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Hellblazer #22
Hellblazer: Staring at the Wall
The apocalypse that has been looming finally arrives, and John Constantine must marshal the most powerful magicians in the world to face the threat. However, once again it turns out to be his friends and family who really save the daybut for a change, its Constantine who pays the price.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
331 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,259 books2,965 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 12, 2016
This was a good volume. The basic story is familiar but the subtle differences make the story. John gets tricked again, and he needs the help of some friends, most notably the Swamp Thing, to help him out. This story feature a villain that goes all the way back to Adam (as in "and Eve) and the world ends up in chaos before things can get sorted out.
This is classic Hellblazer, with everything you've come to expect. The art as usual fits the story well. Hellblazer fans should enjoy.
This is classic Hellblazer, with everything you've come to expect. The art as usual fits the story well. Hellblazer fans should enjoy.
March 7, 2016
With this volume of Hellblazer we get two stories.
The first and far shorter of the two is called ‘Bred in the Bone’ and I just didn’t care for it much. It’s a side-story that follows John Constatine’s niece Gemma while the main plot slowly develops elsewhere. We get a new hybrid monster and the usual mysticism one comes to expect from the series, but there’s nothing really special here. The art is distracting -- the visuals don’t match the tone of the story at all. I didn’t dig it.
Up next is ‘Staring at the Wall.’ This is one of the best Hellblazer stories I’ve read. Constantine’s learned of a monster as old as creation is trying to break down the door into our world. In response, Constantine gathers other gifted magicians to combat the threat, but he is hopelessly outmatched. The beast is set loose upon the world of man, bringing madness and death to all the corners of the globe.
This is about as epic and apocalyptic as I’ve ever seen the story get and writer Mike Carey handles it all brilliantly. It’s dark, nasty stuff as mankind basically holds hands and slowly goes insane. Much of this is bloody mayhem, but we also get some cool mysticism as it all has so much to do with a shared subconscious that’s under attack. Good, weird stuff.
Carey also lends the story a noir attitude with his writing: ‘Through the streets of the cities of men it prowled invisible. The rabid foam of madness trickled from its mouth like sacramental wine.’ Noir horror. Cool.
Add in a strong supporting role for Swamp Thing, plus an ending that sets John on a dark road to nowhere, and you’ve got an excellent read.
If not for the weak ‘Bred in the Bone’, I’d be giving this a 5. The collection will have to settle for a 4. But it’s a strong 4.
The first and far shorter of the two is called ‘Bred in the Bone’ and I just didn’t care for it much. It’s a side-story that follows John Constatine’s niece Gemma while the main plot slowly develops elsewhere. We get a new hybrid monster and the usual mysticism one comes to expect from the series, but there’s nothing really special here. The art is distracting -- the visuals don’t match the tone of the story at all. I didn’t dig it.
Up next is ‘Staring at the Wall.’ This is one of the best Hellblazer stories I’ve read. Constantine’s learned of a monster as old as creation is trying to break down the door into our world. In response, Constantine gathers other gifted magicians to combat the threat, but he is hopelessly outmatched. The beast is set loose upon the world of man, bringing madness and death to all the corners of the globe.
This is about as epic and apocalyptic as I’ve ever seen the story get and writer Mike Carey handles it all brilliantly. It’s dark, nasty stuff as mankind basically holds hands and slowly goes insane. Much of this is bloody mayhem, but we also get some cool mysticism as it all has so much to do with a shared subconscious that’s under attack. Good, weird stuff.
Carey also lends the story a noir attitude with his writing: ‘Through the streets of the cities of men it prowled invisible. The rabid foam of madness trickled from its mouth like sacramental wine.’ Noir horror. Cool.
Add in a strong supporting role for Swamp Thing, plus an ending that sets John on a dark road to nowhere, and you’ve got an excellent read.
If not for the weak ‘Bred in the Bone’, I’d be giving this a 5. The collection will have to settle for a 4. But it’s a strong 4.
July 19, 2010
Every HELLBLAZER writer attempts to tattoo the series with his own indelible mark, and "Staring at the Wall" marks Carey's own foray into leaving a significant scar on the mythology of John Constantine, with fantastic results.
