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Hellblazer (Single Issues)
Hellblazer #7
This is it! The Damnation Army rages in bloody battle against The Resurrection Crusade--with John Constantine caught in the middle of the monstrous holy war!
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Jamie Delano
464 books353 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 24, 2024
Depending on the end of this volume, I might end up dropping this series for a while too.
The story is just not interesting.
I was reading this because Constantine is a magician, but what I got instead, a lot of cults, and very little magic.
I am just not having fun with this series at all, I can tell the writing is great, but the story isn't captivating at all.
The story is just not interesting.
I was reading this because Constantine is a magician, but what I got instead, a lot of cults, and very little magic.
I am just not having fun with this series at all, I can tell the writing is great, but the story isn't captivating at all.
August 9, 2014
"Goddamn it all to hell. Why is it that, lately, everything I touch--turns into shit in my hands?"
Well now, this more like it. It's not exactly a pleasant story (in fact, it's an awful bloody mess that John once again has to cope from but then again, should I expect anything else from Hellblazer at this point?) but the delivery's overall tone was incredibly sublime with a few touches of coy humor in the middle and some unexpected poignancy near the end.
Honestly speaking, the maternal instinct in my biology has made me very sympathetic to John, only because I had this sudden yet not completely surprising desire to take care of him like he's a stray in need of a new home and a hot meal or something. But I must acknowledge that he's not exactly the victim of his circumstances. We just get the sense that the bell has been tolling for this man's soul.
Everything since the first issue of the series all ties back to the mysterious events in Newcastle (which, as I stated when I began my Hellblazer comics diet, was the issue I read first which was the eleventh one so I think it's unavoidable for me to contextualize what I know about that storyline as I go about reviewing this issue entitled Ghost in the Machine). And what a wonderfully depressing issue it has been for me!
The decision to write the first few pages that features a symbolic nightmare sequence was a strong literary device, personally, especially when we consider the eventual destination that the story was gunning for. That entire sequence is the sum of all parts for Ghost in the Machine. No spoilers, of course, but it's very notable because of its quality of premonition. It was also a glimpse at Constantine's frame of mind at this point of the story where everything is slipping including his mask of detachment and self-contained sorrow.
To uncover the intentions of the Resurrection Crusaders, John visits an old acquaintance, Ray Monde, whose expertise has something to do with infiltrating the cyberspace for paranormal purposes. It's...a tricky thing to explain here. You just have to read it for yourself to get the picture. But basically, he helps out John in finding out more about the base operations of said Resurrection Crusaders by immersing himself in a trance via computers. Constantine leaves him to this ritual, considering it's not his specialty so he really has nothing to contribute.
Meanwhile, Zed is staying with Ritchie Simpson, another friend of John who was introduced in the previous issues. He's an elderly gay man who was also John's very first friend when he moved to London. Zed sort of wondered about the nature of their relationship (it's worth mentioning that during the Hellblazer's run, Constantine had been written as bisexual though we see him having relationships with women more). Tragic stuff happens in this scene which almost made me stop reading because I couldn't believe that happened so quickly and with John nowhere to be found to help prevent it. But we need to move the plot forward so I guess it was inevitable.
Back to our hero: John comes back to Ray to see if there was any progress in the search; only to witness Ray completely losing control of the process that he ended up, well, giving way to spontaneous self-combustion right where John stands up helplessly, unable to salvage his friend's charcoaled-up body. Ray is oblivious to the fact that he no longer has a tangible form to return to, and there's no way in hell John is going to tell him. He opted to switch off the machines, entrapping Ray's consciousness within. John admits that it is a cowardly gesture but he just couldn't take any of his friends' demises being blamed on him once again. He had reached that quota as of now.
"Why is it that, lately, everything I touch--turns into shit in my hands?" he naturally soliloquizes as he leaves the place and boards the train, supposedly to get back to Zed and Ritchie (and we all know that it's yet another bleeding wound John needs to clean up). On the ride home, he was haunted by Emma, Gary Lester and the rest of his dead friends. Not one to stand up for anything resembling dignity, John literally jumps out of the train to avoid the scolding from the ghosts of his past.
Oh, John. You beautifully sordid man with issues caked in blood and grief. I'm not hot on your avoidance tactics right now but I still feel legitimately bad about the circumstances that are closing in on you. At this point, we're all interested to know what really happened in Newcastle that changed John in ways where there is no going back from it. Covered in thistles and weeds and in urgent need to bury his dead, John has to overcome his issues and to do it fast because there is a case at hand that requires his full attention. No pressure or anything, mate, but there are bigger battles to fight.
