Cynical mystic John Constantine has dealt with the dangers of magic and mysticism firsthand. Even with his mastery of the dark arts, he has tasted death many times and barely survived. So when he learns that his niece has decided to follow his dangerous career path, he knows that even greater trouble awaits him. But not even he is prepared for what lies ahead, as he finds himself challenging mad racists, coping with personal betrayals, and attending his own fortieth birthday party with the Swamp Thing.
Ennis 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).
Holy crap it's been a while eh? When did I finish Bloodlines.....last year in September? I am a lazy sod aren't I?
Anyway here's Fear and Loathing.
So this is where it all falls apart for John. Up to this point, John has a stable girlfriend in Kit, his life is running along smoothly, his 40th birthday was a stonking good time. But now it all has to fall apart. Because John Constantine can never be happy.
So unlike most of the volumes before this one, Fear and Loathing is one long uninterrupted story, with the same artist throughout. So I can at least start with the artwork. It's Steve Dillon's art which means a lot of flat colours with little shadow detail, similar facial designs on every character, and background detail that comes across as baseline. Seriously if you have ever seen Dillon's work, you won't ever forget it. For me, Dillon's work is functional but its become increasingly less interesting to look at over time.
The characters are a grab-bag of variety ranging from engaging to one-note to cartoonish. John is John through and through; a cheeky bastard who always manages to fuck over his friends as well as his enemies. I do like the fact that Ennis remembers to show that John hurts over losing his friends mind you. Seeing John's reaction to the death of his mate Dez reminds us that John is well aware of his failings. Kit is the kind of female character I like in stories; takes no shit, can handle herself in a pinch, isn't afraid to show both tough and gentle sides etc. It's all good for the most part, although part of me makes me think she comes across as a little bit of a twit (I'll explain later). Charlie Patterson is a returning side character from Dangerous Habits and is the main villain of the arc. He's a British nazi; ergo he's cartoonishly evil at times and viciously evil at times. There's not a lot to him beyond these two points. The archangel Gabriel is probably the most nuanced of the lot of them, if only because his entire character arc revolves around a crisis of faith. It almost seems like a shame that by the end, whatever characterisation he was given is thrown out the window.
And here is where I get into the main issues I have; with the story. The overall plot is basically this; Charlie Patterson is pissed because John screwed his chance to cozy up to Gabriel. He wants blood and to do that, he goes through John's mates. Meanwhile Gabriel is having a crisis of faith of why God would allow him to engage with Patterson. Also there's the matter of John's life interfering with Kit. So combine all of these things together and its almost like the story was deliberately designed to throw John to the wolves. We can't have John Constantine happy now can we? That would interfere with our bottom line!
So as a result, everything in the story seems designed to deliberately fuck with John, even though he's trying to change for Kit's sake. Charlie Patterson gets involved in John's life because of a matter from Dangerous Habits. Dez and George - John's mates - get fucked over by proxy because of John. And by the end of the story Kit and John are on the skids because of John's former activities. Even by the end of it all, when Gabriel gets fucked over, it's like Ennis is just committing to John going back to his old life. It even makes Kit come across as a bit of a noodle-brain. She knew John's life was potentially dangerous going into their relationship and now she's pissed when that comes true? Seems like you never should've gone that far in the first place eh luv?
Fear and Loathing for me was a bit of a mixed bag. The artwork is functional but Steve Dillon's style is starting to get on my tits, the story seems deliberately designed to return John to the status quo after a short stint of being happy and content and the whole thing comes across as bitter and miserable. Not a bad read, but not a read I'd want to go back over anytime soon.
I didn't realize how good the Ennis Hellblazer stories were until recently. I read some of the volumes years ago, but now that I'm working my way through the Hellblazer collection I'm seeing just how good Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon were on Hellblazer before they got to Preacher.
This volume really makes you see Constantine is a true anti-hero, as he's not really the nicest guy. He's like a cop that's a total jerk but would still sacrifice his life in the line of the duty to save others. He's a big picture good guy but upclose not so good.
This volume wasn't quite as good as the previous to me, but seems like a good bridge for things to come.
