Hellblazer: Hard Time

Hellblazer #16

by Brian Azzarello, Richard Corben (Illustrator), Tim Bradstreet (Illustrator)

John Constantine has lost his freedom and must adapt to life behind bars. Sentenced to a maximum-security penitentiary, the Hellblazer soon learns that there is a whole different set of rules to live and die by within the prison walls. But for a man that is used to making the rules, Constantine quickly realizes that to become king of this castle he will have to fight his way up the ladder through ruthless gangs, brutal guards, and finally to the prison's overlord. Then it will be time for everyone to learn his rules.

Collects issues #146-150 of Hellblazer.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Comic Book, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

About the author

Brian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".

Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).

In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.

As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.

information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Shawshank Redemption!

John Constantine, everyone’s favorite smart-mouthed, Brit, mystic, somehow finds himself behind bars. So get ready to be scared straight.

This is part of Azarello’s run on the title and he gets an artistic assist from Richard Corbin for this story cycle. Corbin, whose unique style can’t be confused with anyone else, doesn’t do a lot of “mainstream” stuff and he probably won’t be illustrating Squirrel Girl any time soon.

So, Jeff, can we expect dreams of puppy farms and bunnies frolicking in a meadow in Constantine’s road to redemption in the big house?

Yes, Random Goodreader, if those bunnies are standing over disemboweled puppies wielding bloody scythes in an abattoir.

That said, I’ll hide some of the, um, more graphic artwork, while still supplying my cheesy, yet classy, comments.



See?

Prison has its own set of rules and accompanying perils. If you don’t play by the rules, you end up dead or someone’s boy toy or worse... Constantine, however, is always a man with a plan to upset the rotten apple cart and being chummy isn’t part of that plan.



His new prison buddies can be quite persuasive with their own methods of keeping things status quo.



Nautilus machine got your tongue?

If you’re dealing with Constantine, then smoking is assuredly, bad for your health. The Surgeon General forgot that warning about using cigarettes in facilitating the dark arts.



So what’s Constantine doing in prison?



Turns out guilt tripped him up somewhere and he’s doing some sort of penance.

This doesn’t stop his adventure from going to hell in a handbasket as the body count starts to climb dramatically.



Bottom line: First, this volume isn’t for the impressionable. Vertigo was definitely stretching the boundaries of what you could publish in a funny book with this one, still, it’s a rough, but interesting ride, if you are so inclined.

Do you have an extra cigarette, mate?

[Thelaurakremer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I severely disliked the fat clown faced art in this one.

[Douglas Cosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love John Constantine. My only complaint is that sometimes his comics are all over the place: one issue doesn't really have much continuity from the previous issue, or the magic can be a bit too much, resulting is some deus ex machina ending needed just to pull it all back together. Hard Time has neither of these problems. Because it all takes place with John in a prison, the setting and magic are limited, and the five issues in this graphic novel (Hellblazer #146-150) all tie together nicely into a single storyline. Don't worry, it is still hard-boiled and over-the-top at the same time, as can be expected from the guy who gave us 100 Bullets, Brian Azzarello.

I definitely recommend this book; however, do not start your Constantine journey here. Much of the fun to be had in this graphic novel is seeing John Constantine, a character you should already know and love, stuck in prison. Getting to know him first here would kill the charm and probably give you a skewed view of who Constantine really is.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Constantine ends up in a maximum security prison, and it's just as cool as you'd think. When a gang of thugs take him into the shower to "welcome" him to the prison, he walks out fine and they all end up on the floor crying and whimpering. And that's just the start.

This was a really good story arc. Just think of putting Constantine into the tv show Oz and you get an idea of what's going on. Hardcore criminals have a hard time dealing with sorcery.

I will say the way he got into the prison, as well as the conclusion of the story were both a little dicey. But the in-between was pretty awesome.

Azzarello was (I think) the first non-british writer to work as a regular on Hellblazer, but he seems to have a pretty good handle on the character. I have to admit a lot of Azzarello's work just confuses me, but this was a fairly straightforward story.

I've been a fan of Richard Corben for years, and his art fits Hellblazer surprisingly well.

This was a good volume, and very different than what's come before. Looking forward to more of Azzarello's run.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I had trouble getting into this Hellblazer installment. The artwork and setting are very, very different from what we've become accustomed to. Constantine has been incarcerated in an American prison, for reasons that we don't learn until the end of the story arc. The artwork is gritty and grotesque; the characters' heads and hands often appear out of proportion to their bodies, facial features protrude, and the action is often illustrated from a perspective that's slightly above head height, as though you are looking down on the characters. This has a disorienting effect that suits the subject matter. I'm told that this is a deliberate homage to similar comics written in the 1970s, which makes sense.
Like I said, at first I had trouble getting into this; besides the artwork, the prison setting is brutal, and since nearly all of the violence comes from normal human beings rather than supernatural sources, it is harder to shrug off. In the end, though, I think what Azzarello and Corben have created here is a truly exceptional chapter in the Hellblazer canon. I read it three times in a row, to make sure I had a complete handle on it, and with each re-reading my respect for the author and the artist grew.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Constantine is a complicated prisoner--both frightened and frightening.

[Joe Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prison is a dirty place. You know the whole “Abandon All Hope…” warning Dante immortally etched over the gates of Hell? I’m sure a lot of prisoners in the American penal system would agree that sentiment parallels their condition. After all, prison is the ultimate bogey-man – in both society and its invasion in popular culture, which contains a king’s ransom worth of prison dramas and prison breaks. So it only makes sense that the pop/counter culture king of dirty, hopeless places arrives to deal with said bogey-man and stakes a claim as his own.

Hellblazer:Hard Time has John Constantine stripped of his trademark overcoat and thrown into an American prison – for reasons not explained until deep in the ultimate chapter, and even then the reasoning is more set-up than answer – courtesy of American crime writer Brian Azzarello. And Azzarello doesn’t pull any punches showing prison life as a hard, dirty, hopeless place. Even smart-talking Constantine begins to have his grasp slip as he falls into nicotine depravity.

Richard Corben’s art is something of an acquired taste. Whereas his cartoony technique works perfectly for the likes of Hellboy, his approach is definitely a deviation from the established styles of artists from previous runs, such as Will Simpson, Sean Phillips, and Steve Dillon. Corben, however, is a master of showing, heat, dirt, sweat and oppression.

"Hard Time" sets up Azzarello’s successful and defining run on England’s bad luck, con artist magician that will place him firmly on American soil for a while. At times, Azzarello can be explicit and gratuitous, a style that will grow weary as his run continues, but brother, such an edge fits exceeding well for this story.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Constantine has lost his freedom and must adapt to life behind bars. Sentenced to a maximum-security penitentiary, Constantine soon learns that there is a whole different set of rules to live and die by within the prison walls. But for a man that is used to making the rules, Constantine quickly realizes that to become king of this castle he will have to fight his way up the ladder through ruthless gangs, brutal guards, and finally to the prison's overlord. Then it will be time for everyone to learn his rules.

Very good story with great Corben art.
Constantine gets to be as complete an un-censored badass as he wants to be without the guilt of having any of his friends die for once.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice covers by Bradstreet as usual.

Corben's art really does not suit this story well at all, I was relieved when they swapped him out.

Azzarello's run is widely disliked by fans, but I found it quite competent. The primary issue seem to be how dark Constantine's character is willing to go, by the end of Hard Time he comes across as more of a monster then a bastard. Personally I find it a valid critique of him.

-I wouldn't recommend new fans to start with Hard Time or any of Azarello's run. You're better off with Delano, Ennis, or Carey as an introduction to the character.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

JC goes to prison. interesting concept and well written. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is the artwork. What is it with this series? The artists range from "meh" to "subpar"...great writers, dark brooding stories and just average artwork. it's my main complaint about this series...and by series I mean Hellblazer...haven't really ever had an issue where the artwork just floored me. But still the writing makes up for it..so if you can deal with art that looks like some college kid in art school drew it you'll be fine...

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Corben is the draw for me with this book. He’s simply a master storyteller and his art for this John Constantine story is first rate. He transforms a straight forward story of our hero with feet of clay who is stuck in prison into a creepy tale of horror. I’ve never been a huge fan of Brian Azzarello’s constant use of slang and phonetic writing in his dialogue but it’s works for me in this prison setting. Good stuff from beginning to end.

[Chelsea Grindstaff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd like this one too much, but I really enjoyed it. It's cool seeing Constantine being a bad-ass who takes over a prison. I shouldn't be surprised, since it is Constantine, but I was impressed anyway.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankfully, this story keeps the abilities that Ellis gave the character to make him a force to be reckoned with even in this brand new setting for him: prison. The convicts never stood a chance.

John gets sent to a US prison. He attracts the attention of a crew of blacks, but the magic is there to help him. He soon stirs all the other gangs against him while allying himself with the most feared group, the lifers led by Stark.

Even though he seems to have everything well in hand, one of the lifers who wants John out of the picture frames him with a guard's murder. John gets sent to solitary confinement where he psychically sets the gangs at each other's throats until they start a riot and take over the prison. An FBI agent gets sent in to negotiate with the prisoners now led by John. It's revealed that John was innocent of the crime that convicted him, but felt responsible for it, so he figured that punishment was due for the bad stuff he did in his life. John agrees to release the prison in exchange for his freedom.

[Uriel Morgenstern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno de los arcos de Hellblazer que mas he releido ¿La razon? Sea cual sea me supera, podria ser el genial e infravalorado arte del gran Corben, las portadas de Bradstreet, el ambiente carcelero retratado con el claro cinismo imbuido en toda escritura de Azzarello.
Podria ser tal vez todo eso y mas, es un conjunto interesante que logra cautivarme aun si la historia es.... Bastante mediocre.
Amo el setting la ambientación y como básicamente Azzarello construye un patio de juegos sangriento para Constantine, sin embargo esto esta desencajado a base de deus ex machina en pos de hacer que constantine se sienta imbatible sin una justificación real

[SBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

John's characterization is excellent.in the end, it becomes clear why he was in prison.and that was exactly what i expected from john. and who is john? one devil, the wicked have come to hell. John has the power to do what ever he wants. He is bastard who creates hell for the prisoners. At the beginning of this art it was a little strange for me. But now i think this is great art and gives a sence of horror to the comic and the face of the characters are alive. Well this is great comic and i love this story.

[Johnathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb entry in the "Hellblazer" series that finds John Constantine in prison for mysterious reasons. However, as the saying goes, he's not locked in with the prisoners, they are locked in with him. Azzarello crafts a gritty story that pushes Constantine character in new directions, along with some innovative ways for him to use his magic (you'll never look at crushed glass again). It is matched by Richard Corben's gorgeous art, which has a gritty and unnerving look, perfect for the story. A true standout in the series.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Constantine y su duro período a la sombra responde al enfoque hard-boiled que caracteriza a Brian Azzarello, muy alejado del filón neo-gótico explotado por sus predecesores. Soluciones más políticas que mágicas, menos introspección y el perfil penal sombrío que consigue el dibujo de Richard Corben. Distinto e interesante.

[David Wagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

It really really tries to be hardcore, but by making Constantine completely undefeatable and using very specific art (which did not work for me at all) it misses the mark by far. Hope that next ones in the series will be better.

[S.B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story. I think this story adepicts all the moral qualities of john constantine. feeling of guilt take his to prison and he uses his intelligence and abilities to run the prison and we finally realize how bastard he is

[Arjun Rajkumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story but not a huge fan of the corben’s artwork. Gets three stars

[Reyel2107 · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best prison comic book ever !!!!

[Juraj Búry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Žiadne "Vykúpenie". Surové, nechutné ľudské peklo. Nie je to to, čo od Hellblazera čakám, ani kresba mi nesadla, ale horor sa vplazil pod kožu aj bez duchov a mágie.

[Massimo Darò · Rating 1 out of 5]

For me, this Is NOT John Constantine, some points are top much forced, i didn't Like the drawings

[Siren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending really picked it all up. Really can't stand Richard Corben's style, though

[Chris Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutally cool.

[Sweet Appetite]

在美漫区翻箱倒箧的多年间，我最不愿也不齿理解的癖好之一并非紧身衣与BDSM文化的联想，而是对雇佣创作模式苛求不存在的连贯性--不同的编剧与画师，谁是正统、谁又在OOC，这仅是一个漫迷群体妄自认为有能力判决的伪事实。所以我与Alan Moore碰拳，对Hellblazer主力消费军统一的说辞不屑一顾。Brian Azzarello的run自然好，一好在它慷慨地拥抱了上述令人尴尬的联想，将其扭曲成一种不可名状的地摊小报素材、更不羞于掩饰自己泛滥而恶俗的趣味。二好在从新纳粹到后工业小镇生态的美国政治针砭。和地摊小报一样，Azzarello的社评多半粗暴或博人眼球，但我欣赏他挑衅的胆识。

[Jeik Dion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had chills several times while reading this. Again, Corben is breathtaking.

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Constantine in prison, now that's something to see. Is it really any surprise that in about 2 seconds he's running the place? It may be his magic that does the physical damage to the other inmates, but John just has the aura of "don't fuck with me" confidence that's pretty hard to beat, even amongst a bunch of tough guy convicts. The lot of them might have been put in prison for vicious murders, but none of them have played witness to the things that John has seen, much less participated in. The real question is: why did John get out of jail so easily> Some kind of trade went down, but what will the consequences be? And was it John's magic that caused the mania in the prison in the first place?

[Jenni Noordhoek · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I'd heard that Hellblazer was good for a variety of reasons. This is not selling me on it. I thought we were going to have supernatural quests and stuff... and trench coats... and while I do agree that John is rather clever, I don't see why I should care about him.

Also I was disappointed that I wasn't able to read Constantine as overly British from his dialogue - just the occasional very British swearing occasionally.

I've got a couple more graphic novel editions to read. Let's see if they're any more interesting.

(Side note: as part of DC's Vertigo imprint, this does live up to the 'mature reader' label with nudity, frequent f-words, sexual dialogue, and gore, without any of the justification that Sandman had. Just know what you're getting into)

[Victor Orozco · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve always heard the most profane things said about John Constantine from his fellow man in the comics. But this one takes the cake at some of the most horrible things John has done.

Basically John Constantine gets himself sent to prison for a crime that he didn’t commit but he’s not exactly helpless. With his knowledge of magic it isn’t too long before he runs the place. But it’s the journey not the destination that matters and the journey to said destination makes for an interesting story.

If you ever read or watched anything on prison life, this book gets that and more. Graphically and disgustingly so. In the end it shows how wicked Constantine is.

Not a bad read. But definitely don’t have much good to say about the protagonist. D+