Finally, the sunset that Constantine has been anticipating has arrived, and it arrives in the form of a really big dog, much more frightening than that description can demonstrate.
Be assured: Ennis turned Constantine into a drinker. Jenkins took Constantine to hell and back. Azzarello turned Constantine into a git that never should have set foot on American soil.
In similar fashion, Carey pulls out the stops to ensure that John has another 200 issues of story ahead of him...and that explain won't be revealed here. Suffice it to write, what lies ahead for Constantine is going to be a truly remarkable ride for Carey, as he challenges himself to deal with this, the latest in the long line of tragedies that seem to follow Constantine.
Here, though, the tragedy doesn't befall some innocent that's seemingly caught in John's wake. The tragedy is for John himself. Or is it? Words cannot express how difficult a review of this kind is, without spoiling the shocking conclusion, which could spell the next great chapter in HELLBLAZER mythology!
Hint: What price would you give for a second chance? And is a second chance the best chance you could be given?
Meanwhile, Carey makes short work of those pesky tattoos from "Red Sepulchre," and this critic, for one, couldn't be happier with the manner in which they were dispatched. Despite some early birthing pains, Carey's run shapes up to be a real treat.
Finally, the sunset that Constantine has been anticipating has arrived, and it arrives in the form of a really big dog, much more frightening than that description can demonstrate.
Be assured: Ennis turned Constantine into a drinker. Jenkins took Constantine to hell and back. Azzarello turned Constantine into a git that never should have set foot on American soil.
In similar fashion, Carey pulls out the stops to ensure that John has another 200 issues of story ahead of him...and that explain won't be revealed here. Suffice it to write, what lies ahead for Constantine is going to be a truly remarkable ride for Carey, as he challenges himself to deal with this, the latest in the long line of tragedies that seem to follow Constantine.
Here, though, the tragedy doesn't befall some innocent that's seemingly caught in John's wake. The tragedy is for John himself. Or is it? Words cannot express how difficult a review of this kind is, without spoiling the shocking conclusion, which could spell the next great chapter in HELLBLAZER mythology!
Hint: What price would you give for a second chance? And is a second chance the best chance you could be given?
Meanwhile, Carey makes short work of those pesky tattoos from "Red Sepulchre," and this critic, for one, couldn't be happier with the manner in which they were dispatched. Despite some early birthing pains, Carey's run shapes up to be a real treat.
April 26, 2014
Having finished the Lucifer series I thought I'd see what other books by Mike Carey the library had. I've read a couple other Hellblazer books and decided to get this one. Which was actually third in Mike Carey's series but it was ok to read by itself as they explained the back story quite well. It felt like a good Constantine adventure. I probably liked the first story best which featured John's niece and was all about consequences. The second story was a huge apocalyptic adventure which was quite cool. I really liked the style of art in these it suited the stories, especially the muted colours in the panels. I think it really added to the stories. I've now reserved his other Hellblazer titles and look forward to reading those. Not as emotional as Lucifer but entertaining.
March 5, 2018
By far my favorite Hellblazer volume, mostly because I'm still madly in love with Nathan Arcane. And every issue with Clarice Sackville in it is good. Mike Carey created a great cast, and this is one of those Hellblazer volumes that isn't afraid to make you feel something. Also, it's even funnier than Ennis's Son of Man.
December 6, 2017
The stacks are against John once more and the whole world will suffer from the battle that takes place here. I love the grand scale of this story. Still, the focus is on John and his closes friends. His plan involves brute force, distraction and ultimately the minds of all the people in the world.
John gathers six powerful magicians to kill Kua I'Ipa, the shape-changing shadow dog that has escaped Eden. Prophecy says that it can destroy the world if it escapes the third door. Some people are already going mad and killing each other or themselves in gruesome, senseless ways. Angie had her own adventure on an island where some man-eating kids live. Her brother Jason, also a magician, makes a surprising recovery in an insane asylum and joins John's group.
