Hellsing Volume 5

Honestly at first I didn't like this series...well, the first two volumes were intresting, but they started to ramble a bit with the next two. I wanted to appericate it...but I just couldn't. And honestly I thought the art work was a bit shoddy at first, but it started to improve alot with this volume. Mostly Alucard's insaninty, and the sheer brutality of the series was what kept me intrested. But all of that changed with this volume. When Alucard's true madeness, and ruthlessness was unleashed. Before this book, he was cruel...but in this volume you get to see him for the terrible, merciless monster that he truely is. The slow, and distrubingly beautiful death he delivered in this volume was what resorted my faith in this series. And from there the series only keeps getting better and better, and Hirano focuses more on his characters. Thats one of Hellsing's strongest points, some truely intresting and amusing characters. So to sum up..this isn't a series for the faint of heart, but if you don't mind the brutality and are looking for a unique war/vampire story, this series is your answer.

Amazingly dark and graffic - that is to say it's less words and more killing and more Alucard doing his transformy-awesome-killer-mode-thingy. Unfortunately, there isn't much Alucard - just one very nicely crafted scene *sob, weeep* but it's my favorite in the series anyway because it's so darn AWESOME!! :D Lots of Nazi's, lots and lots and lots of Nazi's, yup, more Nazi's.

Hellsing is already a masterwork, (albeit one in progress,) and volume five, as with all of the other volumes of the manga that have come before, seems to be no different. Hirano has outdone himself yet again, and proven, also yet again, that his style, like a fine wine, only gets better with age. As with any manga series, I recommend you start from the beginning in order to maintain the story's general coherency and provide a more enjoyable experience overall, but if you've read through volume four, then this book is a definite must have! The artwork is excellent and is far more refined than that of the previous four mangas, while the storyline progresses in an adrenaline packed suspense ride jam-packed with the kind of gore and gothic crusader spirit we've come to expect from Hirano. Again, a definite must have for any Hellsing fan.