Written by Mark Tweedle
For the uninitiated, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy Universe can be intimidating. This is a shared universe that has been running since 1994 and has never been restarted. There are over 100 collections, about 12 different series, and just as many independent miniseries. So… where do you start?
Don’t overthink it. If you want to read Hellboy, pick up a trade, omnibus, or paperback version of Hellboy with #1 on the spine. If you don’t have a number, that’s okay too, because it works independently without having to read it beforehand. If you want to read Lobster Johnson, pick up one of his #1 titles. Still, most stories are made accessible to new readers. As my friend David Harper said, the best place to start reading is with things that seem interesting to you.
Mignolaverse Beat’s Hellboy Universe Reading 1 is made for those who want to explore the entire Hellboy Universe, jumping between different titles as it evolves. (If this is not how you want to experience the series, there are other reading orders in the links below.) This is not the official reading order. There’s no one way to read the Hellboy universe. This order also prioritizes Library Edition 2 and Omnibus 3 to minimize switching back and forth between the same books. Pick up a book, read it from cover to cover, then pick up the next one.
However, the paperback version and the omnibus are recorded in a completely different order. To accommodate both, the reading order is split into two columns. If you’re reading Hellboy in paperback or paperback, go to the left. If you’re reading Hellboy omnibus, go to the right. The one in the middle of both columns accommodates both orders. If you prefer the text-based version, it is available here.
If you are reading digitally, please note that the Hellboy Library Edition is a print-only format.
Additional reading orders and resources
If you’re interested in other reading orders, here are some reading orders that others have come up with.
hellboy book club
This is my favorite reading order because it’s an order built around community. I enjoy reading each title and then discussing it in the Hellboy Book Club episode. Hosts John Salinas, Daniel Renee, and Aubrey Loveless all have very different perspectives on the subject. And then there’s feedback from listeners, and listeners share their thoughts. This podcast has increased my appreciation for the series as a whole. New episodes drop every month.
jurix reading instructions
Julix organizes several reading orders based on format, timeline, and publication, and also has sections for non-continuous material. This way you can choose the one that suits your taste. And Juricks takes great care in preserving the publication of stories. I’m also very satisfied with this.
Reading order of Fabian’s comic book treasure trove
Fabian has diligently updated this order on a regular basis for eight years. They focus on trade collections, have several conversations about each section, label titles as optional, and often split entire series like Witchfinder into their own sections at the end. Includes discussion of prose fiction.
publication order
This is a story by story reading order based on the debut of the first issue of the arc or miniseries. Nothing more. This article has been updated since February 2009, when it was posted on the Dark Horse forums.
Brooks Child Story Finder
This is not the order you should read it, but it is a very useful resource. If you’re looking for a specific story, Child’s List will tell you where to find it.
I hope this helps. If you find any other reading orders you like, please link them in the comments section below.
Precautions
This reading order is the latest update to the old Minnowavarsity Hellboy universe reading order hosted at Multiversity Comic, which first appeared in 2014 and has been updated annually since then. I missed 2024, so I’m glad to have my reading order back in 2025. Thanks to Julix, Brooks Child, and Deanna Destito for putting this together. The library edition is a larger format hardcover collection of two standard sources. Omnibus editions typically contain three pieces of content: First published in hardcover and reprinted in paperback. Once the collection is recalled in an omnibus edition, the original will no longer be printed.
Something like this:
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