John Constantine Hellblazer: Death and Cigarettes TP by Peter Milligan

Hellblazer #37

by Peter Milligan

John Constantine had no intention of tracking down his long-lost nephew, despite the promise John made to his dead mom. But mysterious circumstances and a series of murders set Constantine out to Ireland in search of his forgotten relative. However, after a séance with his late sister Cheryl, Constantine finds that there might be a lot more connections between his nephew and these set of murders than meets the eye. In this penultimate chapter to Vertigo's longest series, Death and Cigarettes is the latest chapter in critically acclaimed writer Peter Milligan's run on HELLBLAZER.

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

Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Peter Milligan is a British writer, best known for his work on X-Force / X-Statix, the X-Men, & the Vertigo series Human Target. He is also a scriptwriter.

He has been writing comics for some time and he has somewhat of a reputation for writing material that is highly outlandish, bizarre and/or absurd.

His highest profile projects to date include a run on X-Men, and his X-Force revamp that relaunched as X-Statix.

Many of Milligan's best works have been from DC Vertigo. These include: The Extremist (4 issues with artist Ted McKeever) The Minx (8 issues with artist Sean Phillips) Face (Prestige one-shot with artist Duncan Fegredo) The Eaters (Prestige one-shot with artist Dean Ormston) Vertigo Pop London (4 issues with artist Philip Bond) Enigma (8 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo) and Girl (3 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo).

Series:
* Human Target
* Greek Street
* X-Force / X-Statix

Reviews

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suicide Bridge (Annual). A terrific story that touches upon John's past in an interesting way. The themes of lost kids and what happens to John's friends really read through strongly. It's also got beautiful artwork [8+/10].

The House of Wolves (292). It could have been just a werewolf story, but this actually offers some fun connections between John and Piffany [7+/10].

The Curse of the Constantines (293-297). Another great story. Milligan wraps up one of his dangling plot threads while giving us an important story about family and destiny. It casts a new and interesting light on John that I'm sorry we didn't see explored longer [8/10].

Death and Cigarettes (298-300). A great final caper for John, as he jousts with death one last time. His final decision is also great, though I find the ending a little too opaque [8/10].

Overall, Millgan offers Constantine a great send off, with some of the best stories he's written in the book.

And now Vertigo is dead.

[fleegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the final volume of the Hellblazer comic from Vertigo. This makes me sad because every December my Christmas present to myself would be to buy the Hellblazer collections that came out for the year and catch up on my favorite antihero, John Constantine. And now it's over.

Peter Milligan is a fantastic author and he always does/did a great job on the Hellblazer story arcs. This last volume is no exception. In this volume I really loved the Suicide Bridge story and of course, The Curse of the Constantines. I appreciated that they finished out the story of John finding his long-lost nephew.
With this being the final Hellblazer I was expecting John Constantine to die (or "die", I guess.) because how else are you going to end a 25 year series? Go out with a bang, right? I was expecting some kind of huge, magic battle or something. That was not the case. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the ending. But it seems like he goes through an awful lot of trouble just to then... give up?

It was a really good book, and if you've been a Hellblazer fan, you're going get it; how could you not? The very ending might be a bit of a flatline, but the other stories in it are really great.

Let's dork out even further for a moment, shall we?

So Vertigo has cancelled John Constantine, Hellblazer. Meanwhile, DC Comics has rebooted the series to fit in the DCU putting John Constantine in their Justice League Dark series. And, they've given him his own comic, Constantine, where the story starts out with a much younger John Constantine. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time. I get it, a younger Constantine will be more appealing to younger readers, we'll get to have more/different adventures, we'll get to see Constantine interact with others in the DCU. These will all be fun things, yes?

But my concern is, by moving to DC, the Constantine story will lose much of its edge, be dumbed down, and it won't have him railing against British government/politics. So on one hand, I'm excited for a reboot. I'm excited to start a new comic (it started some months ago, but they're only on issue #4, so I can catch up pretty fast.) but I'm scared it's going to be too clean-cut and vanilla. I need my Constantine to be angry, shameless, with a smoke in one hand and a pint in the other.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given that I am a fan of all things DC comics, I have always been curious about their edgier series in the Vertigo line. Never had the courage to check out these titles until I was given the pleasure of reading one for an honest review. I have to say, I’m impressed.

