Helck, Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up–In a faraway land, a powerful demon lord has been slain by a hero—but that doesn’t mean the demons are ready to throw in the towel. They hold a tournament in their realm to crown the next demon lord, but it’s an indestructible yet merry human entrant named Helck who stands head and shoulders above any other competitor. This irks tournament organizer Vermilio to no end; she doesn’t want a member of the “enemy race” to be the next demon lord. Helck may be saying all the right things, but does he have an ulterior motive? Readers will love the characters. Helck (whose over-the-top character design is worth the read alone) is a master at playing both sides of the fence, making the story unpredictable. Readers will have fun dissecting clues as to which side he’s really on, making this first volume a total page-turner. Vermilio is nothing if not conspicuous, with humorous outbursts that steal every scene she’s in. The art style flows well with the story, which is for the most part a comedy. It’s a refreshing take on the fantasy-action genre, where a hero-esque human is openly auditioning for…the villain’s role?