John Constantine, Hellblazer: The Gift

Written by: Mike Carey, illustrated by Leonardo Manco and Frazer Irving
Year of Publication: 2007, originally published as John Constantine: Hellblazer issues 207 to 215 in 2005 and 2006
Number of Pages: 221 pages
Genre: Grpahic novel, horror, supernatural

Summary: Following a battle with his three demonic offspring, occultist John Constantine is left with most of his friends dead and his sister Cheryl murdered and her soul damned to Hell.
The only solution is for Constantine to make the perilous journey into Hell himself to rescue his sister. However, his only guide is the treacherous demon, Nergal, whose blood Constantine once accepted into his veins. Along the way, Constantine encounters enemies both old and new and quickly discovers that there is far more going on then he could have suspected. As Constantine is pitted against some of the oldest and darkest forces of Hell he is forced to relive painful moments from his past and cofnront the terrible price that must be paid for his powers.

Opinions: This graphic novel contains the final nine issues of Mike Carey's work on the monthly Hellblazer comic book. The book is a powerful piece of urban horror taking the charismatic, chain-smoking "urban mage" and con-man antihero John Constantine into some of his darkest places yet. It collects three linked stories from the series which all follow on from each other, the six part "Down in the Ground, Where the Dead Men Go", the one issue "The Gift", and the two part "R.S.V.P.".
Blending gritty urban reality with startling supernatural horror, this collection is an example of Hellblazer it's best.
This is a must read for fans telling a gripping and disturbing narrative with some powerfully evocative artwork, however it is not recommended for newcomers to the Hellblazer universe, due to it's multiple references to earlier stories and the fact that it is a direct continuation of the previous collection Reasons to be Cheerful.
It also contains probably the bleakest depictions of magic that you are ever likely to find.


"My talents for lying. For sticking the knife in when people least expect it. Then walking away with a smile and a wave before they realise they're bleeding."
- John Constnatine, Hellblazer: The Gift

Comics Round-Up # 5

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER # 280

Written by Peter Milligan

Illustrated by Gael Bertrand, Trish Mulvihill and Sal Cipriano

Published by Vertigo

Phantom Pains, Part Four: Gemma's Story. Gemma Masters is traumatised since her beloved uncle, John Constantine, brutally assaulted her at his wedding. In fact, unknown to Gemma, it was not Constantine that attacked her but a vengeful demon that had taken his form. However Gemma is out for revenge and has summoned a demon of her own to destroy him. Luring Constantine to an abandoned warehouse Gemma unleashes the murderous demon, and comes to a revelation of her own.

In this bleak revenge story, John Constantine finally meets his match in his own neice, Gemma, who has previously been a fairly minor character in the Hellblazer universe. It hearkens back to the wedding issue of the comic that came out about five months ago which categorically shows that Gemma was not attacked by Constantine, and when he comes to, as he believes, rescue her, he has no idea why she has suddenly turned on him. Gemma herself is a complex character who, while feeling betrayed in the most horrific fashion and deeply traumatised, discovers her own avenues of power.

"Trying to turn myself into Gemma Constantine. Maybe tonight I've finally become Gemma Masters."

NORTHLANDERS # 41

Written by Brian Wood

Illustrated by Marian Churchland

Thor's Daughter. The Outer Hebrides, A.D. 990: Birna Thorsdotter is the fourteen year old daughter of a powerful man who pretty much owns the island and is paid by travellers for his advice and opinions. Birna's mother died some time earlier. After her father is murdered by some of his own men, Birna is left completely alone with no status and no protection. Despite her fear and grief, Birna realises that she has to step up and survive in a hostile world and reclaim her birthright.

Northlanders is an endlessly fascinating series. Despite being linked by a common backdrop (the Viking age, approximately the late 8th to 11th centuries in Northern Europe) each storyline is completely self contained with completely different characters and even different artists for each story. This issue contains a single issue story concerning the resourceful Birna Thorsdotter who has to avenge the death of her father and earn her birthright from her family's enemies. The story has the feel of an old folk tale and benefits immensely from beautiful and evocative artwork from Marian Churchland. Treasure this series while you can because apparently it has been canceled by Vertigo and is scheduled to finish in March 2012.

"I was born on these islands, not far from the stones. Sometimes it feels like magic. Sometimes like a prison."

CINDERELLA: FABLES ARE FOREVER # 5

Written by Chris Roberson

Illustrated by Shawn McManus

Published by Vertigo

Cinderella, Fabletown's premier spy, is hot on the trail of the murderous criminal mastermind Dorothy Gale, who is working for a sinister Shadow Fabletown. In an attempt to flush out her enemy, Cinderella decides to deliberately step into a trap that Dorothy has set for her. However, Dorothy has an ace up her sleeve.

