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Hellblazer: New Editions
Hellblazer, Vol. 1: Original Sins
The very first Hellblazer collection ORIGINAL SINS is available in a new edition that includes John Constantine’s appearances in SWAMP THING. This is the first of a series of new HELLBLAZER editions starring Vertigo’s longest running antihero, John Constantine, England’s chain-smoking, low-rent magus.
This first collection is a loosely connected series of tales of John’s early years where Constantine was at his best and at his worst, all at the same time.
This first collection is a loosely connected series of tales of John’s early years where Constantine was at his best and at his worst, all at the same time.
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2011
1366 people are currently reading
3272 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Delano
462 books347 followersJamie Delano aka A. William James began writing comics professionally in the early 1980s. Latterly he has been writing prose fiction with "BOOK THIRTEEN" published by his own LEPUS BOOKS imprint (http://www.lepusbooks.co.uk) in 2012, "Leepus | DIZZY" in April 2014, and "Leepus | THE RIVER" in 2017.
Jamie lives in semi-rural Northamptonshire with his partner, Sue. They have three adult children and a considerable distraction of grandchildren.
Jamie lives in semi-rural Northamptonshire with his partner, Sue. They have three adult children and a considerable distraction of grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 486 reviews
February 26, 2025
Ok. I get it now.
I've been told to read this over and over again throughout the years.
And for whatever reason, I always thought I had something better to do. Plus, the art style isn't my jam. Scratchy, ugly, dated-looking art has turned me off of more than one great comic.
I'll own that as a weakness.
Ok, so Jamie Delano's Hellblazer is what put John Constantine on the map. That's not to say he created the character, as he became a fan favorite in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. But one thing led to another, which opened the door to this incredibly successful, long-running title.
I think the storytelling and character development really stand out here. The murky hero of the story, who isn't just one thing or another, standing up to the forces of evil without really being completely good himself.
Makes you think that if they can do it, you can too. That sort of thing gives me the warm fuzzies.
Plus, it's just more interesting than seeing some pinnacle of righteousness kicking the shit out of bank robbers without side-eyeing that fat laundry bag full of cash. Because there's a better than average chance that I would supplement my superheroing with a bit of unlaundered drug money if the opportunity arose.
I refuse to believe that I am alone in that.
Good stories, great character.
Highly recommended.
I've been told to read this over and over again throughout the years.
And for whatever reason, I always thought I had something better to do. Plus, the art style isn't my jam. Scratchy, ugly, dated-looking art has turned me off of more than one great comic.
I'll own that as a weakness.
Ok, so Jamie Delano's Hellblazer is what put John Constantine on the map. That's not to say he created the character, as he became a fan favorite in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. But one thing led to another, which opened the door to this incredibly successful, long-running title.
I think the storytelling and character development really stand out here. The murky hero of the story, who isn't just one thing or another, standing up to the forces of evil without really being completely good himself.
Makes you think that if they can do it, you can too. That sort of thing gives me the warm fuzzies.
Plus, it's just more interesting than seeing some pinnacle of righteousness kicking the shit out of bank robbers without side-eyeing that fat laundry bag full of cash. Because there's a better than average chance that I would supplement my superheroing with a bit of unlaundered drug money if the opportunity arose.
I refuse to believe that I am alone in that.
Good stories, great character.
Highly recommended.
July 1, 2019
Now that DC decided to kill Vertigo off for good, I wanted to go through some of the imprint's books that I always wanted to read but haven't yet gotten the chance. Chief among them is the original Hellblazer, one of the most famous Vertigo series with an incredibly impressive list of creators attached to it over the years. But it all started right here, with Jamie Delano and John Ridgway kicking off Constantine's earliest solo stories in comics. I was surprised by how well those stories hold up, actually — even in these very early issues of Hellblazer you can see a lot of the DNA of other famous Vertigo titles that came later, books like Preacher, Sandman, The Invisibles, Shade The Changing Man and tons of others definitely owe a lot of their style and tone to Jamie Delano and what he did with John Constantine right here, in Original Sins. It's definitely not a perfectly smooth read — the book does take a while to really find its groove, but the heart of it is right there from the very first issue. It's also a rare book that managed to not piss me off with its verbose writing style — Jame Delano definitely does cram a lot of narration into his scripts, but it's the kind of dark noir narration that only adds to the thick, suffocating atmosphere of John Constantine's messed up world. The stories here are disturbing and uncomfortable, often veering into questionable territory, and yet Jamie Delano navigates complicated themes of the book with impressive depth and precision. John Ridgway's artwork here is the ideal companion to the story — messy, dirty, often repulsive art style paired with wonderfully experimental techniques and layout make this book look perfect for what it's trying to be. As a result Hellblazer is the quintessential proto-Vertigo book, the one that would lead the way for dozens of other creators in the 90's to create comics' most celebrated titles. Hellblazer is a fantastic read if dark, messed up and morally ambiguous is what you're after, and it's only supposed to get better from here.
September 11, 2020
This held up much better than I remember from the first time I read it years ago. I originally started buying Hellblazer off the comic book rack during the Garth Ennis / Steve Dillon era and went back to find these when I fell in love with the character. At the time, they didn't hold a candle to Ennis's run and DC didn't even bother to reprint most of Jamie Delano's comics for decades. Delano's run is important in that it sets up a lot of world building for the future. Ennis notably builds off what Delano established extensively.
Reading this now in my middle ages, I liked it much better. The first 3 or 4 issues are the best. Setting up the tone of the series, often with some social commentary. They reminded me quite a bit of the horror stories from House of Secrets with that slow burn feel and evil people eventually get their comeuppance. Even John Ridgway's smoky art is reminiscent of those old comics. Early Vertigo comics have a different writing style that modern readers will need to get past to enjoy. They are full of flowery language and prose where modern comics are mainly told through the art.
Reading this now in my middle ages, I liked it much better. The first 3 or 4 issues are the best. Setting up the tone of the series, often with some social commentary. They reminded me quite a bit of the horror stories from House of Secrets with that slow burn feel and evil people eventually get their comeuppance. Even John Ridgway's smoky art is reminiscent of those old comics. Early Vertigo comics have a different writing style that modern readers will need to get past to enjoy. They are full of flowery language and prose where modern comics are mainly told through the art.
April 12, 2018
Well...this was different than what I expected.
I've been wanting to sit down and finally read some Hellblazer. For years I heard good things. I've read other stuff with the mystical fighter in it but never his own series. So I decided to buy volume 1-5 of the Hellblazer series on sale. Is it good? Well...
This is broken into a few different stories. It all mostly revolves around John trying to come to terms of what and who he is. He's done some terrible things in his life and in this story we get a few glimpses of his past. It also talks about a story of a crazy religious cult, political issues, and a guy getting stuck into the world of the internet. Oh and there is a bit of demon play here but not too much.
Good: The art is solid enough. I like the atmosphere and feel, it gives a very British style. I also thought some of the stories were well told, really dark twist, and John is a complex character. Not the typical hero you would come to expect from the DC world.
Bad: It's very heavy, and at times feels more wordy than it needed to be. This is a major issue I have with wordy writers when they give so much writing and don't let the art do their job. This is a big example of that.
Overall this is a interesting first look. I won't lie, at times I was bored. At times I was really interested. It's a 50/50 go. Overall a 3 out of 5. I will keep going though as I hear it gets better and better.
I've been wanting to sit down and finally read some Hellblazer. For years I heard good things. I've read other stuff with the mystical fighter in it but never his own series. So I decided to buy volume 1-5 of the Hellblazer series on sale. Is it good? Well...
This is broken into a few different stories. It all mostly revolves around John trying to come to terms of what and who he is. He's done some terrible things in his life and in this story we get a few glimpses of his past. It also talks about a story of a crazy religious cult, political issues, and a guy getting stuck into the world of the internet. Oh and there is a bit of demon play here but not too much.
Good: The art is solid enough. I like the atmosphere and feel, it gives a very British style. I also thought some of the stories were well told, really dark twist, and John is a complex character. Not the typical hero you would come to expect from the DC world.
Bad: It's very heavy, and at times feels more wordy than it needed to be. This is a major issue I have with wordy writers when they give so much writing and don't let the art do their job. This is a big example of that.
Overall this is a interesting first look. I won't lie, at times I was bored. At times I was really interested. It's a 50/50 go. Overall a 3 out of 5. I will keep going though as I hear it gets better and better.
April 30, 2025
It says a lot for a horror/dark fantasy graphic novel series to have a successful run of nearly 30 years. That’s a good run in any genre, especially in the comic book industry. “John Constantine, the Hellblazer”, the longest-running series in the DC Vertigo line, started in 1987 and ran until 2013. It was resurrected in other titles, and, as of today, is still going. The series inspired a major motion picture and a short-lived NBC TV series.
I’m not sure why I waited this long to finally read “Hellblazer”. Part of it might be due to the 2005 film starring Keanu Reeves, a movie that I didn’t like at all and, frankly, still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yet, the comic series had been running for nearly two decades before the movie, so I can’t exactly blame it on that.
I do know that in 1987, I was in eighth grade. I had other things going on then, and my tastes in comic book genres did not include brooding, philosophical working-class British dabblers in the occult heavy on socio-political commentary with a strong liberal bent. I liked superheroes wearing Spandex, and I was also discovering that I liked magazines with naked women in them. So, there’s that...
Regardless, I’m just glad that I decided to start reading them now. “Hellblazer” is, hands down, one of the coolest graphic novel series I have ever read.
The origins of Constantine are still a mystery to me. Supposedly, Constantine first appeared in the pages of Alan Moore’s now-famous series “Swamp Thing” (It’s on my “to read” list, to be sure), and then writer Jamie Delano and artists John Ridgway and Alfredo Alcala decided that he deserved his own series.
Constantine, as a character, essentially represented everything I didn’t like as a teenager. He had no actual super powers. He was kind of a dick. He smoked. And he didn’t actually help anybody, except maybe occasionally by accident. He also spent a lot of time making fun of Christianity, liberal do-goodism, happy people, etc.
As a 47-year-old, the guy’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a perfect anti-hero.
The first volume, “Original Sins”, compiles issues #1-9 of the series. The very dark (and British) comic book artwork reminds me of a few things---the British comic books “2000 A.D." featuring Judge Dredd (a series that I discovered young and have loved ever since) and some of the early EC horror comics of the 1940s and ‘50s (a late-in-life discovery).
If you were not aware of his origins, in the first several issues, Constantine sets himself as a kind of stereotypical old-school detective, replete with a trenchcoat and a cigarette always dangling from the corner of his mouth. Everything about the comic book screams “noir”. There’s a catch, though, because Constantine isn’t solving the typical crimes. The crimes he’s after have a sinister and supernatural fragrance. They are crimes that most cops or shamuses would write off as unsolvable or too weird.
Constantine is reminiscent of John Connolly’s series involving another brooding detective named Charlie Parker, who also engages in supernatural and otherworldly investigations. Unlike Constantine, though, Parker is empathetic, compassionate, and a decent human being. Strangely enough, I think the two would probably get along, because despite their vast differences in personality, they are, basically, working on the same side.