John gathers six powerful magicians to kill Kua I'Ipa, the shape-changing shadow dog that has escaped Eden. Prophecy says that it can destroy the world if it escapes the third door. Some people are already going mad and killing each other or themselves in gruesome, senseless ways. Angie had her own adventure on an island where some man-eating kids live. Her brother Jason, also a magician, makes a surprising recovery in an insane asylum and joins John's group.
October 19, 2024
Staring at the Wall is an expertly crafted horror story that involves an ancient mythological evil and a lot of ritual dark magic, with a guest appearance by Swamp Thing.
4.5/5
4.5/5
February 8, 2017
7.5/10
November 11, 2011
"Every ray of hope looks like a trick of the light."
Constantine gathers together a group of powerful magicians in order to save the world, but instead he unwittingly brings on the apocalypse. This is a fairly typical Hellblazer story with John callously putting others in harm's way in order to defeat his latest foe. Although, we do get to see his niece Gemma follow in her uncle's footsteps and take the spotlight for a change. I'd never really thought of it before, but Constantine is like all of the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer rolled into one. He's a British occult expert like Giles; he's part demon like Anya; he's a wisecracker like Xander; and he's one of the world's most powerful magicians like Willow. The only thing he's missing is Buffy's super strength.
Constantine gathers together a group of powerful magicians in order to save the world, but instead he unwittingly brings on the apocalypse. This is a fairly typical Hellblazer story with John callously putting others in harm's way in order to defeat his latest foe. Although, we do get to see his niece Gemma follow in her uncle's footsteps and take the spotlight for a change. I'd never really thought of it before, but Constantine is like all of the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer rolled into one. He's a British occult expert like Giles; he's part demon like Anya; he's a wisecracker like Xander; and he's one of the world's most powerful magicians like Willow. The only thing he's missing is Buffy's super strength.
February 8, 2008
This was really great! I mean, I enjoyed Red Sepulchre and thought Black Flowers was even better, but this is one excellent climax to the events in the two previous books. Both Marcelo Frusin's and Doug Alexander Gregory's artwork have a bolder, more stylized look than I'm accustomed to with this series, but once I got used to it I liked it. Frusin's work on "Bred in the Bone" (the first storyline in this book) is particularly effective. My only complaint with Gregory's artwork is that it sometimes made it hard to differentiate between Gemma and Angie -- they're both slender and dark-haired, and with Gregory's tendency to simplify facial features it sometimes made it hard to tell them apart.
December 2, 2015
I remember having read part of this particular story back when it was published in Italy in the pages of "Vertigo Presents", a container magazine that included episodes of Hellblazer, 100 Bullets, Fables, Lucifer and other VERTIGO titles. I also never forgot how much I enjoyed the beginning of this story, especially the first scene where Constantine gathers some powerful sorcerers in a scene that is as much hardboiled noir as it is occult horror.
It took me traveling as far as New York to find the paperback, and finally! The delight in reading this wonderful story. It was as good as the incipit promised, albeit a little bit hastily paced in the end. And the atmosphere as rendered by Marcelo Frusin is simply splendid.
It took me traveling as far as New York to find the paperback, and finally! The delight in reading this wonderful story. It was as good as the incipit promised, albeit a little bit hastily paced in the end. And the atmosphere as rendered by Marcelo Frusin is simply splendid.
April 15, 2012
This is what Hellblazer is all about. The trade is the build-up from the last two and it comes together brilliantly. These kinds of stories are rarely found, but the reason I love Hellblazer so much is that it is such a great vehicle for the kind of thing covered here. I really don't want to say anything about what actually happens as most anything I could say would be a spoiler. Needless, to say Carey has done a great job recreating and developing a cast of supporting characters to paint the world that Constantine lives in. My only issue is that sometimes Gemma and Angie look a little too similar and I occasionally having a hard time knowing which one is which.
January 1, 2014
Having read Carey's own graphic novel series the Unwritten and Lucifer I was familiar with his obsession with the idea of the collective unconscious/human mind/subconscious. To defeat their foe - an unnamed being from the primeval world - Constantine's allies tap into the the creature's own powers of mass mind control to re-create the beast's foe (the dog demon thing). Surprisingly, Constantine acts more as a distraction to the beast, but it can't always be him who saves the world. Though he should get credit for getting the whole effort going in the first place. But now he's lost his mind, so we're off on another random adventure!
