Constantine The Hellblazer #13 - A Review

Compelled not to work against the demon Neron's plan to gain ownership of every soul in New York City, John Constantine is almost out of options. With a little help from his friends he might yet find a way to win. But that doesn't mean he - or his friends - will come out unscathed...

James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle masterfully bring this series to a fitting conclusion that invites comparison to Garth Ennis' Dangerous Habits.Constantine is at his manipulative best here but it spoils little to say that there are unintended consequences to his actions. For John, there always are. And the final pages of this issue are suitably bittersweet.

The story is equaled by the excellent artwork. Eryk Donovan's pencils and inks are as grand as ever, providing us with demons and faeries that look just human enough to be unsettling. The colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick are unusually bright for a horror title of this nature but suit the story well.

I'm going to miss this series. I truly am.

Constantine The Hellblazer #12 - A Review

Trapped in New York City, John finds that his latest boyfriend's daughters have been taken by the demons now ruling the town. Worse yet, Neron has forged an alliance with Papa Midnight and John's former ally Blythe. And they have a rather nasty way of sticking it to John once and for all...
The tensions are building masterfully in the penultimate chapter of this series and this endgame may prove to be as memorable as Garth Ennis' Dangerous Habits. As strange as it is to hear John Constantine - the quintessential Londoner - speaking of the joys of New York City, the writers make it work. I'll be sad to see this series gone after next month. Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV have done a fantastic job on it.
Eryk Donovan may be the best artist yet to work on this book. His demons look truly inhuman while being just human enough to be all the more unsettling for the resemblance. And the colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick continue to impress.

Constantine The Hellblazer #11 - A Review

Look up "reluctant hero" in the encyclopedia and you'll find John Constantine's picture. Still, when a friend calls in a favor, John's willing to play messenger-boy in a futile effort to convince the angels that run Los Angeles to grant refuge to the the dispossessed magic community of New York City.

Once that's done, John is off and running to find a new hideout. Unfortunately, there are those who want to fight Neron's spiritual takeover of The Big Apple and they've recruited Deadman to secure John's aid in their fight... one way or the other.

Given the current Lucifer series, it's so odd for me to see Gabriel whole and hardy as he is here.Then again, this is the new DC Universe and not Vertigo. Odd as it is to think that this series is taking place in the same world as the rest of The New 52. Still, Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV have the patter of the established characters down and the pairing of Deadman and John Constantine is always enjoyable though never quite so filled with slapstick comedy as this outing. Think The Man With Two Brains.

The coloration for this issue is its most noteworthy feature. At first I thought Ivan Plascencia had done a fine job using washed out, muted tones to convey the banality of Heaven's influence during the opening part of the comic. It isn't until the later pages, where John is flying toward New York, that I realized the dull palette was a constant decision. It's a shame, because the colors used by Kelly Fitzpatrick in the middle section of the comic - where Deadman confronts John in a bar - are bolder and more memorable. Travel Foreman and Joseph Silver offer their usual solid performance on pencils and inks respectively.

Constantine The Hellblazer #10 - A Review

The good news is that John Constantine has escaped from Hell. The bad news is that the portal he escaped through led to the realm of Faerie - a land of total chaos where reality is malleable and the locals are wild hedonists. That might sound like John's kind of party but it's really the worst place possible for any human, much less a fixer like John who needs rules to work around. Meanwhile, The Demon Neron advances his plans to take over the spiritual heart of New York City...



This is a solid issue all around. The bits in Faerie are good as is John's moralizing as he once again considers how selfish he's been regarding his current relationship and dragging another Muggle into his life. The scenes with Neron of a different quality, striving for political relevance regarding American Politics. Some may call these moments heavy-handed, but it's not like Hellblazer under Jamie Delano was all that subtle in drawing parallels between Margaret Thatcher's policies and the politics of Hell.
Travel Foreman and Joseph Silver prove grand choices as this month's guest art team.  Foreman's disjointed style is perfectly suited to depicting the chaos of Faerie as well as the horrific denizens of Hell. And Silver's inks find the perfect balance between merely outlining the pencils and shading the artwork. The colors by Ivan Plascencia are well chosen throughout.

Constantine The Hellblazer #9 - A Review

The Demon Neron is getting ready to make a power play for every soul in New York City! But that's of little concern to John Constantine and Papa Midnite, who are literally trapped in Hell.  An old contact of John's may be able to get them out but it will require a deal John can't well refuse.


I'm not sure if there was intentional collusion on the part of the creative team to turn The Demon Neron into a grotesque parody of Donald Trump. Given his new hair-cut and this issue's subtitle The Art of The Deal, I'm pretty sure there was. Either way, it's a fine example of how well the creative team works together in adding lots of little details for the reader to enjoy.
Despite this being a fairly standard tale (by Hellblazer standards, at least) of treacherous people forced to trust each other despite their better judgement, Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV keep the readers guessing. The artwork of Rilley Rossmo has truly grown on me over the past few issues and Ivan Plascencia's colors leaving everything looking devilishly good.

Constantine The Hellblazer #8 - A Review

John Constantine and Papa Midnite have a long history together. It is not a happy association for either of them. So it is with the utmost reluctance that Papa Midnite enlists John's help.  Even when said enlistment involves him threatening the life and soul of John's latest lover.

John's not too thrilled about the arrangement either. But he can't fault Midnite's logic in recruiting him. For Midnite has lost his place of power to a demonic scheme. And John's the only person who has successfully stolen from Midnite and escaped with their body, mind and soul intact. But crashing the VIP Room of The Damned to win it back for Midnite will test even John's base cunning and bravado.