BTW: There are two compilations of this volume. One was published in 1988 and the other was published in 2011, with two different covers. They both include issues #1-9, but the more recent publication also includes issues 76 and 77 of Swamp Thing, which was where Constantine was first introduced to readers.
I’m not sure why I waited this long to finally read “Hellblazer”. Part of it might be due to the 2005 film starring Keanu Reeves, a movie that I didn’t like at all and, frankly, still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yet, the comic series had been running for nearly two decades before the movie, so I can’t exactly blame it on that.
I do know that in 1987, I was in eighth grade. I had other things going on then, and my tastes in comic book genres did not include brooding, philosophical working-class British dabblers in the occult heavy on socio-political commentary with a strong liberal bent. I liked superheroes wearing Spandex, and I was also discovering that I liked magazines with naked women in them. So, there’s that...
Regardless, I’m just glad that I decided to start reading them now. “Hellblazer” is, hands down, one of the coolest graphic novel series I have ever read.
The origins of Constantine are still a mystery to me. Supposedly, Constantine first appeared in the pages of Alan Moore’s now-famous series “Swamp Thing” (It’s on my “to read” list, to be sure), and then writer Jamie Delano and artists John Ridgway and Alfredo Alcala decided that he deserved his own series.
Constantine, as a character, essentially represented everything I didn’t like as a teenager. He had no actual super powers. He was kind of a dick. He smoked. And he didn’t actually help anybody, except maybe occasionally by accident. He also spent a lot of time making fun of Christianity, liberal do-goodism, happy people, etc.
As a 47-year-old, the guy’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a perfect anti-hero.
The first volume, “Original Sins”, compiles issues #1-9 of the series. The very dark (and British) comic book artwork reminds me of a few things---the British comic books “2000 A.D." featuring Judge Dredd (a series that I discovered young and have loved ever since) and some of the early EC horror comics of the 1940s and ‘50s (a late-in-life discovery).
If you were not aware of his origins, in the first several issues, Constantine sets himself as a kind of stereotypical old-school detective, replete with a trenchcoat and a cigarette always dangling from the corner of his mouth. Everything about the comic book screams “noir”. There’s a catch, though, because Constantine isn’t solving the typical crimes. The crimes he’s after have a sinister and supernatural fragrance. They are crimes that most cops or shamuses would write off as unsolvable or too weird.
Constantine is reminiscent of John Connolly’s series involving another brooding detective named Charlie Parker, who also engages in supernatural and otherworldly investigations. Unlike Constantine, though, Parker is empathetic, compassionate, and a decent human being. Strangely enough, I think the two would probably get along, because despite their vast differences in personality, they are, basically, working on the same side.
BTW: There are two compilations of this volume. One was published in 1988 and the other was published in 2011, with two different covers. They both include issues #1-9, but the more recent publication also includes issues 76 and 77 of Swamp Thing, which was where Constantine was first introduced to readers.
February 23, 2024
Actual rating 3.7 stars.
So much more gritty and intense than anything else coming out at the time.
I knew that it was going to be darker but wasn’t quite expecting what’s actually within these pages.
While I’m not usually a fan of line shading, it works for this series because it adds that grittiness.
Something I was hoping for was John’s humour. Again, it wasn’t exactly like how I was expecting it to be. I certainly did not expect that much self-hate during those last few comics.
He mostly just stands around smoking and says a couple of quips.
Also unexpected; how connected this series and Swamp Thing are.
Made me almost feel FOMO for not reading the series, although that whole Abby situation relieved me of that feeling.
I know this may seem obvious, this collection containing the first issues of his series but it really does give readers a good glimpse of John’s personality and how his actions affect others.
Not to mention how John’s actions affect himself.
Even for someone who doesn't like horror or anything like that, I could appreciate these stories and somewhat enjoy them.
More than anything, I’m glad it’s so different from other comics.
Links to individual status updates:
Issue #1│Issue #2│Issue #3│Issue #4│Issue #5│Issue #6│Issue #7│Issue #8│Issue #9│Swamp Thing #76│Swamp Thing #77│Conclusion
So much more gritty and intense than anything else coming out at the time.
I knew that it was going to be darker but wasn’t quite expecting what’s actually within these pages.
While I’m not usually a fan of line shading, it works for this series because it adds that grittiness.
Something I was hoping for was John’s humour. Again, it wasn’t exactly like how I was expecting it to be. I certainly did not expect that much self-hate during those last few comics.
He mostly just stands around smoking and says a couple of quips.
Also unexpected; how connected this series and Swamp Thing are.
Made me almost feel FOMO for not reading the series, although that whole Abby situation relieved me of that feeling.
I know this may seem obvious, this collection containing the first issues of his series but it really does give readers a good glimpse of John’s personality and how his actions affect others.
Not to mention how John’s actions affect himself.
Even for someone who doesn't like horror or anything like that, I could appreciate these stories and somewhat enjoy them.
More than anything, I’m glad it’s so different from other comics.
Links to individual status updates:
Issue #1│Issue #2│Issue #3│Issue #4│Issue #5│Issue #6│Issue #7│Issue #8│Issue #9│Swamp Thing #76│Swamp Thing #77│Conclusion
January 10, 2022
I own 56 issues of DC / Vertigo Hellblazer comics, from 1988 to 2012. The series ran from 1988 to 2013 (ending at issue 300) and was revived a few times later, the character John Constantine, one of the most successful occult / detective figures in modern comics.
It was easier to read these as a single issue; the heavy, macabre themes and dark tones – demons, Hell, torture, death and other unpleasant subjects, haunt the pages and for me at least are best served up in small packages.
Reading the graphic novel, this one collecting issues #1-9 and Swamp Thing #76-77 (John Constantine made his debut in Swamp Thing #37 in 1985) I had to put it down a few times and look at bright colors for a change. I found listening to Katrina and The Waves helped pick me up out of Constantine’s bog.
Actually, and this is a little weird, I like to listen to Psychedelic Furs while reading Hellblazer. While Alan Moore conceived of the look of John Constantine based upon the pop singer Sting, his solo work and The Police just don’t match up with Hellblazer’s darkness. Some might say, well neither do the Psychedelic Furs, but here we are.
Anyway.
Jamie Delano started this very dark orphic series and wrote the first couple of years and some of the most recognizable stories while John Ridgway handled much of the art in the first few issues. Right out of the gate there are devils and demons and black magic and dark arts and death and bad stuff.
Readers may also pick up on the social and political commentary coming in hot and this element would be an important aspect of this series throughout the run. Constantine as a character is dark and problematic and frequently amoral.
Most definitely not for everyone, but for those inclined towards the murky paranormal, crank up the Butler brothers, have a happy place handy, and enjoy.
It was easier to read these as a single issue; the heavy, macabre themes and dark tones – demons, Hell, torture, death and other unpleasant subjects, haunt the pages and for me at least are best served up in small packages.
Reading the graphic novel, this one collecting issues #1-9 and Swamp Thing #76-77 (John Constantine made his debut in Swamp Thing #37 in 1985) I had to put it down a few times and look at bright colors for a change. I found listening to Katrina and The Waves helped pick me up out of Constantine’s bog.
Actually, and this is a little weird, I like to listen to Psychedelic Furs while reading Hellblazer. While Alan Moore conceived of the look of John Constantine based upon the pop singer Sting, his solo work and The Police just don’t match up with Hellblazer’s darkness. Some might say, well neither do the Psychedelic Furs, but here we are.
Anyway.
Jamie Delano started this very dark orphic series and wrote the first couple of years and some of the most recognizable stories while John Ridgway handled much of the art in the first few issues. Right out of the gate there are devils and demons and black magic and dark arts and death and bad stuff.
Readers may also pick up on the social and political commentary coming in hot and this element would be an important aspect of this series throughout the run. Constantine as a character is dark and problematic and frequently amoral.
Most definitely not for everyone, but for those inclined towards the murky paranormal, crank up the Butler brothers, have a happy place handy, and enjoy.
August 5, 2020
It's rare I find myself reading a book compulsively: that I can hardly resist devouring it and at the same time want much of the experience to last longer; that keep I reading bits of it through the day for breaks from other things and can't wait to get back to it. (This is probably unusual compared with most frequent GR users, who, I assume, feel like this about a lot of what they read, not just once or twice a year at most.) It's even rarer that this coincides with something I'd give 5 stars. Over the last two years, the other closest example has been Virginie Despentes' Vernon Subutex, which, minus the important matter of the comic's supernatural storylines, has plenty in common with John Constantine's scuzzy, urban, ageing-punk world.
Though when I say 5 stars... The two Swamp Thing issues also included in this newer collected volume - where the older one only has Hellblazer 1-9 - aren't as spectacular in their writing as Jamie Delano's Hellblazer; they are more like what I have come to expect as routine from a famous comic. (This sort of thing, as well as cover designs and titles, makes me prevaricate over whether to review the old or new editions of these collected comics - and in this instance the old edition has a higher proportion of the 5-star material.)
Much of the title comic here (especially 1-7) made me question why I'd given even Sandman 5 stars (though I remember how much I loved the characters and story) as my experience of reading this was on a whole other level again. I have never seen such intense verbal description and narration in a comic before. If it had been extended writing, some might argue it was overwritten (whilst others would love it, proudly and defiantly), but its absolute vividness, only a sentence or two at a time, and coupled with pictures, was like experiencing all the best elements of a novel and a film simultaneously, in a way I didn't know was possible. I don't think there is a word that adequately describes this meshing of usually siloed experiences of different formats, but in one's head a new multisensory experience might fire off similarly. Like the first time I saw/walked around in/was inside one of Punchdrunk Theatre's immersive productions. Whilst these comics are highly rated, even the good reviews aren't quite such raves as this one. Some strange alchemy happened for me here.
As is evident from GR reviews, some regular comics readers seem to find Delano's writing overdone or too wordy. (But I've seen 'too wordy' in mediocre ARC comics and this isn't it; the words here do things and have effects, they don't just take up space.) For someone like me who has been reading mostly litfic and classics, this is the sort of writing needed to have this sort of click with a comic. It was very much about the words. Yes, I fell for the character of John Constantine before, in his first storyline in Sandman, and in the TV series (which his creator Alan Moore and quite a lot of long-term readers of the original Hellblazer series don't have time for). But there are all sorts of characters I've felt similarly about over the years and never, when I turned the page in the middle of a chapter, felt ambushed all over again by the vividness of a scene. The difference between that and Swamp Thing 76-77, a crossover storyline that's present for continuity, showed what I loved was the writing in those Hellblazer comics specifically and not simply the presence of a character.
Whilst the Constantine of these early comics is sometimes darker and meaner than those of his film and TV adaptations (who still arguably push the boundaries of what is likeable for a mainstream audience, more so now than fifteen or five years ago when they were made), I certainly found him recognisable here, more than I would have expected from criticisms of the show. I am finding that political polarisation, the increasing "with us or against us" mentality of public life, and purity expected in the arts, is making me more interested in unfashionably complicated established fictional characters like this. (Assuming they have a compelling personality and aspects I connect with and so on; I don't mean I have massive enthusiasm for someone like Joe Biden, who is another same-old same-old politician in a "who's less worse?" scenario). So the least-heroic things that aren't evident from telly Constantine - like instances of hiding and watching and not intervening when bad shit is going off: what most real people would do, but which, by comparison with, say, the Marvel Avengers movies looks cowardly - whilst in another scene he stands up to neo-Nazi thugs: that he is 'bad' and 'good' at different times, inconsistent and real and complicated - means points in these comics' favour as far as I am concerned right now. Yet it surprised me that he, like some of the Avengers, also cries - sobs even, once - and is more emotional in most directions than I expected. Probably because of a lot of current generalisations about older material are actually inaccurate, and this stuff isn't even that old, it's from my own lifetime. But I'm just some Gen X-er taking refuge in Gen-X style characters that a lot of younger people, and some contemporaries, feel should be put by the wayside for now; these cultural cycles happen and are probably necessary on a larger scale.
The Britishness and 80s-ness here were hugely appealing to to me as well, in themselves and also by comparison with blander American films. The narrative may have occasional minor disappointments for the UK reader, like a reference to "soccer" where we would say "football", but a few pages later, it hits the back of the net, when a bloody supernatural crime scene is described as "like a Ralph Steadman cartoon".
For more American esoteric points, there are even early Pynchon and Richard Farina references. And I'm guessing techno hippie Richie may have been named and drawn to invoke Richard Stallman. That, the idea of computing as far out and psychedelic, that was what seems oldest and strangest and most different about these 1980s from this distance. Watching 1980s action films these days makes it abundantly clear that was the decade when the US cultural psyche processed Vietnam - and of course there is a Vietnam-vet subplot here too.
Nor could you have a work about a MLM character from the 80s (though Constantine's bisexuality only gets a slight hint here) and not reference AIDS a couple of times. My greatest disappointment with this volume is that the kind Quentin Crisp lookalike Ray isn't going to be a long-running character, but there were so very many interesting gay men who didn't survive the 80s and 90s.
References to Sudan and famine wouldn't be unexpected in any 80s novel, but the combination with pictures, and proximity to mentions of the 1987 election made it seem like the Six O'Clock News from my childhood was playing in the background of the comic. It's probably because I was a kid then that the politics seems simpler, looking back. (There must have been some people on the left then too arguing that it was important to understand working class Tories, like arguments I've had about Brexit - but one doesn't hear them in the 1980s fiction and comedy that remains popular.) And because I grew up accustomed to alternative comedy on TV and because it's a while since I've seen any satire on the subject, the idea of demon yuppies still seems essentially entertaining more than heavy-handed, though I suspect these ones are just quite well done.
And dammit, I realised whilst reading this that it will even fit into a reading challenge category (where 'classic horror' can include anything published before 2000). On one hand this seems contrary to the ornery spirit of the story and character, yet on the other, as an incidental, almost accidental small win, it correlates with Constantine's life of synchronicity and coincidence.
The only problem is that now I'm apprehensive I won't like the later writers' versions of Hellblazer as much as I love Delano's. Even Garth Ennis, who seems to be a fan favourite (of whom I have the impression from friend reviews of many comics franchises that he's a very action-based writer, perhaps with a terse thrilleresque style). My disappointment with the series under different writers might kick in a lot earlier than it does for established fans.
(GR friends of mine will know that, often, my most gushing 5-star reviews are for odd things that they may not love quite so much themselves, that most other people they know would give 4 stars at most. Stuff *I* really really click with, but you may not if it isn't usually your sort of thing. Pls bear in mind.)
(Read & reviewed August 2020.)
Though when I say 5 stars... The two Swamp Thing issues also included in this newer collected volume - where the older one only has Hellblazer 1-9 - aren't as spectacular in their writing as Jamie Delano's Hellblazer; they are more like what I have come to expect as routine from a famous comic. (This sort of thing, as well as cover designs and titles, makes me prevaricate over whether to review the old or new editions of these collected comics - and in this instance the old edition has a higher proportion of the 5-star material.)
Much of the title comic here (especially 1-7) made me question why I'd given even Sandman 5 stars (though I remember how much I loved the characters and story) as my experience of reading this was on a whole other level again. I have never seen such intense verbal description and narration in a comic before. If it had been extended writing, some might argue it was overwritten (whilst others would love it, proudly and defiantly), but its absolute vividness, only a sentence or two at a time, and coupled with pictures, was like experiencing all the best elements of a novel and a film simultaneously, in a way I didn't know was possible. I don't think there is a word that adequately describes this meshing of usually siloed experiences of different formats, but in one's head a new multisensory experience might fire off similarly. Like the first time I saw/walked around in/was inside one of Punchdrunk Theatre's immersive productions. Whilst these comics are highly rated, even the good reviews aren't quite such raves as this one. Some strange alchemy happened for me here.
As is evident from GR reviews, some regular comics readers seem to find Delano's writing overdone or too wordy. (But I've seen 'too wordy' in mediocre ARC comics and this isn't it; the words here do things and have effects, they don't just take up space.) For someone like me who has been reading mostly litfic and classics, this is the sort of writing needed to have this sort of click with a comic. It was very much about the words. Yes, I fell for the character of John Constantine before, in his first storyline in Sandman, and in the TV series (which his creator Alan Moore and quite a lot of long-term readers of the original Hellblazer series don't have time for). But there are all sorts of characters I've felt similarly about over the years and never, when I turned the page in the middle of a chapter, felt ambushed all over again by the vividness of a scene. The difference between that and Swamp Thing 76-77, a crossover storyline that's present for continuity, showed what I loved was the writing in those Hellblazer comics specifically and not simply the presence of a character.
Whilst the Constantine of these early comics is sometimes darker and meaner than those of his film and TV adaptations (who still arguably push the boundaries of what is likeable for a mainstream audience, more so now than fifteen or five years ago when they were made), I certainly found him recognisable here, more than I would have expected from criticisms of the show. I am finding that political polarisation, the increasing "with us or against us" mentality of public life, and purity expected in the arts, is making me more interested in unfashionably complicated established fictional characters like this. (Assuming they have a compelling personality and aspects I connect with and so on; I don't mean I have massive enthusiasm for someone like Joe Biden, who is another same-old same-old politician in a "who's less worse?" scenario). So the least-heroic things that aren't evident from telly Constantine - like instances of hiding and watching and not intervening when bad shit is going off: what most real people would do, but which, by comparison with, say, the Marvel Avengers movies looks cowardly - whilst in another scene he stands up to neo-Nazi thugs: that he is 'bad' and 'good' at different times, inconsistent and real and complicated - means points in these comics' favour as far as I am concerned right now. Yet it surprised me that he, like some of the Avengers, also cries - sobs even, once - and is more emotional in most directions than I expected. Probably because of a lot of current generalisations about older material are actually inaccurate, and this stuff isn't even that old, it's from my own lifetime. But I'm just some Gen X-er taking refuge in Gen-X style characters that a lot of younger people, and some contemporaries, feel should be put by the wayside for now; these cultural cycles happen and are probably necessary on a larger scale.
The Britishness and 80s-ness here were hugely appealing to to me as well, in themselves and also by comparison with blander American films. The narrative may have occasional minor disappointments for the UK reader, like a reference to "soccer" where we would say "football", but a few pages later, it hits the back of the net, when a bloody supernatural crime scene is described as "like a Ralph Steadman cartoon".
For more American esoteric points, there are even early Pynchon and Richard Farina references. And I'm guessing techno hippie Richie may have been named and drawn to invoke Richard Stallman. That, the idea of computing as far out and psychedelic, that was what seems oldest and strangest and most different about these 1980s from this distance. Watching 1980s action films these days makes it abundantly clear that was the decade when the US cultural psyche processed Vietnam - and of course there is a Vietnam-vet subplot here too.
Nor could you have a work about a MLM character from the 80s (though Constantine's bisexuality only gets a slight hint here) and not reference AIDS a couple of times. My greatest disappointment with this volume is that the kind Quentin Crisp lookalike Ray isn't going to be a long-running character, but there were so very many interesting gay men who didn't survive the 80s and 90s.
References to Sudan and famine wouldn't be unexpected in any 80s novel, but the combination with pictures, and proximity to mentions of the 1987 election made it seem like the Six O'Clock News from my childhood was playing in the background of the comic. It's probably because I was a kid then that the politics seems simpler, looking back. (There must have been some people on the left then too arguing that it was important to understand working class Tories, like arguments I've had about Brexit - but one doesn't hear them in the 1980s fiction and comedy that remains popular.) And because I grew up accustomed to alternative comedy on TV and because it's a while since I've seen any satire on the subject, the idea of demon yuppies still seems essentially entertaining more than heavy-handed, though I suspect these ones are just quite well done.
And dammit, I realised whilst reading this that it will even fit into a reading challenge category (where 'classic horror' can include anything published before 2000). On one hand this seems contrary to the ornery spirit of the story and character, yet on the other, as an incidental, almost accidental small win, it correlates with Constantine's life of synchronicity and coincidence.
The only problem is that now I'm apprehensive I won't like the later writers' versions of Hellblazer as much as I love Delano's. Even Garth Ennis, who seems to be a fan favourite (of whom I have the impression from friend reviews of many comics franchises that he's a very action-based writer, perhaps with a terse thrilleresque style). My disappointment with the series under different writers might kick in a lot earlier than it does for established fans.
(GR friends of mine will know that, often, my most gushing 5-star reviews are for odd things that they may not love quite so much themselves, that most other people they know would give 4 stars at most. Stuff *I* really really click with, but you may not if it isn't usually your sort of thing. Pls bear in mind.)
(Read & reviewed August 2020.)
August 8, 2021
Good ideas but poor execution, or maybe its just me but I can't deal with this style of writing. Just a chore to get through as at points it was just missing a red line to follow. I really wanted to like this but it just feels so dated while not being that good to begin with. As I said the ideas and the characters itself aren't bad just the way they are told.
Themes as well as concepts seem like they are working at first but then you realize they are lesser knock offs of other popular media from that time period, which is even referenced directly in some issues (at least that)... no this can't win me over. There are some funny jokes in there that made me laugh which kind of softened the blow as well as the ending, which makes up a bit for the rest of the book.
What it had going for it was that its targeted at a mature audience, but it just wastes that completely with extremes plastered all over going from one cliche to the next. Well.. I don't even wanna get into the art.
Expectations may have had a part in totally turning this into one big disappointment.
I will tho continue the series, as I am told it will get better eventually.
Because I love vertigo it barely gets an 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Themes as well as concepts seem like they are working at first but then you realize they are lesser knock offs of other popular media from that time period, which is even referenced directly in some issues (at least that)... no this can't win me over. There are some funny jokes in there that made me laugh which kind of softened the blow as well as the ending, which makes up a bit for the rest of the book.
What it had going for it was that its targeted at a mature audience, but it just wastes that completely with extremes plastered all over going from one cliche to the next. Well.. I don't even wanna get into the art.
Expectations may have had a part in totally turning this into one big disappointment.
I will tho continue the series, as I am told it will get better eventually.
Because I love vertigo it barely gets an 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
September 10, 2020
It takes me ages to read Hellblazer strips because I find myself painstakingly doing a Liverpudlian accent for John Constantine in my head. This is one of the things that was so annoying about the screen adaptations of the character, because Keanu just plays him as American, and Matt Ryan starts off in his natural Welsh accent, then seems to think better of it and gradually adopts a sort of Liverpool-light voice. Whereas to me, I always heard him in a strong, Craig-Charles-esque brogue. (Now I write that down, I guess I first encountered him at the same time that I was obsessed with Red Dwarf, so perhaps it's not a coincidence.)
I thought I had read this before, but I couldn't remember any of it really, so perhaps not. From 1988, it puts the natty-dressing warlock Constantine in a moody, litter-strewn vision of eighties Britain, and takes every opportunity to use contemporary politics as a springboard for weird supernatural flights of fancy. Yuppies are seen as representatives of a demonic capitalist cult, trying to ‘corner the UK market’ in souls; skinheads scrawling racist graffiti end up sewn together into a four-armed bovver-boy zombie. Personally I enjoyed these references a lot; while subtlety has its place, that place is not in fastasy-horror comic books. Thatcher hovers around the edges of these stories, like a demonic presence everyone is too frightened to name out loud.
Click to enlarge…title page of #3
I like Jamie Delano's writing, it has that wordy, nerdy-adolescent quality that I find quite endearing in comics, taking any opportunity to go over the top (‘My heart twitches like a dying beast, crawled into the rank burrow of my chest to breathe its last’, etc. etc.). The art by John Ridgway has an old-fashioned scratchy, cross-hatchy feeling to it, like the sort of thing you'd see in the Eagle back in the day, or those old war comics (it comes into its own for the Vietnam War story here in issue #5). He does seem to have some trouble pinning down Constantine's features, so it's never entirely clear exactly what he looks like:
The character's look was famously based on Sting, but…hmm. Less to my taste is Lovern Kindzierski's lurid colouring, which I had forgotten was such a prominent feature of comics in the 80s. In some ways this matches the old-school artwork though.
Click to enlarge
This edition includes a crossover story arc from Swamp Thing. I have never read Swamp Thing so I wasn't really sure what was going on here, and Abby Holland (white hair with black stripes) looks a lot like Zed (black hair with white stripes) so that I spent far too long trying to work out if they were the same person. Overall though, this was a lot of fun, and the character of Constantine himself, full of mysteries and haunted by his past, is enough to carry you through most of the niggles.
I thought I had read this before, but I couldn't remember any of it really, so perhaps not. From 1988, it puts the natty-dressing warlock Constantine in a moody, litter-strewn vision of eighties Britain, and takes every opportunity to use contemporary politics as a springboard for weird supernatural flights of fancy. Yuppies are seen as representatives of a demonic capitalist cult, trying to ‘corner the UK market’ in souls; skinheads scrawling racist graffiti end up sewn together into a four-armed bovver-boy zombie. Personally I enjoyed these references a lot; while subtlety has its place, that place is not in fastasy-horror comic books. Thatcher hovers around the edges of these stories, like a demonic presence everyone is too frightened to name out loud.
Click to enlarge…title page of #3
I like Jamie Delano's writing, it has that wordy, nerdy-adolescent quality that I find quite endearing in comics, taking any opportunity to go over the top (‘My heart twitches like a dying beast, crawled into the rank burrow of my chest to breathe its last’, etc. etc.). The art by John Ridgway has an old-fashioned scratchy, cross-hatchy feeling to it, like the sort of thing you'd see in the Eagle back in the day, or those old war comics (it comes into its own for the Vietnam War story here in issue #5). He does seem to have some trouble pinning down Constantine's features, so it's never entirely clear exactly what he looks like:
The character's look was famously based on Sting, but…hmm. Less to my taste is Lovern Kindzierski's lurid colouring, which I had forgotten was such a prominent feature of comics in the 80s. In some ways this matches the old-school artwork though.
Click to enlarge
This edition includes a crossover story arc from Swamp Thing. I have never read Swamp Thing so I wasn't really sure what was going on here, and Abby Holland (white hair with black stripes) looks a lot like Zed (black hair with white stripes) so that I spent far too long trying to work out if they were the same person. Overall though, this was a lot of fun, and the character of Constantine himself, full of mysteries and haunted by his past, is enough to carry you through most of the niggles.
March 14, 2015
I was caught between 4 and 5 stars on this one. Most parts are 5 stars, but the fact that it wasn't one continuous story brought it down to 4. Not that it was hard to follow at all. Just that most issues where stand alone stories for the most part.
I'm really enjoying getting to know this darker side of the DCU. Along with Swamp Thing, Sandman and Lucifer, I've been astounded at how much quality titles I have overlooked for so long. This book is full of demons, ghosts and a butt ton of supernatural shit, and it's awesome. John Constantine is not a hero, which I found rather refreshing. He's not brave, he's selfish, manipulating and doesn't have much honour when it comes to doing the right thing. But at his core he is still a good person, I think that's why I found him so intriguing. He seems to want to do the right things, but goes about them in the most deceitful ways.
The story with the Damnation Army and the crazy Crusaders is building nicely and I'm looking forward to what happens with John's demon blood problem. I thought Zed was a great character, but I hope she doesn't disappear forever. After the way things ended with John and her I would hope that isn't the last we have seen of her.
If you enjoy the greatness that is dark side of DC then definitely give this a go. Onward to the next volume!
I'm really enjoying getting to know this darker side of the DCU. Along with Swamp Thing, Sandman and Lucifer, I've been astounded at how much quality titles I have overlooked for so long. This book is full of demons, ghosts and a butt ton of supernatural shit, and it's awesome. John Constantine is not a hero, which I found rather refreshing. He's not brave, he's selfish, manipulating and doesn't have much honour when it comes to doing the right thing. But at his core he is still a good person, I think that's why I found him so intriguing. He seems to want to do the right things, but goes about them in the most deceitful ways.
The story with the Damnation Army and the crazy Crusaders is building nicely and I'm looking forward to what happens with John's demon blood problem. I thought Zed was a great character, but I hope she doesn't disappear forever. After the way things ended with John and her I would hope that isn't the last we have seen of her.
If you enjoy the greatness that is dark side of DC then definitely give this a go. Onward to the next volume!
November 4, 2017
Earlier this year I tried Hellblazer: All His Engines by Mike Carey and absolutely loved it! That was my first Constantine comic (except for a few appearances in various DC comics) so I was really excited to try this ongoing series that is pretty much considered a classic in the world of horror comics and I gotta say... holy disappointment, Batman.
What’s it about?
The main character, John Constantine, goes around... um... investigating(?) monsters and demons without really being particularly helpful.
Pros:
The art’s good.
It’s often pretty funny.
The story idea is kinda cool.
It’s very unpredictable which is good, especially since as much as I like horror, it is often a predictable genre but that is not the case with this so I really like that.
Cons:
There’s a lot of social commentary and I usually like that, even if it’s something I don’t agree with because it’s good to see all sides and keep an open mind! This is so poorly written that it almost helps support my views on the world IMO. It’s pretty much a long rant about every Christian or conservative being members of the Westboro Baptist Church or something like that (which is so far from the truth, something the writer would know if he things like paying attention to facts or going outside and talking to people instead of watching CNN all day).
The characters are all f***-ups. Constantine is cool in some things I’ve seen him in but not this. He pretty much just goes somewhere because weird things are happening but he pretty much just stands there, in fact in his narration he says he’s just standing there, sometimes watching bad things happen to people, what a d***hebag! Zed (who I’m guessing is later on going to be known as Zatanna later) is pretty much there as a plot device and as someone for Constantine to stick his d**k in, no reason to really care about what happens and though I normally don’t care about being PC (hell I often like books that are crazy offensive in a fun way) it actually seemed quite disrespectful to women IMO. The villains like I already stated are pretty much poorly written commentary.
The story is not very clear on what the hell (no pun intended) I just read.
The horror value is weak. It’s not scary (though it’s pretty hard to scare me with fiction so I don’t mind that too much), nothing really creepy, not even much gore. There’s some demons and stuff but the scenes they’re in are actually quite comedic a lot of the time to the point that I can’t help but wonder if it’s meant to be a comedy, I actually thought it’s meant to be a super serious horror story, maybe I’m wrong.
It’s not very intense at all, its actually pretty boring.
Overall:
This book sucks. I have no idea why this series is considered such an amazing horror comic. I won’t be continuing this, I’ll just see if Mike Carey wrote any more Constantine... oh and I hear that both Ennis and Lemire have done some work on this character and I’ll read pretty much anything by them. This Constantine is one I definitely recommend skipping.
2/5 (and that might be me being generous)
What’s it about?
The main character, John Constantine, goes around... um... investigating(?) monsters and demons without really being particularly helpful.
Pros:
The art’s good.
It’s often pretty funny.
The story idea is kinda cool.
It’s very unpredictable which is good, especially since as much as I like horror, it is often a predictable genre but that is not the case with this so I really like that.
Cons:
There’s a lot of social commentary and I usually like that, even if it’s something I don’t agree with because it’s good to see all sides and keep an open mind! This is so poorly written that it almost helps support my views on the world IMO. It’s pretty much a long rant about every Christian or conservative being members of the Westboro Baptist Church or something like that (which is so far from the truth, something the writer would know if he things like paying attention to facts or going outside and talking to people instead of watching CNN all day).
The characters are all f***-ups. Constantine is cool in some things I’ve seen him in but not this. He pretty much just goes somewhere because weird things are happening but he pretty much just stands there, in fact in his narration he says he’s just standing there, sometimes watching bad things happen to people, what a d***hebag! Zed (who I’m guessing is later on going to be known as Zatanna later) is pretty much there as a plot device and as someone for Constantine to stick his d**k in, no reason to really care about what happens and though I normally don’t care about being PC (hell I often like books that are crazy offensive in a fun way) it actually seemed quite disrespectful to women IMO. The villains like I already stated are pretty much poorly written commentary.
The story is not very clear on what the hell (no pun intended) I just read.
The horror value is weak. It’s not scary (though it’s pretty hard to scare me with fiction so I don’t mind that too much), nothing really creepy, not even much gore. There’s some demons and stuff but the scenes they’re in are actually quite comedic a lot of the time to the point that I can’t help but wonder if it’s meant to be a comedy, I actually thought it’s meant to be a super serious horror story, maybe I’m wrong.
It’s not very intense at all, its actually pretty boring.
