How To Start Reading B.P.R.D. (Hellboy Spin-off) [Guide]

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy Universe (also known to fans as the Mignolaverse) is huge. While it began in the pages of Hellboy, it has expanded into dozens of spin-offs, exploring different characters, corners of the universe and points in history. However, there’s one series that stands out – B.P.R.D. The fan-favourite comic not only tells its own stories, it picked up many of the dangling plots of Hellboy to become part of the spine that holds up the supernatural-themed shared universe.

B.P.R.D. can appear daunting for those on the outside looking in. There are over 160 issues, mostly broken up into miniseries. These are also split into story-cycles that tell long-running sagas that build upon every story. However, it doesn’t need to be hard to read.

This extensive guide will help you start reading B.P.R.D. This includes offering up starting points, details on the story structure, how it connects with Hellboy, and the collected editions you will want to read. Soon you’ll be able to read into these excellent comics and see why so many fans love them.

What is B.P.R.D.?

As mentioned earlier, B.P.R.D. is a spin-off of the Hellboy comic published by Dark Horse Comics. The series focuses on the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense after Hellboy left the organisation and follows characters like Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, Roger the Homunculus, Kate Corrigan, and others. Through this, the series picks up on character and story elements that were established in Hellboy stories and moves them forward, sometimes intertwining with what’s happened in later Hellboy’s comic series.

The comic details the missions of the B.P.R.D. as they fight various supernatural evils. These are penned by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and co-writers that include John Arcudi, Joshua Dysart, and Scott Allie. This also includes a roster of artists such as Guy Davis, Peter Snejbjerg, James Harren, Tyler Crook, Laurence Campbell, and others.

The comic ran between 2022 and 2019 through more than 160 issues and a number of short stories.

How was B.P.R.D. originally published?

B.P.R.D. was published in a manner many fans call the “Hellboy method”. This is where a long-running comic book isn’t published as an ongoing series month-to-month – like what’s often seen at Marvel or DC. Instead, B.P.R.D. consists of dozens of miniseries, one-shots, and short stories that build upon each other. This allowed the creators to go at their own pace and take breaks between stories. It’s a method that Dark Horse Comics take with many comic book series, but Hellboy is one that popularised it.

The comic officially became a monthly ongoing series with the 100th issue, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Return of the Master #3. With the comic becoming an ongoing series, the subtitle for each story was removed in favour of it being referred to as B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth. However, the story name still prominently featured on the cover. The number was reset for The Devil You Know story-cycle.

How does B.P.R.D. connect with Hellboy?

B.P.R.D. is one of many Hellboy spin-offs. Unlike most, which use concepts introduced in past stories and then move them in their own direction, B.P.R.D. is intrinsically tied to the Hellboy comics. This is because the comic picks up the ongoing saga that started in Hellboy and runs with it when the Hellboy series goes off in other directions.

You’ll need to read some Hellboy stories alongside B.P.R.D. to understand the full saga. Here’s a rough breakdown:

1. Read Hellboy up to Hellboy: Conqueror Worm
2. Read B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth to B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground
3. Read Hellboy: Darkness Calls
4. Read B.P.R.D.: The Warning to B.P.R.D.: King of Fear
5. Read Hellboy: The Wild Hunt and Hellboy: The Storm and the Fury
6. Read B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth – New World to B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth – A Cold Day in Hell
7. Read Hellboy in Hell: The Decent
8. Read B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth – Lake of Fire to B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth – Excorist
9. Read Hellboy in Hell: The Death Car
10. Read B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth – End of Days and B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth – Cometh the Hour
11. Read B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know

Note: The above is a rough reading order that gives the essentials in figuring out how B.P.R.D. and Hellboy tie-in to each other. As a result, I’ve skipped over some of the Hellboy stories that are not tied into the larger saga. Perhaps I’ll do a Hellboy Universe reading order one day.

Find out more about the Hellboy comics in How To Start Reading Hellboy guide.

What’s the best B.P.R.D. starting point?

There are two good places to start reading B.P.R.D., which will depend on how invested in the Hellboy Universe and if you have read the preceding Hellboy stories.

The first recommendation is B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth. This three-parter is the first B.P.R.D. story, which is set after the events of Hellboy: Conqueror Worm. It shifts the perspective to characters like Abe Sapien, Roger, and Kate Corrigan while bringing Liz Sherman back into the fold and introducing Johann Kraus. It’s also a good continuation from a visual standpoint, with artist Ryan Sook doing a good job mimicking Mike Mignola’s style. It’s a good place to start reading if you’ve been reading Hellboy up until this point. However, it’s probably not the best place to start if you’re new to the Hellboy Universe.

The other starting point is B.P.R..D.: Plague of Frogs. While there are stories between this and Hollow Earth, they’re self-contained in nature, done by other creators, and you’re mileage may vary in terms of enjoyment. Plague of Frogs is different in that it shifts the comic’s focus, picking up story elements established in Hellboy and moving them forward. With this, this miniseries kicks off the Plague of Frogs story-cycle and many long-running plots. It also introduces Guy Davis as the primary artist, who gives the series a visual consistency. While it picks up on Hellboy story elements, it does so in a way where they’re explained, with notes for which stories are being referred to and check out if you wish to read more into them.

You can also buy and read the first of the issues on the cheap on Kindle or Dark Horse Digital. This allows you to sample the stories before investing in a trade paperback or omnibus collection.

B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth #1: Kindle | Dark Horse Digital
B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs #1: Kindle | Dark Horse Digital

Story-cycles explained

Much of B.P.R.D. works on what’s referred to as story cycles. These are long-running plots that progress through multiple stories, building up to a big conclusion. Readers can tell which cycle a story is part of by the name of the miniseries or collection, e.g. B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Return of the Master. The exception is the first story cycle, Plague of Frogs, which was named retroactively.

These are the current B.P.R.D. story cycles:

1. Plague of Frogs
2. Hell on Earth
3. The Devil You Know
4. 1946-1948

Plague of Frogs, Hell on Earth, The Devil You Know are the core B.P.R.D. cycles and build off each other. 1946-1948 is a flashback saga, which details the early years of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. It was followed up by B.P.R.D.: Vampire, which is the start of another potential flashback cycle of stories if Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon ever wish to return to tell more stories.

Find out more about which comics are part of each story cycle in the trade paperback collections and omnibus sections below.

Is B.P.R.D. complete?

Yes, B.P.R.D. is complete.

However, there are flashback stories of the organisation’s early days being told in Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. More details on this can be found towards the bottom of this page.

B.P.R.D collected editions

The best way to read B.P.R.D. is through the collected editions. These are much easier to track down than the various single issues and short stories in anthologies and give satisfying chunks of story. There are two formats to look out for – trade paperback collections and omnibus collections. Find out more about both of these formats and how B.P.R.D. stories are collected below.

Trade paperback collections

B.P.R.D. was first collected in trade paperback. Each collection features a full story, or multiple stories making up approx 5-6 issues. See all of the B.P.R.D. trade paperbacks below.

B.P.R.D. Volume 1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories
Written by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Tom Sniegoski, and Brian McDonald. Art by Mike Mignola Ryan Sook Matthew Dow Smith and Derek Thompson.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth #1-3, B.P.R.D. Promo from Dark Horse Extra #42-44, Lobster Johnson: The Killer in My Skull short story, Abe Sapien Verus Science short story, and Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1

B.P.R.D. Volume 2: The Soul of Venice & Other Stories
Written by Mike Mignola, Michael Avon Oeming, Brian Augustyn, Geoff Johns, Scott Kolins, and Joe Harris. Art by Michael Avon Oeming, Guy Davis, Scott Kolins, Dave Stewart, Cameron Stewart, Adam Polina, Guillermo Zubiaga.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice #1, B.P.R.D.: Dark Waters #1, B.P.R.D.: Night Train #1, B.P.R.D.: There’s Something Under My Bed #1, and Another Day at the Office short story

B.P.R.D. Volume 3: Plague of Frogs
Written by Mike Mignola. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs #1-5

Note: B.P.R.D. Plague of Frogs is also collected in Hellboy Universe Essentials: B.P.R.D.

B.P.R.D. Volume 4: The Dead
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: Born Again short story and B.P.R.D.: The Dead #1-5

B.P.R.D. Volume 5: The Black Flame
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame #1-6

B.P.R.D. Volume 6: The Universal Machine
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis and Mike Mignola.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Universal Machine #1-5

B.P.R.D. Volume 7: Garden of Souls
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls #1-5

B.P.R.D. Volume 8: Killing Ground
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground #1-5

B.P.R.D. Volume 9: 1946
Written by Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart. Art by Paul Azaceta.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: 1946 #1-5 and Bishop Olek’s Devil short story

B.P.R.D. Volume 10: The Warning
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: Out of Reach short story and B.P.R.D.: The Warning #1-5

B.P.R.D. Volume 11: The Black Goddess
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess #1-5

B.P.R.D. Volume 12: War on Frogs
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Herb Trimpe, Guy Davis, John Severin, Karl Moline, and Peter Snejbjerg.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs #1-4 and The Revival short story

B.P.R.D. Volume 13: 1947
Written by Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart. Art by Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon, and Patric Reynolds.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: 1947 #1-5 and And What Shall I Find There? short story

B.P.R.D. Volume 14: King of Fear
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis and Mike Mignola.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #1-5

B.P.R.D.: Being Human
Written by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, John Arcudi. Art by Karl Malone, Andy Owens, Guy Davis, Richard Corben, and Ben Stenbeck.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Dead Remembered #1-3, Casualties short story, Hellboy: Being Human #1, and B.P.R.D.: The Ectoplasmic Man #1

Note: Being Human is a collection of flashback stories.

B.P.R.D.: 1948
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Max Fiumara.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: 1948 #1-5

B.P.R.D.: Vampire
Written by Mike Mignola, Gabriel Bá, and Fábio Moon . Art by Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Vampire #1-5

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B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 1: New World
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – New World #1-5 and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Seattle #1

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 2: Gods and Monsters
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Guy Davis and Tyler Crook.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Gods #1-3 and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Monsters #1-2

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 3: Russia
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Tyler Crook and Duncan Fegredo.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Russia #1-5 and An Unmarked Grave short story

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 4: The Devil’s Engine & The Long Death
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Tyler Crook and James Harren.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Devil’s Engine #1-3 and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Long Death #1-3

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 5: The Pickens County Horror and Others
Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie. Art by Jason Latour, Max Fiumara, and James Harren.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Pickens County Horror #1-2, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Transformation of J.H. O’Donnell #1, and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #103-104

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 6: The Return of the Master
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Tyler Crook.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Return of the Master #1-5

Note: It’s at this point where the comic shifts to being an ongoing series and the story name is removed from the title.

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 7: A Cold Day in Hell
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Laurence Campbell and Peter Snejbjerg.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #105-109

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 8: Lake of Fire
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Tyler Crook.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #110-114

Note: The Amazon listing for B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 8: Lake of Fire says that it collects B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #115 but it doesn’t.

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 9: The Reign of the Black Flame
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by James Harren.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #115-119

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 10: The Devil’s Wings
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Laurence Campbell, Joe Querio, and Tyer Crook.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #120-124

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 11: Flesh and Stone
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by James Harren.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #125-129

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 12: Metamorphosis
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Peter Snejbjerg and Julián Totino Tedesco.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #130-134

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 13: End of Days
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Laurence Campbell.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #135-139

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 14: The Exorcist
Written by Mike Mignola, Cameron Stewart, and Chris Roberson. Art by Cameron Stewart, Mike Norton, and Dave Stokes.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Exorcism #1-2 and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #140-142

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volume 15: Cometh the Hour
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. Art by Laurence Campbell.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #143-147

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B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know Volume 1: Messiah
Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie. Art by Laurence Campbell and Tim Sale.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #1-5 and Broken Vessels short story

B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know Volume 2: Pandemonium
Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie. Art by Mike Mignola, Sebastian Fiumara, and Laurence Campbell.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #6-10

B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know Volume 3: Ragna Rok
Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie. Art by Laurence Campbell, Christopher Mitten, and Mike Mignola.
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #11-15

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Omnibus collections

B.P.R.D. is also available in omnibus format. These collect larger chucks of material, collecting the equivalent of three trade paperbacks or about 15 issues. These were first printed in under the umbrella of the story-cycle but have since been streamlined.

You can find these in hardcover and softcover formats.

B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 1
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth #1-3, B.P.R.D. Promo from Dark Horse Extra #42-44, Lobster Johnson: The Killer in My Skull short story, Abe Sapien Verus Science short story, Abe Sapien: Drums of the Dead #1, B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice #1, B.P.R.D.: Dark Waters #1, B.P.R.D.: Night Train #1, B.P.R.D.: There’s Something Under My Bed #1, Another Day at the Office short story, and B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs #1-5

Note: B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 1 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D. Volumes 1-3.

B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 2
Collects: Born Again short story, B.P.R.D.: The Dead #1-5, B.P.R.D.: The Black Flame #1-6, B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs #1-4, and The Revival short story

Note: B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 2 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D. Volumes 4, 5, and 12. It might seem odd to collect volume 12 with 4 and 5, but War on Frogs storyline fits in chronologically here. It’s also worth noting that some of the issues in this omnibus have been renamed and reordered, as explained in the book’s introduction.

B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 3
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Universal Machine #1-5, B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls #1-5, and B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground #1-5

Note: B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 3 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D. Volumes 6-8.

B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 4
Collects: Out of Reach short story, B.P.R.D.: The Warning #1-5, B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess #1-5, and B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #1-5

Note: B.P.R.D: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 4 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D. Volumes 10, 11, and 14.

B.P.R.D: 1946-1948 Omnibus
Collects: B.P.R.D.: 1946 #1-5, Bishop Olek’s Devil short story, B.P.R.D: 1947 #1-5 ,And What Shall I Find There? short story, and B.P.R.D: 1948 #1-5

Note: B.P.R.D: 1946-1948 Omnibus collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D. Volumes 9, 13, and B.P.R.D: 1948. This material has been collected together due to its period setting.

B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 1
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – New World #1-5, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Seattle #1, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Gods #1-3, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Monsters #1-2, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Russia #1-5, and An Unmarked Grave short story

Note: B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 1 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volumes 1-3.

B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 2
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Devil’s Engine #1-3, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Long Death #1-3, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Pickens County Horror #1-2, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Transformation of J.H. O’Donnell #1, and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Abyss of Time #1-2, and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – The Return of the Master #1-5

Note: B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 2 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volumes 4-6.

B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 3
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #105-119

Note: B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 3 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volumes 7-9.

B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 4
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #120-129 and #140-142 and B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth – Exorcism #1-2

Note: B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 4 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volumes 10, 11, and 14.

B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 5
Collects: B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth #130-139 and #143-147

Note: B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 5 collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Volumes 12, 13, and 15.

B.P.R.D: The Devil You Know Omnibus
Collects: B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know #1-15 and Broken Vessels short story

Note: B.P.R.D: The Devil You Know Omnibus collects the equivalent of B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know Volumes 1-3.

As mentioned, the B.P.R.D. Omnibus’ were rebranded in 2022 and will continue to be into 2024. These contain (mostly) the same material but are streamlined in the name and numbering. The new names can be seen below:

• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 1 is B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 1
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 2 is B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 2
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 3 is B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 3
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 4 is B.P.R.D.: Plague of Frogs Omnibus Volume 4
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 5 is B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 1
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 6 is B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 2
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 7 is B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 3
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 8 is B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 4
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 9 is B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth Omnibus Volume 5
• B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 10 is B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know Omnibus

No word on if B.P.R.D: 1946-1948 Omnibus will be rebranded yet.

Also, it’s worth noting that B.P.R.D. Omnibus Volume 1 doesn’t include the Lobster Johnson short story. This is been recollected into the Lobster Johnson omnibus collections.

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What about Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. series?

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. is a prequel series that focus on Hellboy’s early missions in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Each story, either or miniseries or one-shot, is a self-contained story and don’t strictly connect with the core Hellboy or B.P.R.D series as they’re set in the 1950s.

What about the Abe Sapien series?

Abe Sapien, one of the core B.P.R.D. members, has had plenty of solo stories. These comics go in their own direction and are not required reading B.P.R.D. and vice versa. Up to you if you want to read Abe Sapien.

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