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
DO READ MORE OF MY HELLBLAZER REVIEWS
Well now, this more like it. It's not exactly a pleasant story (in fact, it's an awful bloody mess that John once again has to cope from but then again, should I expect anything else from Hellblazer at this point?) but the delivery's overall tone was incredibly sublime with a few touches of coy humor in the middle and some unexpected poignancy near the end.
Honestly speaking, the maternal instinct in my biology has made me very sympathetic to John, only because I had this sudden yet not completely surprising desire to take care of him like he's a stray in need of a new home and a hot meal or something. But I must acknowledge that he's not exactly the victim of his circumstances. We just get the sense that the bell has been tolling for this man's soul.
Everything since the first issue of the series all ties back to the mysterious events in Newcastle (which, as I stated when I began my Hellblazer comics diet, was the issue I read first which was the eleventh one so I think it's unavoidable for me to contextualize what I know about that storyline as I go about reviewing this issue entitled Ghost in the Machine). And what a wonderfully depressing issue it has been for me!
The decision to write the first few pages that features a symbolic nightmare sequence was a strong literary device, personally, especially when we consider the eventual destination that the story was gunning for. That entire sequence is the sum of all parts for Ghost in the Machine. No spoilers, of course, but it's very notable because of its quality of premonition. It was also a glimpse at Constantine's frame of mind at this point of the story where everything is slipping including his mask of detachment and self-contained sorrow.
To uncover the intentions of the Resurrection Crusaders, John visits an old acquaintance, Ray Monde, whose expertise has something to do with infiltrating the cyberspace for paranormal purposes. It's...a tricky thing to explain here. You just have to read it for yourself to get the picture. But basically, he helps out John in finding out more about the base operations of said Resurrection Crusaders by immersing himself in a trance via computers. Constantine leaves him to this ritual, considering it's not his specialty so he really has nothing to contribute.
Meanwhile, Zed is staying with Ritchie Simpson, another friend of John who was introduced in the previous issues. He's an elderly gay man who was also John's very first friend when he moved to London. Zed sort of wondered about the nature of their relationship (it's worth mentioning that during the Hellblazer's run, Constantine had been written as bisexual though we see him having relationships with women more). Tragic stuff happens in this scene which almost made me stop reading because I couldn't believe that happened so quickly and with John nowhere to be found to help prevent it. But we need to move the plot forward so I guess it was inevitable.
Back to our hero: John comes back to Ray to see if there was any progress in the search; only to witness Ray completely losing control of the process that he ended up, well, giving way to spontaneous self-combustion right where John stands up helplessly, unable to salvage his friend's charcoaled-up body. Ray is oblivious to the fact that he no longer has a tangible form to return to, and there's no way in hell John is going to tell him. He opted to switch off the machines, entrapping Ray's consciousness within. John admits that it is a cowardly gesture but he just couldn't take any of his friends' demises being blamed on him once again. He had reached that quota as of now.
"Why is it that, lately, everything I touch--turns into shit in my hands?" he naturally soliloquizes as he leaves the place and boards the train, supposedly to get back to Zed and Ritchie (and we all know that it's yet another bleeding wound John needs to clean up). On the ride home, he was haunted by Emma, Gary Lester and the rest of his dead friends. Not one to stand up for anything resembling dignity, John literally jumps out of the train to avoid the scolding from the ghosts of his past.
"My heart twitches like a bloody beast, crawled into the rank burrow of my chest to breathe its last. I feel like an old soldier, attending one by one, the funerals of my own war comrades."
Oh, John. You beautifully sordid man with issues caked in blood and grief. I'm not hot on your avoidance tactics right now but I still feel legitimately bad about the circumstances that are closing in on you. At this point, we're all interested to know what really happened in Newcastle that changed John in ways where there is no going back from it. Covered in thistles and weeds and in urgent need to bury his dead, John has to overcome his issues and to do it fast because there is a case at hand that requires his full attention. No pressure or anything, mate, but there are bigger battles to fight.