This is the fifth installment of a six issue spin off from the popular comic Fables, which featured popular characters from fairy tales and folklore existing in a contemporary universe. This story recasts Cinderella as a secret agent, and Dorothy Gale (from The Wizard of Oz) as a villainous criminal mastermind, along with monsters, magical spoons, witches and wizards and a plot straight out of one of the James Bond books by Ian Fleming (the title is a reference to Fleming's book Diamonds Are Forever and subsequent film). The mix of styles works very well and the story is told with plenty of humour and there are plenty of enjoyable twists and turns along the way. Since this is the fifth of a six part story it's too late really for newcomers to the comic, but wait around a couple of months and check it out when it's released as a graphic novel.

"Don't worry, the fall won't hurt you. But stopping certainly will."

BATMAN # 711

Written by Tony S. Daniel

Illustrated by Steve Scott and Ryan Wynn

Published by DC

Pieces, Part Two. Harvey Dent (aka "Two Face") is shocked to discover that his beloved Gilda is alive after all, despite the fact that he thought he killed her. However Gilda is now with his enemy, mobster Mario Falcone, and is trying to kill him. Dent is then captured by Edward Nigma (aka "The Riddler") and his "daughter" Enigma. To his surprise, the Riddler offers to help him and informs him that Gilda is being held by Falcone against her will. With all the confusion, Dent is desperate to retrieve his "Two Face" coin (one side is clear but the other is badly scarred and Dent uses it to decide whether the Harvey Dent or Two Face part of his psyche should be in control). To complicate the situation for Batman, he has to watch out for Kitrina Falcone (aka "Catgirl") who has gotten in way over her head. The Caped Crusader has his work cut out for him.

It's complex enough in stories when you have two sides being played off against each other, whereas here you have three sides being played against each other with Batman stuck in the middle. It is a dark and complex plot, full of twists and turns and double crosses The main problem being that Batman himself is kind of pushed to the background with all the other stuff going on around him. While this is probably not going to become one of the classic Batman stories it is a solid slice of Gotham City adventure, mixing both action and detection, which will please fans.

"From now on, I'm killing anyone who pops up."

X-MEN: PRELUDE TO SCHISM # 3

Written by Paul Jenkins

Illustrated by Will Conrad and Lee Loughridge

Published by Marvel

A terrible threat is approaching which has the potential to wipe out the entire mutant population. Faced with complete extinction, the X-Men gather at their island base Utopia. As tensions grow among the assembled X-Men, their leader Scott Summers (aka "Cyclops") reflects on his past and the development of his powers as he struggles to come to a decision whether they should stay and fight or whether they should flee.

This is the third of a four part story in which the X-Men prepare for a devestating cataclysm. Each issue has dealt with the soul searching of one of the X-Men leaders (the first issue it was Professor X and the second issue was the turn of Magneto). This is a curious, quiet series focussing primarily on the internal lives of the characters. It provides a lot of interesting backstory and character devlopment and gives a striking impression of an approaching devestating event.

"I'm the one who lost his first battle so convincingly and utterly. Who closed his eyes to all possibilities. Who was accused of closing his eyes to the future."

PICK OF THE WEEK:

NORTHLANDERS # 41

Comics Round-Up # 3

HOUSE OF MYSTERY # 36

Written by Matthew Sturges

Art by Luca Rossi, Jose Marzan Jr. and Darwyn Cooke

Published by Vertigo

Desolation: Part One A psychopathic waiter celebrates killing off his restaurant's clientele with a drink at the House of Mystery, a bizarre house in a borderland between many different dimensions where the first drink is free, but all the others have to be paid for by telling a story. There the waiter confronts the new bartender, Lotus Blossom who can magically make weapons appear out of thin air. Meanwhile a lonely astronaut tells a story of love, rockets and Martians, while series regulars Fig Keele and Harry Bailey are in unexpected places.

This issue starts a new storyline, and is a pretty good jumping-on point for new readers. It opens with a detailed summary of the main storyline to date, and introduces a number of new characters. As always with House of Mystery it features a main storyline and also a short mini-story, illustrated in a completely different style (in this issue it's a science-fiction story which takes a dark look at a pulp staple and is illustrated in a style that strongly hearkens to those comics of the '50s and early '60s). The comic is always a hugely entertaining mix of horror-fantasy, surrealism comedy and even soap-opera elements.

