Hellgate: London [Paperback]

Ian Edginton (Author), Steve Pugh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hellgate London | Publication Date: June 26, 2007

Few video games have enjoyed such a frenetic buzz around their release as the upcoming Hellgate: London, and with good reason - they haven't had the awesome talent of former Diablo developers and executives working on an inaugural release! Now together as Flagship Studios, these formidable creative minds have developed MI5 agent Lyra Darius discovers a human charnel house in the heart of London while tailing Lord Sumerisle, the recently resigned Home Office Minister for Internal Affairs. She's soon entangled in a bloody intrigue with Knights Templar, and everything is building up to All Hallows Eve! Establishing the raging war against invading demonic forces, Hellgate: London is a must for any fans of gaming and adventure.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Very occasionally a computer game, or even just the idea of one, is enough of a grabber to justify getting the comic book treatment. That's the case with Hellgate: London, a collection of the four-issue series based on the as-yet-unreleased video game from the makers of the wildly popular Diablo computer game. In 2020, London serves as the unfortunate entry point into the human world for an armada of slavering demons from some vile Lovecraftian dimension. The always handy Knights Templar (yep, still around, only now equipped with modern weapons and hypermodern armor) try to head off the demons, but no luck, and the city becomes a charnel house. Cut to many years later, and the city is a Terminator-style wasteland of ashes and bones, while the human resistance continues underground. Much of the plot involves the fragile alliance between the competing human factions, envisioned in strictly medieval fantasy terms. As befitting any game (or soon-to-be game) turned comic, the emphasis is strictly on action, not to mention explicating the different types of characters and weapons likely to be used by players. To that end, Pugh's artwork is extremely energetic, but Edginton's text is strictly off the shelf. (July)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (June 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593076819
• ISBN-13: 978-1593076818
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,237,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Pugh is a British comics professional who has worked for most of the major comic producers on both sides of the Atlantic, including DC COMICS, MARVEL, IDW PUBLISHING, DARK HORSE COMICS and 2000 AD.

He is best known for SAINT OF KILLERS (with Garth Ennis), ANIMAL MAN (with Jaime Delano), and GENERATION X (with Warren Ellis and Brian Wood).

Currently Steve is painting and writing the HOTWIRE series of comics and graphic novels for RADICAL PUBLISHING

His website can be found at StevePugh.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars HELL COMES TO LONDON, November 5, 2007

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hellgate: London (Paperback)

The Hellgate: London TPB collects the four issues series #0 - 3 of this horror/sci-fi story written by one of my favorites, Ian Edginton. Set in London in the near future of 2020, the former Minister for Internal Affairs, Lord Sumerisle, has abruptly quit his office to go in search of his kidnapped granddaughter. She is held by a demon using the blood of innocents to open a gateway to the hellish realms where it comes from so more of its brethren can spill through. Sumerisle is a member of a modern day version of Knights Templar, protecting London from unearthly evil...to no avail.

We cut ahead a 18 years as London has been virtually overrun by demons that have taken over St. Paul's Cathedral as their home base. Sumerisle's granddaughter Jessica is now grown up and a commander in the Knight's Templar as they fight a battle just to survive. A discovery of a hidden text in an ancient book gives the depleted forces hope. A book called Harbor of Knowledge which may contain the secrets to sending the demons back to their own world and sealing off the gate. The book calls for a quest and a joining of forces between a trio of disparate companions...Jessica Sumerisle the Templar Knight, Demon Hunter Captain Petrus, and Cabbalist sorceress Seeker Crowe. All have been battling the demons in their own way and now have to work together to try and fulfill the ancient prophecy and find the hidden book. Their quest will take them deep into the bowels under London to pre-civilization tunnels, long forgotten in the world.

Hellgate: London mixes elements of Sci-fi and horror with a traditional epic fantasy quest plot, all told against a backdrop of urban London. In kind of reverse order, this is a comic based on a computer game as opposed to the other way around. The game was developed by Flagship Studios and is similar in play to the Diablo games, and, in fact, many of those responsible for Diablo helped develop this game. The book reads much like playing a game of Diablo with different character types who are attacked by hordes of enemies.

The Art of Steve Pugh really makes this book standout above the ordinary. In today's comic landscape where so many artists are moving towards a more minimalist, animated look to their art, Pugh gives his work a flair of photo-realism rarely seen in comics today. His characters have, well, character. His work is brooding yet energetic, and brimming with nightmarish images. If there is a complaint about the book it's that the final payoff left you wanting more. Solid book.


REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Deja vu, February 22, 2008

By 

Matthew L. Carr (Hazelwood, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hellgate: London (Paperback)

This is the same comic that comes with the Hellgate: London Deluxe Edition except that this one's actually big enough for you to be able to read it without a magnifying glass. Why they chose to reformat it and shrink it is beyond me.

This comic doesn't come with the regular version of the software which is a shame because it attempts to create a much-needed backstory to the game. You don't learn much about the origins of the various character types but at least you can identify with them more through the comic's story. That's not to say that there's a lot of character development here, though.

Overall, I'd say that absent the game the comic would be hard pressed to stand up on it's own. Absent the comic, the game doesn't have much back-story. If you're interested in the game, by all means get the comic, otherwise you may not get much out of it.

1.0 out of 5 stars incredibly dull, May 23, 2009

By 

Dan Rice "danrice56" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hellgate: London (Paperback)

Amazing that a tale of a futuristic London invaded by demons from another realm could be dull, but this book is. As short as it was, I found myself putting it down now and then to delve into some other more interesting book. It feels thrown together and rushed. Virtually no character development; cliches abound, cheesy lines like "As the prophet said...UP YOURS!"
Virtually no build up to major developments, it's just then this happened. Then this. The end. Strung together with over the top action, which would be fine if it was put forward in a fun way. It isn't. A waste of time.