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
DO READ MORE OF MY HELLBLAZER REVIEWS
April 21, 2018
Another emotional issue. This one hits hard.. :(
October 29, 2023
3.5/5
May 9, 2025
The war between the resurrections and the damnation army continues and John is still so many steps behind. That’s why he decided to leave Zed with Ray, as he set off to meet a friend who may be able to give him some answers. On the bus ride there he ended up falling asleep, and the beautifully drawn dream is where this issue starts. As Constantine dreams about having sex with Zed in a movie theater. As he starts to undress her clothes, then skin, then muscle, then as he gets down to her bones he sees her soul laid bare and he grabs the cross necklace around her neck which he claims is the heart of the matter. Constantine claims that he feels defeated seeing her like this, but I am not sure why. The dream ends as the bus gets to the end of the line and he is woken up. Does he feel shame for not being able to help her sooner, or because he doesn’t know enough to help her? If that is the case then his friend may be able to help him. John grabbed a cab to the Weetiebrix factory where his old friend Richie works in order to gain access to their computer systems. Using a special blend of quantum magic he is able to match his brain waves to the alpha waves of the computer and project his consciousness within…giving him access to everything everywhere!! Which also allows him to search for the crusaders. More specifically Richie has found the splinter group called the Tongues of Fire, which we saw at Zed’s place last issue.
Meanwhile back at Ray’s place, the flat is unfortunately raided by the tongues of fire. They continue to call Zed Mary, which is also what the demon last issue called her. They also seem to be led by a man that looks very similar to the leader of the crusaders trying to get John’s niece back. But that’s probably just the way they dress, as this man didn’t call out his own daughter being there when we saw them before!! But the worst part of this, and what makes me think John should say screw it and team up with the demon, is how they treat Ray. The group sees him as an abomination and decides to kick and beat him down. Absolutely furious reading this part of the issue and I want them to meet the wrath of the hellblazer.
Back with Ritchie, John ended JL destroying a coffee machine after it wouldn’t work for him. As he went back to check on the progress with Ritchie, he found the entire room was lit up with different colors, and promptly asked Ritchie to hurry it up a bit. Ritchie can rightfully only scoff, if Constantine had any understanding of what he was doing, the complicated paths he has to trace through the ether to find what Constantine needs…then he wouldn’t ask that. But on the other hand Ritchie doesn’t fully blame John for how tight-asses he is. They all changed since NewCastle, but he does still figure the only reason John is this invested is because of a woman…and unfortunately he would be right on the money in that regard. As Ritchie navigates throughout the Internet and begins to approach the resurrection crusaders network, he mentions all of the traps that have been laid out to prevent people from accessing it. Unfortunately unbeknownst to Ritchie, at the same moment he is thrust into their network, he also seems to have hit a trap. And while his consciousness resides in the network, his body begins to heat up and fry to a crisp on the real world. John tried to stop it, even made a comparison to the spontaneous combustion he saw in Baron Winter’s house during crisis, but it is so hot that even a fire extinguisher couldn’t get close to it. and eventually Ritchie’s body crumbled. But what John did next astounded me and pissed me off. Ritchie is not completely dead, his consciousness is still alive in the Internet and he is able to talk to John and tell him that apparently found an entirely new world in there and that he tracked the resurrection crusaders to Glastonbury. But it seems that John doesn’t have the courage to tell Ritchie what has happened, and instead he lights up a cigarette, tells Ritchie goodbye, and turns off the computer he is communicating with him through. UGH, JOHN!! I refuse to believe that Ritchie is dead, his consciousness has access to everything!! He could have easily moved out of there when John said goodbye and he could very well still exist out there. But now he has a grudge against John for not telling him the truth about his real body. I mean couldn’t John also just whip together something new to save the guy? Grab a corpse and hope that it’s a bit slimmer!?
John is so willingly to give up his friends in this manner, that of course on the train ride, to what I can only expect is towards Glastonbury, he is once again met with the ghosts of his past. Ritchie was also the last from Newcastle to die, and Constantine blames himself even more for having a hand in each of their deaths. But here’s the thing with these ghosts, other than Ritchie being noticeable absent, they believe John has it all wrong. They are here to help him with his problems. But suddenly the world starts to get smaller and John decides to jump out of the carriage the moment the ghosts start telling him that he is too obsessed with sex and is gonna screw up because of it. Maybe that’s the shame John was feeling at the beginning during his dream sequence? Either way, as the issue comes to a close we can see Zed sitting in a crusaders operating room, as she channels some of her power to try and help John. She needs him right now, and really needs a friend. Compared to her dad, really anyone would be better. As they talk to the doctors they say they can still use her, even if she is no longer a virgin, and really all that matters is her mental state. Which just means that the will start psychological reconditioning. So let me get this straight, they keep calling her Mary and they want her to be a virgin…oh no…they aren’t planning on birthing some Christ life figure…are they?!
