The book store cashier’s reaction kind of sums up the general response to “Hellboy.”

“I didn’t know this was a comic book,” she said.

Many people are only aware of the two “Hellboy” movies directed by Guillermo del Toro. And the new “Hellboy” movie scheduled for release this year.

They know the movies but they don’t know they are “comic book movies.”

Even many comics readers who are aware of the comics created by Mike Mignola in the mid-1990s haven’t read the original stories.

They are missing it. I was missing out until just recently.

With the new movie on the horizon, it’s worth reaching back for the source material.

“Hellboy: Seed of Destruction” Omnibus Volume 1 is the best place to start.

More than 300 pages collect the earliest issues of Hellboy, a demon brought from a dark realm to Earth during the World War II year of 1944. A Nazi ritual led by the mystic Rasputin brought the baby demon over. But instead of being received by Rasputin and his Nazi partners, the baby demon is found by the Allies. 

The demon is raised as a son by a doting professor and becomes an agent in a paranormal strike squad. 

Readers pick up on Hellboy’s adventures 50 years later. 

Nurture over nature has made Hellboy one of the good guys.

And now, about 25 years and two movies later, the “Hellboy” comics are fine reading. The movies, especially the first one, spell out more details of personality for Hellboy and delve deeper into his relationships than the comics … at least, so far as the first Omnibus volume goes.

But there’s plenty here to discover and like. In addition to the opening “Seed of Destruction” storyline, the edition includes the stories “The Wolves of St. August,” “The Chained Coffin,” “Wake the Devil” and “Almost Colossus.”

The majority of the story arcs include the plotting of Rasputin and the work of Hellboy and partners to stymie the mad Russian’s schemes.

The edition includes early illustrations and notes from Mignola on the development of Hellboy and the comic. 

Good stuff. Stuff that will allow one to respond intelligently to the comment “I didn’t know this was a comic book,” with the knowing response of “Yes, yes it is.”