First there was Neon Genesis Evangelion. Not everyone understood everything, but it was good.

Then came 'Eva-R'. There were parts of this too that nobody understood. But it was still good.

Now comes the Gospel of Malachel. The goodness continues.

Gospel of Malachel (GoM) is a continuation Evangelion fic set after the end of the TV series and chooses to delay or ignore the movies at this point. As such, it shares much in common with the well written and lavishly done fic 'Eva-R.' I have even heard one person lay the claim that GoM is nothing more than a pathetic 'Eva-R' rip off.

If that claim is true, then 'Eva-R' is also guilty of the same crime. After all, what is 'Eva-R' but a rip off from 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'?

Instead, I choose to find GoM as a fic that captures the spirit and attitude of the original TV series as well as, and certainly better than most, fan-fictions out there. The atmosphere is similar, the plot movements believable, and the characterizations dead on. If it is a rip off, it is the very best kind.

Even the introduction of the inevitable Sixth Children as an Author Created Character (ACC) is well done and excellently thought out. Terrence (Terry) St. John is a very believable character, sounding, acting, and thinking very much like a regular person. He doesn't bring any special abilities to the fic, and as such refrains from scene stealing like many ACCs do. In that lies the strength of this author's use of ACCs. When I read a fanfic, I'm in it to see the continued lives of the characters I already know and love/hate. ACCs should bring richness to the established characters lives, not the other way around. It is the job of an ACC to interact with the original characters, not the original cast to act as supports for the new guy. The author here has made St. John fit into the cast without the use of any hammers or other blunt objects upon the reader.

And while the author does use the cliche of having the Second and Sixth get into conflict, he does it by giving them a past together. This isn't a simple situation of Asuka not liking the new kid, it's a case where these two already hate each other, each for what they see as justifiable reasons. It's an impressive feat for this fic that I want to knock sense into both their stubborn heads, rather than just thinking the author is engaging in Asuka bashing. I tip my hat to him.

While St. John does start up a relationship with Rei, there certainly isn't a feeling of wish fulfilment involved. He doesn't get the girl right off the mark, but he is stubborn and hard-headed. Good; he'll make more mistakes that way.

For the storyline itself, it follows the traditional theme of more to come after the 17th Angel, this case in the form of harbingers. There is nothing wrong with this, as the author captures the somewhat brooding nature of the original series well. Scenes do not wholly involve Evangelions vrs. Angels, as everyone's least favourite divine messengers don't bother to put in an appearance for at least seven chapters. That leaves a lot of time for character building, people suffering emotional trauma, and the kind of mischief that doesn't necessarily involve billion-dollar mecha. There are mysteries and dark dealings transpiring, with Gendo dead centre of a lot of them.

Gendo's characterization is also a strength of this series. While not given overwhelming screen time, he's not limited to just sitting in the Gendo Position (tm). He has a bit of a life here, and there are two highlights I found to Gendo's portrayal. One is where he plays matchmaker for his son without Shinji knowing anything. As some of us saw in 'End of Evangelion,' Gendo does admit he cares for Shinji. The bit of matchmaking shows, yes indeed he does care. Granted it also helps his own plans for the future, but with Gendo you take what you can get.

Also wonderfully done are Commander Ikari's conversations with Maya. Now with a whole bunch of responsibility dumped on the lieutenant's kawaii shoulders, Gendo shows just how much of a bastard he truly is when he reduces everyone's favourite bridge bunny to a quivering mass of nerves. As Ritsuko notes, "What do you want to do now, drown some kittens?"

Written in standard novelization, GoM is a very easy read and expertly done. While the author certainly has not put as much time into preparing the page set-ups as 'Eva-R' I find I'm enjoying this series more. If for no other reason than it is tightly written. One thing there is not and that I don't miss are the scenes like this that appear in 'Eva-R':

Shinji: ....

Rei: ....

Shinji: ...Rei?

Rei: ...

Shinji: ....

Rei: ...

Shinji: W-would you...

Rei: ...

Shinji: ...

Rei: ...

Shinji: ...like some lunch?

So, summing up: Gospel of Malachel is a well-written, well thought out work that seems only to improve each time I read it. There's a lot of good stuff out there, this is one of them.