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Hellblazer Collection #3
Hellblazer: Tainted Love
From the breakup of the romance he hoped would redeem his soul, John Constantine joins the ranks of London's homeless, meeting a vicious vampire cult and revisiting the scene of one of his earliest encounters with dark magic.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
7 people are currently reading
635 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,623 books3,174 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
November 2, 2014
Great example of how Ennis weaves good, revealing dialogue, philosophising and downright angry fun-making into a tidy package. Not terribly horrifying...except when it is. And takes a sudden turn to the sights of people and...other things being awful to those around them.
And when Constantine gets up the energy to start conducting himself towards his indecent plans - doesn't just make do with the time among his friends and family - he's a right bastard. Even lets those around him see the side that takes a hangover dump on those who're closest to him, and doesn't apologize for it.
In my younger days I found this side of Constantine righteous, funny and strengthening in a way - gives me some of my own energy to face the assholes around me. And yet a decade on, I'm feeling like this guy is a little sad, a lot of tragic, and someone desperately in need of therapy.
What carries this volume past Constantine's terrific disposition is Ennis' talent for stories and characters. Some of the best parts of this book are where people are telling stories to each other. Sometimes there's an artistic flashback, but most times we're relying on just the words. And they're magical - like you're sitting right there in the booth, pint in hand, can almost see the smokey haze and taste the scent of whiskey spilled on ancient oak.
Constantine's descent doesn't necessarily teach him anything important, nor does it make him a better or significantly different person, but it does leave us feeling a little sorry for him. I doubt that feeling lasts long though, once he does something truly heinous in a future collection of his worst hits.
And when Constantine gets up the energy to start conducting himself towards his indecent plans - doesn't just make do with the time among his friends and family - he's a right bastard. Even lets those around him see the side that takes a hangover dump on those who're closest to him, and doesn't apologize for it.
In my younger days I found this side of Constantine righteous, funny and strengthening in a way - gives me some of my own energy to face the assholes around me. And yet a decade on, I'm feeling like this guy is a little sad, a lot of tragic, and someone desperately in need of therapy.
What carries this volume past Constantine's terrific disposition is Ennis' talent for stories and characters. Some of the best parts of this book are where people are telling stories to each other. Sometimes there's an artistic flashback, but most times we're relying on just the words. And they're magical - like you're sitting right there in the booth, pint in hand, can almost see the smokey haze and taste the scent of whiskey spilled on ancient oak.
Constantine's descent doesn't necessarily teach him anything important, nor does it make him a better or significantly different person, but it does leave us feeling a little sorry for him. I doubt that feeling lasts long though, once he does something truly heinous in a future collection of his worst hits.
March 17, 2016
Everything I read one of these Hellblazer volumes I am reminded of why Ennis, Dillon and Fabry are one of my favorite creative teams of all time.
In this one we see Constantine at his absolute lowest: an alcoholic, homeless bum. There's also an encounter with the King of Vampires, a look at how Kit is getting along without him, some disturbing incidences from his youth, and a revelation triggered by a WWII ghost.
Another great volume with art that matches perfectly. A must for any Hellblazer fan, or Ennis/Dillon/Fabry fan. If you enjoy horror comics at all, you should check out Hellblazer.
In this one we see Constantine at his absolute lowest: an alcoholic, homeless bum. There's also an encounter with the King of Vampires, a look at how Kit is getting along without him, some disturbing incidences from his youth, and a revelation triggered by a WWII ghost.
Another great volume with art that matches perfectly. A must for any Hellblazer fan, or Ennis/Dillon/Fabry fan. If you enjoy horror comics at all, you should check out Hellblazer.
April 22, 2015
This is definitely one of the better Hellblazer compilations. The first few stories recount Constantine's life as a down-and-out in London following the break-up of his relationship with Cat and his encounter with the Lord of the Vampires, and the final story details a Young John's encounter with a perverted priest, all entertaining enough, but the highlight of the volume for me was a simple tale of Cat's night out with her friends in Dublin, in which Constantine doesn't even appear except as a recollection. The story describes a few friends on a good night out, steadily getting more and more intoxicated, with brilliant one-liners and set pieces, and is something to which I'm sure we can all relate! Steve Dillon's artwork is effective as ever, nothing flashy, just good, solid story-telling, and with superb Glenn Fabry cover reproductions.
July 17, 2020
This is the original dark and gritty John Constantine from thirty years ago, the guy you weren't sure was a good guy or a villain, not the cute and cuddly Matt Ryan version who flits about the timestream with Sarah and her pals. There are supernatural evils aplenty, but the real depths of darkness explored are those of grief and resultant depression, alcoholism, violence and self-destruction. I thought the most moving story was one in which Constantine does not appear, Heartland, in which his ex-girlfriend Kit goes back to her home and tries to get her life back together and on track. The art is very good; it's stark and plain and clear and conveys the noir flavor perfectly. The writing is also quite good, though the Irish and British slang/parlance is occasionally hard for me to decipher. It's hard-hitting, visceral stuff, just as timely today as it was when first published.
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October 10, 2010More liminal zoning-out for John Constantine. Guy still can't seem to get a break, but since I'm not familiar with the preceding comics, I have no idea if his descent into drunken vagrancy (where with beard he looks appropriately like myself on a bad day) is as dully warranted as this hard-biting book would want me to wish. Despite all the stories of gay James Dean vampires and penis-eating monsters and turned-off perverted priests, inarguably the best story in this lot doesn't have Constantine in it at all, but instead concerns itself with his smitten, smited ex-girlfriend hanging out with her pals back in Ireland. Good realistic stuff, though it does lay the colloquialisms on a bit thick (what the hell does "Even the peelers were takin' the piss out've the squaddies" mean?)
October 15, 2017
Hasta ahora, es la parte que menos me ha gustado de todos los números de Constantine. No sé si me ha gustado verlo -casi- tocando fondo.
May 20, 2020
For me, this was a diminishing return Hellblazer book.
I was surprised to find myself enjoying the return of the vampires to the Hellblazer plot. It was brief, and excellent. And Constantine's descent into homelessness and ill-health was initially well-handled. I even enjoyed the story focusing on Kit as she returned home. But when the story returned to Constantine, I found myself caring less and less about the story. I usually love Ennis writing about World War Two, but it was so out of place in this narrative, and the Constantine Gets His Shit Together issue just felt forced and unearned, which was a huge let-down. I was also unimpressed by Constantine confronting a priest who'd molested him as a youth. It may have been groundbreaking when it came out almost thirty years ago, but it's a tiresome plot now, unless it's done extraordinarily well, and this wasn't. It also seemed like such a shame to delve so far back in his life at this point, when his current storyline is so rich.
It's not terrible or unreadable. If you're loving Ennis's Hellblazer run, I don't think this will put you off the story. I just didn't find it as universal and tightly written as previous volumes.
I was surprised to find myself enjoying the return of the vampires to the Hellblazer plot. It was brief, and excellent. And Constantine's descent into homelessness and ill-health was initially well-handled. I even enjoyed the story focusing on Kit as she returned home. But when the story returned to Constantine, I found myself caring less and less about the story. I usually love Ennis writing about World War Two, but it was so out of place in this narrative, and the Constantine Gets His Shit Together issue just felt forced and unearned, which was a huge let-down. I was also unimpressed by Constantine confronting a priest who'd molested him as a youth. It may have been groundbreaking when it came out almost thirty years ago, but it's a tiresome plot now, unless it's done extraordinarily well, and this wasn't. It also seemed like such a shame to delve so far back in his life at this point, when his current storyline is so rich.
It's not terrible or unreadable. If you're loving Ennis's Hellblazer run, I don't think this will put you off the story. I just didn't find it as universal and tightly written as previous volumes.
March 8, 2012
Ok i will admit that i am a fan of Garth Ennis and have been ever since i read the Preacher series and the story board and artwork of this chapter in the story of John Constantine does not disappoint - but more so the book itself - the quality of the paper and the binding i also feel has improved from earlier books - and yes as shallow as that sounds to me reading is as much a tactile experience as it an imaginary one.
But the book - the story really does come alive and really captures the essence of Constantine and his world - where he is both the hunter and the hunter and where he will stop at nothing to see a job done even if it means sacrificing his friends along the way.
But the book - the story really does come alive and really captures the essence of Constantine and his world - where he is both the hunter and the hunter and where he will stop at nothing to see a job done even if it means sacrificing his friends along the way.