February 25, 2016
Mike Carey on osutunud tegelikult päris kõvaks Hellblazeri autoriks, vaat et Jamie Delanoga juba ühel pulgal. See siin on päris vinge lugu saabuvast maailmalõpust. Juba mitu köidet on olnud ähvardavaid ennustusi saabuvast Varjukoeras ja Constantine organiseerib maagide nõukogu talle vastu astuma. Üsna pea aga ilmneb, et Varjukoer pole tegelikult üldse see peakuri, vaid ajab hoopis seda taga. Lõpp on post-apokalüptiline, Constantine hulgub meelemõistuse kaotanult mööda laastatud maailma. Ülihea, tahab lisa.
November 11, 2012
Well, Carey didn't disappoint me. Though not as touching as Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes" (and bearing similarities with the confrontation between Morpheus and Dr. Dee), it left off with the "yeah, Johnny-boy, you didn't screw up in the end, but fuck you, poor bastard" feeling, that's unique to "Hellblazer" series.
August 14, 2010
This volume contains two Hellblazer story arcs: "Bred in the Bone," a vampire story of sorts where Constantine only appears in flashback, and "Staring at the Wall," in which he assembles a team of rag-tag magickers to stop the last beast Adam tried to name from destroying humanity. The first story is nice, as horror fare, though it suffers a bit in the art department. The second story is vintage Constantine--the hard-luck bastard taking on a much more powerful foe.
August 16, 2008
These are not bad, but very confusing if you don't know any more of the backstory than having seen the movie. They are also very dark and I can only do so much of that. I'm enjoying Carey's novel THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, though, and was amused to find one of the characters in one of the hellblazer titles.
March 4, 2014
A suitably apocalyptic conclusion to an ongoing story arc. Carey's plotting is sharp, with a fair number of twists, events which read differently in retrospect and 'oh, should've spotted that's. Only real problem - after the widespread traumatic effects of this story, how does this world come even close to being functional?
September 1, 2009
I'm really torn with this one. I loved the idea and the new characters but I thought the art was poor and that once Carey would get going, some phrase or wording would throw it all off. Still fun though.
February 19, 2014
"There, a classroom of eight-year-olds are now devouring their teacher.
And there an operating theater where patients are carefully, lovingly disassembled.
Let them see for themselves how tame I am. Now that I sit here where all minds
touch were all dreams cross."
And there an operating theater where patients are carefully, lovingly disassembled.
Let them see for themselves how tame I am. Now that I sit here where all minds
touch were all dreams cross."
March 7, 2016
after reading Carey's Lucifer. i knew exactly that his hellblazer run will not fail me. and it didn't.
the artwork was somewhat confusing sometimes. Beriti, Angie and Gemma all look the same to me. lol
but all in all i am giving this 5 stars.
the artwork was somewhat confusing sometimes. Beriti, Angie and Gemma all look the same to me. lol
but all in all i am giving this 5 stars.
July 31, 2025
This is where things fully click for Mike Carey’s run. Little seeds(and some hair) have been planted and have been building to this big confrontation with an interesting big bad. And almost all of John’s cast of secondary characters play a role, including some very cool Swamp Thing bits.
November 24, 2010
Starts out slow, but the final battle is interesting. John is not very likable, but I think that's the point.
October 11, 2013
Much better than the last one for having the eternally smug Constantine in way over his head as he sets out to stop a terrible threat and screws up big-time. Nicely done.
December 23, 2013
Finally a well written Hellblazer. Carey's Constantine is a stylish, driven but flawed bastard. The first two issues in this tpb don't really fit, but otherwise it's brilliant.
March 24, 2016
If you just read one Mike Carey-written Hellblazer graphic novel, make it this one.
January 21, 2018
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3.5/5 stars} (Rounded Up)
STANDARDIZED RATING: <4/5 stars>
STANDARDIZED RATING: <4/5 stars>
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