Overall:
This book sucks. I have no idea why this series is considered such an amazing horror comic. I won’t be continuing this, I’ll just see if Mike Carey wrote any more Constantine... oh and I hear that both Ennis and Lemire have done some work on this character and I’ll read pretty much anything by them. This Constantine is one I definitely recommend skipping.
2/5 (and that might be me being generous)
June 19, 2024
Constantine. I met the character through the DC TV series and I waited a long time before starting the comics, I was looking for the right series. This is the first issue of a series that includes all the Hellblazer books and collects numbers 1 to 9 and numbers 76-77 of the Swamp Thing series, where Constantine appears for the first time.
I have to say that the stories are interesting, they fit the times in which they were written, in this case the 80s, with the climate and problems of that period. Read today, they are also a good way to learn about what the world was like, the history and the most important events that are inevitably represented.
The individual stories present here, for some elements, are connected by the same common thread, however they are not always easy to follow. Every now and then the continuity of the story is interrupted by John's reflections on his situation and his sins, as well as on the vileness of human nature surrounds him (often quite pessimistic). Gradually, we learn that in the past, John was involved together with some friends in events that led to the death of the latter and for which Constantine feels responsible.
In the comic, Constantine is different from the character in the TV series: in that case he is more theatrical and boastful, here he is more tormented, crushed by guilt, more inclined to self-pity.
As for the artwork, the drawings have those sketchy lines typical of those years, which today can be difficult to follow, but which create the right atmosphere and convey emotions in a strong and direct way.
Having never read Swamp Thing (but I've seen the TV series, I don't know how close it is to the comic), some of the characters met here are foreign to me and the episode that revolves around Abby left me a little confused.
Jamie Delano took over the comic created by Alan Moore and made it a cult and proof of this is the fact that even today, many years later, it is read and talked about more than ever.
My 3 stars may not seem like much, but I think Constantine is one of those characters that you appreciate over time and I intend to continue with the next issues and see how he evolves.
I have to say that the stories are interesting, they fit the times in which they were written, in this case the 80s, with the climate and problems of that period. Read today, they are also a good way to learn about what the world was like, the history and the most important events that are inevitably represented.
The individual stories present here, for some elements, are connected by the same common thread, however they are not always easy to follow. Every now and then the continuity of the story is interrupted by John's reflections on his situation and his sins, as well as on the vileness of human nature surrounds him (often quite pessimistic). Gradually, we learn that in the past, John was involved together with some friends in events that led to the death of the latter and for which Constantine feels responsible.
In the comic, Constantine is different from the character in the TV series: in that case he is more theatrical and boastful, here he is more tormented, crushed by guilt, more inclined to self-pity.
As for the artwork, the drawings have those sketchy lines typical of those years, which today can be difficult to follow, but which create the right atmosphere and convey emotions in a strong and direct way.
Having never read Swamp Thing (but I've seen the TV series, I don't know how close it is to the comic), some of the characters met here are foreign to me and the episode that revolves around Abby left me a little confused.
Jamie Delano took over the comic created by Alan Moore and made it a cult and proof of this is the fact that even today, many years later, it is read and talked about more than ever.
My 3 stars may not seem like much, but I think Constantine is one of those characters that you appreciate over time and I intend to continue with the next issues and see how he evolves.
September 12, 2020
This is a book which is very much the sum of its parts. Let me explain, thee stories were written in the 80s and reflect a lot of the fears and trends of that time (especially the UK). Some of them feel rather dated - not because we have grown beyond them, rather that more even more scarier and extreme events have over shadowed them.
However this book is also a response to some of the more glamorised and sanitised stories that were starting to make their appearance - do not let the film or TV shows soften your resolve this is a gritty and visceral journey where John Constantine will sacrifice anything to get the job done.
So this is the first volume in the collected works series so although I have read this book this is a new format with some new material. However that said it does still capture the look and feel of the 80s original run.
There has been much attention put in the exploits of John Constantine including a recent return/reboot (sort of) after the closing of the original series and I have to say re-reading these stories I can see the enduring appeal even if the man himself is hard to like once you have seen some of the things he has done
However this book is also a response to some of the more glamorised and sanitised stories that were starting to make their appearance - do not let the film or TV shows soften your resolve this is a gritty and visceral journey where John Constantine will sacrifice anything to get the job done.
So this is the first volume in the collected works series so although I have read this book this is a new format with some new material. However that said it does still capture the look and feel of the 80s original run.
There has been much attention put in the exploits of John Constantine including a recent return/reboot (sort of) after the closing of the original series and I have to say re-reading these stories I can see the enduring appeal even if the man himself is hard to like once you have seen some of the things he has done
January 25, 2022
After shuffling through a couple of pages of the weird storyline and a few disturbing images later I realised, not my cup of tea. I don't mind disturbing images but I prefer a method to my madness!
June 15, 2023
Liked but didn’t love.
I do like John Constantine/Hellblazer as a character, but I’ve decided that he is one that I enjoy better on tv/movies rather than in comics/graphic novels. I liked this book but I won’t be continuing with this particular series. 3.25 stars rounded down to 3.
I do like John Constantine/Hellblazer as a character, but I’ve decided that he is one that I enjoy better on tv/movies rather than in comics/graphic novels. I liked this book but I won’t be continuing with this particular series. 3.25 stars rounded down to 3.
October 12, 2015
Hunger (1-2). Delano kicks off the Hellblazer comic (300 issues ago!) with a real gut punch. We learn about Constantine, his ghosts, and his pragmatism all in a harsh, beautiful comic. Seeing Papa Midnight for the first time is just icing on the cake. Beyond that the writing is poetic and the storytelling is strong. A great start! [9/10]
Going for It (3). This is another marvelous story, with its imagination of devilish stock brokers creating an infernal market of greed in the late '80s. Delano's willingness to make it all a diatribe against Market Thatcher's policies certainly looks prescient in retrospect, and was probably very daring at the time [9/10].
Waiting for the Man (4). Delano really offered up so much great creativity in these early issues. Here, we get Gemma and Cheryl, both characters used well throughout the series. And Delano also quietly sets up the main plot threads for the rest of the volume. Along the way, we get a scary story too. All around, it's very deftly crafted [8/10].
When Johnny Comes Marching Home (5). You can really see Moore's influence here. The way that Delano continues to up the tension regarding the Resurrection Crusade through these done-in-one tales is great -- and reminiscent of Swamp Thing's American Gothic. Meanwhile, the actual story itself feels Moore-esque, with its wonderful diatribe against war, and its literal look at how it metaphorically continues to destroy the community decades later [8/10].
Resurrection & Damnation (6-9). After that, Delano really gets going with his Resurrection & Damnation arc and the narrative becomes more continuous. The longer arc isn't quite as good as his done-in-ones, but it's still enjoyable, in the way that Delano mixes magic and the modern day (really setting the pattern for the series). The best issues are #7 with Ritchie and #9 when Constantine closes the book on the Resurrection Crusade. I think I might like them best because of the traitorous, pragmatic Constantine that they highlight, which is a pretty unique character in comics [7+/10].
Swamp Thing (76-77). This is really more a Swamp Thing story than a Hellblazer story, but it's nice to have it since Delano wrote one of the issues, and it's the crucial counter to the Resurrection Army's plans. The difference between the authors is quite notable. Veitch writes a plot-heavy story that gets the action out of the way, while Delano writes a beautiful character piece that shows a surprisingly nice side of Constantine [7+/10].
DC's production of this book is a bit unfortunate. The lack of dividers between the individual issues is always annoying, especially here when so many of the stories are distinct. Still, it's great to have the Swamp Thing stories collected here, and the price for such an impressive volume is terrific.
Beyond that, this is really a great volume of stories. It's Delano at his creative height; I actually think he was better when he was following closely in Moore's footsteps than when he headed off in his own increasingly weird direction.
Going for It (3). This is another marvelous story, with its imagination of devilish stock brokers creating an infernal market of greed in the late '80s. Delano's willingness to make it all a diatribe against Market Thatcher's policies certainly looks prescient in retrospect, and was probably very daring at the time [9/10].
Waiting for the Man (4). Delano really offered up so much great creativity in these early issues. Here, we get Gemma and Cheryl, both characters used well throughout the series. And Delano also quietly sets up the main plot threads for the rest of the volume. Along the way, we get a scary story too. All around, it's very deftly crafted [8/10].
When Johnny Comes Marching Home (5). You can really see Moore's influence here. The way that Delano continues to up the tension regarding the Resurrection Crusade through these done-in-one tales is great -- and reminiscent of Swamp Thing's American Gothic. Meanwhile, the actual story itself feels Moore-esque, with its wonderful diatribe against war, and its literal look at how it metaphorically continues to destroy the community decades later [8/10].
Resurrection & Damnation (6-9). After that, Delano really gets going with his Resurrection & Damnation arc and the narrative becomes more continuous. The longer arc isn't quite as good as his done-in-ones, but it's still enjoyable, in the way that Delano mixes magic and the modern day (really setting the pattern for the series). The best issues are #7 with Ritchie and #9 when Constantine closes the book on the Resurrection Crusade. I think I might like them best because of the traitorous, pragmatic Constantine that they highlight, which is a pretty unique character in comics [7+/10].
Swamp Thing (76-77). This is really more a Swamp Thing story than a Hellblazer story, but it's nice to have it since Delano wrote one of the issues, and it's the crucial counter to the Resurrection Army's plans. The difference between the authors is quite notable. Veitch writes a plot-heavy story that gets the action out of the way, while Delano writes a beautiful character piece that shows a surprisingly nice side of Constantine [7+/10].
DC's production of this book is a bit unfortunate. The lack of dividers between the individual issues is always annoying, especially here when so many of the stories are distinct. Still, it's great to have the Swamp Thing stories collected here, and the price for such an impressive volume is terrific.
Beyond that, this is really a great volume of stories. It's Delano at his creative height; I actually think he was better when he was following closely in Moore's footsteps than when he headed off in his own increasingly weird direction.
January 1, 2016
I must admit I prefer what they did with Constantine in the TV series. No matter how much he tries to be like this one, he always ends up decent enough.
Volume 1 is a collection of good and not so good stories, but overall it left me wanting to read more. No matter the story, Constantine manages to kill almost every friend he has (indirectly, of course). He is always somewhere between good and evil but that's expected from him after all.
Volume 1 is a collection of good and not so good stories, but overall it left me wanting to read more. No matter the story, Constantine manages to kill almost every friend he has (indirectly, of course). He is always somewhere between good and evil but that's expected from him after all.
March 14, 2023
My first Hellblazer (not counting Keanu…) was pretty good. A bit inconsistent, overwritten in places, but nicely dark and seedy.
September 9, 2014
I waffled a bit on whether or not this should be a one star story, or two. If you have eyeballs, you probably already have a pretty good idea what my final choice was. This just totally wasn't my thing. Now, to be fair, this is something like, 25 years old, so it's not exactly smart of me to compare it to more modern comics. I mean, they didn't have the fancy digital coloring or long story arcs. But damn, I had almost no enjoyment at all while reading this.
