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Hellblazer #29
Hellblazer: The Laughing Magician
This new HELLBLAZER trade paperback begins as John Constantine receives a perplexing birthday gift: a memory wrapped up in a warning. Collecting issues #238-242 of Vertigo's longest running series, written by Andy Diggle (THE LOSERS, GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE).
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2008
333 people want to read
About the author
Andy Diggle
531 books172 followersAndy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers,Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.
In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.
In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 6, 2022
Modern mystic Constantine is indulging in his downtime of choice: ciggies, booze and a hot date when he’s summoned by the ethereal Map, patron god of London, to rescue a trio of young thrill-seekers who have inadvertently slipped into the metaphysical hell of Shadow London. Grudgingly acquiescing, to his eternal regret, the sordid sorcerer forgets his own first principle of “what are you really after?”.
Continuing directly from the events of Joyride/Systems of Control, this second collection of the unstoppable mystic trickster written by London’s Pride Andy Diggle comprises a chilling prelude and a visceral saga that sets up the series for a longer, even darker tale to follow in The Roots of Coincidence.
Magic is harsh and has no thought for innocence. The harrowing trip is just a taste of what is to come when Mako gets the right scent and follows all the way to London.
The trilogy of chapters that follows once again displays the callous superiority of comics’ greatest anti-hero as he finesses one threat against another, but the book ends without closure as his foes are now aligned against him and the trickster leaves his home turf to prepare himself for what’s still to come.
Andy Diggle has a powerful feel for and grasp of the idiosyncratic world of John Constantine. Blending gangland, contemporary news headlines, politics and the ghastly unknown, these dark pleasures are some of the most compelling stories in a series that has spanned more than twenty years and drawn the best work from a truly stellar cast of creators.
Continuing directly from the events of Joyride/Systems of Control, this second collection of the unstoppable mystic trickster written by London’s Pride Andy Diggle comprises a chilling prelude and a visceral saga that sets up the series for a longer, even darker tale to follow in The Roots of Coincidence.
Magic is harsh and has no thought for innocence. The harrowing trip is just a taste of what is to come when Mako gets the right scent and follows all the way to London.
The trilogy of chapters that follows once again displays the callous superiority of comics’ greatest anti-hero as he finesses one threat against another, but the book ends without closure as his foes are now aligned against him and the trickster leaves his home turf to prepare himself for what’s still to come.
Andy Diggle has a powerful feel for and grasp of the idiosyncratic world of John Constantine. Blending gangland, contemporary news headlines, politics and the ghastly unknown, these dark pleasures are some of the most compelling stories in a series that has spanned more than twenty years and drawn the best work from a truly stellar cast of creators.
July 17, 2012
Andy Diggle, best known for his Vertigo series 'The Losers', tackles one of the longest running series in DC with his run on Hellblazer. It's a damn good run, too, seeing as how it comes of as completely effortless. Like Diggle was born to helm this book. It just felt right. As right as when Ennis was it's supreme architect. Diggle's issues are about as close to the Constantine that you want without bringing back Ennis as a reader can get. But, as with too many Vertigo series, it suffers from an artist who seems unaccustomed to the comic book format.
Diggle doesn't do anything new here. He doesn't rewrite the formula or alter the continuity. There isn't anything about it that just blows you away. But that is exactly what makes these books so damn good. It's the subtlety. The fact that it feels like Diggle's slipping you into a warm bath, you don't even notice what's happening because it feels so natural. He's just matching the pressures. Diggle has such a firm grasp of what the character should be and the stories in which he should be involved, that it feels like the books are writing themselves. Everything unfolds naturally, or supernaturally, as it should. This run speaks volumes about Diggle and the work he should and should not be doing (Daredevil being a prime example of work he should avoid doing).
As for the art, it's typical Vertigo fare. Sloppy and uncontrolled. Coloring outside the lines and a bit frenzied. Oftentimes looks like outsider art in its style and proportion. Leonardo Manco needs to learn when to make a line or scene crisp, and when to let loose with the insanity. It fits the bookk just fine, but it could be so much better. And it's always felt that way to me. As if the artwork on 90% of the Vertigo books just did not matter to the publisher. And in that case- why not just publish them as novels if yu're not going to give the graphic part of it the tender care you give the writing?
Writing: A
Art: C
Diggle doesn't do anything new here. He doesn't rewrite the formula or alter the continuity. There isn't anything about it that just blows you away. But that is exactly what makes these books so damn good. It's the subtlety. The fact that it feels like Diggle's slipping you into a warm bath, you don't even notice what's happening because it feels so natural. He's just matching the pressures. Diggle has such a firm grasp of what the character should be and the stories in which he should be involved, that it feels like the books are writing themselves. Everything unfolds naturally, or supernaturally, as it should. This run speaks volumes about Diggle and the work he should and should not be doing (Daredevil being a prime example of work he should avoid doing).
As for the art, it's typical Vertigo fare. Sloppy and uncontrolled. Coloring outside the lines and a bit frenzied. Oftentimes looks like outsider art in its style and proportion. Leonardo Manco needs to learn when to make a line or scene crisp, and when to let loose with the insanity. It fits the bookk just fine, but it could be so much better. And it's always felt that way to me. As if the artwork on 90% of the Vertigo books just did not matter to the publisher. And in that case- why not just publish them as novels if yu're not going to give the graphic part of it the tender care you give the writing?
Writing: A
Art: C
November 19, 2017
Constantine seems to have met his match in the magiphage Mako. The cameo appearance of Lord Calvin Burnham is such a devilish delight. This cliffhanger ending though is unbecoming.
April 22, 2015
(Recently reread the monthlies)
I'm finding latter-day Hellblazer hard to rate. On the face of it, this volume really isn't much of a departure from the series's past; yet it feels less vital, somehow - perhaps because it isn't much of a departure; any series over 20 years of age shouldn't just tread water.
Good things first: the one-shot "The Smoke" is a pretty great example of the recently somewhat crowded genre of London horror. Love the art by Danijel Zezelj, too.
The rest of the volume collects about half of the resolution to the overarching plot of Diggle's run, so it's hard to talk about it without also talking about the second half of that resolution, which happens in the next volume - so I guess I'll give my verdict there instead of here.
I'm finding latter-day Hellblazer hard to rate. On the face of it, this volume really isn't much of a departure from the series's past; yet it feels less vital, somehow - perhaps because it isn't much of a departure; any series over 20 years of age shouldn't just tread water.
Good things first: the one-shot "The Smoke" is a pretty great example of the recently somewhat crowded genre of London horror. Love the art by Danijel Zezelj, too.
The rest of the volume collects about half of the resolution to the overarching plot of Diggle's run, so it's hard to talk about it without also talking about the second half of that resolution, which happens in the next volume - so I guess I'll give my verdict there instead of here.
September 27, 2016
Another good volume, and pretty gruesome even for Hellblazer. There's a wicked magician in Africa, one who inherits the memories and powers of other magicians by eating them. And he's now looking for Constantine...
Constantine thinks he's got it all figured out, but thing's don't work out quite the way he thinks. I have a feeling the events in this volume are going to be revisited soon, and not in a good way for Constantine.
There's also a pretty cool story about an alternate, darker London that exists just behind the veil of reality. The art is good and scary as well.
Hellblazer fans should check this one out, especially if you prefer darker stories. (Not that any Hellblazer stories are what you'd call light-hearted!)
Constantine thinks he's got it all figured out, but thing's don't work out quite the way he thinks. I have a feeling the events in this volume are going to be revisited soon, and not in a good way for Constantine.
There's also a pretty cool story about an alternate, darker London that exists just behind the veil of reality. The art is good and scary as well.
Hellblazer fans should check this one out, especially if you prefer darker stories. (Not that any Hellblazer stories are what you'd call light-hearted!)
November 16, 2023
A five star Hellblazer set of stories with inconsistent art.
Diggle's superhero work never impessed me, so I never checked out his Vertigo work. It's actually very good. Lke the best Hellblazer writers, Diggle selects a few supporting cast members from Constantine's backstory, writes some seemingly unrelated short stories that all are clearly building to an event. And, unlike the last few, instead of a massive apocalypse, the story is more focused on personal goals for both Constantine and the villains.
I was a little worried about an issue that took place in Africa but it was no more fetishized or culturally ignorant than the parts of the story that took place in England. This is a refreshing change of pace for Hellblazer writers.
While Manco, who's been working on the book more than most writers, isn't my favorite, I much prefer his work to Danijel Žeželj's, whose overly shadowed work is abrasive and whose fuzzy faces are difficult to look at.
Diggle's superhero work never impessed me, so I never checked out his Vertigo work. It's actually very good. Lke the best Hellblazer writers, Diggle selects a few supporting cast members from Constantine's backstory, writes some seemingly unrelated short stories that all are clearly building to an event. And, unlike the last few, instead of a massive apocalypse, the story is more focused on personal goals for both Constantine and the villains.
I was a little worried about an issue that took place in Africa but it was no more fetishized or culturally ignorant than the parts of the story that took place in England. This is a refreshing change of pace for Hellblazer writers.
