Hellsing Vol. 1by Barb Lien-CooperReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 I was a big fan of the Hellsing anime when it came out on DVD. However, one thing I didn't like about the series was how it was a tad sparse on explanations and world building. Now, I'm not big into lengthy exposition, but the series was a tad tight lipped on a matter or two. As with many anime series, the explanations were in the manga, not in the series per se. I'm still waiting for the Boogiepop Phantom manga to be published so I can see for myself if I understood the darned anime.Hellsing, the manga, is quite good at giving us just enough explanations to satisfy the reader for the moment. One of the things manga taught me as a comic book writer is to give the reader enough world building to satisfy a reader, while still making him or her want to return to the comic for more. An editor of American comics told me that my comic Gun Street Girl should slow down in terms of pacing, but I'm too influenced by manga pacing (especially in the horror genre) to go back to Western pacing, which I find to be terribly slow and clunky compared to the pacing in the best of the Pacific Rim comics. As Hellsing shows so well, manga throws the reader into a situation headfirst and only doles out the backstory after the reader is hooked. I'm influenced by how manga like Hellsing approaches backstory, as it's just more fluid and realistic than the plodding, staid ways American comics approach the subject. Well, I am semi-hooked on Hellsing. Where this comic book gene split of Dracula and Rex Mundi falls down is the somewhat repetitive violence. Now, I'm fine with ultraviolence. Bring on the blood and guts. But, a few too many anonymous gun fights makes for diminishing returns, especially when, as in the case of an invulnerable priest, the opponent just won't stay dead. Unlike, say, a John Woo action flick or Sergio Leones western film, gun fights in print are a bit static. You've seen one blown off head, you've seen 'em all. Still, it's neat to see Western independent comics' art influence on Hellsing. The look is really exciting and somewhat unique in manga horror. I'm giving the work a seven if you've seen the anime and eight if you haven't. Written: January 16, 2004
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