MEMOIR # 3

Written by Ben McCool

Illustrated by Nikki Cook

Published by Image Comics

This is the third of a six issue comic telling the story of a cynical journalist who arrives at a small town to investigate reports that the residents have all lost their memory. Arriving, the journalist begins to receive strange e-mails, and finds himself being pursued by strange shadow-creatures. Added to that is the discovery of a recent mass grave outside of the town, and the arrival of a mysterious and hostile agency who will stop at nothing to discover the town's secrets.

This has been a really involving series, with a genuinely intriguing plot, and some brilliantly moody black and white artwork, which makes great use of shadow (as befits the plot). If you're not reading this yet it is definitely worth checking it out when it is released in a collected form. It is a really good supernatural mystery thriller.

FREEDOM FIGHTERS # 8

Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Illustrated by Travis Moore and Trevor Scott

Published by DC Comics

American Nightmare, Part Eight. The Freedom Fighters are a group of superheroes (or "meta-humans") who led by Uncle Sam, the spirit of the nation, are employed by the US Government to keep the country safe from super-human threats. In this story they are pitted against a ruthless terrorist known as The Jester who believes that America has grown weak and decadent, and has kidnapped the Vice President in order to force the Freedom Fighters to collect components for an ancient, powerful secret weapon, as well as the inmates of a prison full of super-villains.

This series tends not to get a lot of attention and the best issue apparently will be the last. It has an intriguing concept with the way it marries contemporary political concerns with super-hero action, but it doesn't always work. Mostly it comes across as fervently patriotic, but there is a welcome strain of cynicism. The artwork is good, of conventional and the script suffers from trying to cram too much into too short a space but in the end it has been quietly impressive in it's own way.

LET ME IN: CROSSROADS # 4

Written by Marc Andreyko

Illustrated by Patric Reynolds and Dave Stewart

Published by Dark Horse Comics

In a remote small town in Indiana, a serial killing property developer is determined to free up the home and land of a reclusive elderly man, named Thomas, by any means necessary. However he reckons without Thomas' twelve year old "daughter", Abby, a girl who has been twelve for a very, very long time.

This is the final issue of the four part prelude to the 2010 movie Let Me In, which in turn was an English language remake of the 2008 Swedish film called Let the Right One In which itself was an adaptation of a 2004 Swedish novel by John Ajvide Linqvist, about a lonely boy who befriends a 12 year old girl who turns out to be a vampire. The comic series is set immediately preceding the events of the Let Me In film which becomes something of a problem, as it tends to do with prequels because the outcome is never really in doubt. Aside from the two main characters, and some faint story elements, the comic has very little connection to the film, and it can easily be enjoyed if you've never seen the film. Also, if you've seen the film you're not really missing any of the story if you don't check out the comic. There are no origin stories, and none of Abby's secrets are revealed. The art is good and quite evocative. Wisely they don't go for photo-realistic depictions of the movie's stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Richard Jenkins for the look of the characters, although their look is very much based on the actors, instead the art is given kind of a rough look that makes it feel very much like an American gothic piece. It's not bad at all and fans of the film will probably enjoy it.

SWEET TOOTH # 20

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Jeff Lemire and Jose Villarrubia

Published by Vertigo

Endangered Species, Part One. This comic is set in a post-apocalyptic near future where most of the human race has been wiped out by a plague and some have become human-animal hybrids, including the series main character Gus, nicknamed "Sweet Tooth", a nine-year old boy who has antlers and deer like ears, and is travelling with his tough protector, Jepperd, among others to find sanctuary. Three of Gus and Jepperd's companions, Lucy, Beck and Wendy (another hybrid who has a pig-like snout) have been caught in a trap, but are rescued by a seemingly kindly man who offers to take them to his home. Jepperd and Gus set out to find them, but the tension between the two of them hampers their efforts.

This is an interesting and offbeat piece that features some great artwork and an involving story. The wintery landscapes are very well realised and the comic mixes likeable and engaging characters, an involving plot, and a sense of pervasive bleakness. It's certainly recommended.

iZOMBIE # 12

Written by Chris Roberson

Illustrated by Gilbert Henrandez and Laura Allred

Published by Vertigo

Ghost Stories. This series revolves around Gwen, a pleasant, intelligent, attractive young woman, who also happens to be a zombie. In order to keep from becoming a mindless monster she needs to eat a regular supply of human brains. This one-shot story revolves around Gwen's best friend Eleanor, the ghost of a twenty year old woman who died in 1968. In fact the story is set slightly before the rest of the series and Gwen only appears at the end. Eleanor is bored in the cemetary, and spends her time listening to the other ghosts tell their stories: Native American legends of a man who became a fish, a comwboys tales of fighting subterranean zombies in Portland Oregon and Eleanor's own account of how she died among them.

