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Hellblazer: New Editions
John Constantine: Hellblazer Vol. 21: The Laughing Magician
In these stories from HELLBLAZER #239-249, when the war-mage Mako carves a bloody swath through London’s occult underworld, John Constantine tries to rally his former allies, despite all the bridges he’s burned... Plus, when something goes horribly wrong in a secret room in the Vatican, a priest is forced to turn to Constantine for help. And in a story from HELLBLAZER SPECIAL: LADY CONSTANTINE #1-4, Johanna Constantine, 18th-century ancestor of Hellblazer, lands a job that promises a future of wealth and entitlement-and almost certain death and damnation in the frozen North Sea!
356 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2019
17 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Andy Diggle
531 books170 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
March 14, 2023
Who is the Laughing Magician? John Constantine hasn’t a clue, but a vicious Sudanese sorcerer thinks Constantine has the answer, and he’s leaving a trail of carnage from the African West Coast to England to find him. Somehow, an old stick, the ancient Gospel of Constantine, and Constantine’s time at the insane asylum at Ravenscar are all a part of it.
Andy Diggle’s run as head writer encompasses Hellblazer issues 239 to 249, as well as Hellblazer Special: Lady Constantine issues 1-4, which introduces Constantine’s great-great grandmother, a fine dabbler of the magic arts herself, who is given a mission on the high seas by His Majesty’s Secret Service to find a famous box that once belonged to a woman named Pandora…
This is Hellblazer volume 21: “The Laughing Magician”. Fuckin’ great, ennit?
Andy Diggle’s run as head writer encompasses Hellblazer issues 239 to 249, as well as Hellblazer Special: Lady Constantine issues 1-4, which introduces Constantine’s great-great grandmother, a fine dabbler of the magic arts herself, who is given a mission on the high seas by His Majesty’s Secret Service to find a famous box that once belonged to a woman named Pandora…
This is Hellblazer volume 21: “The Laughing Magician”. Fuckin’ great, ennit?
August 1, 2019
Who is the Laughing Magician? If Mako, the War Mage from Sudan is to be believed, then it's John Constantine - because of course it is. With a little slight of hand, John gets himself a head start away from the vicious sorcerer, and then it becomes a race against time to find a way to defeat him before John's entire world comes crashing down.
Andy Diggle's run with John continues, starting with a one-off story titled The Passage which sets up most of the other stories going on in this volume. John's barely even in this one, but it pulls on a few story threads from earlier in the series to introduce a terrifying new villain who will hound John for the next few adventures.
The titular Laughing Magician story brings Mako across to the UK to track John, but with a little help from his "friends", John manages to trick his way out of trouble, at least for now. However this story manages to smash together John's previous troubles from the Hunger Hill estate with Mako, which is a match made in Hell. Leonardo Manco takes this three part story and The Passage, and he really sells the brutality of Mako to the point that some visuals are quite uncomfortable to read.
John then heads to the Vatican for the two part The Mortification Of The Flesh, which is one of those stories that follow another character only to see the effect that John has on them when he inevitably turns up. There's some nice little trickery in this one, and John's ultimate resolution is so obvious and yet will still make you laugh. Guiseppe Camuncoli, who becomes the regular artist on the book during Peter Milligan's run, joins for these two issues; while his art's not as defined as it is these days, you can definitely see his humble beginnings on show.
Guest writer Jason Aaron grabs Hellblazer mainstay Sean Murphy for a two-issue fill-in arc next titled Newcastle Calling, which looks once more at the fateful night in Newcastle that continues to shape Constantine to this day. While it doesn’t add very much to the overall history of the character, it’s a decent little tale (and quite gross at points), with a bit of a documentary perspective which works surprisingly well given that the comic medium isn’t really designed for it.
The Root Of Coincidence gets back to the problem at hand, as John takes on Mako for the prize of not being dead. However this story actually wraps up at the beginning of the second issue of the three, paving the way for a final issue twist that shows how much Diggle has been reading the previous issues of the series, tying back some plot threads not only from earlier in his run but from pre-Garth Ennis Hellblazer, giving a strangely apt motivation to everything John has ever done and a conclusion that really does free John up in a way he never has been before. Leonardo Manco returns to pencil these issues as well.
Also included is the four issue Lady Constantine mini-series by Diggle and Goran Sudzuka, which follows the adventures of one of Constantine's ancestors, which is quite apt given what John finds out about himself in the rest of the book. The tone of the book is quite unlike the main Hellblazer series given the different time period, but the character of Johanna Constantine is just as compelling as John himself, if not a little moreso at times. There are two or three little twists and turns here that are unexpected, right down to the last page of the story, and I love that Diggle manages to tie this into the Sandman continuity for the character as well. I hope she gets revisited at a later date.
The Laughing Magician is a tour de force of how to use continuity to your advantage, as Andy Diggle drags John through the muck all the while setting up a sleight of hand ending to his story in true Hellblazer fashion. Add in a little Jason Aaron filler arc and a spin-off mini-series that will leave you wanting more, and this volume of Hellblazer's a definite winner.
Andy Diggle's run with John continues, starting with a one-off story titled The Passage which sets up most of the other stories going on in this volume. John's barely even in this one, but it pulls on a few story threads from earlier in the series to introduce a terrifying new villain who will hound John for the next few adventures.
The titular Laughing Magician story brings Mako across to the UK to track John, but with a little help from his "friends", John manages to trick his way out of trouble, at least for now. However this story manages to smash together John's previous troubles from the Hunger Hill estate with Mako, which is a match made in Hell. Leonardo Manco takes this three part story and The Passage, and he really sells the brutality of Mako to the point that some visuals are quite uncomfortable to read.
John then heads to the Vatican for the two part The Mortification Of The Flesh, which is one of those stories that follow another character only to see the effect that John has on them when he inevitably turns up. There's some nice little trickery in this one, and John's ultimate resolution is so obvious and yet will still make you laugh. Guiseppe Camuncoli, who becomes the regular artist on the book during Peter Milligan's run, joins for these two issues; while his art's not as defined as it is these days, you can definitely see his humble beginnings on show.
Guest writer Jason Aaron grabs Hellblazer mainstay Sean Murphy for a two-issue fill-in arc next titled Newcastle Calling, which looks once more at the fateful night in Newcastle that continues to shape Constantine to this day. While it doesn’t add very much to the overall history of the character, it’s a decent little tale (and quite gross at points), with a bit of a documentary perspective which works surprisingly well given that the comic medium isn’t really designed for it.
The Root Of Coincidence gets back to the problem at hand, as John takes on Mako for the prize of not being dead. However this story actually wraps up at the beginning of the second issue of the three, paving the way for a final issue twist that shows how much Diggle has been reading the previous issues of the series, tying back some plot threads not only from earlier in his run but from pre-Garth Ennis Hellblazer, giving a strangely apt motivation to everything John has ever done and a conclusion that really does free John up in a way he never has been before. Leonardo Manco returns to pencil these issues as well.
Also included is the four issue Lady Constantine mini-series by Diggle and Goran Sudzuka, which follows the adventures of one of Constantine's ancestors, which is quite apt given what John finds out about himself in the rest of the book. The tone of the book is quite unlike the main Hellblazer series given the different time period, but the character of Johanna Constantine is just as compelling as John himself, if not a little moreso at times. There are two or three little twists and turns here that are unexpected, right down to the last page of the story, and I love that Diggle manages to tie this into the Sandman continuity for the character as well. I hope she gets revisited at a later date.
The Laughing Magician is a tour de force of how to use continuity to your advantage, as Andy Diggle drags John through the muck all the while setting up a sleight of hand ending to his story in true Hellblazer fashion. Add in a little Jason Aaron filler arc and a spin-off mini-series that will leave you wanting more, and this volume of Hellblazer's a definite winner.
January 27, 2021
The upsides of the twenty-first compiled edition of Hellblazer: consistent writing, reliable-to-great artwork, crafty and sometimes witty dialogue, a solid storyline, and a plot that comes as close as can be expected to being a true page-turner in the decidedly non-action-driven John Constantine saga. (My reservations with all of John’s “New 52” iterations has been documented both here and elsewhere.)
The downside? Even if by design, the two different endings (the volume ends with a late Eighteenth Century Lady Constantine storyline) are anticlimactic, rushed, and somewhat insufficient. All of which is a shame since pace is one of this latter-day compilation’s strong suites.
In brief, a war mage -Mako, who soon turns out to be much more than that- dreams about a laughing, eternal, magician, capable of stopping him when precious few can. The reader travels from Africa to London, from Newcastle to the Vatican, from high society to the banks of the Thames, where dangerous alliances between John and the Hellfire Club are made, as are between Mako and establishment politicians and businessmen. Scenarios include a secret room where not even God can see sin, the Ravenscar asylum, the Underground, and nuclear power stations. If this all sounds typically Constantine, again it is by design. Cons appear aplenty, godless and “godfull” debauchery is to be had, gore and violence run rampant, and demon spawns and danger lurk behind the corner. We are driven to expect a great story, slowly. It builds, it crumbles, it ends badly, but then it resumes, and continues building. Great pace. Great structure. Once the oft-expected ending happens, we’re left with one issue before Lady Constantine. And it’s here that we fear it will all end badly. That is to say, abruptly and unsatisfactorily.
Alas, that is precisely what happens, albeit with an appearance by John’s brother, whom we’ve known of since at least “The Family Man.” It disappoints, but comic books need to be sold, I suppose. And so it warrants only one star off what could have perhaps been five. This volume is close to the best not only Diggle has written, but also Delano, Gaiman, and Ennis.
As to the last story, it’s a pirate-cum-Imperial-power plot, with a nice nod to both readers of Swamp Thing (no spoilers but it is a character) and Sandman (with a reference to one of its best-known installments of its early years). It’s also consistent, interesting, and plot-driven, although quite brief. And again, sadly abrupt.
The downside? Even if by design, the two different endings (the volume ends with a late Eighteenth Century Lady Constantine storyline) are anticlimactic, rushed, and somewhat insufficient. All of which is a shame since pace is one of this latter-day compilation’s strong suites.
In brief, a war mage -Mako, who soon turns out to be much more than that- dreams about a laughing, eternal, magician, capable of stopping him when precious few can. The reader travels from Africa to London, from Newcastle to the Vatican, from high society to the banks of the Thames, where dangerous alliances between John and the Hellfire Club are made, as are between Mako and establishment politicians and businessmen. Scenarios include a secret room where not even God can see sin, the Ravenscar asylum, the Underground, and nuclear power stations. If this all sounds typically Constantine, again it is by design. Cons appear aplenty, godless and “godfull” debauchery is to be had, gore and violence run rampant, and demon spawns and danger lurk behind the corner. We are driven to expect a great story, slowly. It builds, it crumbles, it ends badly, but then it resumes, and continues building. Great pace. Great structure. Once the oft-expected ending happens, we’re left with one issue before Lady Constantine. And it’s here that we fear it will all end badly. That is to say, abruptly and unsatisfactorily.
Alas, that is precisely what happens, albeit with an appearance by John’s brother, whom we’ve known of since at least “The Family Man.” It disappoints, but comic books need to be sold, I suppose. And so it warrants only one star off what could have perhaps been five. This volume is close to the best not only Diggle has written, but also Delano, Gaiman, and Ennis.
As to the last story, it’s a pirate-cum-Imperial-power plot, with a nice nod to both readers of Swamp Thing (no spoilers but it is a character) and Sandman (with a reference to one of its best-known installments of its early years). It’s also consistent, interesting, and plot-driven, although quite brief. And again, sadly abrupt.
May 17, 2022
This volume collects the last Andy Diggle penned Hellblazer issues, and they are really good. Constantine is written very much in character, and the plot is one that heavily references canon, adding to it significantly. In fact, the last issue he writes could very well have been the end to the series. It would have been a fitting end for the con-artist dabbler in magic. Everything about it was perfect.
This issue also contains two issues written by Jason Aaron, with artwork by Sean Murphy. Its a slight story, that forcibly references events from JC's past, but in a way that feels too slight and thrown-around. Artwork is great, though.
The volume closes out with a mini-series titled "Lady Constantine", whom you might have seen previously in the pages of Sandman. I fully expected this to be a throw away, dull sotry. It was not, its alot of fun, and very well written, with decent artwork by Soduka.
Leonardo Manco does most of the artwork, in his new experimental style that captures the story beats very well. There is a couple of issues with artwork by Giuseppe Camuncoli (who will become Hellblazer's main artist in the following Peter Milligan run), and he does a pretty good job.
Andy Diggle's run was, for me, so me o f the best Hellblazer ever written, rivaling the best of Delano, and surpassing most of Jenkin's work on the title. it's that good.
This was the last great Hellblazer run before Milligan stepped in and bastardized the character in ways that has really soured me and alot of fans of the title. Diggle's run for me is where Hellblazer really ended, s I prefer to ignore what Milligan has done in the last 50 issues of the title.
This issue also contains two issues written by Jason Aaron, with artwork by Sean Murphy. Its a slight story, that forcibly references events from JC's past, but in a way that feels too slight and thrown-around. Artwork is great, though.
The volume closes out with a mini-series titled "Lady Constantine", whom you might have seen previously in the pages of Sandman. I fully expected this to be a throw away, dull sotry. It was not, its alot of fun, and very well written, with decent artwork by Soduka.
Leonardo Manco does most of the artwork, in his new experimental style that captures the story beats very well. There is a couple of issues with artwork by Giuseppe Camuncoli (who will become Hellblazer's main artist in the following Peter Milligan run), and he does a pretty good job.
Andy Diggle's run was, for me, so me o f the best Hellblazer ever written, rivaling the best of Delano, and surpassing most of Jenkin's work on the title. it's that good.