Although there is a big #1 on the spine of this Graphic Novel, there is a long history that the character has here. Most of the book has young John dealing with the torment of some event in his past that ended up with most of his closest folks being killed. In fact, he stupidly jumps from a moving train to avoid seeing their ghosts (that's his power, I guess).
Except, it's not like ghosts are stuck to the train, they follow HIM around, so, yeah, stupid. He does wake up in a hospital all wrapped up in casts and bandages. Where some giant demon agrees to fix his broken body if he will stop some girl from becoming the mother of the new Jesus who is destined to save the world.
How did he do this? By totally screwing her. I think his body was healed by some demon blood and therefore when he knew her (biblically) he shorted out her sacred woman parts somehow. Of course, he could have just not jumped out of the MOVING TRAIN and breaking all his bones in the first place.
Also, I'm happy that there are no thought balloons. I was thinking about this while I was rereading some of the classic X-Men comics a few weeks ago. I'd not really noticed the lack of thought balloons until I went back to read some older stuff. Man, are those stupid. I suppose its a holdover from when writers were writing for kids, and assumed kids were stupid, and explained why Cyclops and Wolverine just started punching each other for no reason ("Wolverine is my dear friend, but I have to punch him, because HE NEEDS THE PRACTICE!").
I'm glad about that, but what ended up replacing all those goofy thought bubbles were those text boxes. So they're pretty much the same thing, except I believe, perhaps wrongly, that you have more potential to tell a good story this way. How did that go? Well, let me show you the sort of crap that was used to fill those text boxes:
That's right folks, when a gun fires, it's actually ejaculating it's sexy bullets into the womb of whatever it seeks to impregnate... with sexy. And I've got 292 pages of this sort of stuff.
Now, I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again: I'm no expert. I'm not even saying I could do better. I'm just saying that this sucked.
I was about halfway through this collection when I went to Google and just typed in "Does Hellblazer get any better?" To which I received many, many possible things to click on. I checked out two of the links. They seemed to agree that the quality is pretty consistent. In fact, some folks said that what I was reading kinda constituted the 'glory days' of the comic.
I don't know. I actually want to like things. That's why I rarely find a way to give something less than 3 stars in a review. I usually find something to like. In this, I have to think real hard. I guess I'm tempted to read the second collection too, probably because I refuse to believe something this lame ever got to be so popular without some huge leap in quality somewhere. All that love the world has for this character isn't all based on some misremembered nostalgia from their youth is it? I made that mistake when I forced my kid to watch The Neverending Story when he was young. I kept thinking, when is it going to get better?
I eventually learned, it wasn't the movie that changed, it was me. Well, in case anyone out there is wondering why this is two stars and not one, I tell you: Because if this many people are so madly in love with this comic series, then I'll throw out a bonus star out of respect.
Just don't make me regret it.
So, how the hell did this get to be popular?
Although there is a big #1 on the spine of this Graphic Novel, there is a long history that the character has here. Most of the book has young John dealing with the torment of some event in his past that ended up with most of his closest folks being killed. In fact, he stupidly jumps from a moving train to avoid seeing their ghosts (that's his power, I guess).
Except, it's not like ghosts are stuck to the train, they follow HIM around, so, yeah, stupid. He does wake up in a hospital all wrapped up in casts and bandages. Where some giant demon agrees to fix his broken body if he will stop some girl from becoming the mother of the new Jesus who is destined to save the world.
How did he do this? By totally screwing her. I think his body was healed by some demon blood and therefore when he knew her (biblically) he shorted out her sacred woman parts somehow. Of course, he could have just not jumped out of the MOVING TRAIN and breaking all his bones in the first place.
Also, I'm happy that there are no thought balloons. I was thinking about this while I was rereading some of the classic X-Men comics a few weeks ago. I'd not really noticed the lack of thought balloons until I went back to read some older stuff. Man, are those stupid. I suppose its a holdover from when writers were writing for kids, and assumed kids were stupid, and explained why Cyclops and Wolverine just started punching each other for no reason ("Wolverine is my dear friend, but I have to punch him, because HE NEEDS THE PRACTICE!").
I'm glad about that, but what ended up replacing all those goofy thought bubbles were those text boxes. So they're pretty much the same thing, except I believe, perhaps wrongly, that you have more potential to tell a good story this way. How did that go? Well, let me show you the sort of crap that was used to fill those text boxes:
It's Craig Anders who breaks the tension, his M16 coming savagely into the hot, dense air-- triggering the other weapons to flail the trees with their leaden ejaculations.
That's right folks, when a gun fires, it's actually ejaculating it's sexy bullets into the womb of whatever it seeks to impregnate... with sexy. And I've got 292 pages of this sort of stuff.
Now, I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again: I'm no expert. I'm not even saying I could do better. I'm just saying that this sucked.
I was about halfway through this collection when I went to Google and just typed in "Does Hellblazer get any better?" To which I received many, many possible things to click on. I checked out two of the links. They seemed to agree that the quality is pretty consistent. In fact, some folks said that what I was reading kinda constituted the 'glory days' of the comic.
I don't know. I actually want to like things. That's why I rarely find a way to give something less than 3 stars in a review. I usually find something to like. In this, I have to think real hard. I guess I'm tempted to read the second collection too, probably because I refuse to believe something this lame ever got to be so popular without some huge leap in quality somewhere. All that love the world has for this character isn't all based on some misremembered nostalgia from their youth is it? I made that mistake when I forced my kid to watch The Neverending Story when he was young. I kept thinking, when is it going to get better?
I eventually learned, it wasn't the movie that changed, it was me. Well, in case anyone out there is wondering why this is two stars and not one, I tell you: Because if this many people are so madly in love with this comic series, then I'll throw out a bonus star out of respect.
Just don't make me regret it.
So, how the hell did this get to be popular?
January 19, 2021
Definitely some of the strongest, most affecting writing I’ve encountered in comics from the 80’s. I think I actually bought the first issue of this when it came out, but not clearly didn’t hook me then; maybe it’s just a little adult aka “depressing and fatalistic about how powerless we are as humans” for a teenage boy, even one who thought himself very grown up.
There’s a somber, pallid quality to the storytelling, as if the joy quotient in life has been sucked dry from the very pages, leaving only the feeling is running ragged to stay one step ahead of abject defeat.
Here we meet John, and Chas, and Zed, and Ritchie, and the first roadkills of John’s lifestyle (or maybe his life’s work) - no, more like his tragic calling, the fate bestowed on him before birth even by a god well-versed in cruelty and black humour.
Delano does a short piece on Vietnam, and uses John as the thin connective tissue, spectating a classic Garth Ennis-type story and giving us no further insights into John or his magic or the demons running the planet.
Once we’re past that, and into the main drag-strip of a horror tale, Delano dispenses with the excessive allegorical flourishes and makes good on John’s terrible relationship with fate. Exorcising decency and empathy for ambition and arrogance.
(The Rick Veitch & Delano issues of Swamp Thing jammed at the end of this book I could skip - I don’t see how they’re relevant to the story of Constantine screwing with demons in pursuit of giving heaven a leg up.)
There’s a somber, pallid quality to the storytelling, as if the joy quotient in life has been sucked dry from the very pages, leaving only the feeling is running ragged to stay one step ahead of abject defeat.
Here we meet John, and Chas, and Zed, and Ritchie, and the first roadkills of John’s lifestyle (or maybe his life’s work) - no, more like his tragic calling, the fate bestowed on him before birth even by a god well-versed in cruelty and black humour.
Delano does a short piece on Vietnam, and uses John as the thin connective tissue, spectating a classic Garth Ennis-type story and giving us no further insights into John or his magic or the demons running the planet.
Once we’re past that, and into the main drag-strip of a horror tale, Delano dispenses with the excessive allegorical flourishes and makes good on John’s terrible relationship with fate. Exorcising decency and empathy for ambition and arrogance.
(The Rick Veitch & Delano issues of Swamp Thing jammed at the end of this book I could skip - I don’t see how they’re relevant to the story of Constantine screwing with demons in pursuit of giving heaven a leg up.)
February 18, 2025
Quando era miúdo adorava ler banda desenhada, em particular as que acompanhavam as aventuras de super-heróis. Gastava compulsivamente a mesada que me foi atribuída a partir de uma certa idade em revistas que acompanhavam as aventuras de indivíduos de roupa apertada que disparavam rajadas de energia dos olhos; voavam a uma extraordinária rapidez ou seres humanos que, não obstante a sua pretensa humanidade e falta de super-poderes, conseguiam baloiçar-se de prédio em prédio recorrendo a cabos ou invenções mirabolantes que desafiavam todas as leis da física. Batman e X-Men eram os meus favoritos, achava-os mais complexos do que a maioria dos super-heróis - Batman era tão desequilibrado e instável quanto os vilões que perseguia (um homem crescido que passava as suas noites num fato de morcego porque nunca superara a morte dos seus pais não é certamente dotado de uma psique normal); quanto aos X-Men, estes eram Párias da sociedade que, por serem mutantes, eram vistos com desconfiança e medo pela maioria da população e, consequentemente, vitimas de uma bárbara discriminação - aliás todo universo dos X-Men era pontuado por uma clara mensagem de anti-discriminação e aceitação universal. Também gostava de Asterix; Lucky Luke; Peanuts; Mafalda; Calvin e Hobbes, entre muitos outros - mas estes requisitava da biblioteca, não os comprava. Se a memória não me falha, li banda desenhada do género "super-herói" até aos meus 16 anos. Deparei-me a certa altura e por puro acaso com Hellblazer - uma BD bastante diferente das que estava habituado a ler. Hellblazer acompanhava as aventuras de John Constantine, uma espécie de detective do oculto e fumador compulsivo que não tinha qualquer tipo de super-poder e que acabava sempre no meio de alguma situação que habitualmente envolvia forças sobrenaturais que ameaçavam quebrar o equilíbrio entre as forças da luz e das trevas. Não parece particularmente original, pois não? O que distinguia Hellblazer dos outros tipos de BD a que estava habituado era acima de tudo a personalidade de John Constantine e a forma como este lidava com os problemas com que se deparava - por não ter qualquer tipo de poderes recorria unicamente á sua argúcia e inteligência para os vencer, passando a perna a demónios e outros seres sobrenaturais. No entanto, Constantine, não obstante ter um bom fundo, é frequentemente covarde e manipulador - armas de fogo deixam-no frequentemente paralisado de medo e apesar de se colocar frequentemente em perigo por uma boa causa, não está de todo disposto a sacrificar a sua vida por estas, frequentemente colocando em risco ou até sacrificando a vida de amigos seus para atingir os seus fins. O universo de Hellblazer é também bastante distinto - é extremamente violento, carregado de humor negro e até critica politica (a situação politica em Inglaterra na Era Tatcher é severamente criticada e satirizada, assim como a discriminação e perigos provenientes do fanatismo religioso; são atribuídas a correctores "yuppies" características e intenções literalmente demoníacas; por exemplo). Infelizmente, este titulo BD era virtualmente impossível de arranjar no local onde vivia e cedo percebi que os números que arranjara seriam os únicos (ainda não havia acesso á Internet, por isso a opção de encomendar números de "Hellblazer" on-line estava ainda longe de ser uma realidade). Por isso, para meu grande desagrado, a minha viagem pelo mundo de John Constantine terminou tão cedo quanto começou. Entretanto deixei de ler BD e esqueci-me da existência de "Hellblazer.
Um dia destes dirigi-me a uma Feira do Livro e acabei na secção de Banda Desenhada - ocorreu-me que já não lia obras do género há imenso tempo e sentia-me particularmente nostálgico. E para minha surpresa, encontro na prateleira "Hellblazer: Original Sins", o primeiro volume de uma reimpressão deste titulo da Vertigo Comics (uma espécie de linha de BD para adultos da DC Comics)que colecciona os primeiros nove números de "Hellblazer" e dois números interligados de "Swamp Thing". Retirei-o da prateleira sem hesitar e dirigi-me ao balcão da Feira para pagar o livro, onde não pude deixar de reparar no sorriso jocoso e trocista exibido pela funcionária que me fez a venda do livro (parecia pensar algo como "Um homem de 32 anos a comprar Banda Desenhada? Que ridículo"), procedendo esta logo de seguida a uma compenetrada leitura de um numero da revista "Caras".
Reler "Hellblazer" deu-me um enorme prazer - tanto que fiz questão de ler o volume bem devagar, pois não queria que este acabasse até me chegar á porta o 2 º Volume este titulo - que já encomendei numa loja virtual (sim, continua a ser impossível arranjá-lo onde vivo). Bom, infelizmente já o acabei e ainda não me chegou o Vol. 2 - mas mal posso esperar para o ter na mão e voltar ao universo de John Constantine.
Um dia destes dirigi-me a uma Feira do Livro e acabei na secção de Banda Desenhada - ocorreu-me que já não lia obras do género há imenso tempo e sentia-me particularmente nostálgico. E para minha surpresa, encontro na prateleira "Hellblazer: Original Sins", o primeiro volume de uma reimpressão deste titulo da Vertigo Comics (uma espécie de linha de BD para adultos da DC Comics)que colecciona os primeiros nove números de "Hellblazer" e dois números interligados de "Swamp Thing". Retirei-o da prateleira sem hesitar e dirigi-me ao balcão da Feira para pagar o livro, onde não pude deixar de reparar no sorriso jocoso e trocista exibido pela funcionária que me fez a venda do livro (parecia pensar algo como "Um homem de 32 anos a comprar Banda Desenhada? Que ridículo"), procedendo esta logo de seguida a uma compenetrada leitura de um numero da revista "Caras".
Reler "Hellblazer" deu-me um enorme prazer - tanto que fiz questão de ler o volume bem devagar, pois não queria que este acabasse até me chegar á porta o 2 º Volume este titulo - que já encomendei numa loja virtual (sim, continua a ser impossível arranjá-lo onde vivo). Bom, infelizmente já o acabei e ainda não me chegou o Vol. 2 - mas mal posso esperar para o ter na mão e voltar ao universo de John Constantine.
November 29, 2014
Usually I'm not one to fall into trends, but I've been watching and enjoying the Constantine TV show, so I thought I should give the comic a look see. It was kind of funny because the day I read the feast of friends issue was the same day it was shown on TV.
I liked this collection, but I'm thinking it gets better later on. It seems like at this point they are still trying to figure out the story. It was also a pre-Vertigo era, so John is in the same world as Batman and Superman. Something I think would go away later. Neither of those Characters appear in the book, but I think it's worth pointing out that this wasn't an "adult" book quite yet. There some adult stuff for sure, but it's no where near where the Vertigo line would eventually go.
This was a nice comic to read after all the Marvel stuff I've been reading. It's more grown up, but not in that "shock the reader" kind of way. It seems like when you read a comic that is meant for 'adults" it means that there is a lot of cursing and a lot of boobs. But in this book it means that the stories are a bit smarter and don't get wrapped up so nicely. I don't always want my heroes to win, that way, when they do, it will mean something.
John, himself, is an interesting character. He fights demons, but he is a coward in some ways. He uses dark magic, but he doesn't want to get his hands dirty. He is just ripe with contradictions. There's even a part where he gets down on himself, and it takes a pep talk with himself at a better point in his life to cheer him up. More then a good story, I like to read a good character. Someone I can care about. Someone I want to follow on journey, good or bad. John seems like he could be that kind of guy.
The art in the book is awesome for the kind of world John lives in. It's dark, it's messy, it's full of shadows. Sometimes things look off or flat out wrong, but it works. This isn't the bright world of Metropolis, this is the stinking shit hole of a crappy world. It just really sells the atmosphere of the story.
Overall a good book. I'm looking forward to future collections.
I liked this collection, but I'm thinking it gets better later on. It seems like at this point they are still trying to figure out the story. It was also a pre-Vertigo era, so John is in the same world as Batman and Superman. Something I think would go away later. Neither of those Characters appear in the book, but I think it's worth pointing out that this wasn't an "adult" book quite yet. There some adult stuff for sure, but it's no where near where the Vertigo line would eventually go.
This was a nice comic to read after all the Marvel stuff I've been reading. It's more grown up, but not in that "shock the reader" kind of way. It seems like when you read a comic that is meant for 'adults" it means that there is a lot of cursing and a lot of boobs. But in this book it means that the stories are a bit smarter and don't get wrapped up so nicely. I don't always want my heroes to win, that way, when they do, it will mean something.
John, himself, is an interesting character. He fights demons, but he is a coward in some ways. He uses dark magic, but he doesn't want to get his hands dirty. He is just ripe with contradictions. There's even a part where he gets down on himself, and it takes a pep talk with himself at a better point in his life to cheer him up. More then a good story, I like to read a good character. Someone I can care about. Someone I want to follow on journey, good or bad. John seems like he could be that kind of guy.
The art in the book is awesome for the kind of world John lives in. It's dark, it's messy, it's full of shadows. Sometimes things look off or flat out wrong, but it works. This isn't the bright world of Metropolis, this is the stinking shit hole of a crappy world. It just really sells the atmosphere of the story.
Overall a good book. I'm looking forward to future collections.
June 22, 2015
This is my first foray into the original John Constantine graphic novels - I've enjoyed some of the New 52 issues and the unfortunately cancelled NBC series starring Matt Ryan. I enjoy the writing style and seeing Constantine come to life on the page. I only wish the color palette matched up more with the tone. I will definitely be continuing these graphic novels.
June 9, 2025
Started John Constantine: Hellblazer – Original Sins by Jamie Delano and struggled through the first three issues before deciding to set it down. I really like the idea of Constantine as a character, and there’s no denying the book has atmosphere and ambition. But the pacing felt uneven, the storytelling a bit dense, and the tone didn’t fully pull me in.
It also reads a little dated in places, which made it harder to connect with. I can see why it’s influential, but it just didn’t hook me the way I hoped it would.
It also reads a little dated in places, which made it harder to connect with. I can see why it’s influential, but it just didn’t hook me the way I hoped it would.
November 28, 2022
This has been on my TBR forever because it’s basically a darker Supernatural with a different protagonist. Between the comics, the movie, the show, and the rest of the Arrowverse, it would be hard to have no familiarity whatsoever with John Constantine. They’re all quite distinct, all kind of do their own thing, and I sort of like having all the different versions in my head. Of the three, the comics are definitely the grimmest though, and this starts off with a one-two punch of pure horror. This is absolutely not a collection for younger audiences, and it doesn’t hold back from venturing into some dark places. The art is all bright colors and cheesy 80s gore, which occasionally feels at odds with the horror going on, but it was a different era. The vintage vibe definitely adds something.
It’s a bit episodic at first, with each issue more or less presenting and resolving its own problem, although there’s groundwork being laid for the overarching plot of the collection. Some of them are hit and miss. I like that it’s gutsy enough to take on issues like race, sexuality, and the Vietnam War (all a bigger risk back in the 80s than they would be now), but it occasionally comes over a bit heavy-handed. The Vietnam War one, in particular, feels a tad preachy given that John plays almost no role whatsoever in the outcome.
But that’s also one of the things I like about this. It’s gritty. Innocent people die, often in horrible ways. Sometimes John can outwit the villain, and sometimes there’s absolutely nothing he can do. He fully embodies the morally gray limbo and cheerfully straddles the line between hero and anti-hero. There’s no perfect, charming Clark Kent here. He’s often an asshole, frequently takes the wrong approach, and sometimes does things for the wrong reasons, but despite his demons, he’s still trying to save people. I really enjoy all the nuances of his character.
I flew through the middle/second half when the major plot started kicking in, and I was really invested in the characters. Unfortunately, like with a lot of collections, it isn’t resolved here. Instead, the last issue or two takes a weird detour into Swamp Thing that feels irrelevant to everything that’s happened so far (tw: rape). It’s also extremely uncomfortable, in that Swamp Thing takes over John’s body and uses it for non-consensual sex– which, even more heartbreakingly, John seems totally unbothered by in the next issue. Normally, I’m all for a plant monster, but I’m pretty sure that turned me off the character forever.
Trigger warnings: Basically everything. Character death, child death, rape, implied pedophilia, possession, body horror, fires, abduction, violence, hate crimes, slurs, neo-Nazis, racism, homophobia, bug horror, bury your gays, war/war crimes, survivor’s guilt, strong religious themes.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
It’s a bit episodic at first, with each issue more or less presenting and resolving its own problem, although there’s groundwork being laid for the overarching plot of the collection. Some of them are hit and miss. I like that it’s gutsy enough to take on issues like race, sexuality, and the Vietnam War (all a bigger risk back in the 80s than they would be now), but it occasionally comes over a bit heavy-handed. The Vietnam War one, in particular, feels a tad preachy given that John plays almost no role whatsoever in the outcome.
But that’s also one of the things I like about this. It’s gritty. Innocent people die, often in horrible ways. Sometimes John can outwit the villain, and sometimes there’s absolutely nothing he can do. He fully embodies the morally gray limbo and cheerfully straddles the line between hero and anti-hero. There’s no perfect, charming Clark Kent here. He’s often an asshole, frequently takes the wrong approach, and sometimes does things for the wrong reasons, but despite his demons, he’s still trying to save people. I really enjoy all the nuances of his character.
I flew through the middle/second half when the major plot started kicking in, and I was really invested in the characters. Unfortunately, like with a lot of collections, it isn’t resolved here. Instead, the last issue or two takes a weird detour into Swamp Thing that feels irrelevant to everything that’s happened so far (tw: rape). It’s also extremely uncomfortable, in that Swamp Thing takes over John’s body and uses it for non-consensual sex– which, even more heartbreakingly, John seems totally unbothered by in the next issue. Normally, I’m all for a plant monster, but I’m pretty sure that turned me off the character forever.
Trigger warnings: Basically everything. Character death, child death, rape, implied pedophilia, possession, body horror, fires, abduction, violence, hate crimes, slurs, neo-Nazis, racism, homophobia, bug horror, bury your gays, war/war crimes, survivor’s guilt, strong religious themes.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
July 23, 2025
this somehow really reminds me of the tv show true detective. the rating isn’t because it was mid but rather that there’s REALLY great moments or REALLY ass moments so… off the top of my head, i liked all the stuff concerning zed and the rescuing of constantine’s niece the most. the narration in this was absolutely phenomenal and so eloquent and well-written. the art was standard of older comics but the issue covers were sooo nice. i liked how mature and creepy this was. it’s slightly depressing that i have to give this such an average rating after being such a different type of superhero comic AS WELL AS it being so pro-lgbtq and liberal.
April 28, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Horror has often been a genre that was thoroughly laughed at with its mediocre, simple and predictable stories as its foundation to all of its scary and supernatural elements. It is only with time and experience that I’ve come across excellent examples of stellar horror stories that don’t only look to be superficially scary but that takes the time to explore ideas with an unprecedented psychological depth added to them. The mere thought of these ideas can send chills down your spine or leave you in awe at the ingenious design set forward. In the comic book medium, the format allows artists to draw upon their imagination to bring some of the most disturbing and frightening concepts to life. It is, however, only with a competent writer that the story can truly find a form that can give the vessel the weight it needs to get the ship to sail fluidly. Over at DC Comics, there is one character who thrives within a supernatural world that borders the horror genre, and it is none other than the blonde English gentlemen with a love for chain-smoking, booze and sex: John Constantine.
What is Hellblazer: Original Sins about? This first volume collects the first nine issues of the Vertigo series and includes two issues of the tie-in stories featured in Swamp Thing. Known as the Liverpool native magus who understands the complex balance between the world of the living and that of dark magic, John Constantine is an anti-hero who struggles to come to term with himself and the reality in which he lives. While the true price of magic is one that he comprehends better than anyone else, he still lives in a world where there are individuals who are ready to blindly sacrifice themselves for sinister power. Unfortunately for Constantine, he will always be just around the corner, sucked into the mess that follows the irrational actions of these individuals as he tries to resolve the situations, whether he likes it or not. If anything, leave it to him if you want to get out of a sticky, and also bloody, situation.
Within the DC Universe, there are a lot of great antiheroes who are wrapped within stories that compel them to be complex and flawed heroes while maintaining their shroud of villainy. It is usually, however, a form of evil that is somehow justified rationally without completely venturing in the realm of insanity. John Constantine is one of those characters who are witty and self-conscious yet cowardly and manipulative in his ways to handle situations. Writer Jamie Delano does a phenomenal job in developing his character as he drops him in countless situations where John Constantine is forced to acknowledge his role and responsibility as someone who can venture between Hell and Earth. With his cynical perception of life, coupled with the psychological torture that he has to cope with as an addict of dark magic, he finds himself in a strange situation where he’s still conscious of what darkness can do to anyone but also to him.
Jamie Delano’s prose is what gives this story the edge and keeps it from completely tumbling down the mountain. Although the volume is a collection of unconnected stories, what he accomplishes through his flowery and poetic writing style showcases his ability as a master wordsmith who can wrap his readers around his literary fingers. Although the supernatural elements are completely omnipresent and captivating, the artwork does struggle a bit to capture the reader’s attention from cover to cover. It also doesn’t help when the dialogue bubbles’ positioning and the panel structure invites confusion in the reading direction, where at times you are to read from left to right on both pages rather than just one, while at other times the order in which you are supposed to read certain bubbles isn’t as evident as it could have been. The artwork by the various illustrators’ in this volume is also a bit hard to digest, although the colour palettes work wonderfully with the character’s world. It conveys an atmospheric, gritty, depressing and sin-full setting that naturally screams vice, misery, and evil.
Hellblazer: Original Sins is the exploration of a selfish magus’ life tormented by the ghosts of past mistakes and of his self-discovery as the unapologetic wielder of dark magic.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Horror has often been a genre that was thoroughly laughed at with its mediocre, simple and predictable stories as its foundation to all of its scary and supernatural elements. It is only with time and experience that I’ve come across excellent examples of stellar horror stories that don’t only look to be superficially scary but that takes the time to explore ideas with an unprecedented psychological depth added to them. The mere thought of these ideas can send chills down your spine or leave you in awe at the ingenious design set forward. In the comic book medium, the format allows artists to draw upon their imagination to bring some of the most disturbing and frightening concepts to life. It is, however, only with a competent writer that the story can truly find a form that can give the vessel the weight it needs to get the ship to sail fluidly. Over at DC Comics, there is one character who thrives within a supernatural world that borders the horror genre, and it is none other than the blonde English gentlemen with a love for chain-smoking, booze and sex: John Constantine.
What is Hellblazer: Original Sins about? This first volume collects the first nine issues of the Vertigo series and includes two issues of the tie-in stories featured in Swamp Thing. Known as the Liverpool native magus who understands the complex balance between the world of the living and that of dark magic, John Constantine is an anti-hero who struggles to come to term with himself and the reality in which he lives. While the true price of magic is one that he comprehends better than anyone else, he still lives in a world where there are individuals who are ready to blindly sacrifice themselves for sinister power. Unfortunately for Constantine, he will always be just around the corner, sucked into the mess that follows the irrational actions of these individuals as he tries to resolve the situations, whether he likes it or not. If anything, leave it to him if you want to get out of a sticky, and also bloody, situation.
Within the DC Universe, there are a lot of great antiheroes who are wrapped within stories that compel them to be complex and flawed heroes while maintaining their shroud of villainy. It is usually, however, a form of evil that is somehow justified rationally without completely venturing in the realm of insanity. John Constantine is one of those characters who are witty and self-conscious yet cowardly and manipulative in his ways to handle situations. Writer Jamie Delano does a phenomenal job in developing his character as he drops him in countless situations where John Constantine is forced to acknowledge his role and responsibility as someone who can venture between Hell and Earth. With his cynical perception of life, coupled with the psychological torture that he has to cope with as an addict of dark magic, he finds himself in a strange situation where he’s still conscious of what darkness can do to anyone but also to him.
Jamie Delano’s prose is what gives this story the edge and keeps it from completely tumbling down the mountain. Although the volume is a collection of unconnected stories, what he accomplishes through his flowery and poetic writing style showcases his ability as a master wordsmith who can wrap his readers around his literary fingers. Although the supernatural elements are completely omnipresent and captivating, the artwork does struggle a bit to capture the reader’s attention from cover to cover. It also doesn’t help when the dialogue bubbles’ positioning and the panel structure invites confusion in the reading direction, where at times you are to read from left to right on both pages rather than just one, while at other times the order in which you are supposed to read certain bubbles isn’t as evident as it could have been. The artwork by the various illustrators’ in this volume is also a bit hard to digest, although the colour palettes work wonderfully with the character’s world. It conveys an atmospheric, gritty, depressing and sin-full setting that naturally screams vice, misery, and evil.
Hellblazer: Original Sins is the exploration of a selfish magus’ life tormented by the ghosts of past mistakes and of his self-discovery as the unapologetic wielder of dark magic.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
August 15, 2015
3.5 Stars
Man it's been a long time since I read Hellblazer and wow the art has not held up well.
I remember Hellblazer when I was in Uni and at that time I thought it was amazing, deep, dark and complex, I also thought it looked cool. So after 15+ years how does it hold up for me?
World: Ouch the art, it be ugly. The colours the line work are all super dated and terrible. I will say however that the framing of the book is still very nice and some of the splash pages look wonderful. Dated, if you can get pasted dated art the world and story is quite interesting. The world building is great, that's one of the things I remember most about Hellblazer, the nonchalant way it goes about creating a creepy and unsavoury world for John to inhabit. I like how we are thrown into the deep end with John (well we did meet him in Swamp Thing) and we get cracking. There is a little bit of an adjustment period as the dialog is quite English, the setting is England, and the politics is of the era. It's an interesting time capsule of what it was like in late 1980's being a comic book reader.
Story: Wow a lot happened and I won't go into it. What I will say is that the stories have weight, the dialog and internal monologues by John are heavy and breaths a real sense into the book. The stories are all over the place in terms of the type of story being told and it's a wonderful thing. The tone and feel and look of the book is very uniquely English and makes for something fresh. As I said, I won't go into the the details of the story but this first book has a lot of classic tales and moves the story along at a wonderful pace and laying down groundwork for one of the best Hellblazer stories in history. It's strong. If you can get past the art, the stories will be fun if you like supernatural, urban, Neil Gaiman dark and gritty tales.
Characters: John is a wonderful character, he's not a hero and he's not really a great guy. He is human, he has his own personality and code of ethics and seeing him do the things he does is entertaining. The rest of the cast in this book are also very strong with ample time to develop them and allow for their stories to matter. This is one of the enduring qualities of Hellblazer, John and the characters. You love to loath John but you also love to love him. He's a wonderful character.
A trip down memory lane that was both good and bad. The art did date a lot and it took me out of the story, but once I got past the art, the story shone through and it was a very fun read.
Onward to the next book!
Man it's been a long time since I read Hellblazer and wow the art has not held up well.
I remember Hellblazer when I was in Uni and at that time I thought it was amazing, deep, dark and complex, I also thought it looked cool. So after 15+ years how does it hold up for me?
World: Ouch the art, it be ugly. The colours the line work are all super dated and terrible. I will say however that the framing of the book is still very nice and some of the splash pages look wonderful. Dated, if you can get pasted dated art the world and story is quite interesting. The world building is great, that's one of the things I remember most about Hellblazer, the nonchalant way it goes about creating a creepy and unsavoury world for John to inhabit. I like how we are thrown into the deep end with John (well we did meet him in Swamp Thing) and we get cracking. There is a little bit of an adjustment period as the dialog is quite English, the setting is England, and the politics is of the era. It's an interesting time capsule of what it was like in late 1980's being a comic book reader.
Story: Wow a lot happened and I won't go into it. What I will say is that the stories have weight, the dialog and internal monologues by John are heavy and breaths a real sense into the book. The stories are all over the place in terms of the type of story being told and it's a wonderful thing. The tone and feel and look of the book is very uniquely English and makes for something fresh. As I said, I won't go into the the details of the story but this first book has a lot of classic tales and moves the story along at a wonderful pace and laying down groundwork for one of the best Hellblazer stories in history. It's strong. If you can get past the art, the stories will be fun if you like supernatural, urban, Neil Gaiman dark and gritty tales.
Characters: John is a wonderful character, he's not a hero and he's not really a great guy. He is human, he has his own personality and code of ethics and seeing him do the things he does is entertaining. The rest of the cast in this book are also very strong with ample time to develop them and allow for their stories to matter. This is one of the enduring qualities of Hellblazer, John and the characters. You love to loath John but you also love to love him. He's a wonderful character.
A trip down memory lane that was both good and bad. The art did date a lot and it took me out of the story, but once I got past the art, the story shone through and it was a very fun read.
Onward to the next book!
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