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Hellboy Universe Essentials: Hellboy
Take a bite of the Hellboy universe with the creator's hand-picked essential stories in this new jumping-on point collection!
Confront the undead, swim to strange places, and encounter powerful fey in this introduction to the world of Hellboy. Newcomers to the series needn't have read the original stories to jump right in and see what Hellboy is all about thanks to this collection of short stories, selected by Mike Mignola himself as the perfect introduction to his most famous comic book character!
Featuring stories and art by Mike Mignola, with colors by longtime collaborator Dave Stewart, curious fantasy, horror, and occult readers looking for a taste of something different will love this new gateway into the Hellboy universe.
Collects essential short stories from the world of Hellboy, as chosen by Mignola: The Chained Coffin, The Third Wish, Pancakes, The Nature of the Beast, The Corpse, The Baba Yaga, A Christmas Underground, The Ghoul, and The Troll Witch.
Confront the undead, swim to strange places, and encounter powerful fey in this introduction to the world of Hellboy. Newcomers to the series needn't have read the original stories to jump right in and see what Hellboy is all about thanks to this collection of short stories, selected by Mike Mignola himself as the perfect introduction to his most famous comic book character!
Featuring stories and art by Mike Mignola, with colors by longtime collaborator Dave Stewart, curious fantasy, horror, and occult readers looking for a taste of something different will love this new gateway into the Hellboy universe.
Collects essential short stories from the world of Hellboy, as chosen by Mignola: The Chained Coffin, The Third Wish, Pancakes, The Nature of the Beast, The Corpse, The Baba Yaga, A Christmas Underground, The Ghoul, and The Troll Witch.
160 pages, Paperback
Published July 20, 2021
6 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,863 books2,531 followersMike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 10, 2021
A nice primer to Hellboy. Mike Mignola has hand-picked a bunch of stories to introduce you to Hellboy. The stories are in chronological order. Some become integral to the larger story, some are just fun like Pancakes. This little diddy makes me chuckle every time I read it. Then there's Hellboy's confrontations with witches like Baba Yaga and the Bog Roosh. Great stuff! If you've even been curious about Hellboy but didn't know where to start, this is a great introduction. All of the stories are written and drawn by Mike Mignola.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss
February 18, 2023
Hellboy is a fascinating character and this collection provided an interesting peek into his world. Reading these storylines you get a sense there is a lot more depth and an overarching story. But the stories here are short vignettes and independent. One of the coolest elements of Hellboy is the contrast between the wisacre personality of Hellboy and the dignified, imperious personalities of his mythological enemies. The art is great, somewhat sketchy but still dynamic. I can't imagine ever reading this in black and white because color seems essential for a lot of the storytelling. This was my first time reading Hellboy. I'm interested in reading more.
July 21, 2021
This is exactly what it says on the cover, essential stories to try out Hellboy without committing yourself to reading all the books. As a fan there is some great stuff in here and the pancake story always makes me smile. This is a great intro book for someone to get as a gift that only knows Hellboy from the movies but is a bit daunted by all the titles that are out there.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
August 18, 2021
I watched the Hellboy movies as a kid and found them interesting. However, like with Marvel movies, I was always intimidated by reading the comics due to the sheer volume. This is perfect for someone like me!
July 15, 2022
If you already enjoy Hellboy, then this is a supremely well-curated selection of his best short stories, from the ever-excellent “Pancakes” (possibly the finest two pages of graphic fiction ever written) to the melancholy canon-builder “The Third Wish.” And if you have never read Hellboy before, this volume is truly a perfect introduction to it all. This is simply indispensable reading, whether you wish to get into the vast Hellboy canon, or whether you just want to know enough about Hellboy to appreciate why some folks (like me) fuss over it so much. If you only ever read a single Hellboy volume, read this one.
January 31, 2025
Never read any Hellboy before. Not sure why I waited so long! I think I probably responded more to this now because I've recently dabbled more in darker fantasy stuff like The Witcher which this feels very similar too. Mignola is obviously an absolute master and this book feels like a great spot to dip your toe in if you've never experienced any of these comics before. I left with questions and things I didn't understand but that just makes me want to read more of the actual series. I may have to take a deeper dive into this universe.
August 28, 2025
This was so good!! I actually think Mignola's artstyle is one of my absolute favourites!!! Simplistic but so emotive and fun!
I love how diverse the mythology it draws from is compared to other urban fantasy stories- these entities are actually connected to their culture of origin rather than just being just turned into generic fairies, witches etc. The original creatures are as interesting too, I actually thought a few were taken from actual mythologies they were so fleshed out!
(The pancakes story was the best though,,,)
I love how diverse the mythology it draws from is compared to other urban fantasy stories- these entities are actually connected to their culture of origin rather than just being just turned into generic fairies, witches etc. The original creatures are as interesting too, I actually thought a few were taken from actual mythologies they were so fleshed out!
(The pancakes story was the best though,,,)
November 5, 2021
Great "starter kit" to the world of Hellboy. I like Mignola's drawing style so much...fantastic, dark, bold, atmospheric, gloomy. This is a good collection of stories and the design element is superb.
March 20, 2022
My first foray into the world of Hellboy and I'm sold. This is a great intro and I'll definitely be reading more. Really intriguing plots based on myths and legends from around the world, amazing art and really funny. 4.5 stars.
July 31, 2022
It was a pretty good intro of this guy. It has a mix of some lore, bits about what hellboy is all about, and just fun stuff. I really love the designs of all the creatures, and just the general style. I also liked the general message of hellboy. He’s pretty cool or whatever, i guess.
January 27, 2023
Perfect Stories for the Hellboy fans and good ones for anyone who is looking to get into this character.
Hellboy is one of my favourite comic books characters and this is a very good collection of stories.
Onto the next one
The Marc Knight
Hellboy is one of my favourite comic books characters and this is a very good collection of stories.
Onto the next one
The Marc Knight
September 21, 2024
Never read any hellboy books before, kinda just stumbled upon this one. I like anthologies and the art was kinda interesting. i think the book was meant for long time readers or fans. As it was with what i knew about the character it was just OK
December 25, 2025
This is how it's done.
this is how you write a 'stories compilation' issue (however that sounds).
It not only tells witty and fun stories but also manages to superbly fill in missing gaps in the main story overall.
this is how you write a 'stories compilation' issue (however that sounds).
It not only tells witty and fun stories but also manages to superbly fill in missing gaps in the main story overall.
March 8, 2022
I loved the style of dark-minimalist graphics and the stories were odd in a good. I have little desire to pick up another "Hellboy" comic but I'm glad I read this.
May 12, 2022
The art style is amazing, but I personally didn't find these stories super compelling
September 23, 2022
This small collection of stories starts on a wholesome note, where we see a young hellboy trying pancakes for the first time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2024
There’s such a beautiful sadness to these stories that I can’t even describe. I love Hellboy and his character so much, and this is a perfect introduction to the franchise.
June 4, 2025
Cómo amo Hellboy
August 24, 2025
Great collection of Hellboy! Excellent character design and the cases fit together well. Whether you’re already a fan or just getting into Hellboy’s story, this is a great read with phenomenal artwork.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews