Manga Review: Hellsing Volume 8

Unbeknown to me, Hellsing Volume 8 manga was released this past July. How did this happen, and I, a huge and devoted fan of Hellsing, miss out on it? I’m thinking our move coupled with the con season created a vacuum in which I had no clue about release dates, doctor appointments, bill due dates, and other such mundane trifles.

All lame excuses aside, after reading Hellsing 8, I realized I would have to re-read it a few times to do a fair and decent review. This was one of only two volumes out of the series that I couldn’t get into immediately. I felt that to give this volume the review it deserved, I would have to let it sit a few days and come back to it for a re-read. Did that. Still felt like I needed more time. Re-read it today and I finally feel like I can review Hellsing 8.

plot summary

London burns. Bodies are everywhere. Manufactured vampires in Nazi uniforms terrorize the British citizens. The fat German who helped orchestrate this chaos watches gleefully from his zeppelin.

Also pouring gasoline into this already raging inferno of doom is the new archbishop of Rome, Enrico Maxwell. He’s brought the full force of the Vatican down upon London.

Both Nazis and Catholics have come to destroy the British Isles, but each have their own reasons.

Now, another element is added to the fray, Alucard; loyal and near indestructible servant of Integra Hellsing. He does only his master’s bidding and is apathetic to London’s plight. Arriving fashionably late to the party, Alucard causes a stir.

He gets down to what he does best, systematic and wholesale destruction of all enemies, when Integra gives him the order:

“Kill all enemies! All that you see!! Dye every last one of our foes through with red.”

Alucard proceeds to release control art system level 0, a level that has never been released before. Powers previously unseen are unleashed upon England’s foes.

The Nazis and Catholics try to scurry to safety but Alucard is a new, improved enemy that they’ve never faced before.

Amidst this new horror, mini dramas unfold as Maxwell and Anderson’s relationship is revealed, Anderson’s dedication to the church is proven, and part of Alucard’s past is unveiled.

review

Cracking open the first 10 pages, I was all set for another coherent, fast-paced, action packed, well-written manga by Hirano. At page 15, I had to do a double take; WTF, why is Alucard so pretty? Huh, odd.

The next chapter in the manga kicked it up a notch and Alucard did another wardrobe change. Not so pretty anymore, eh Al?

Then, things started getting weird. I don’t know how to discuss the discrepancies without spoiling the manga, but there were so many things going on at once that no single moment got the attention it deserved. Everything was too fast.

Explanations that deserved entire chapters flew by instead of taking the time to add much desired depth to the series. After reading the manga the first time I was livid. The gore, action, and characters were there, but not the cohesiveness, not the attention to detail in the story and not the pacing needed for conveying the info which was unloaded.

The wording got pretty lofty at times. I get that Alucard has a past shrouded in nobility and depth, but dear lord:

“Blood is the currency of the soul, the coinage of life. No more than a vehicle in the traffic of life. To suck blood is to make the whole of one’s existence one’s own.”

Right. Nothing much wrong with that statement as a stand alone thought. Yet, think about reading a really deep, lengthy, and profound sentiment on a billboard as you’re traveling by in your Ferrari at 110 miles per hour. Do you really want to slow down when you’re going that fast to sort that out in your head? Or will you be better able to soak in a message that takes into consideration the speed and attention span you have when traveling at said speed?

Maybe this would have been better:

“Blood makes us who we are. If someone takes the blood of another they become that person.”

Yay! Simplicity!

Chapter 8 brought another shift; Alucard as sentimental caring being? Er, OK? Once again, take this new idea in and forge on ahead, hurry, hurry, hurry!

Unfair I say! All these new revelations, massive in scope, get maybe 10 pages, visually, tops, and only about two that lay down anything resembling an explanation.

The inconsistencies in Alucard’s appearance weren’t that huge a deal, but how he was drawn in said various guises was a little off putting. Alucard as bishishounen? Ewwww. I can only guess as to why Hirano decided to draw Alucard in the many ways he did. Maybe he wanted to show the range and power that Alucard possesses, or maybe he was revisiting his “adult” manga days. I don’t know, I couldn’t say as to why he did that, but I can comment that it was distracting in a manga that has thus far been consistent in its inconsistencies.

Volume 8 was like a bullet train through hell; too fast to enjoy the scenery and too much to take in. I hope, pray, and will sacrifice much Pocky on the anime altar to ensure that Volume 9 slows down and does this superb series the justice it deserves.

OneKasugai Half Kasugai Zero Kasugai out of a possible four gummies.