Hellgate London(2008).
© Tokyopop

Mania Grade: C
Manga: Hellgate London
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Story By: Arvid Nelson
Art By: J.M
Publisher: Tokyopop
Price: $10.99

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Hellgate London

Science fiction usually depicts the Gates of Hell as a wide portal with all the security of a rickety screen door blowing back and forth in a hurricane. The Hellgate London manga, which serves as the prequel for the video game of the same name, presents the usual crop of terrors who are hell-bent (if you will) on expanding Lucifer's Kingdom to include Earth. All that stands between humanity and a molten bath is a teenage rugby champion and his spunky sister. In other words, not much sets Hellgate London apart from the shelves already stuffed with demon-battling heroes.

John Fowler tends to run with a troublemaking crowd at his prestigious university. When one of his professors digs up the bones of an ancient devil worshipper holding a strangely familiar pendant, he begins to realise why demons have been visiting him in his dreams. John learns of his family's destiny as demon fighters and his own role as a Templar Knight. With Earth on the verge of an invasion from the forces of Hell, John is forced to become familiar with the enemy, starting with a ghastly ancestor dressed in a bird's mask.

Nothing about Hellgate London is very surprising. John acquires a powerful weapon used by his semi-mysterious father who was also apparently a demon hunter. He's aided by his sister, Lindsey, who's full of sass, is suitably sexy and (okay, this is a little different) uses a cricket paddle to brain a demon. Hell's soldiers are of the usual reptilian, melting-flesh type with mouths full of gnashing teeth. One moment of intrigue does occur towards the end of volume one, where John and Lindsey discover that their differing personalities means they are not destined to fight evil in the same manner or with the same motivations.

Regardless, Hellgate London is a bit awkward to read. The setting is London, which Nelson tries to reflect through the characters' dialogue, as well as the surrounding culture. Unfortunately, the dialect jumps all over the place and doesn't sound anything close to authentic: Small remarks like “Me mum worked so hard” are thrown in once in a while as a reminder of where we are, but feel more like intrusions. John and his friends act like typical football jocks who happen to be dressed in rugby sweaters.