Adi Shankar's "Devil May Cry" is a labor of love, a passionate reinvention of the eponymous video game franchise that is known (and loved) for its signature eccentricity. Speed and agility are at the core of any "Dmc" gameplay, combined with highly-stylistic combat flourishes that can lead up to insane chain attacks and combos. Beneath these slick, over-the-top sensibilities (which have gifted the community with wondrous memes) lies dense, sprawling lore about demonic rebellions, primordial guardian swords, and the most complex, trauma-infused sibling relationship known to man.

While Netflix's "Devil May Cry" leans confidently towards the franchise's effortlessly cool aesthetics, it also brings the best parts of the often confusing video game lore to life. There are plenty of pleasant surprises here, as Shankar repackages familiar threads into something wholly different. For example, White Rabbit (Hoon Lee) — featured only in the "Devil May Cry 3" manga — is presented as the unexpected antagonist here,...