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.