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Hellboy Omnibus Reading Order!

A large, red-skinned half-demon with a tail, horns, cloven hooves, and an oversized right hand made of stone, Hellboy does not go unnoticed. Mike Mignola’s creation made his first appearance in the San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 (August 1993), more than thirty years ago. Since then, a whole Universe surrounding him has taken shape, filled with governmental agents, folkloric creatures, and Lovecraftian horror.

Hellboy has worked for the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) and lived solo adventures set in many periods, but also spawned several spin-off series featuring other characters such as Abe Sapien or Lobster Johnson. Publisher Dark Horse Comics has collected many tales, story arcs, and spin-offs in several formats, such as trade paperbacks, Library Edition, and, of course, the famous Omnibus format.

The first Hellboy Omnibus (which was a reprint of B.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs) was released in 2011. It has been followed by many others, as there are more than 30 Omnibus sets in the Hellboy Universe at the time of writing. Initially only available in hardcover, paperback versions have been released since 2014. As the world of Hellboy continues to expand, we take a closer look at the Omnibus collection, which offers a great way for both new and seasoned readers to discover Big Red’s history.

Previously on the Omnibus series…

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Hellboy Omnibus Collection

Note: Dark Horse Omnibuses are smaller than the classic DC or Marvel Omnibus editions. They are also typically released in paperback formats, although some are also in hardcover. These collections reprint stories previously collected in trade paperbacks and usually combine the equivalent of three classic trades into a single volume.

Not all stories from the Hellboy Universe have been reprinted in the Omnibus format. While the main (and most important) storyline is available, several standalone tales set in the past remain uncollected. The Hellboy Universe is also still expanding, and recent stories set in The New World have yet to be included in this line. Check out our Hellboy Universe Reading Guide to explore all the available trade paperbacks.

This guide follows our classic Hellboy Reading Order, designed to make the story enjoyable and accessible for new readers looking to explore the Hellboy Universe through the Omnibus Collection. However, if you’re already familiar with the universe, you’ll find a Hellboy Omnibus Chronological Order at the end of the article to experience the story from another perspective.

Entering the Hellboy Universe

  • Hellboy Omnibus Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction (TPB) 
    Collects Seed of Destruction, Wake the Devil, and “Wolves of St August,” “The Chained Coffin,” and “Almost Colossus,” from The Chained Coffin and The Right Hand of Doom.
  • Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories Volume 1 (TPB) 
    Collects The Chained Coffin, The Right Hand of Doom, The Bride of Hell, The Crooked Man, The Troll Witch, and The Midnight Circus.
  • Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories Volume 2 (TPB) 
    Collects The Troll Witch, The Chained Coffin, The Bride of Hell, The Right Hand of Doom, and The Crooked Man, including “Heads,” “Buster Oakley Gets His Wish,” and “A Christmas Underground.
  • Hellboy Omnibus Vol. 2: Strange Places (TPB)
    Collects Conqueror Worm, Strange Places, Into the Silent Sea, and “The Right Hand of Doom, “Box Full of Evil,” and “Being Human” from The Right Hand of Doom and B.P.R.D. Being Human.

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Abe Sapien! One of the most iconic characters from the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. Universe, Abe Sapien also starred in his own comics, with the following Omnibus collecting (mostly) old solo missions. This collection has been released in hardcover (out of print) and paperback.

  • Abe Sapien: The Drowning and Other Stories (HC and TPB)
    Collects Abe Sapien: The Drowning, The Devil Does Not Jest, and Lost Lives and Other Stories.

    • Most stories are set before the plague of frogs, except Lost Lives (set during War on Frogs) and Icthyo Sapien which ties into The Devil You Know: Pandemonium.

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B.P.R.D.: The Plague of Frogs

The Plague of Frogs storyline was the first collected in a hardcover Omnibus by Dark Horse way back in 2011, and released a first time in paperback a few years later. Starting in 2022, Dark Horse has reprinted the B.P.R.D. Omnibus collection and removed the story name from the title. This new collection is only available in paperback

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Hellboy History Interlude

We are taking a break from the main storyline to expand our horizons and read some past tales set in the Hellboy Universe, such as the investigations of Sir Edward Grey, an agent of Queen Victoria, past missions of the B.P.R.D. and some weird tales. Those stories are stand-alones and can be read at any moment. They are placed here as you are now quite invested and help dress a deeper portrayal of the Hellboy Universe before the next arc. 

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B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth

Similar to Plague of Frogs, the Hell on Earth storyline was first reprinted in a hardcover omnibus, then in a paperback edition before Dark Horse relaunched the B.P.R.D. Omnibus collection and removed the storyline name, offering a simpler order to follow for those less familiar with the Hellboy Universe. During that period, Abe Sapien had to leave the B.P.R.D. and while the two stories have no effect on each other, we still recommend alternating between the two.

The main storyline concludes here.

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Monster-Sized Hellboy! 1,500 pages of Hellboy goodness in one Volume! This is what the Monster-Sized Hellboy is offering. With the height of an Absolute DC Comics Volume and this hardcover, this book reprints the four Hellboy Omnibus. 

  • Monster-Sized Hellboy
    Collects all the stories and graphic novels contained in Hellboy Omnibus Volumes 1-4: Seed of Destruction, Wake the Devil, and “Wolves of St August,” “The Chained Coffin,” and “Almost Colossus,” from The Chained Coffin and The Right Hand of Doom. Conqueror Worm, Strange Places, Into the Silent Sea, and “The Right Hand of Doom, “Box Full of Evil,” and “Being Human” from The Right Hand of Doom and B.P.R.D. Being Human. Darkness Calls, The Wild Hunt, and The Storm and the Fury, and the short story “The Mole.” Hellboy in Hell Volumes 1-2, “The Magician and the Snake”, and “The Exorcist of Vorsk.”

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Hellboy: Other Tales from the Past

Lobster Johnson – Discover Lobster Johnson’s famous pulp-style adventures in his own comic series.

  • Lobster Johnson Omnibus Vol. 1 (HC)
    Collects trade volumes The Burning Hand, Satan Smells a Rat, and Get the Lobster and the short story “Lobster Johnson: The Empty Chair”
  • Lobster Johnson Omnibus Vol. 2 (HC)
    Collects trade volumes The Iron Prometheus, The Pirate’s Ghost and Metal Monsters of Midtown, A Chain Forged in Life, and the short story “The Killer in My Skull.” 

Hellboy Universe – A Collection of stand-alone stories answering some unresolved questions.

Hellboy And The B.P.R.D. – A series of miniseries exploring missions from the 50s with Hellboy still learning how to fight the monsters.

Hellboy Omnibus Chronological Order

As the Hellboy Universe features many stories in different eras, the following guide offers a rough chronological reading order for the Omnibus Collection for those interested in experiencing the universe in a more linear way.

This is the start of the present-day era in the Hellboy Universe

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Want to read more Mike Mignola stories?
Check out The Outerverse Reading Guide

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