Reading this book was not what I expected, but in a good way. I wasn’t so sure how comics that are grittier than your standard super hero books could be entertaining. Well a few pages in I was hooked and all be cause of the writing. The writing for this book was great. There seemed to be little stories in this book that all tied into the larger plot. Constantine is asked to find his long lost nephew that he had not known existed. He is struggling with whether or not he should actually find him, because he feels his bloodline is cursed. His nephew would be better off not knowing and continue to live his life blissfully unaware of his roots.

The artwork in this particular book isn’t the best I have seen. It is hard not to judge artwork in these books when I have seen such amazing works from Jim Lee, Tony Daniel, and Alex Ross. Still, the arts lack of detail and rough style seems to fit who the character Constantine is. It may not be the best I’ve seen but it works in this context.

This has defiantly peaked my interest in the Vertigo line from DC. I want to get my hands on the first Hellblazer graphic novel now so I can see how this all began. DC has a way of picking writers that can really make the story grab you.

[Alex Sarll]

In which DC's highest-numbered comic, the one title I have bought regardless of who writes it, concludes - the desire for an incoherently 'coherent' universe now being their prime concern. All-ages successor title Constantine was previewed at the end of this, helpfully confirming my decision not to support their foolishness by buying said ersatz pap.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a horrible way to end the series. Granted, the in-joke reference-filled final panel is inconclusive, but it's still obvious that John Constantine was killed. Just where his soul wound up and what state of agony he was left in went unexplained.

This was a series that relied on deep twists and turns to arrive at resolutions. To not have an explicable resolution is pissing in the face of Hellblazer fans.

It's just right out of order.

It made me wish I stopped reading the series as soon as I discovered he'd married. The series devolved into a darker version of East Enders than the supernatural mindfuckery we'd come to love ... and expect.

Of course, in comics, no character ever really stays dead, but not in this case. I tried one of the "reimaginings" of John Constantine, and it was horrible. I even bought four graphic novels of the New 52 nonsense, but I don't think I ever made it past the first page of the first graphic novel.

Death of a beloved character like John Constantine is always sad ... but this time, it was needlessly horrible.

[Jessica at Book Sake · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC reviewed by Chris for <Book Sake.

HELLBLAZER has always been series I’ve wanted to read and never really been able to get to. I’ve read a few volumes and I love John’s snarky attitude, wit and the fact that he is a loveable bastard. Throw in magic, demons and angels and you’ve really got something great. So why haven’t I read them all? There are a lot of them. John’s been around since the late 80′s and he has a long history.

Luckily, each HELLBLAZER volume tends to be self contained. They do make mention of previous events, but the lack of knowledge didn’t hinder enjoyment or understanding of the different volumes. Death and Cigarettes follows suit, but there is a difference. This isn’t just another volume, this is the final volume.

Knowing that fact, this volume feels rushed and incomplete. I haven’t read all 300 issues, but I was still able to tell that this was not an appropriate send off for John. The story felt like it jumped around from point to point and some parts felt unexplained. Even with all that, the story was dark and enjoyable for fans of the occult.

The art duties are split between two artists. I am not a fan of this, I like one clear art style though a book. The second artist, Giuseppe Camuncoli, has a great style that really works for HELLBLAZER. The first artist has a darker, murkier style that didn’t really resonate with me personally. But it was still easy enough to follow.

The ending was ambiguous, very ambiguous. Knowing what little I do know about the HELLBLAZER heritage that may be a perfect ending for Constatine. I could see many fans tearing their copies into little pieces. Think the ‘LOST’ season finale.

All isn’t lost though; Constantine is being reborn as a DC character. Is this a good thing? Only time will tell.


Book Received: For free from publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I was once a steady reader of Hellblazer (I bought it in single issues well into the 150s or so), I kind of fell away from it as it went from one writer to the next, without a lot of real continuity to things. When I had the chance to read this in ARC form, I took it and though it kind of gives a nice, neat sendoff to the character, it still wasn't as good as the comic was once upon a time. There's still a lot of variability in the artwork throughout this volume--some of it is very good, but there's a lot of sketchy, difficult to make out stuff, too. The story branches a bit before Constantine gets set on the track of finding his long-lost nephew. There's some business with a "suicide bridge" and a long missing childhood playmate. Then gears change a bit as a series of bizarre, gruesome ritual murders begin to play out, both in England and Ireland. John thinks it's his nephew who's to blame, reckoning that the Constantine blood is a curse. When Finnbar Brady, the nephew, finally makes his appearance, he's a devoted family man, successful doctor, and runs a couple of successful charities. Is there more to this man than meets the eye? Finally, once that adventure is concluded, John announces that he sees his own death coming in five days' time and there's nothing that can be done to stop it. It was nice to see John married, to Epiphany (Piffy) Greaves, daughter of a local gangster and hard man, and a bit of a mage herself. We also check in with John's surviving mates and relatives and have visits from a few of his more charitable dead friends and supernatural acquaintances. I wasn't totally happy with the storyline that Milligan came up with here, but it does come to something of a conclusion. I guess I wish it could have had just a bit more meaning or a bit more bite to it. **ARC provided by NetGalley

[Anchorpete · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the very last panel of Hellblazer, we see John Constantine, staring at us with a look of great shock/worry/fear/anxiety.

Take your pick, whatever you want it to be. The last three pages of this comic are meant to be ambiguous, open for our interpretation.

I wasn't sure what his look meant, but when I read a review of this book, and the comments in the comment section below, I knew exactly what John was looking at that was terrifying him-

He was looking at fanboys, in their late twenties and thirties, spending their time debating (heatedly) whether Hellblazer took place in its own universe, or in the DC universe. Yeah, John, it terrifies me, too.

Unfortunately, The Constantine that flourished in the Vertigo imprint is gone, replaced by The New 52 version of Constantine, who is a member of the Justice league. Ok, it is the Justice League "Dark", but what the hell, Constantine on the Justice League?

There is a future for characters that have the Constantine name, and it doesn't involve Keanu Reeves. Soon, we will have a Constantine TV show, and if DC is able to get out of their movie slump, we might see a live action Justice Leagure Dark feature put together by Guillermo Del toro. I wouldn't mind seeing that version of Constantine.

My version of Constantine, which I have enjoyed reading near to 300 issues worth of story with, is Gone.

It is sad. I do like the way he went out, and I am not going to lie, I really do feel like I lost a friend. I don't usually like Peter Milligan's work (besides X-statix and early Human Target) but I truly did love his fifty issues of Hellblazer. Warren Ellis, Brian Azzarello, GARTH ENNIS, and MIKE CARREY. Thank you so much for cutting your teeth on John's used Cigarettes. It was a fitting end for one of my favorite journeys in life.

Sandman, ok. Y the Last Man, alright.

Hellblazer, that is what Vertigo is.

[Mike Jozic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't say as I'm glad it's over, nor can I say that I agree with the last couple of pages of the final issue. I can, however, say that this is some fantastic overall storytelling on the part of Milligan, Camuncoli and Landini. To talk any further about my feelings on this final volume would drop too many spoilers so I'll just say that the last 50 issues of this series under Milligan's pen have been absolutely amazing and I couldn't think of a more able writer to bring the whole thing to a close.

End of an era, innit?

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite unlike other Hellblazers I have read, it made me realise how long I must have been out of the loop for (Where on earth did those scars on his face come from???).

There were a few major surprises - John Constantine MARRIED!!! - at first I thought it was a con of some kind.

Anyhow, the biggest surprise was seeing him killed off at the end (This is not a spoiler btw, it is on the cover). I never really expected Constantine to be killed off ever. I had some subconscious notion that the series would always be there.

[Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

And so it ends. Not with a BANG, but with a longish deteriorating whimper, mercifully cut short. Ashes in my mouth. It seems the series is better off dead than getting more and more diluted.

No rehash "Constantine" bollocks for me though. DC can $%&$§ my &%§$

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok-ish ending to the series. Definitely better than the previous few TPBs, that's for sure. Still, better to see it end than to see the series struggle...

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

every time i think about what milligan did to the last run of classic Constantine i cry on the inside

[Ville-Markus Nevalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

After having read some five collections of Hellblazer, the last collection is barely worth reading. Death and Cigarettes collects a number of different storylines, each as disappointingly meh as the last. There are some heavy subjects that the series poorly attempts to look at, suicide, family, betrayal, love, take your pick. The best are barely inoffensive and the worst are just something else.

This run of Milligan's Hellblazer did manage to do some things and then they undermined all of it. Perhaps the best example of this is how Constantine fell in love and married a girl. While I had not read too many of the books, the charaterization of Constantine was done well enough to signal that yes, this is a dramatic change for him, and a good one at that. It was one of the best thing about these stories, showing how a broken man can (attempt) to change. And while sure, his wife is much younger, it did not matter. Not until it was made clear they met when she was in her very early teens and they "already felt something" - while he was a werewolf. It's just... no.

While the other stories are not quite as cringeworthy, the very ending is ambigous in the worst ways, dissapointing and confusing mess that feels like just another end before the next storyline where our witty protagonist faces of demons and whatever other creatures. And perhaps most dissapointing of all, Pat Mills' artstyle has gone down the drain.

And it's a damn shame because John Constantine, and his demonic world, is interesting as all hell.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

All good things must come to an end. I read the entire Hellblazer series this year, and rather then feeling relieved when I finally finished I just wish there were more volumes!

This starts out with Suicide Bridge, which was an annual and a really good story. Then we go into a one shot issue about werewolves, which was pretty cool although seemed like retconning to me. Then we have the Curse of the Constantines arc where John finally fulfills his sister's request and hunts down her long lost son. He's doing great in life, a doctor with a family and very happy. Of course Constantine meeting him changes all of that. The final arc shows what I'm guessing to be the Death of John Constantine....sort of. The ending wasn't what I expected after 300 issues, as I was hoping for something more definitive rather than the somewhat open to interpretation ending. (Sopranos, anyone?)

Overall a good final volume, although of course it wasn't truly the end as Constantine showed up in the New 52. I haven't read that series so I'm not sure how it ties in, but really this was the end of the Hellblazer series as we know it.

Overall I'd give this series 4+ stars. There were a few volumes that were just too weird for me to follow, but overall the entire series had decent art and the storylines were mostly strong.

If you're looking for a really dark horror series unlike anything else in comics, this is the series for you. As I said, sorry to see it end but it was a great ride getting there!

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Constantine experience.
Very well done, well thought out.
It's not my thing, but if you're into the supernatural and ghost/demons... this is for you ( as many already know. This is not exactly a "news flash" - ha ha ha)
I love the lead John Constantine. He's a guy I can get behind; smoking, drinking and sexing. There's some great gory stuff too. I won't discredit it because of my lack of interest in the subject matter.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's over. The whole series done. I have a few side pieces to read and the new reboots but this is all done. I did like the ending. It wasn't as dramatic as I expected and in some ways I am not sure it is a full redemption. It is a full life and he aged about the same as he ought to and that was interesting to see in a comic. So, all in all, I really did like quite a few of the stories and loved John in some weird way.

[Will Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected, a tad bit gimmicky, but damn if I didn't lose a tear or Teo, especially for Epiphany and John. Guess theft means the writers convinced me of the truth of their relationship, their love. It took some serious magic, but Constantine got his in the end, right?

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

And thus ends the saga of John Constantine - or wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. During the last story arc Constantine promised to track down the child that his sister gave up when she was 16, and in typical fashion he decided to break his promise. But of course, promises made in Hell really shouldn't be broken, and he is forced into the quest when some pretty random bad stuff (blood dripping walls, etc) starts happening as a consequence. Ironically, it's not hte actual Constantine-nephew whp's getting up to dirty deeds; it's his older adopted brother who's mis-behaving out of jealousy and trying to pin it on him. John manages to sort out the mess, but the nephew isn't any smarter than the rest of the people who meet John and starts dabbling in the Dark Arts himself. Whoops, there goes his happy family life!

When the end finally comes for Constantine he actually sees it coming 5 days before, and for once in his miserable life he actually prepares properly. Though he manages to fool everyone around him into believing it so that the Fates (kind of a knock off version this time around, but the Kindly Ones of Sandman woldn't have worked in this situation) leave him alone. I'm not sure what kind of spell he managed to fandangle this time, but smoking himself back into life by using his own ashes in place of tobacco is absolutely perfect. Gross, but perfect. What's next for the Laughing Magician? He's apparently off to live the quiet life (no family, no Epiphany, not even Chas), but he's John Constantine and we know he'll be back eventually.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Full review and further notes can be found at www.glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com ]

John Constantine is one of those characters I hate to love - but love I do. He's rough, he can be a real jerk, and he doesn't pull any punches. And maybe the worst part is - he gets people killed, he ruins people's lives.. and he just goes on. But despite all this, I find myself captivated by Constantine and his story. I've recently begun reading Constantine from the early days, and comparing those volumes to this, I'm thankful for how far the Hellblazer series has come. This volume kept me glued to my seat, eagerly flipping through the pages.

Maybe I liked like volume, and indeed this series, because there is always such mystery in it - I'm constantly asking how the heck Constantine can get out of yet another certainly deadly situation. And in this case, well... escape isn't an option. While I do love reading Constantine, I will warn everyone that this volume is not one you should pick up if you are unfamiliar with the series, or if you only know Constantine via the movie with Keanu Reeves. It is also not for the faint of heart - but eh, neither is John Constantine himself.

A note about the art: Very consistent throughout, which is always a plus. I felt all of the characters were accurately portrayed, and expressions were appropriately life-like. The demons were freaky, the humans were human-y, and overall, it was very well done.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So after 300 issues the longest running monthly title on Vertigo comes to its conclusion. Coming from the DC universe to become one of the founding titles of the new Vertigo line twenty years ago, John Constantine now returns to the DC universe. I wish him well but I won't be joining him there - the Vertigo John is one that I love and the one I want to remember.

Peter Milligan becomes the longest serving writer on the series and brings it to a satisfying end with a return to the deeply dark stories that the series started out with. There is a sense of tying off a lot of loose ends but it is done with style. The Constantine name may never die but it won't be the same again.

[Dean liapis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed by this, and I'm not sure why my hopes were so high. I have never really gotten into the character, so perhaps this was a a bad place to begin.

Still, I had an open mind, and just didn't really like it at all. The dialogue was boring, the cases he took on seemed either chaotic or dull, and overall I just wasn't really sure what to make of it. I'd still be interested in checking out the character, but I think i'll choose a trade where someone else is taking over story duties.

[Patrick Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting conclusion to the Hellblazer series, with some good side stories and a proper sendoff. (for John, that is) Pretty crazy that Constantine's been around for almost as long as I've been alive. My biggest criticism is that I'm not actually sure exactly what happens to him at the very end...

Still, I'm OK with the ambiguity. I hear they're rebooting the series under the title Constantine. Hope they don't muck it up.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first stand-alone story, Suicide Bridge, and the finale arc, Death and Cigarettes, but didn't care all that much for the middle part, I have to admit. But the finale arc was brilliant, including the end. It just fitted so perfectly well to the John Constantine we got to know and love in Hellblazer, including the ambiguity of the end.

Stellar writing by Peter Milligan and great art! A worthy end to the character (this incarnation of him at least).

[Gateacre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading JC for over 20 years and this is the final end. Milligan's run hasn't always been my favourite but he definitely finishes on a high with this collection. The ending is suitably maudlin and just feels right.

DC might be launching a 'new' Constantine in the 52 reboot but the JC I know certainly has no place in the DCU or heavens forbid the Justice League!

Goodbye John and thanks for the ride!

[Lauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constantine'i seikluste viimane köide. Igakuiseid vihikuid ilmus lõpuks 300 tk., igasuguseid erinumbreid ja täiendusi ei jõua keegi kokku lugeda. Aga 300 28-leheküljelist numbrit teeb täpselt 25 aastat, päris aukartust äratav vanus tegelikult ühe koomiksisarja jaoks. Selles köites saab Constantine lõpuks surma. Vist. Või ka mitte. Otsad tõmmatakse ikkagi üsna konkreetselt kokku.

[James Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series.


Also glad it ended. Sometimes to make something great, it has to come to an end so you can see how great it is.

Though I'm curious how they can reboot Constatine as a twenty something and make it work.


If you haven't read any of the series, I can't recommend it enough.

[DeAnna Knippling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked everything but that last panel.

*Can* one panel screw up a series? I was left going, "What was that all about?" Ach, the least they could have done was change the name of the pub to "World's End" and put a few non-humans in there. NOT talking the recent movie :)

[Μιχάλης · Rating 4 out of 5]

there goes Johhny. Mr. Constantine we will miss you.

[Jasmiina F · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read a John Constanine comic and I fell in love. I liked the art too, even though it was quite dark. And the cover is just amazing.