the aid of a medium who loses control of a creature he summons instead of a spirit. | ||
| ✔ | Abe Sapien: The Drowning #1-5 (2008) 1981: Abe Sapien heads up a mission for the BPRD for the first time, as he searches for the remains of a powerful warlock destroyed by Sir Edward Grey. | |
| BPRD: Casualties (2011, digital comic) 1981: Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman hunt down a werewolf in Minnesota, but begin to question the true cost of their work. | ||
| Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others tpb [5/8] (2007) 1982: “The Vampire of Prague” – Hellboy plays cards with a vampire. | ||
| ✔ | Dark Horse Extra #14-19 (1999-2000) 1982: “The Varcolac” – Hellboy locates one of the head of one of the five Great Vampire Families in Yorkshire 1st appearance: Countess Ilona Kákosy | |
| ✔ | Hellboy in Mexico #1 (2010) 1982: While waiting for transport out of Mexico after a mission, Hellboy regales Abe Sapien with a story of a drunken ‘weekend’ he spent in Mexico in 1956 when he team-up up with three luchadores to deal with a series of occult attacks. 1st appearance: Esteban | |
| Abe Sapien: The Haunted Boy (2009) 1982: Abe Sapien investigates the mysterious death of a drowned boy. | ||
| ✔ | Abe Sapien #8 (2013) January, 1983: Abe Sapien discovers vampires are responsible for the death of a number of archaeologists exploring underground caves under Campeche in Mexico. | |
| ✔ | Abe Sapien #30 (2016) January, 1983: Professor Bruttenholm reveals the history of 19th Century necromancer Gustav Strobl to Abe Sapien. 1st appearance: Marbas, Orobas | |
| Free Comic Book Day: Hellboy #1 (2024) [1/2] 1983: Hellboy visits a fortune teller who’s more than they appear to be. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House #1-2 (2021) October, 1983: Helboy’s efforts to clear a haunted mansion for auction is hampered by the ghost who still resides there… |
| Must Reads | Title, Synopsis & First Appearances | Event/Crossover |
| ✔ | Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1-2 (2010) 1984: Russia’s Special Sciences Service race Abe Sapien and Sal Tasso when they attempt to recover the relic of the Melchiorre’s Burgonet. 1st appearance: Sal Tasso | |
| USA Today (11-12 October 2010) “The Whittier Legacy” – Hellboy investigates the disappearance of occultist Emile Stoop and some members of the Whittier Family. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: Buster Oakley Gets His Wish #1 (2011) 1985: A gigantic spacecraft abducts Hellboy in Nebraska, forcing him to fight his way to freedom. | |
| Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest #1-2 (2011) 1985: Abe Sapien finds him way into a demonologist’s basement when he looks into an old missing person’s case, only to discover a gateway to Hell! | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Bride of Hell #1 (2009) 1985: Hellboy comes to the rescue of a nineteen-year-old girl who’s about to be handed over to the demon king Asmodeus. 1st appearance: Asmodeus | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Old Man Whittier #1 (2022) 1986: Catherine Whittier inherits her family home as well as the sprits that come with it, prompting Hellboy to intervene when they begin to turn. | ||
| Hellboy: They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships (2007, Dark Horse/Konami) 1986: The corpse of Blackbeard returns, looking for its own head, as Hellboy and Abe Sapien step up to oppose it. Note: New York Comic-Con giveaway to promote the release of the Hellboy: The Science of Evil console game. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #1-4 (2021-2011) 1988, Feb: Hellboy and Abe Sapien head to Sweden where the actions of beings from Norse mythology threaten to cause untold destruction. | |
| Hellboy Winter Special 2019 [1/3] (2019) 1989: “The Miser’s Gift” – Hellboy faces an angry spirit in Budapest, but his actions will come back to haunt him. | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Time is a River #1 (2022) 1989: While still in Budapest, Hellboy realises he needs to rescue Lajos from the warped version of reality he left him in. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy Christmas Special [1/7] (1997) 1989, December 24: “A Christmas Underground” – A priest seeks Hellboy’s aid in freeing an old woman from the vampire’s curse. | |
| The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings [2/9] (2003) 1991: “Dr. Carp’s Experiment” – Hellboy discovers the laboratory of Dr Carp of the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra and comes face-to-face with a demon. 1st appearance: Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra, Pauline Raskin (unnamed) | ||
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Her Fatal Hour and The Sending #1 [2/2] (2020) 1991: In England, Hellboy handles a ghost in search of a mystery object. | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch #1 (2008) 1992: A Portuguese artist becomes the unwilling slave of the demon Moloch; Hellboy fights to free him before Moloch can gain a new body. | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: The Seven Wives Club #1 (2020) 1992: Hellboy assists a ghost-hunter who uncovers a vengeful spirit. | ||
| The Visitor and Why He Stayed #4 (p.1-12) (2017) 1992: The Visitor directly contacts the BPRD to warn them of an impending Ogdru Hem invasion. | ||
| The Dark Horse Book of the Dead [2/10] (2005) 1992: “The Ghoul” – Hellboy and the BPRD return to England in search of a man who’s gained immortality by consuming the dead. 1st appearance: Pauline Rasking (named) | ||
| Abe Sapien #23 (2015) 1992: Not long after returning from London, Hellboy joins Abe Sapien in British Columbia in a search for the infamous snake monster Ogopogo. | ||
| Next Men #21 (1993) 1993: Hellboy saves two kids who fall prey to a subway tunnel collapse, fighting a monster to allow their escape. Note: This story is set outside regular Hellboy continuity. | ||
| Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1 [1/2] (1998) 1993: Abe Sapien and the BPRD investigate strange happenings in the Atlantic. 1st appearance: Garrett Omatta | ||
| ✔ | Hellboy: Makoma #1-2 (2006) 1993: Hellboy battles all manner of strange creatures as he learns of the story of Makoma – a legendary African king whose life parallels Hellboy’s own. | |
| The Visitor and Why He Stayed #4 (pp.13-22) (2017) 1993: The Visitor suffers a terrible personal loss. |
Find out how Hellboy’s story concludes with the final reading order…
| Must Reads | Issue/Story | Collected in… |
| The Sword of Hyperborea #4 | The Sword of Hyperborea | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 #1-5 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Phantom Hand/The Kelpie #1 [1/2] Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Witch Tree/Rawhead and Bloody Bones #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC | |
| Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #1-5 | Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – The Phantom Hand/The Kelpie #1 [1/2] Hellboy Winter Special [2/4] (2016) “Wandering Souls” | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 – Beyond the Fences #1-3 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1953 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – Black Sun #1-2 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – The Unreasoning Beast #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 – Ghost Moon #1-2 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC |
| Free Comic Book Day: Serenity [2/3] (2016) “The Mirror” | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1954 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952-1954 HC | |
| ✔ | Dark Horse Presents (1986) #151 [1/3] “The Nature of the Beast” | Hellboy vol.4: The Right Hand of Doom Hellboy Universe Essentials: Hellboy Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 |
| The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #1 | The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed Hellboy Universe: The Secret Histories HC | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Secret Nature #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Occult Intelligence #1-3 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 – Burning Season #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1955 | |
| Hellboy: The Right Hand of Doom tpb [5/5] “King Vold” | Hellboy vol.4: The Right Hand of Doom Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 #1-4 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 |
| ✔ | Dark Horse Presents (2011) #7 [1/10] “Hellboy versus the Aztec Mummy” | Hellboy in Mexico Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 |
| Hellboy vs Lobster Johnson: The Ring of Death [2/2] | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 | |
| Dark Horse Presents #31-32 “Hellboy Gets Married” Hellboy 20th Anniversary Sampler [1/4] “The Coffin Man” Dark Horse Presents #200 [1/9] “The Coffin Man 2: The Rematch” | Hellboy in Mexico Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: House of the Living Dead | Hellboy in Mexico Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 #5 | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 |
| Frankenstein Underground #1-5 | Frankenstein Underground | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Fearful Symmetry #1 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Falling Sky #1 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Family Ties #1 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – Forgotten Lives #1 Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 – From Below #1 Hellboy Winter Special [1/3] (2018) “Happy New Year, Ava Galluci” | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1957 | |
| Hellboy Premiere Edition [1/2] (2004) “The Penanggalan” | Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Crooked Man #1-3 | Hellboy vol.10: The Crooked Man and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 |
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Corpse and the Iron Shoes #1 [1/2] | Hellboy vol.3: The Chained Coffin and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 |
| Must Reads | Issue/Story | Collected in… |
| Comic Buyer’s Guide #1070 (1994)“World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator” | Hellboy vol.1: Seed of Destruction Hellboy Omnibus vol.1: Seed of Destruction Hellboy Library Edition vol.1 | |
| Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil | Hellboy vol.11: The Bride of Hell and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.6 | |
| Playboy (May/June, 2018) “Return of the Lambton Worm” | Hellboy and the PBRD: The Beast of Vargu and Others | |
| The Dark Horse Book of Monsters [1/7] “The Hydra and the Lion” | Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.6 | |
| Hellboy: The Corpse and the Iron Shoes [2/2] | Hellboy vol.3: The Chained Coffin and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 | |
| Hellboy vs Lobster Johnson: The Ring of Death [1/2] | Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956 | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Night of the Cyclops #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House and Others | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Beast of Vargu #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House and Others |
| ✔ | The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft [2/9] (2004) “The Troll Witch” | Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others Hellboy Universe Essentials: Hellboy Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 |
| ✔ | Hellboy vol.3: The Chained Coffin and Others [3/7] “The Baba Yaga” | Hellboy vol.3: The Chained Coffin and Others Hellboy Universe Essentials: Hellboy Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 |
