Brush up on your Hellboy.

I expect the normal reaction to "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (premiering July 11) to be "Great googly-moogly! Where can I get more of this Hellboy guy?"

I'm so glad you asked.

Hellboy only debuted in 1993, but there's still plenty of good material. And virtually all of it is available on DVD, and in back issues, trade paperbacks or hardbacks, from bookstores, comic shops and Hellboy's publisher, Dark Horse Comics (www.darkhorse.com).

And here's the library I would build, were I starting from scratch:

-- "Hellboy Library Edition Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil": This gorgeous hardcover collects the first two Hellboy stories, which originally appeared as two six-issue miniseries and have been previously collected in separate trade paperbacks. I highly recommend it despite the $49.95 price tag.

"Seed of Destruction" is the seminal Hellboy tale. It relates how the Nazis brought a baby demon to Earth in 1944 to turn the tide of war, how he was rescued by paranormal investigator Trevor Bruttenholm and raised by the Allies to "bump back against the things that go bump in the night," as the biggest gun in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.). It also introduces the undying threat of Rasputin, allies like the pyrokinetic Liz Sherman and amphibian Abe Sapien, the death of Prof. Broom and killer Lovecraftian frogs (which aren't as funny as they sound).

"Wake the Devil" is virtually a sequel, with more Nazis and more Rasputin. But it also introduces Roger the Homunculus (Google it) and features harpies, Hecate and the concept that Hellboy is, in fact, the Beast from the Book of Revelation.

-- "Hellboy Library Edition Vol. 2: The Chained Coffin, The Right Hand of Doom and Other Stories" ($49.95): Another beautiful hardcover, reprinting the Hellboy stories as they appeared chronologically. It includes 15 stories (along with the usual sketches and essays), at least two of which address this whole Beast business. (Spoiler: It's true, but Hellboy declines the "honor." That's why he has those distinctive ovals on his forehead -- those are actually his horns, shaved down to prevent him from turning evil and bringing about Armageddon.)

-- "Hellboy" (2004): The first HB movie lifted elements of "Seed of Destruction" and "The Corpse" ("Hellboy Library Vol. 2") but also told its own story -- and crafted the main characters beautifully. Kudos especially to Ron Perlman, who humanizes HB even under all that makeup, and Selma Blair as the tormented Liz.

-- "Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms" (2006): This anime explores Japanese folklore, including the previously published short story "Heads" ("Hellboy Library Vol. 2"). The movie actors do the voices, which is way cool.

-- "Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron" (2007): Another anime, utilizing some elements of "Wake the Devil" -- including Hecate and the harpies -- but also telling a terrific, old-school vampire story. (And, yes, Perlman & Co. return.)

-- "B.P.R.D. Vol. 3: A Plague of Frogs": There are nine B.P.R.D. trade paperbacks so far, and while each is intriguing in its own way, purists may be dissatisfied that Hellboy creator Mike Mignola neither writes nor draws most of them. So if you're only going to get a few, "Frogs" is where to start, because those darn amphibians are building to the biggest Hellboy story yet. Also, Abe Sapien's origin is told, plus the ectoplasmic Johann Krauss -- who is in the new movie -- plays a significant role.

-- "B.P.R.D. Vol. 9: 1946": Wherein we learn the origin of Prof. Broom. And if that ain't enough: Nazi vampires! Cyborg gorillas! Talking heads in jars! Russian demons disguised as little girls! Really, this is too much fun to resist.

-- "Hellboy: The Lost Army" and "Hellboy: The Bones of Giants" by Christopher Golden: There are eight Hellboy novels and three anthologies, but these first two are the only ones included in the Hellboy timeline. That means they "count," plus they're also really good.

But for beginners, the goodies described above are a good way to get acquainted with the particulars of the Hellboy "universe." There are worse ways to spend a summer.

(Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics(at)aol.com or visit www.captaincomics.us.)