I have long wanted to read my way through the Hellblazer series, John Constantine is one of my favorite comic characters, up there with Spider Jerusalem. But I'd read him in all sorts of other formats and series: Sandman, Lucifer, Swamp Thing, the movie and more, only once in his own books, the very first one. I know enough about the world and stories to feel comfortable picking one at random. I chose this one because of the Hunter S Thompson reference, and because it's Constantine struggling with his 40th birthday and the inevitable tick of the clock and accumulation of time.
I thought it was fantastic. I didn't know half the characters, the 80s art and sensibilities make me grit my teeth at times, and John sure does know how to feel sorry for himself. But still, it was a story of a man with good friends and a complicated history, and a darn fine party. One of those parties with just the right people and just the right inebriates, one that stands out in your mind as one of the best nights of your life. And if anyone deserves that, it's Constantine.
Great work , though not the easiest of this series. Hellblazer is normally -easy- because Constantine, though having an attitude, is always the unequivocal good guy. This part of the story arc begins his descent, and he does some bad things. Not really bad, but bad for Constantine. That being said, the story arc as a whole is worth it, and a well deserved 5 stars. Steve Dillon as always does incredible work, though be warned - his skills are a bit too good in places! The violence pops off the screen. But yes - another incredible step in Constantine's journey.
I feel like I've been reading a rut of comics where not a lot happened but conversations. Plot is pushed to the side, in favor of characters examining why the plot has gone/is about to go to certain places. Yet, this comic is almost all conversations, as opposed to plot-focused action, and I loved every page.
The trick of having a run of comics with conversation-focus, as opposed to action-focus is to give us a better feel for the characters and their motivations, not to drown the reader in exposition. Ennis nails this in this volume. We get a feel for every character still alive in Constantine's orbit (from Ennis's run, there are a few Delano-era characters who don't appear). And while the plot appears slender, every recurring villain or neutral character's action expose a major flaw in Constantine that affects his relationships with his surviving friends.
This is a masterstroke, and perhaps my favorite volume of Hellblazer yet. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Sandman but haven't yet read a Hellblazer volume that really spoke to them. If this one doesn't, then Hellblazer may not be for you.
Немного социалочки, много трупов, один ангел - Джону стукнуло 40, это как 60 в наше время. Он фрустрирован (опять!), расправляется с Гавриилом, но остается без любимой женщины. Рефлексия - его лучшая подруга (она получается у Энниса особенно хорошо; в какой-то момент перестаёшь задаваться вопросом, с фига ли Константин так мощно крошит на себя батон), ну а демоны - а демоны потом.
I think this collection suffers badly from disjointed story arc collection, because reading it as a one off without anything before or after, it kinda made no sense at all.
End of the Line (62). Nice to see the continuing continuity of Gemma. Beyond that, this is Constantine as his trickster best [7+/10].
Forty (63). A nice look at Constantine's current supporting cast, but beyond that it's a pretty shallow story largely built on jokes [6/10].
Fear & Loathing (64-66). This arc is shocking and horrifying. It shows Constantine at his best and at his worst, and his gives some of his supporting cast (especially Kit!) a real chance to shine. It's one of Ennis' best [8/10].
Dear John (67). And we have a horrible, wretched end to everything. Ennis delivers on the emotions [9/10].
Ennis manages to cover his personal hobby horses (sullied divinity, cynicism, redemption denied) while building a tight story that covers its bases deftly. It also manages to build upon Ennis' take on John Constantine as a compulsively self-sabotaging tragic figure who can manage to beat the devil while losing everything he holds dear anyway. The art sync's nicely to the story, from the delightfully grotesque cover art to the minute panel work. While this may not stand as one of the legendary exploits of the hellblazer, it does tell an intimately poignant story about the man John Constantine.
Looking forward to Ennis' run being over. While I've no objection to Constantine starting on a downward slope again, I don't care for the meanness of it all, the juvenile approach to violence, or even Dillon's style of giving almost everyone the same square-ish face. The Fear and Loathing story itself, for all its callbacks and action and scope, lacks the harder bite of earlier Ennis arcs, and we're certainly a long way from Delano's more philosophical meanderings, which, for all their perhaps over-wordiness, I enjoyed a lot more than what has so far come after.
Two terrific standalones, followed by a devastating and heartbreaking story where everything changes for John. Oh and hey, Steve Dillon! He drew a few issues before, and this is where his collaboration with Ennis truly begins. He’s a fantastic storyteller. I don’t think the emotions of these stories would have the same punch with another artist. That last issue is brutal to read, and the way Dillon draws John in its final pages conveys so much sadness.
I read this because it was written by Garth Ennis, whom I've got a reading crush on. It was cool to read some of the Constantine comic line, but this is very late in the game-in fact, John Constantine turns 40 in this graphic novel! It's collected comics, but doesn't really follow one major plot throughout, just small stories that go in order. I'd prefer it the other way. Since I don't know much about the Constantine storyline, I was probably missing a lot. Reading the earlier core Constantine comics might be worth something, though. It seems like it'd be interesting.
Anyways, this was OK but the dialogue didn't seem as natural or entertaining as I'm used to Ennis writing, and felt a bit choppy to mean. Some potential and interesting bits, but overall, not that memorable.
Another of Garth Ennis's books and a brilliant read. This however shows the problem seen with other Constantine books - and which was in fact described in the first volume i read of Hellblazer. The problem is that the stories are collected together instalments - many of them from disjointed story arcs not necessarily from the same time line - the result is that you do get the feeling the book is presented in episodes - like one of the saturday afternoon compilation episodes of your favourite soaps. A great read but they don't all quite fit together perfectly at times. That said the stories are challenging and inventive - and you cannot wait to see how through it all John Constantine manages to survive it all even if his friends don't.
This is Garth Ennis at his best, with an excellent combination of the supernatural and political with a generous sprinkling of humour throughout. The story concerning Constantine's fortieth birthday is a gem, featuring interesting guests and copious amounts of alcohol. The story arc centring on racism and racists contains some of Ennis' most cutting and hard-impact plotting and writing. Steve Dillon's artwork is also excellent, so effective in carrying the story, lovely to look at but devoid of any unnecessary posturing or flashy effects so beloved of lesser artists. All-in-all a very entertaining package.
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. Første gang han dukket opp var i The Saga of the Swamp Thing i 1985. Han ble skapt av Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben og Rick Veitch. Hele min omtale finner du på bloggen min Betraktninger
One of the best Hellblazer collections out there. After a few (at least in hindsight) a bit disappointing issues (collected in the previous volume), that seem to be driven more by downright rudeness and laddish humour, Garth Ennis now starts to get the feel for the character and really gets going. Ennis and Steve Dillon are doing really well as a team, the artwork splendidly complementing the story-writing. This collection shows why Ennis/Dillon are by many fans considered to be the dream-team of Hellblazer's very long list of writers and artists.
Hellblazer parhaimmillaan. Constantine'i alkohoolsete tagajärgedega lahkuminek oma iirlasest girlfriendist, mis omakorda on põhjustatud white power äässhõulide rünnakust Constantine'i vastu. Ohtralt graafilist vägivalda, mis tänu samale autori/kunstnikupaarile meenutab ilgelt "Preacherit", isegi mõned momendid tulevad tuttavad ette, sest on hiljem "Preacheris" veidike põhjalikumalt lahti töötatud.
I don't really care for Ennis/Dillon Hellblazer, it reminds me too much like Preacher. Don't get me wrong, I love Preacher, but it's not John's style. Still, this volume had a few great storylines like the Fall of Gabriel, Kit kicking ass, Constantine family time, the racism-in-Britain and John's birthday. It just didn't really tie together into one big coherent story.
Is John Constantine going domestic? He's turning forty, settling in with his girlfriend Kit, and advising his niece Gemma to stay far, far away from ritual magic. Peace is always shortlived in the Hellblazer universe, however, and figures from his past are threatening to encroach on his happiness with Kit.
This was interesting since it filled in some of the Gaps I had developed reading these comics out of order. I liked seeing Gabriel but this universes Gabriel is not the real one (The real one from supernatural :) ) and I don't think he actions would have cause any trouble at all with God in the real world.