How and Where To Buy Mignolaverse Comics (Hellboy, BPRD, etc…)

The “Mignolaverse” began as a single four-issue Hellboy story published in 1994, but over the past 20 years it has grown into one of the most gripping, emotionally engaging, and consistently high-quality universes to be found in modern comics.

Featuring a broad range of genres including Lovecraftian horror, sci-fi, pulp, apocalyptic horror, and high fantasy; engrossing character-driven narratives that explore questions of identity, family, and belonging for humans and monsters alike; a unifying greater story arc connecting all characters and series; and a close-knit group of creators who respect and care about the stories they’re telling, the Mignolaverse has evolved into a complex yet amazingly cohesive universe of gods and monsters (and humans) that deserves so many more readers than it already has.

This post is an introduction for new readers to the different ways you can buy Mignolaverse comics, a comprehensive checklist for anyone who is interested in starting to buy them, and a collection of direct links to where you can buy them. Check it out, you’ll be glad you did!

If you feel intimidated at the idea of catching up on 20 years of comics–don’t worry! That’s a normal feeling to have. But it’s a lot easier than it seems, and it’s well worth the effort. The point of this post is to make it as easy as possible for new readers to start reading these comics, but if you have any questions about the information below, my ask is always open!

These comic series fall under the umbrella of the “Mignolaverse”:

Hellboy / Hellboy in Hell BPRD / BPRD: Hell on Earth Abe Sapien Lobster Johnson Witchfinder Sledgehammer ‘44 Hellboy and the BPRD Frankenstein Underground (yes, really)

Currently, BPRD: Hell on Earth and Abe Sapien are ongoing series, while the others are published irregularly (but often!).

Mignolaverse comics can be purchased in three different forms:

Trade paperbacks (TPBs) Library Editions/Omnibuses Digital Bundles

Below are explanations of the features of each of these different forms, their pros and cons, and a comprehensive checklist of what you would need to pick up depending upon which form you choose to buy.

If your funds are limited and you need to choose what to read first, read Hellboy and BPRD first. Then you can check out any of the other titles that catch your interest based on what you’ve read.

Trade Paperbacks (TPBs)

TPBs (or “trades”) are softcover books that usually collect around 5 issues of a comic. Though the turnover rate varies from series to series, trades tend to be published 3-5 months after last individual issue in a story has been released. Some trades collect a single longer story arc of a comic, whereas others collect multiple shorter story arcs.

For Mignolaverse comics, trades are published according to series; for example, Hellboy comics are published in Hellboy trades, BPRD comics are collected in BPRD trades, etc. Each individual series has its own numbering system that you can use to make sure you’re reading it in the right order. Just check out the spine of the trade to see where it falls in the series!

Mignolaverse trades have the bonus of including a sketch section at the end of each book that showcases some of the sketches and concept work that went into the arcs included in each story. These are really cool!!

Trade Paperback Pros:

Great sketch sections!

Lightweight and good to travel with!

Easy to hold and read!

Cool covers!

Trade Paperback Cons:

Sketch sections are smaller than those in Library Editions/Omnibuses

Covers may end up bent or have binding issues, but this is rare

It’s actually more expensive to buy all of the individual trades than it is to buy the LEs/Omnibuses

Where can I buy Mignolaverse TPBs?

Comic stores and book stores often sell them, but you can get them for cheaper online. The links below are to Amazon.com, but for even more savings, go to TFAW.com, search for a book you’re interested in, and select the “Nick and Dent only” option, shown below:

These books have very minor damage to their covers or pages, but can sometimes be up to 50% off in price!

An important note–if you don’t have the money to catch up with the comics by buying them, the TPBs can sometimes be found in libraries! If you find some trades at your library, be sure to pay attention to the numbers on the spines (or this reading order list) to keep track of what order you’re reading them in.

What is there to buy?

Each of the series (Hellboy, BPRD, Abe Sapien, Lobster Johnson, Witchfinder, and Sledgehammer '44) has published at least one trade so far. Hellboy and BPRD have both published many trades. Provided below are lists and links to all of the trades that have been published for each series.

Though the links below are for actual physical copies, you can apparently also purchase (cheaper!) Kindle editions through Amazon if you want. I have no experience with these, so I can’t speak for their quality.

Frankenstein Underground (No collections yet)

Hellboy and the BPRD (No collections yet)

Library Editions/Omnibuses

The Library Editions and Omnibuses are hardcover books that collect multiple arcs of a comic and sometimes extra material. You can think of it like this: Comics are published as issues, which are later collected into trades, which are later collected into LEs/Omnibuses.

LEs/Omnibuses often have introductions from writers, editors, or critics that reflect on the comics collected and tell about their development and history. LEs/Omnibuses also include extended sketch sections with material that won’t be found elsewhere. These are really really cool!!

LEs/Omnibuses are usually considered the “final” collection of a comic, a “collector’s” collection, so they are 1) very high quality, and 2) not released very often. So far, only Hellboy and BPRD have been collected as LEs/Omnibuses.

LE/Omnibus Pros:

BIG sketch sections!! I mean HUGE!!!

Comprehensive collections, so you don’t have to hunt anything down!

Actually cheaper than buying the TPBs individually!

LE/Omnibus Cons:



Very large and heavy, you will not be traveling with them

May be awkward to hold or read from, your mileage may vary

Newer comics have not been collected as LEs/Omnibuses yet and must be bought elsewhere

Where can I buy Mignolaverse LEs/Omnibuses?

Comic book shops sometimes carry them, but online is also a good place to look if you don’t mind paying for shipping.

What is there to buy?

The Hellboy Library Editions and BPRD: Plague of Frogs Omnibuses are the only LEs/Omnibuses that have been published so far.

Digital Bundles

Though Mignolaverse comics are not available on Comixology, Dark Horse maintains its own digital store and app for purchasing and reading the comics they publish. Comics purchased in the digital store can be read on any computer and on any mobile device with the Dark Horse Digital App installed.

Digital comics can be purchased as individual issues or as bundles, discounted digital collections of comics. When bought together as a bundle, the comics are a lot cheaper than they would have been if you’d bought them separately. Bundles are also cheaper to buy than the trade version, but they don’t include sketch sections or introductions.

If you’re interested in catching up on 20 years of Mignolaverse comics, the cheapest way to do it digitally would be to buy the bundles.

Digital Bundle Pros:

Cheaper than individual digital issues and trades!

Can be read anywhere you can access a computer/mobile device!

Take up no shelf space whatsoever!

Dark Horse’s app-based Digital Comic reader looks and works great, especially on larger devices like iPads! The comics look gorgeous!!

Digital Bundle Cons:

Unlike Comixology, you can’t download CBRs of the comics you purchase for reading in your own comic reader

Dark Horse’s browser-based Digital Comic Reader is clunky to use, but still usable

No sketch sections or writer/editor introductions

Where can I buy Mignolaverse Digital Bundles?

Only at Dark Horse’s Digital Store! (Or, if you’re on a mobile decide, on the Dark Horse Digital App!)

What is there to buy?

Just about everything there was to buy in the “Mignolaverse TPB” section above! The list below may look a little different, but that reflects the fact that some of the trades and digital bundles sometimes collect different issues. This was confusing to me, but I sorted it out so you don’t have to – (almost) all of the comics that have been published are listed below, with the exception of a few extras that only ended up in the trades.

Most of the links below are bundles, but a few are regular issues or books that haven’t been released as bundles yet.

Frankenstein Underground (not released yet)

Hellboy and the BPRD Hellboy and the BPRD #1

In the end, it’s up to you whether you choose to pick up the trades, the hardcovers, or digital bundles. Personally, I think the digital bundles are the easiest and possibly cheapest way to get into the Mignolaverse outside of stopping by the library, but the trades and hardcovers are great too!

Here are a couple of options you could take for buying them:

Buy all of the trades

Buy it all digitally

Buy all of the LEs/Omnibuses, then buy the rest as trades

Buy all of the LEs/Omnibuses, then buy the rest digitally

See what your library already has, buy digital bundles for what’s missing from their collection (cheapest option!)

Again, if you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask me!

I’m all caught up! …what now??

If you’re all caught up in the Mignolaverse, congratulations! Wow. You should read it again. I’m not kidding, this series rewards rereading so heavily, it’s a whole new world reading it all over again.

But also, now you have to make the tough decision of whether you buy new issues (paper or digital) as they come out, wait for trades, or wait for digital bundles. If you want to follow the comics as they’re released, you can buy the individual issues on the Dark Horse Digital Store or pick up paper copies at your local comic store.

Welcome to waiting for more of these comics, support group is in the relevant tags on tumblr!

Also, if you like what you’ve read, be sure to write in to Hellmail (hellmail@darkhorse.com) and tell the writers and artists what you think!!