| The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #2 | The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed Hellboy Universe: The Secret Histories HC | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Sleeping and the Dead #1-2 | Hellboy vol.11: The Bride of Hell and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.6 |
| ✔ | Giant-Robot Hellboy #1-3 | Giant-Robot Hellboy |
| Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1 [2/2]“Heads” | BPRD vol.1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories BPRD: Plague of Frogs Omnibus vol.1 | |
| The Goon #7 | The Goon vol.3: Heaps of Ruination | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb #1-2 | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb and Others |
| Castle Full of Blackbirds #1-4 | Castle Full of Blackbirds | |
| ✔ | Hellboy and the BPRD: Saturn Returns #1-3 Hellboy: Krampusnacht | Hellboy and the PBRD: The Beast of Vargu and Others |
| Hellboy Winter Special [3/4] (2016) “Mood Swings” | ||
| ✔ | BPRD: The Dead Remembered #1-3 | BPRD: Being Human |
| The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #3 | The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed Hellboy Universe: The Secret Histories HC | |
| ✔ | Hellboy in Love #1-5 | Hellboy in Love |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Her Fatal Hour and The Sending #1 [1/2] | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb and Others | |
| MonsterMen #1 [2/2] (1999) – “Goodbye, Mister Tod” | Hellboy vol.4: The Right Hand of Doom Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 | |
| ✔ | Abe Sapien: The Drowning #1-5 | Abe Sapien vol.1: The Drowning Abe Sapien Omnibus vol.1: The Drowning and Other Stories |
| BPRD: Casualties (2011, digital comic) | BPRD: Being Human Abe Sapien Omnibus vol.1: The Drowning and Other Stories | |
| Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others tpb [5/8] (2007) “The Vampire of Prague” | Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 | |
| ✔ | Dark Horse Extra #14-19 “The Varcolac” | Hellboy vol.4: The Right Hand of Doom Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 |
| ✔ | Hellboy in Mexico #1 | Hellboy vol.11: The Bride of Hell and Others Hellboy in Mexico Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.1 Hellboy Library Edition vol.6 |
| Abe Sapien: The Haunted Boy | Abe Sapien vol.2: The Devil Does Not Jest and Other Stories Abe Sapien Omnibus vol.1: The Drowning and Other Stories | |
| ✔ | Abe Sapien #8 “Land of the Dead” | Abe Sapien vol.9: Lost Lives and Other Stories Abe Sapien Omnibus vol.1: The Drowning and Other Stories |
| Must Reads | Issue/Story | Collected in… |
| ✔ | Abe Sapien #30 “Witchcraft & Demonology” | Abe Sapien vol.9: Lost Lives and Other Stories Abe Sapien Omnibus vol.1: The Drowning and Other Stories |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House #1-2 | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House and Others | |
| ✔ | Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1-2 | Abe Sapien vol.2: The Devil Does Not Jest and Other Stories Abe Sapien Omnibus vol.1: The Drowning and Other Stories |
| USA Today (11-12 October 2010) “The Whittier Legacy” | Hellboy vol.11: The Bride of Hell and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.6 | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: Buster Oakley Gets His Wish #1 | Hellboy vol.11: The Bride of Hell and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.6 |
| Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest #1-2 | Abe Sapien vol.2: The Devil Does Not Jest and Other Stories Abe Sapien Omnibus: The Drowning and Other Stories | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Bride of Hell #1 | Hellboy vol.11: The Bride of Hell and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.6 |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Old Man Whittier #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House and Others | |
| Hellboy: They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships | Hellboy vol.10: The Crooked Man and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #1-4 | Hellboy: The Bones of Giants |
| Hellboy Winter Special 2019 [1/3] “The Miser’s Gift” Hellboy and the BPRD: Time is a River #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Secret of Chesbro House and Others | |
| ✔ | Hellboy Christmas Special [1/7] (1997) “A Christmas Underground” | Hellboy vol.3: The Chained Coffin and Others Hellboy Universe Essentials: Hellboy Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.2 |
| The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings [2/9] “Dr Carp’s Experiment” | Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 | |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: Her Fatal Hour and The Sending #1 [2/2] | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb and Others | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch #1 | Hellboy vol.10: The Crooked Man and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 |
| Hellboy and the BPRD: The Seven Wives Club #1 | Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb and Others | |
| The Dark Horse Book of the Dead [2/10] “The Ghoul” | Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 | |
| Abe Sapien #23 “The Ogopogo” | Abe Sapien vol.9: Lost Lives and Other Stories Abe Sapien Omnibus vol.1: The Drowning and Other Stories | |
| Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1 [1/2] “Drums of the Dead” | BPRD vol.1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories BPRD: Plague of Frogs Omnibus vol.1 | |
| ✔ | Hellboy: Makoma #1-2 | Hellboy vol.7: The Troll Witch and Others Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories vol.2 Hellboy Library Edition vol.4 |
| The Visitor and Why He Stayed #4 | The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed Hellboy Universe: The Secret Histories HC |
Reading Order ©OmniverseComicsGuide 2023
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