This is a consitently enjoyable series which is notable for a horror title in that it is almost entirely focussed on the female characters. The comic is funny, frequently moving, endlessly inventive and surprising as well as featuring some impressive artwork. It deserves points as well for doing something different with the endlessly overdone zombie genre.

GREEN LANTERN # 64

Written by Geoff Johns

Illustrated by Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin and Tom Nguyen

Published by DC Comics

War of the Green Lanterns, Part One. Former test pilot, Captain Hal "Highball" Jordan, is chosen to join an interglactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps, created by the oldest beings in existence - the Guardians of the Universe. However, the Guardians are becoming deeply concerned about Jordan's reckless ways and potential instability. Particularly since he has apparently allied himself with other unsanctioned members of Lantern Corps, strictly against orders. Jordan and his allies are trying to find a rogue Guardian named Krona who is in posession of seven of the most powerful cosmic parasitic forces in existence - the Entities. However the Guardians order the rest of the Green Lantern Corps to arrest Jordan and stop him by any means necessary.

This is a pretty entertaining blend of science-fiction superhero action, even if the amount of characters and their allegiances and backstory isn't particularly welcoming for new readers. The artwork is very good and there is plenty of exciitng action. You can expect to be hearing a lot more about Green Lantern in the coming months as there is a major film version due for release in July 2011.

VERTIGO RESURRECTED: HELLBLAZER - BAD BLOOD

Written by Jamie Delano

Illustrated by Philip Bond and Warren Pleece

Published by Vertigo

New London in the year 2025 "the Modern Republic of Love". Britain is a totalitarian country controlled by a puritanical President. The Royal family having died off from a mysterious succession of "accidents". The poor live in slum areas known as "No-Gos". The main religion is worship of Princess Diana, and most people are obsessed by endless soap operas and sadistic reality shows on TV. However, it may be that the Royal lineage has not died out after all. The fate of the heir to the throne rests in the unlikely hands of seventy-something occultist John Constantine.

This bizarre mini-series was first published in 2000 but has been reprinted as part of the Vertigo Resurrected strand which has been reprinting various short storylines which don't really fit into ordinary graphic novels or trade paperbacks. This story is possibly one of the strangest Hellblazer stories ever published, and that really is saying something! It ditches the usual urban-horror setting for a dystopian science-fiction story. Also this is an out and out comedy, or more accurately satire, and it is very much a product of it's time, feeling slightly out of date now, even though some aspects seem all too plausible. To get all the references you really need to have some knowledge of British life in 2000, but even it's not a major problem for readers who don't. It's not one of the best Hellblazer stories and is so atypical of the rest of the series that it is really not recommended for newcomers. It is still enjoyable enough though, once you get used to it.

PICK OF THE WEEK:

iZOMBIE # 12

John Constantine, Hellblazer: The Fear Machine

Written by: Jamie Delano, illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Richard Piers Rayner, Mike Hoffman and Alfredo Alcala
Year of Publication: 2008, first published monthly as John Constantine, Hellblazer issue 14 (December 1988) to issue 22 (September 1989)
Number of Pages: 239 pages
Genre: Graphic novels, horror, supernatural

Summary: Occultist and magician John Constantine is accused of a murder he didn't commit. On the run in the English countryside he befriends a group of New Age travellers in particular a young girl named Mercury, who has strong psychic powers, and her mother Marj. He decides to join up with them, until one morning the camp is raided and Mercury is kidnapped. Constantine determines to track her down and follows the trail to London. He discovers that Mercury is being held by a sinister organization who want to use her psychic powers as part of a devestating new weapon known as the Fear Machine. However, Constantine soon realises that the Fear Machine is just part of a much wider conspiracy which reaches to the upper echelons of power in Britain. A conspiracy that is attempting to awaken a powerful supernatural force, older and more terrible than anything that Constantine has yet faced, and he may be far too late to stop it.