The artwork by Riley Rossmo, Brian Level and Ivan Plascencia is the star of the series this month.  Much of the comic is made up of a series of amazing two-page spreads that are fantastic to look at but hell to scan if you're a comic book critic. Everything looks amazing, though one of the spreads requires the book to be turned sideways - a gimmick from the 1990s I don't miss a bit.

The script by Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV proves equally vivid and detailed. I've never been crazy about the decision to turn Papa Midnite into an arch-enemy of John Constantine but I do like the way the character is handled here. And props to Doyle and Tynion for bringing back The Demon Neron in style and throwing out a reference to Underworld Unleashed.

Constantine The Hellblazer #6 - A Review

John Constantine is back in New York and, for the first time in a long while, free of his ghosts. Unfortunately, things haven't been quiet on the supernatural side of The City That Never Sleeps while he was out of town. And since an honest night's work dealing with the worst of the supernatural world is marginally less taxing than doing the Jedi Mind Trick to convince his landlord that he already paid this month's rent, John is out to make the restless dead a bit more restful... even if he has to hit them over the head with a magical tire-iron to do it!


I'm somewhat torn on this issue. As a Hellblazer purist, the idea of John Constantine indulging in honest work and living anywhere besides London is a borderline blasphemy. And yet the scenes of John's "honest work" are so hilarious and true to form (Only John Constantine would be called upon to deal with the haunted buffet at a strip club!), I'm inclined to forgive James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle the faux pas.


I wasn't originally fond of Riley Rossmo's artwork but it's starting to grow on me. John doesn't look quite so much like Astro Boy here. And if nothing else the various ghoulies and ghosties that John fights throughout this issue are well-illustrated and imaginatively designed.

Constantine The Hellblazer #5 - A Review

Some people are haunted by their old loves. In John Constantine's case, it's no metaphor. His first love Veronica has been transformed into something else, having become unstuck between worlds. And if John is going to put her to rest he'll need the help of the one person he least wants to deal with - Georgina, the prim and proper wizard whom Veronica dumped for John back in their misspent youth.


In a few short issues, Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV have captured the essence of John Constantine in a way that no other comic writers have managed in recent memory. This issue proves a fitting capstone for an opening arc that may be the best introduction to John as a character ever written.

Riley Rossmo is a good artist but I think Ming Doyle, Chris Visions and Vanesa Del Rey are better suited to the material stylistically. That's just a matter of personal preference, mind you. The artwork on this issue does look good. Yet I keep thinking of Astro Boy when I see John's hair in some of Rossmo's work!

Constantine The Hellblazer #4 - A Review

John Constantine's past is haunting him. More than usual and in a far more literal fashion. Try as he might and as much as he drinks, John can't rid himself of the memory of Veronica - the girl who got away and faded away into nothing as the magic she and John sought as young punks took her out of the world. Nor can John rid himself of the demon that stalks his every step, devouring the ghosts of the people he failed that normally torment him.


Again, I must praise this book for its inventive artwork. Vanesa Del Rey returns to illustrate the modern-day portions of the story with a dark grittiness well-suited to the world of John Constantine. The flashbacks are handled by Chris Visions, whose vibrant style captures John's wild past. Ivan Plascencia colors both sections with perfectly chosen palettes.


The story by James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle proves equally enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed the prose of John's description of how magic really works. And while it seems obvious in retrospect, I honestly found myself surprised by the issue's final page on my first read-through.  Well done, all.

Constantine The Hellblazer #3 - A Review

The loss of the ghost of his friend Gary has John Constantine in a nostalgic frame of mind. As he remembers a concert from better days, he seeks out an old... let's say contact, who has made good and become a ghost-hunter for The Crown.  And she just happens to be having a problem with a succubus gone wild that John might be able to lend a hand with...


The scripts for Constantine The Hellblazer seem to be improving with every passing month.  This month's issue gives us our first in-depth glimpse at John's troubled past and show that John was trouble even before he knew enough to be dangerous. The dialogue by James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle is the high point of the book, with a good deal of wit and humor amid the horror.


The artwork for this month's issue is the best this series has seen yet.  Ming Doyle also provides the artwork for the flashbacks, establishing a unique timeless aura to John's punk past.  And the artwork for the present scenes, by Vanesa Del Rey, proves appropriately moody and dark - a perfect fit to the story.

Constantine The Hellblazer #2 - A Review

Owing to shortages and just plain forgetfulness on my part, it's taken me the better part of a month to get my hands on a copy of Constantine The Hellblazer #2. Thankfully, this issue proved worth the wait. Indeed, I dare say this is a far stronger comic than the first issue and a far better representation of your typical (in so far as John's adventures can ever be called typical) Hellblazer tale.


With this issue, James Tynion IV and Ming Doyle have captured the essence of John Constantine. The plot centers upon John's efforts to track a supernatural menace that proves capable of killing ghosts - something that John believes to be impossible. But John is wise enough to know that he doesn't know everything yet remains arrogant enough to believe there is nothing he can't overcome on his own with a little investigation and fishing around.


The artwork on this series has grown on me, after a seemingly erratic first issue.  Riley Rossmo's design for John looks a little less cartoonish and a lot less like Astro Boy this time around.  And the color palette utilized by Ivan Plascencia seems more varied and less washed-out than last time.