While Manco, who's been working on the book more than most writers, isn't my favorite, I much prefer his work to Danijel Žeželj's, whose overly shadowed work is abrasive and whose fuzzy faces are difficult to look at.
May 17, 2017
Duas aventuras perturbantes, num tom profundamente negro. Na primeira, Constantine mergulha na Londres das sombras, uma cidade paralela acessível através de resquícios de um urbanismo esquecido, onde as lendas mais obscuras ganham vida. Na segunda, defronta um temível mago vindo dos campos sangrentos do Sudão, no meio do submundo londrino do tráfico humano. O tom negro das histórias é sublinhado pelo traço expressivo e escuro da dupla Leonardo Manco e Danjel Zezelj.
October 25, 2018
My mind is slowly changing about this Diggle guy. I am starting to appreciate his stories. The last man standing trope is starting to break a bit and I wonder how he will stretch it.
May 6, 2019
If you want more of Constantine's back story, this is one you want to read.
September 18, 2019
The book was certainly excellent.
March 10, 2017
6.5/10
July 20, 2010
Fans of "Joyride," Diggle's first venture into the world of HELLBLAZER may have glimpsed it as a collection of three rather disconnected stories with John Constantine himself as the hub.
With "The Laughing Magician," Diggle proves that he's got a bigger canvas with which he'd like to paint, but the colors simply don't seem to be coming together fast enough to keep the readers' interest.
To be clear, the nature of the stories published as "Joyride" were good, though a little hurried in some regards, especially since the stories didn't appear to have any long-term designs on the title. Truly, there's nothing wrong with a "one & done" story from time to time, but it begins to read too much like an anthology devoid of any real danger when you ride that one-trick pony too many times.
Diggle somehow imagined that moving the pendulum to the absolute opposite end was the solution with "The Laughing Magician." Now, the story plods too often than not, pitting John against a diabolical mage who feeds off the souls of other magicians, ultimately making him more powerful...and he's got his sights on the Laughing Magician, John Constantine.
Or does he?
More about that in the review for "The Roots of Coincidence," the volume to follow this one (which will resolve this entire conflict) and Diggle's last for the series.
So rather than produce tightly-wound narratives with no seeming significance, one to the next, Diggle builds upon the social commentary from "Joyride," beginning Constantine's adventure in Darfur, and you can't get more 'current events' than that. Unfortunately, as the story progresses, readers will ultimately feel a little cheated that it doesn't conclude at all within this volume. Now, readers who didn't give "Joyride" its due attention are behind in continuity, because "The Laughing Magician" utilizes some key characters from Diggle's first few stories. Additionally, readers who saw this particular volume as fair, but with very little import, have no real recourse than to abandon the story midstream or pick up the next volume in order to discover the conclusion and whatever fate Diggle has for Constantine.
Be assured: this extended line of storytelling is not the same as Carey's on the title. Carey's story were involved, but they provided answers along the way. Diggle seems to be constructing his run with HELLBLAZER more like one of the heists he produced in THE LOSERS: the plan is there...the conflict is there...the characters are in place...but the endgame is so far unimaginable, and you know that a writer like Diggle will try to pull a rabbit from his hat before the final act.
So far, what will keep readers entertained is the line work of Leonardo Manco, who simply improves by leaps and bounds from story to story.
And, as always, what will keep readers returning for the conclusion to this bloody, gory narrative is John Constantine himself. Like Batman, Daredevil, Hellboy, the Goon, and others, we love the character so much, we'll spend any amount of money or time to be with him.
It would appear that Diggle's counting on that, though, and he's laughing the entire time.
With "The Laughing Magician," Diggle proves that he's got a bigger canvas with which he'd like to paint, but the colors simply don't seem to be coming together fast enough to keep the readers' interest.
To be clear, the nature of the stories published as "Joyride" were good, though a little hurried in some regards, especially since the stories didn't appear to have any long-term designs on the title. Truly, there's nothing wrong with a "one & done" story from time to time, but it begins to read too much like an anthology devoid of any real danger when you ride that one-trick pony too many times.
Diggle somehow imagined that moving the pendulum to the absolute opposite end was the solution with "The Laughing Magician." Now, the story plods too often than not, pitting John against a diabolical mage who feeds off the souls of other magicians, ultimately making him more powerful...and he's got his sights on the Laughing Magician, John Constantine.
Or does he?
More about that in the review for "The Roots of Coincidence," the volume to follow this one (which will resolve this entire conflict) and Diggle's last for the series.
So rather than produce tightly-wound narratives with no seeming significance, one to the next, Diggle builds upon the social commentary from "Joyride," beginning Constantine's adventure in Darfur, and you can't get more 'current events' than that. Unfortunately, as the story progresses, readers will ultimately feel a little cheated that it doesn't conclude at all within this volume. Now, readers who didn't give "Joyride" its due attention are behind in continuity, because "The Laughing Magician" utilizes some key characters from Diggle's first few stories. Additionally, readers who saw this particular volume as fair, but with very little import, have no real recourse than to abandon the story midstream or pick up the next volume in order to discover the conclusion and whatever fate Diggle has for Constantine.
Be assured: this extended line of storytelling is not the same as Carey's on the title. Carey's story were involved, but they provided answers along the way. Diggle seems to be constructing his run with HELLBLAZER more like one of the heists he produced in THE LOSERS: the plan is there...the conflict is there...the characters are in place...but the endgame is so far unimaginable, and you know that a writer like Diggle will try to pull a rabbit from his hat before the final act.
So far, what will keep readers entertained is the line work of Leonardo Manco, who simply improves by leaps and bounds from story to story.
And, as always, what will keep readers returning for the conclusion to this bloody, gory narrative is John Constantine himself. Like Batman, Daredevil, Hellboy, the Goon, and others, we love the character so much, we'll spend any amount of money or time to be with him.
It would appear that Diggle's counting on that, though, and he's laughing the entire time.
March 11, 2015
John Constantine is only a self-proclaimed dabbler in the Dark Arts, so it comes as a surprise to eveyrone when he becomes the target of a magic-stealing mage who is convinced that Constantine is the famed "Laughing Magician" who reappears throughout the ages. Considering that he isn't the first of his family to play a major (if unheralded) role in world events we readers buy into the theory a bit easier than everyone else - even if Constantine does seem to literally laugh in the face of his magical problems and come out on top every time. Some sources seem to think that he's not actually the "chosen one" though, and it is actually his twin who died in the womb who was fated to get all the magical powers. This brings up some interesting theories about fate circumvented or transferred, since John clearly got a decent dose of power - possibly more than the average magician. Does this in turn mean that he was given a double dose of power, or that he is able to tap into the power of a person who never really existed? Or is his opponent completely wrong and there is no laughing magician of this age?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2012
I haven't read any Hellblazer since Warren Ellis' run. I loved the Garth Ennis run -- in my mind those are the key Constantine stories. So, when I saw this was available thru the library, I thought, let's see what Mr. Constantine is up to. The character is still the same, but I felt like I came into the middle of something more -- the whole stuff with his fetal twin, Map, the neighborhood murders. Guess I should have researched a little. Next stop Wikipedia.
I did enjoy the first story in the collection -- it reminded me of John in Books of Magic.
I did enjoy the first story in the collection -- it reminded me of John in Books of Magic.
March 9, 2016
Constantine'i kassi-hiire mäng teravaks ihutud hammastega sõjamaagi ja magofaagi Mako'ga jätkub. Hellblazer juhib esialgse laksu hoopis eelmisest köitest tuttava kurja inglise lordi peale, kes aga ootamatult ühendab maagidesööjaga jõud ja Constantine on sunnitud asjade lõpilkult selgekstegemiseks mööda maailma juhtlõngu koguma minema. Ilgelt hea liin, üks mõnusamaid kogu pika saaga vältel. Kulminatsioon (ja Andy Diggle'i autorluse lõpp) järgmises köites.
January 8, 2010
Love me some Hellblazer. First story "The Smoke" is a VERY Changeling-esque story, which I loved. I'm a little lost on the story ending, but the problem with Hellblazer graphic novels have ALWAYS been that they do not have numbers for continuity's sake.
July 23, 2011
An African war mage who takes other magician's powers by eating their brains comes to England in search of Constantine. I like Andy Diggle's writing, but I have to admit it's mediocre compared to Mike Carey's run on the series.
July 9, 2010
So far one of my favorite Hellblazers.
July 26, 2011
Just so-so. Still loving the artwork, though.
October 12, 2015
An interesting story as a John Constantine at the top of his game ... continues to get played the fool.
May 5, 2016
Hellblazer/Constantine, my favorite bad boy. Re-read. Andy Diggle can do no wrong.
June 26, 2015
Loved the artwork. The story was nice enough.
November 29, 2014
Tomo 2 de 3 en edición española.
April 11, 2017
Smart dialogue, great penciling and colors, solid story. John Constantine gets to the bottom of a clever and compelling mystery ... and, as is often the case, finds himself.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews