King of Hell

(Tokyopop, 2003-2009)
™ and © 2002 Ra In-Soo & Kim Jae-Hwan
Black and white series; read right to left.

King of Hell incorporates two well-worn concepts: a demon hunter and a martial-arts tournament. While it doesn’t break new ground with them, at least it gives the concepts a good workout. And the series does have its moments.

For those not familiar with the story, the demon hunter is Majeh. He fits snugly into the lone wolf/surly anti-hero mode. As with all these types, he collects his share of misfit colleagues and vicious enemies. He’s in the midst of a martial-arts tournament, trying to sift the truly human from those who are possessed by his prey. Considering that all participants have some form or other of supernatural fighting ability, that’s no small task.

What sets this series apart is that, while Majeh himself is archetypal, overall the creators have put nice spins on just about every other kung fu stereotype that inhabits this title. Although some of the action sequences are a tad stiff and over-inked, it didn’t interfere too much with the volume in general.

— Steve Fritz

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