Hellsing, Volume 1

“Hellsing” is a triumph of style over substance. I would usually be the first to cry fowl at style outweighing story, but this is one of the few examples where the style becomes the substance. There is still an interesting story in this classic manga, but the further the story progresses the more convoluted and poorly paced it becomes. The final few volumes can be hard to follow as things build to a climax. However the characterization is always good and memorable. Though the characters are not the deepest, they are fleshed out enough to be interesting and play off their situations in ways that makes the action that much better. Even the villains are given enough of a personality and presence to stick with you after the curtain show more drops.
But the star of this manga is the art and it makes everything else tremble in its wake. Nearly every page is a kinetic joyride of line work and detail. Many of the panels are so intricately detailed you could drink them in for a full minute. The persistent use of energy and motion to sell the action makes even small skirmishes enthralling. The use of costume, design, and composition sells every scene. You might call this the height of cool. Alucard, his cohorts, and the villains are brought to life by the riveting artwork.
This is by far my favorite ‘vampire’ story. Not only because the action is visceral, but because the vampires are what they should be: brutal, blood thirsty, and the epitome of suave. If you’re interested in vampires, you can't avoid this for long. If you’re interested in action, give it a whirl. If you’re interested in good storytelling and world-building, you should consider this worth sampling at least. show less

When Alucard opens his eyes in the cold damp dungeon of Hellsing Corp he comes face to face with his new master Sir Integra Wingate and he couldn’t be happier with the arrangement. So begins the chaos that is Hellsing. I absolutely love this manga, a little less by the end than in the beginning, but still five stars worth. It is dark, gritty, gothic and just this side of insane. The baddies are bad, but the hero is even worse. Alucard is a psychotic, blood thirsty, vampire with a rye sense of morbid humor. He truly revels in the carnage he creates. Sir Integra Wingate, who by the way is female, is my favorite type of woman-strong, flinch-less, and in complete mastery of an overpowering mythical force, not to mention an show more assassin-cum-butler and an international ‘peacekeeping’ organization. Granted, Hellsing does take some getting used to. It’s a manga, but set England, the body count is extremely high, and there is enough blood to drown it. But if you like dark manga, Kohta Hirano’s worth reading. show less

This is a very funny and bloody retelling of Dracula. The action is very intense but the dialog is pretty funny. The story has some interesting elements like how vampires are made, what they can do, and good history. Add in some crazy catholic priest with a kill them all mindset and your are in for a good time. The artwork does not impress me but it does fit the series. Victoria Seras the one that the reader will follow into this world. Alucard turns her into a vampire at the beginning of the story and she is how we are going to understand the world. A very interesting and good start to a series.

I give this manga a Four out of Five stars.

Vampires, baby!

Man, it's gory. But it has some great panels too. These are not your sparkly vampires (thankfully).

Final verdict? Gross fun.

A very keen favourite! I liked this originally for the fact the plot was based in England, which I've never seen before in Manga!
Hirano's characters are all captivating, with very strong distinctive personalities. A twist on the original Dracula story which works successfully and is packed full of action, comedy and drama!

Well drawn japanese ultra-violence with a christian and vampire setting. Mostly superficial and posing. Action-packed and addictive though.

A brilliant manga - packed with vampire mythology, awesome characters and a great story. I highly recommend this for manga readers of any kind, as well as vampire enthusiasts.