June 14, 2009
"Tainted Love" tells the story of John Constantine's descent into homelessness and alcoholism after Kit has left him. Ennis throughout shows his talent as a writer of well-rounded characters, the superb issue "Heartland" certainly forming the apogee of his skill, when showing Kit's life in Belfast and the reunion with her old friends. The reason why I don't give five points is that the last two issues of the collection fail to keep up the supreme standard (they're still good quality, though).
November 4, 2015
For a few issues, Ennis has traded smart storytelling for plain shock value (as we've seen in Preacher and, especially, The Boys). It's a little disappointing... At first, Ennis brought fresh air to Hellblazer, compared with the heavy handed emo approach of the last Delano issues. But around issue 65 it starts to feel lazy and cheap in comparison.
April 19, 2015
Issue #71 is probably Garth Ennis' best Issue of Hellblazer yet. Though it seemed like a bit of a stretch that J.C. would become homeless after breaking up with Kit, the issues #68 - 69 were a refreshing take on our beloved antihero.
Overall, not a bad volume.
Overall, not a bad volume.
gave-up-on
December 9, 2015My Brief Bookshelf Overview: gave-up-before-finishing, grim, likable-or-deep-characters, mature, story-not-intriguing-enough, violent
Additional Notes: This collection contains Hellblazer issues #69-71, and Hellblazer Special.
Additional Notes: This collection contains Hellblazer issues #69-71, and Hellblazer Special.
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March 23, 2020I have a slight problem with how the story’s gone in this volume and the last: I don’t believe Constantine would be homeless. More specifically, I don’t believe that Kit would leave him homeless, or that he wouldn’t call upon Chas or someone else to help him out. Hasn’t he been learning the importance of friendship from Matt and others? Then again, he’s a right proud bastard and doing so might have been too much for him.
In any case, this volume collects some of the best issues of Ennis’ run so far. Emotions still run high, no higher than in issue 71, “Finest Hour.” What an amazing story. I love Ennis’ war comics, and this issue shows his early love for the genre. Beyond that, it’s beautifully told and immensely powerful with standout art from Dillon. I could read it again right now.
I also love special about the priest. Ennis skillfully conveys his distaste for religion while forwarding the overarching plot. The issue with Kit is also a great read, showcasing Ennis’ knack for realistic and compelling dialogue. I’ve said before that I think he’s the best writer of dialogue in comics. His dialogue is often mesmerizing to read, like it’s real people talking and telling stories and you’re right there with them.
In any case, this volume collects some of the best issues of Ennis’ run so far. Emotions still run high, no higher than in issue 71, “Finest Hour.” What an amazing story. I love Ennis’ war comics, and this issue shows his early love for the genre. Beyond that, it’s beautifully told and immensely powerful with standout art from Dillon. I could read it again right now.
I also love special about the priest. Ennis skillfully conveys his distaste for religion while forwarding the overarching plot. The issue with Kit is also a great read, showcasing Ennis’ knack for realistic and compelling dialogue. I’ve said before that I think he’s the best writer of dialogue in comics. His dialogue is often mesmerizing to read, like it’s real people talking and telling stories and you’re right there with them.
August 7, 2024
The downfall of Ennis’ run. The issues where he’s homeless and the one where he confronts the priest are very lackluster, focusing more on shock value than good storytelling; something you see a lot in his work. Although I did enjoyed the vampires, the relationships between them were nicely fleshed out. I do wish their death made more of an impact on the story.
April 14, 2018
Scary, brilliant and nerve wreaking...
Sounds just the right description for Hellblazer graphic novel written by the very talented Garth Ennis.
A must read...
Sounds just the right description for Hellblazer graphic novel written by the very talented Garth Ennis.
A must read...
June 21, 2018
This was a very "meh" volume up until the last issue - Confessional. Damn, what a gut punch.
August 28, 2019
Really excellent!!
November 16, 2021
2-3 stars, sometimes, sometimes 4
June 15, 2023
É o quinto volume do Hellblazer Infernal e o nível continua muito alto. Impressionante o que o Garth Ennis fez nessa série.
November 30, 2023
Top-notch storytelling and deeply disturbing in parts, while still managing to keep a real human touch. This is a fantastic comic book that I’d recommend to anyone.
