John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America (2024) #5

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America (Single Issues)

by Simon Spurrier, Aaron Campbell (Artist), John J. Pearson (inker)

John Constantine, his son Noah, and bodyguard Nat have been blazing a trail across the face of America in their double-decker Routemaster bus, finding themselves on the wrong end of an eruption of supernatural and mystical threats—all thanks to a scattering of Dream’s sand. In this anthology-format issue, three particularly memorable run-ins with hitchhikers and drifters on America’s roadsides come to the fore…but can Constantine add up their meaning in time to uncover who—or what—is to blame for this rise in terror?

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror

33 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[John Nygma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 for issue number 5. This is more of an anthology that contains 3 (and a half?) short storylines that occur as Constantine and Co. travel across the country. I tend to struggle with anthologies, and (unfortunately) this was no different for me.

Each story is drawn in a different art style, with the familiar overall style of this series only coming for the opening and closing pages. Whether or not you enjoy those new art styles will very much be a matter of personal opinion. I had mostly mixed feelings about the art styles, feeling mostly neutral about them. None of them look as breathtakingly gritty and beautiful as the original style, but I think you can find some positive (and negative) aspects in each of the new styles.

The short stories themselves are mostly alright, some of them better, others worse. As always, there are some big and very obvious political themes in this. While interesting, they don't carry as much weight as some of the other sociopolitical issues that have appeared in the series thus far. However, some interesting nuances can still be found. But you can tell that there isn't enough time to develop any of the themes addressed in more detail and by the time the final short story comes around, you sorta feel like the issue is running out energy and motivation to come up with something uniquely interesting.

Not a bad issue, but it's potentially my least favourite one of the series so far. I'm still curious to find out how the story continues and look forward to following Constantine and Co. across America.

[Colin Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the series of the year for me already. Every issue fires on all cylinders with a perfect blend of dark humor, biting social critique, and classic Vertigo vibes. Route 66 is the clogged artery of American mythology, full of monsters and haunted souls.

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to be the best comic I’m reading this year. Loved all the different styles of illustrations in this.

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am happy to read any John Constantine that sounds like John Constantine, so even though I didn't care much for the varying art styles or anthology stories, I still enjoyed reading John.

The stories themselves aren't bad. They aren't great either. Past stories have really stuck with me, but these don't have enough meat to them for them to stick anywhere. They basically try to start a conversation by pointing to a problem and then expect the reader to carry on and continue it, which won't happen because there's not enough there to care to continue. (And I hate saying that, because these issues truly deserve a voice beyond being comic fodder.)

I don't know if this is the look for this series moving forward with the three mystery women in play or not, but I do look forward to reading more of the actual story with an occasional sidequest.

[Ziyad Baksh · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Arizona Anthology

Rather than 1 story, this issue is 4 seperate short stories about what John and his friends get up to when they pass through Arizona.

Poignant, politically sharp and occasionally funny.

Not filler but a calm before the storm.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nobody loves writing a good "AMERICA BAD" story quite like a Brit.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great example of POV switches working so well.

[James B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one comic I look forward to the most every month. It continues to shine, with a mix of different stories and different art styles as Constantine and crew travel through Arizona. Hózhǫ́

[Teemi Shaata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the differing art styles and The scene With johns kind eyes✨✨

[Jahni · Rating 2 out of 5]

wasn’t a big fan of this but it was okay

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

DC did another issue with different artists, some of them pretty bad. It even looks like there were different writers for a couple of the artists as well. This was definitely not one of my favorites. This is a quest story, and while it started well, it's become a bit of a drag.