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30 Days of Night Reading Order

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There are few places on Earth that attract vampires in the same way as the town of Barrow in Alaska, which is one of the main locations in the 30 Days of Night franchise. What started as an unsuccessful pitch film went on to become a horror comic franchise, which was then adapted into a film in 2007!

Created by Steve Niles (The October Faction) and Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night hit comic book stores in 2002 with a three-issue miniseries. This was followed by numerous sequel series, with the most recent being released in 2026, as well as several novels. The vampire universe has also come to life on screen in the form of two films and two television miniseries.

But what attracted the vampires to Barrow in the first place? Located in Alaska, this city is so far north that during the winter, the sun does not rise for 30 days. The vampires take advantage of the prolonged darkness to kill the townspeople and feed at will. The town’s only hope of survival lies with Stella and Eben, the local sheriff couple. They must confront the vampire elder Vicente and endure until the sun returns.

This was only the beginning. More stories set in the 30 Days of Night universe followed, expanding the story and developing the mythology. Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith continued to explore this dark world, and other creative teams brought their own distinct visions to the series, contributing to its growth and evolution.

30 Days of Night Comics Collection

Following are a list of the different collected editions for the 30 Days of Night Comics. You can also go directly to our 30 Days of Night Chronological Order.

30 Days of Night Deluxe and Omnibus Edition

The IDW Deluxe Edition reprints multiple stories into a hardcover book:

The Publisher has also previously released two Omnibus paperback volumes:

  • 30 Days of Night Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects 30 Days of Night (2002) #1-2, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days #1-6, 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow #1
  • 30 Days of Night Omnibus Vol. 2
    Collects 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales #1-8, 30 Days of Night: Eben & Stella #1-4, 30 Days of Night: Red Snow #1-3, and 30 Days of Night: Beyond Barrow #1-3

30 Days of Night Comics in Publication Order

The 30 Days of Night Universe can be separate in different period, with Steve Niles relaunching and rebooting the series and a new story reconnecting with the town decades after the first attack.

30 Days of Night: The Original Saga and its many spin-offs – Steve Niles told the vampire attack of Barrow in 2002, and success led to other stories revealing what happened after (and on two occasions before).

30 Days of Night: The 2011 Relaunch – Steve Niles returned to the creation that launched his career in 2011, with Sam Kieth handling the art for the first issues and introducing a new set of characters, including a curious lady known as Alice Blood who strives to locate confirmation of vampire existence.

30 Days of Night: The 2017 Reboot – Steve Niles chose to revisit the original miniseries, offering a new version of the story in this short reboot illustrated by Piotr Kowalski.

30 Days of Night: Falling Sun – Return to Barrow with writer Rodney Barnes and Chris Shehan, as the town has moved on from vampire attacks. But the past will come back to bite them!

30 Days of Night: The Novels

30 Days of Night Reading Order: The Chronological Order

The 30 Days of Night reboot from 2017 is not in this timeline as this this a reimagining of the original series.

  • 30 Days of Night: Red Snow (2007) – A prequel Comic set in 1941.
  • Infestation 2: 30 Days of Night #1 (2012) – A crossover event with other IDW properties and the Cthulhu Mythos set in December 1942.
  • 30 Days of Night (2002) – The original miniseries set in november 2002.
  • 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2003) – The sequel to the original miniseries.
  • 30 Days of Night Annual 2004 Contains four short stories:
    • “The Book Club” is about a suburban book club’s discussion of Stella Olemaun’s book
    • “The Hand That Feeds” features Dane seeking a hand transplant from an eccentric doctor.
    • “Agent Norris: MIA” is set after the events in the first ’30 Days Of Night’ mini-series.
    • “The Trapper” introduces John Ikos, a Barrow resident turned vampire hunter.
  • 30 Days of Night: Eben and Stella (2007) – Set between Dark Days and Return to Barrow.
  • 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow (2004) – Another sequel that follows Brian Kitka, Barrow’s new sheriff. Also features John Ikos, Eben and Stella.
  • 30 Days of Night: Night, Again (2011) – Set in 2004, following a band of survivors.
  • 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales (2004-2005) – An 8-issue comic telling two stories:
    • “Dead Billy Dead” introduces a young a young man named Billy who was turned into a vampire and is kidnapped by a scientist.
    • “Juarez or Lex Nova and the Case of the 400 Dead Mexican Girls” focuses on Lex Nova’s investigation of the disappearance of hundreds of girls in Juarez.
  • 30 Days of Night: “Picking up the Pieces” – Originally published in IDW’s Tales of Terror. It is a sort of prelude to the next story featuring John Ikos and Agent Norris. Set in Barrow after the events of Return to Barrow.
  • 30 Days of Night: “The Journal of John Ikos” – 30 Days of Night 2005 Annual. It has a meeating between Ikos and Billy.
  • Rumors of the Undead (2006) – Novel set immediately after the events of the short story “Agent Norris MIA” and going beyond events from Return to Barrow. It also contains references to “Dead Billy Dead”, so we chose to place it later in the timeline.
  • 30 Days of Night: Immortal Remains (2007) – Novel Focused mostly on vampire Dane from Dark Days. It is set after the first novel and the event of the Journal of Jon Ikos.
  • 30 Days of Night: Dead Space (2006) – A simple mission to help restore the nation’s confidence in the space program turn bloody.
  • 30 Days of Night: Spreading the Disease (2006-2007) – A direct sequel to Dead Space.
  • 30 Days of Night: Beyond Barrow (2007-2008) – features Marcus Kitka, who first appeared in 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow and is now 17, and John Ikos.
  • 30 Days of Night: Eternal Damnation (2008) – The third novel that serves in a way as a form a conclusion to this trilogy of books.

The following stories are mostly stand-alones and can be read independantly:

  • 30 Days of Night: 30 Days ‘Til Death (2008-2009) – Comic focused on vampire Rufus who is determined to survive and go to extreme lengths to hide his insatiable craving for blood
  • 30 Days of Night: Light of Day (2009) – Novel About a scientist turned vampire that works on a formula that could allow him (and his kind) to walk safely in the daylight.
  • 30 Days of Night: Fear of the Dark (2010) – Novel about a sibling relationship story set in London.
  • The X-Files/30 Days of Night (2010-2011) – Mulder and Scully goes to Alaska to investigate a series of grisly murders that may be linked to vampires.

Steve Niles then relaunched the 30 Days of Night Universe, created a complete story arc:

  • 30 Days of Night, Vol. 1 – The Beginning of the End (#1-4). Stella and Eben appears.
  • 30 Days of Night, Vol. 2 – Blood-Stained Looking Glass (#5-8)
  • 30 Days of Night, Vol. 3 – Run, Alice, Run (#9-12)
  • Criminal Macabre: Final Night – The 30 Days of Night Crossover (2012-2013) – Concludes the story.;

And finally… returns to Barrow two decades after the terrifying vampire attack of 30 Days of Night:

  • 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun (2025) – Follows teenager Jalen James running away from gang violence. But vampires and former gang are coming to Barrow, seeking blood.

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