The Complete Hate Volume 3

by Peter Bagge

Peter Bagge is not only one of the primary architects of the alternative comics scene that exploded in the 1980s and 1990s (alongside peers including Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, and Daniel Clowes), but also someone who helped fashion the aesthetics and attitudes of an entire youth movement. His comic book series, Hate, chronicled the exploits of twentysomething Buddy Bradley and his gang of lovable losers through the rise and fall of the grunge era (and eventually beyond). Bagge's style became a part of the Gen X zeitgeist and Hate became the best-selling alternative comic of its era, with Bagge's illustrations gracing countless album and magazine covers as well.The Complete Hate Volume 3 collects all the Buddy Bradley stories from Hate Annual (nine issues, 2001–2011), as well as a host of other odds and ends from the original Hate series, Details magazine, I Like Comics, and much more. Now in his 30s and married, with a child, onetime slacker hero Buddy Bradley shaves his head, dons an eye-patch, quits his "real" job and buys the local dump — because what better place to raise a toddler? Part screwball comedy, part soap opera, part loose autobiography, Hate is an enduring chronicle of the 1990s as well as riotously relatable to anyone bumbling through their twenties.

256 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2026

About the author

Peter Bagge is an American cartoonist known for his irreverent, kinetic style and his incisive, black-humored portrayals of middle-class American youth. He first gained recognition with Neat Stuff, which introduced characters such as Buddy Bradley, Girly-Girl, and The Bradleys, and followed it with Hate, his best-known work, which ran through the 1990s and later as annuals. Bagge’s comics often exaggerate the frustrations, absurdities, and reduced expectations of ordinary life, combining influences from Warner Brothers cartoons, underground comix, and classic cartoonists like Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Robert Crumb. Beyond satire and fiction, Bagge has produced fact-based comics journalism, biographies, and historical comics, contributing to outlets such as suck.com, MAD Magazine, toonlet, Discover, and Reason. His biographical works include Woman Rebel, about Margaret Sanger, Fire!!, on Zora Neale Hurston, and Credo, on Rose Wilder Lane. Bagge has collaborated with major publishers including Fantagraphics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, and Marvel, producing works such as Yeah!, Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd, Other Lives, and Reset. He has also worked in animation, creating Flash cartoons and animated commercials, and has been active as a musician in bands such as The Action Suits and Can You Imagine. Bagge’s signature art style is elastic, energetic, and exaggerated, capturing movement and comic expression in a way that amplifies both humor and social commentary. His personal politics are libertarian, frequently reflected in his comics and essays, and he has been a longtime contributor to Reason magazine. Bagge’s work combines biting satire, historical insight, and a relentless visual inventiveness, making him a central figure in American alternative comics for over four decades.

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and, so far, final volume of The Complete Hate. It doesn't really conclude, and there's always the chance that Bagge might revisit these characters in the future.

Hate has always been about the characters and the writing. The goofy drawing style is just the icing on the cake. The focus is on Buddy Bradley, who makes a fine Everyman, and his life's journey. If you compare this volume with the first one–or even the Bradley Family stories from Neat Stuff–you'll see that Buddy has undergone considerable growth. While not exactly wise, he's certainly gained at least a bit of wisdom over the years. He's more comfortable in his own skin, and at least slightly more tolerant of others. He's actually turning out to be a somewhat okay father. Sure, he still makes his share of mistakes, but he's gotten a bit better at recognizing the difference between things he can control and things that he can't.

Approximately the first half of this book contains all of the Buddy Bradley stories that appeared in the Hate Annuals. Other material appearing in those comics is not reprinted here. The rest of the book consists of front and back cover art, plus any stories featuring *any* of the characters from Hate that hadn't already appeared in the previous two volumes--including " Prisoners of Hate Island” and “Return to Hate Island,” a pair of stories featuring Bagge himself as well as Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth and editor-in-chief Kim Thompson.

There are no sketchbook pages, but I'd be surprised if that option wasn't considered at some point.

Peter Bagge's writing is as strong as ever, but this volume does feel padded with all of the extra material. At the moment, it appears that Hate is on track to be his most well-known work. And this three volume set is a fine way to experience it. Padding aside, it's a singular achievement that deserves celebration. Highly recommended!