Meanwhile back at Ray’s place, the flat is unfortunately raided by the tongues of fire. They continue to call Zed Mary, which is also what the demon last issue called her. They also seem to be led by a man that looks very similar to the leader of the crusaders trying to get John’s niece back. But that’s probably just the way they dress, as this man didn’t call out his own daughter being there when we saw them before!! But the worst part of this, and what makes me think John should say screw it and team up with the demon, is how they treat Ray. The group sees him as an abomination and decides to kick and beat him down. Absolutely furious reading this part of the issue and I want them to meet the wrath of the hellblazer.
Back with Ritchie, John ended JL destroying a coffee machine after it wouldn’t work for him. As he went back to check on the progress with Ritchie, he found the entire room was lit up with different colors, and promptly asked Ritchie to hurry it up a bit. Ritchie can rightfully only scoff, if Constantine had any understanding of what he was doing, the complicated paths he has to trace through the ether to find what Constantine needs…then he wouldn’t ask that. But on the other hand Ritchie doesn’t fully blame John for how tight-asses he is. They all changed since NewCastle, but he does still figure the only reason John is this invested is because of a woman…and unfortunately he would be right on the money in that regard. As Ritchie navigates throughout the Internet and begins to approach the resurrection crusaders network, he mentions all of the traps that have been laid out to prevent people from accessing it. Unfortunately unbeknownst to Ritchie, at the same moment he is thrust into their network, he also seems to have hit a trap. And while his consciousness resides in the network, his body begins to heat up and fry to a crisp on the real world. John tried to stop it, even made a comparison to the spontaneous combustion he saw in Baron Winter’s house during crisis, but it is so hot that even a fire extinguisher couldn’t get close to it. and eventually Ritchie’s body crumbled. But what John did next astounded me and pissed me off. Ritchie is not completely dead, his consciousness is still alive in the Internet and he is able to talk to John and tell him that apparently found an entirely new world in there and that he tracked the resurrection crusaders to Glastonbury. But it seems that John doesn’t have the courage to tell Ritchie what has happened, and instead he lights up a cigarette, tells Ritchie goodbye, and turns off the computer he is communicating with him through. UGH, JOHN!! I refuse to believe that Ritchie is dead, his consciousness has access to everything!! He could have easily moved out of there when John said goodbye and he could very well still exist out there. But now he has a grudge against John for not telling him the truth about his real body. I mean couldn’t John also just whip together something new to save the guy? Grab a corpse and hope that it’s a bit slimmer!?
John is so willingly to give up his friends in this manner, that of course on the train ride, to what I can only expect is towards Glastonbury, he is once again met with the ghosts of his past. Ritchie was also the last from Newcastle to die, and Constantine blames himself even more for having a hand in each of their deaths. But here’s the thing with these ghosts, other than Ritchie being noticeable absent, they believe John has it all wrong. They are here to help him with his problems. But suddenly the world starts to get smaller and John decides to jump out of the carriage the moment the ghosts start telling him that he is too obsessed with sex and is gonna screw up because of it. Maybe that’s the shame John was feeling at the beginning during his dream sequence? Either way, as the issue comes to a close we can see Zed sitting in a crusaders operating room, as she channels some of her power to try and help John. She needs him right now, and really needs a friend. Compared to her dad, really anyone would be better. As they talk to the doctors they say they can still use her, even if she is no longer a virgin, and really all that matters is her mental state. Which just means that the will start psychological reconditioning. So let me get this straight, they keep calling her Mary and they want her to be a virgin…oh no…they aren’t planning on birthing some Christ life figure…are they?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2023
I wasn't expecting a cyberpunk turn from this series! Love how it's drawn. The writing for the Tron-like character's internal monologue is also really beautiful. I think it's easy to say Delano's wordy approach in this series is very indulgent, but it's also usually been worth it.
John's life is hard.
John's life is hard.
December 15, 2024
I just wish it wasn't so wordy.
April 12, 2025
Not sure why this is kind of tough to get into.
April 7, 2026
cómo me tatúo las páginas totalmente psicodélicas del viaje de ritchie en ese otro plano y la carbonización de su cuerpo físico en mis RETINAS
December 16, 2016
Constantine está tan jodido, y eso me gusta (y que psicodélicas las páginas del viaje de Ritchie).
July 31, 2015
John Constantine can be a right bastard sometimes.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews