So last week I rented Hellboy 2 and ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I had watched the first way back when it was released and just thought it was OK. Since I enjoyed the sequel so much (and subsequently bought the Blu-rays) I decided to check out the comics.

Working my way through the first one right now, and the 2nd book just came in the mail from Amazon. They seem kind of short for the price. I decided not to bother with the big giant book, as cool as it looked since I don't really have the room for those things.

Is there anything I should know, or are they all pretty straightforward? I can just keep buying the sequential volumes, right?

Yeah, the way Dark Horse releases the books, the main thrust of the story is collected in sequential volumes.

Be aware that there is a companion BPRD series; these are likewise collected in serial volumes. The BPRD books are part of the main Hellboy continuity; I can't recall if they're necessarily essential to the main Hellboy series, though. (I think it's sort of like the Buffy and Angel TV series, where you can watch one without watching the other.)

There are also some other Hellboy books that aren't included in the main numbered sequence, like Hellboy Junior (which is sort of a cartoony humor book) and Hellboy Weird Tales (which is a two volume anthology of short stories by other creators). These aren't essential to the main Hellboy series, though, Weird Tales is kind of neat I can't really recommend Hellboy Junior.

Are the BPRD books worth reading? And do they concentrate around the other characters instead of Hellboy?

I had saw the Weird Tales books at Borders over the weekend, maybe i'll pick that up too if I like the rest of them.

Weirs Tales are good. I mainly enjoyed them just to see how the others interpreted Hellboy though.

The Hellboy novels are actually quite good as well.

The BPRD series is good but I would only visit it once you're done with Hellboy.

I've been reading these slowly and just into Book 3. I'm enjoying them, although with only the movies as my basis I guess it surprised me that Liz hasn't done a whole lot in the comics.

agreed! It's definitely worth a look afterward, though!

Finished Book 4. I really like the short stories that are only a few pages long. Pancakes was particularly charming.

Not sure if I have the money to get the next books, but I think i'll re-read the first book after re-watching the first Hellboy movie.

Can anyone recommend (or dissuade me from) the library editions?

I have both volumes of the library editions, and I can compare them to the regular paperbacks because I used to work at Borders and have seen them to. The library editions are a pretty good upgrade over the TPB, if you like Mignola's art you will apreciate seeing them in a expanded form, and the books are very solid and sturdy. Each one collects two trades, I think, so you figure the trades would total about $30 and these library editions go for around $35-$40 on Ebay and Amazon. I think the increased size, the quality of the hardcover book, and the sketches and extra stuff you get in the back on each is worth the extra $10.

I have really enjoyed them. I really hope they will keep releasing them, so far I have seen nothing about the release of a third volume.

The third volume is available for preorder on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Hellboy-Librar...259477&sr=8-13

I have the first two volumes (just picked up the second thanks to Borders' 40% off coupon) and they look great. They're rather big, though.

Hmm I may have to start reading this.

Ok, picked up the first library edition, and you're right, they're huge... almost as big as an Absolute. I'm also really paranoid about pages coming out of their binding, but I hope they're more sturdy than they seem. Also, the material of the hardcover seems like it's going to be a magnet for pet fur...