Hi, i'm new to the comics world and i have several questions regarding Hellboy's reading order, and I didn't want to post that in the FAQ because it's probably going to be a fairly big text. I hope i'm not breaking any rules, anyway, let's get to the point.
It's important to say that i'm intending to read every or most of hellboy's comics. And I want to do it in chronological order. So, I did some research on the reading order and I found several inconsistencies.
So, i've looked on the "The Hellboy Universe Publishing Order" thread.
I've also looked the Wikipedia's Issues content and the Wikipedia Trade Paperback's content
And I've also found this site
https://comicbookreadingorders.com/o...reading-order/
And I've also found this reading order on the internet:
Hellboy weird tales(non cannon)
Hellboy seed of destruction
Hellboy wake the devil
Hellboy the chained coffin
Hellboy the right hand of doom
Hellboy conqueror worm
Hellboy Strange Places
Hellboy the crooked man
Hellboy darkness calls
Hellboy the wild hunt
Hellboy the storm and the fury
Hellboy bride of hell
B.P. R.D Plague of frogs 1,2,3
B.P. R.D 1946-1947-1948
B.P. R.D Vampire
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth gods and monsters
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth Russia
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth the devil engine of death
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth the pikens county horror & others
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth the return of the master
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth a cold day on hell
Abe sapien the drowning
Abe sapien the devil does not jest and other stories
Abe sapien dark and terrible and the new race of man
Witchfinder in the service of Angels
Witchfinder lost and gone forever
Witchfinder the mystery of unlend
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth lake of fire
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth the reing of the black flame
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth the devil's wings
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth flesh and stone
Sledgehammer 44
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth metamorphysis
B.P. R.D Hell on Earth end of days
Abe sapien the shape of things to come
Abe sapien sacred places
Abe sapien the darkness so great
Abe sapien the secret fire
and then, the autor proceeds to label these as "read anytime":
Lobster johnson the iron prometheus
Lobster johnson the burning hand
Lobster johnson satan smells of rat
Lobster johnson get the lobster
Frankenstein Underground
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D 1952
Hellboy the midnight circus
Now, the questions:
1 - The site suggests that I read the volume 10 before the volume 8 and 9.
"Hellboy Vol. 7: The Troll Witch and Others
Hellboy Vol. 10: The Crooked Man and Others
B.P.R.D Vol. 1: Hollow Earth and Other Stories"
and also, we have middenway's publishing order, which show that the Hollow Earth was published before the troll witch, so one would think that the correct reading order would Hollow Earth >> Troll Witch >> Crooked men. What should I do?
2 - and then suggests BPRD 12's vol between the volume's 5 and 6. Why??
"B.P.R.D Vol. 5: The Black Flame
B.P.R.D Vol. 12: War on Frogs
B.P.R.D Vol. 6: The Universal Machine"
3 - WHY???
"B.P.R.D: Being Human
B.P.R.D Vol. 10: The Warning
B.P.R.D Vol. 11: The Black Goddess
B.P.R.D Vol. 14: King of Fear
Hellboy Vol. 12: The Storm and the Fury
Hellboy Vol. 11: The Bride of Hell and Others"
4 - While this recommendation suggests that go to BPRD Hell on earth's before going to abe sapien, the site suggests that we should actually go to abe sapien's first, and then pause it to go to BPRD Hell on earth. WHY?!?!?!
5 - According to wikipedia, The Wolves of Saint August, The Corpse and The Iron Shoes were published before the Wake the Devil, but on the trade paperback they chose to put the Wake the Devil before those stories... WHYYY??!!?!?!!??!?!?
After some time I've given up writing the inconsistencies, and some time after that I gave up tracking them. And then, I just curled up into a ball of sadness and tears.
So, what would be the "true" chronological reading order? It seems logical that the publishing order would have the answers, but then, one would think that they decided for example to put the Wake the Devil before the Corpse for a reason, but I can't find any.