Have you ever been so strongly convinced about someone having ulterior motives that you obsess over proving it? That very relatable idea is at the heart of this first volume of Helck, which can be neatly divided into two parts. The first half is a straightforward and over-the-top comedy. We have a setup in the form of the demon tournament, we have a wildcard in the form of overpowered hero Helck (who has one of the goofiest handsome faces I have ever seen), and we have our lovable ball of rage in the form of Red, who constantly looks like she's about to pop a blood vessel. If there is one thing I can praise about this book right off the bat, it certainly knows how to go all in with the absurdity of its comedy.

The writing is snappy, with rapid-fire retorts between characters trying their best. If the situations they encounter are somewhat predictable, their dumbfounded reactions make for a good payoff. Much of that comes down to the creator Nanaki Nanao's art, which excels at exaggerated facial expressions despite not relying on overly cartoony character designs; some of the characters, like the titular hero Helck, even feel like they belong to different books. Though Red clearly received most of Nanao's love, she dominates almost every page she is in. She is straightforward to a fault, carries a sense of authority even when she's not the strongest person in the room, and can ride that line between being paranoid and a believable point-of-view character.

This became especially important during the book's second half, where the story tones down the slapstick comedy and focuses more on world-building and whether or not Helck is as honest about his intentions as he claims he is—a question that takes on more dramatic weight in this second half after being initially treated like a comedic punchline in the first, which I appreciate. (Bonus points for leaving me genuinely confused about what role Helck would play in the story by the end of the volume.) Even with the intense facial expression work, Nanao can use shadows and scene layouts to establish an air of mystery and drama effectively.

The writing here is also praiseworthy for its ability to use the setup to accommodate multiple tones. The absence of a demon king has increasingly dire consequences on this world, and additional elements get thrown in to shake up the status quo. Those elements are used to progress the story behind Helck's identity and the lengths Red will go to expose him. That said, the execution of this tonal transition could be better. While there's less focus on the comedy in the second half, it is still very prominent, and it can feel jarring during a moment of suspense only to be caught off guard by attempts at comedy.

Outside of these minor issues, however, this first volume of Helck gets my recommendation for being a fantasy comedy that takes full narrative advantage of its comedic setups.