Opinions: One of the most striking things about the Hellblazer comic-book series is the way it blends supernatural horror with a recognisable, gritty reality. Another element that sets it apart is the character of John Constantine himself, a charismatic and fundamentally well-intentioned man who nevertheless is very much an antihero, who frequently manipulates, discards and endangers both friends and lovers, who frequently loses and who, when he does win, often does so more through luck than skill.
This story is a good example of early Hellblazer which, despite some of the aspects of the story coming across as quite dated now, nevertheless still stands up well. The only criticism really is that the conclusion is kind of rushed and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. However for the most part the story is interesting and complex and also very bleak, but it also features plenty of the comic's trademark strain of dark humour. Some of the artwork is a little crude when compared to more recent comics but it serves it's purpose, and the original issue covers by Dave McKean and Kent Williams (which are reproduced in this volume) are very impressive.
Another good point about the Hellblazer series is that it is relatively accessible to newcomers. Most of the storylines can be read without having read any of the others in the series, and this one is no exception although there are a few references early on to events that presumably occured in an earlier story.
While this might not be the ideal introduction to the Hellblazer universe, it can still be enjoyed by non-fans, and fans of the series will certainly like it.

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits

Written by Garth Ennis, illustrated by William Simpson, Mark Pennington, Tom Sutton, Malcolm Jones III
Year of Publication: 1996, first published monthly as John Constantine, Hellblazer issues 41-46 in 1991
Number of Pages: 160 pages
Genre: Graphic novel, horror, supernatural

Summary: Working-class sorcerer John Constantine is dying. However it is not due to mystical forces, demons or other supernatural enemies, instead it's because of Constantine's habit of smoking thirty cigarettes a day, which has given him terminal lung cancer. Constantine is determined not to die, especially since he has tricked the Devil himself once too often, and who now can't wait to get hold of Constantine and exact revenge for the rest of eternity. Rapidly running out of time and options, Constantine has to play the most dangerous game there is with the highest stakes there are.

Opinions: This book is a powerful and often moving piece. Outside of the supernatural horror elements, it deals with the cynical and guilt-ridden John Constantine coming to terms with his life and death. The writing is intelligent and often darkly humorous, and complemented by impressive artwork. The book's main skill is that it manages to imbue a storyline which could seem cliched or like a bad TV movie with genuine heart and compassion. One of the things that is so good about the Hellblazer series is it's realism which makes the supernatural elements all the more effective. In all of the darkness and horror, the book celebrates life, and the simple joys of friendship and life itself. However it is still Hellblazer and as such features plenty of gruesome monsters and gore.
The Dangerous Habits storyline was one of the main sources for 2005 film Constantine, the movie adaptation of Hellblazer.

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Original Sins

Written by: Jamie Delano, illustrated by John Ridgway and Alfredo Alcala
Year of Publication: 1992, first published monthly as John Constantine, Hellblazer issues 1-9 in 1988
Number of Pages: 256 pages
Genre: Graphic novel, horror, supernatural

Summary: John Constantine is at first glance an ordinary working-class Englishman from Liverpool. However he is a powerful magician and exists in a shadowy world of black magic, demonic forces and the ghosts of old friends and lovers. Here Constantine finds himself pitted against a grotesque hunger demon bent on consuming the inhabitants of New York, yuppies from Hell who are buying and selling with human souls as currancy, Vietnam ghosts attacking the inhabitants of a small town in America, and sinister religious cults at the vanguard of a catastrophic war between the forces of Heaven and Hell. Through it all only Constantine can save the world, providing he's stocked up on cigarettes and can get down to the pub before it shuts.

Opinions: John Constantine was originally created by Alan Moore in 1985 in the ground-breaking The Saga of the Swamp Thing comic-book series. The Swamp Thing itself, by the way, has a brief cameo in this book. Constantine came about because the artists Stephen R. Bissette and John Totleben, who were both fans of the rock group The Police, approached Moore with the desire a character who looked like Sting. In 1988 Constantine made his debut in his own monthly comic-book John Constantine, Hellblazer which has been published continuously since. Incidentally, the title was originally going to be Hellraiser but was changed to avoid confusion with the 1987 Clive Barker film of the same name.
This book contains the first nine issues of Hellblazer. The book mostly consists of one or two part stories but soon introduces an overall story arch linking them. This is as good an introduction to the Hellblazer universe as anything, although one of the advantages of the comic series is that it is very accessible to newcomers. The series belongs to the genre of urban horror. It takes place in a recognisable time and place, and deals with a lot of the real world political and social problems. It was orginally published in the late 1980s and there is a lot about life in Margaret Thatcher's Britain. Constantine himself is a very morally ambiguous character. Essentially a good person, with a conscience, he tries to do the right thing but is severely flawed and is not averse to using his friends and lovers even if it costs them their lives, and lives with horrible guilt because of it. He is also cowardly and something of a con-man.
The stories are well written and witty and complemented by some decent artwork.