Tony is a rough-and-tumble jack-of-all-trades with a haunted past. His encounter with Gilver, a mysterious swordsman swathed in bandages, changes his life dramatically for the worse. Tony is thrust into the dark underworld of an unsolvable case, separated from his partner and his loved ones, and pushed over the edge of desperation. Who's forcing him into a corner? What do they hope to achieve?. Devil May Cry Volume 1 is a prequel novel to the game of the same name written by Shin-ya Goikeda with the assistance of Hideki Kamiya, the series creator, and illustrated by Shirow Miwa. It was first published in Japan in 2002 by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., LTD. In 2006 it was released in English by Tokyopop. It spans from the death of Dante's mother Eva until the beginning of the first Devil May Cry. Hideki Kamiya was able to work closely with Goikeda during the development of the novel, stating that his depiction of Dante and Goikeda's depiction are very similar.