February 21, 2016
This volume contains one of my all-time favourite JC stories (Finest Hour), one tale which I absolutely can't abide (Heartland) and a couple of other stand-out stand-alone episodes (Confessional and Rough Trade) which boil the essence of Hellblazer down to its absolute best. Humanity balanced against outright evil, with Constantine as the unwilling pivot point.
Unlike some other compilations, this anthology doesn't have a particularly compelling unifying thread. It finds JC in the gutter, explores the depth of his misery, and provides the impetus for him to claw his way back into his own skin once more. It's not a great place to join the narrative if you're new to the character. And the self-indulgent episode which takes ex-girlfriend Kit back to her Irish roots is stifling in its deliberate banality.
A mixed bag, then; almost three stars. But there's still a couple of glorious moments of redemption, and of chilling supernatural influence, with quietly powerful asides that raise these stories beyond the normal boundaries of graphic novels.
So... 7/10
Unlike some other compilations, this anthology doesn't have a particularly compelling unifying thread. It finds JC in the gutter, explores the depth of his misery, and provides the impetus for him to claw his way back into his own skin once more. It's not a great place to join the narrative if you're new to the character. And the self-indulgent episode which takes ex-girlfriend Kit back to her Irish roots is stifling in its deliberate banality.
A mixed bag, then; almost three stars. But there's still a couple of glorious moments of redemption, and of chilling supernatural influence, with quietly powerful asides that raise these stories beyond the normal boundaries of graphic novels.
So... 7/10
December 14, 2020
John Constantine er hovedperson i tegneserien Hellblazer, men gjør også gjesteopptredener i andre forfatteres arbeid. Han er best beskrevet som en okkult detektiv og anti-helt. Han er opptatt av at den vanlige mann skal ha rett på et vanlig liv, og han håper dette inkluderer ham selv. Men der kommer til stadighet magi, demoner og mord i veien. Constantine opptrer i tegneserier utgitt av DC Comics, for det meste under forlaget Vertigo.
Hele min omtale finner du på bloggen min Betraktninger
Hele min omtale finner du på bloggen min Betraktninger
February 8, 2008
After losing his girlfriend, Kit, in the previous collection, John Constantine has hit a new low and is living on the street. This collection is longer on character development and shorter on action than some of the other collections, but I still loved it. Plus Constantine's drunken confrontation with the King of the Vampires is brilliant! You definitely need to at least read Dangerous Habits and Fear & Loathing before you read this one, though.
October 12, 2015
I have serious problems believing that Kit's leaving would cause John to become homeless on the streets. However, other than that, this is a strong volume. The best is "Finest Hour" (#71), which is one of Ennis' first takes on the war comic genres, and it really shows his love for the topic. The rest of the comics are all enjoyable, showing Constantine's kick-butt spirit (particularly in #68-69) and Ennis' enjoyment of horror (particularly in the special).
October 31, 2008
Read one Hellblazer graphic novel in a day, and your like huh..read two Hellblazer graphic novels and Crime and Punishment and your brain goes to mash. Vampires, WWII ghosts, and pencils, now I'm scared of frigin' pencils thanks Jimmy, your wanker. Peace out
P.S. J/K Jimmy your not a wanker, just an odd duck, but look whose talkin' (Pow, Bam, Ka-Zaam)
P.S. J/K Jimmy your not a wanker, just an odd duck, but look whose talkin' (Pow, Bam, Ka-Zaam)
December 24, 2012
John is down in the dumps and he becomes a homeless wino. It is a good exploration of character, but I'm really glad that it didn't last long. This was about all that I could take. I'm more a fan of Constantine firing on full cylinders. It does have one of my favorite Hellblazer stories in it, Finest Hour (the ghost pilot one).
March 8, 2015
My problem with the Hellbalzer graphic novels is that they are not in order, they skip around making them kind of confusing to follow. That said I'm a huge fan of Garth Ennis' "Preacher" series and so far think his take on Constatine is much better than Delano's. And the fact that first story in this collection involves vampires helps too.
June 18, 2015
Apart from one story, this was a solid volume. The brilliance of Constantine is how magic is so secondary in telling his story. Even the supernatural beings have a human quality to them. My favorite bit was the father who had lost his faith.
September 14, 2015
Not a bad volume. More recollections and flashbacks as we see John Constantine brought to his lowest after the end of his relationship with Kit. The encounter with the king of the vampires and the final story were the standout ones for me but all in all still enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews