Hellfighter Quin #1: Harlem Only Has One Champion

From Mad Cave Studios comes Hellfighter Quin #1, an explosive and action-packed series with a fresh look at tournament style fighting, taking lead character Quinlan Jones aka the real Hellfighter on an emotional and bloody ride.

Hellfighter Quin #1 is a book that is easy to have fun with. The premise is simple at first, with a range of clans controling the Azure Sun amidst a competitive fighting circuit that puts fighters into a labyrinth of challenges. Sounds easy enough right? Where the issue stands out is just how much fun it is having. It doesn’t hold back on the violence and even cursing and I like that. It’s not restrained by anything really and despite the wackiness of it all, it’s easy to enjoy.

This isn’t a perfect book, as some of it can get a bit too campy to really land. Some of the dialogue is over-exaggerated and the Quin’s responses can borderline generic at times, but somehow, it also adds to the fact that you really shouldn’t take this book all that serious. It knows how to have fun and that isn’t something that should be held against it. The world building is strong and the character drama balances out the action quite well.

The visuals help to bring a different flair that is definitely impressive, capturing a playful tone but never forgetting to deliver on brutality. Seeing Quin take down the Myrmidon is the moment when I thought to myself, “this is a book that is worth continuing”. It’s campy, but violent as hell (pun fully intended) and shows that it’s a story willing to go places that might be surprising but is well worth sticking around for. Artwork like this can often go overlooked because of it’s stylish approach, but it suits the nature of the story really well and doesn’t get too crazy with proportions or backgrounds to distract from the reading experience.

Some of the lettering can be a bit overbearing as all of the different clans come together. In action packed moments, conciseness of lettering can go a very long way and this issue had a few missteps. But like the dialogue itself, the book makes it pretty easy to not care too much because it’s so fun. This circuit style fighting ring carries more heart than I ever thought it would have, and with a lead character in Quinlan Jones that you can easily root for, this is a series that is very likely to have you coming back for more.