This was the last great Hellblazer run before Milligan stepped in and bastardized the character in ways that has really soured me and alot of fans of the title. Diggle's run for me is where Hellblazer really ended, s I prefer to ignore what Milligan has done in the last 50 issues of the title.
August 4, 2020
I just had so much fun reading this collection. I had heard Diggle was one of the best Hellblazer writers (Ennis is another one mentioned and I will also champion Azzarello) and I am in full agreement. Like a lot of my joy with a good Constantine story the joy comes when an author doesn't overdo the magic part but slides it in discretely. This isn't Doctor Strange this is a conman who uses magic to make his way through the world. Diggle's story had a nice driving idea behind it that took a few nice twists and turns and doesn't end up cleanly - because this is Constantine - but ends with a satisfying conclusion. People get killed, Constantine makes some cocky and wrong decisions but in the end... an engaging story with a solid ending. I won't dwell too much on the story but basically it is about a powerful African mage coming to hunt Constantine down because they think he is the "laughing magician" trickster who has access to a lot of powerful magic.
There is also a cute 4 part Lady Constantine story at the end - which wasn't as strong but still a lot of fun. Oh, there is also a nice two parter written by Jason Aaron and drawn by fan fav Sean Murphy.
Overall - a perfect Hellblazer collection and an example of why this series lasted so long. Different authors can put their mark on Constantine with their own unique voice. Way to go Diggle :).
There is also a cute 4 part Lady Constantine story at the end - which wasn't as strong but still a lot of fun. Oh, there is also a nice two parter written by Jason Aaron and drawn by fan fav Sean Murphy.
Overall - a perfect Hellblazer collection and an example of why this series lasted so long. Different authors can put their mark on Constantine with their own unique voice. Way to go Diggle :).
August 16, 2022
I like Loose ends. I trust loose ends. But this feels like someone's been pulling my strings...
The 21th volume of Hellblazer is a blast. Andy Diggle with his last penned John Constantine stories, and even a short story from Jason Aaron, who is a great fit for this character. With this trade we are up to issue 249 ! And i still do not tire of the character. The stories remain cool, and i dig the short adventure aproach, the artwork is really good and with artists like Leonardo Manco Giuseppe Camuncoli and Sean Murphy in good hands. The Laughing Magician is the biggest story here and hard to tell without spoiling, but it is a good one, Aaron has a fantasticly dark two parter about the young punk days of John, and The Mortification of the flesh is a great short story about Constantine breaking into the Vatican and specifically the forbidden book departement. For fans of the recent Sandman series there is a Johanna Constantine mini series where we as the reader find out how she became Lady Constantine. Its a very cool adventure and it fits perfectly before The Sandman series and has a certain Green friend in it. Long story short, this was another great trade of Hellblazer fun.
The 21th volume of Hellblazer is a blast. Andy Diggle with his last penned John Constantine stories, and even a short story from Jason Aaron, who is a great fit for this character. With this trade we are up to issue 249 ! And i still do not tire of the character. The stories remain cool, and i dig the short adventure aproach, the artwork is really good and with artists like Leonardo Manco Giuseppe Camuncoli and Sean Murphy in good hands. The Laughing Magician is the biggest story here and hard to tell without spoiling, but it is a good one, Aaron has a fantasticly dark two parter about the young punk days of John, and The Mortification of the flesh is a great short story about Constantine breaking into the Vatican and specifically the forbidden book departement. For fans of the recent Sandman series there is a Johanna Constantine mini series where we as the reader find out how she became Lady Constantine. Its a very cool adventure and it fits perfectly before The Sandman series and has a certain Green friend in it. Long story short, this was another great trade of Hellblazer fun.
June 30, 2020
It’s been some time since I cracked open the pages of a Hellblazer book. This is pretty much everything you’d want and expect if you are familiar with the character. John dances around trouble and cons his way through a cast of diabolical characters deftly narrowly avoiding damnation.
This series of stories is written by Andy Diggle and Jason Aaron, two accomplished storytellers of the comic medium. The first arc has a particularly evil human nemesis named Mako hunting the Laughing Magician who he believes to be Constantine. This was by far my favorite of this collection. The artwork was viscerally on point. The last arc covers the exploits of one of Constantine’s ancestors. I found the artwork here to be rather pedestrian if the story was solid. One can never consider story and artwork separately though when judging comics hence the four star overall rating. That said, you likely know the waters you are venturing into and won’t be disappointed herein. It’s always been devil may care with specific emphasis on devil.
This series of stories is written by Andy Diggle and Jason Aaron, two accomplished storytellers of the comic medium. The first arc has a particularly evil human nemesis named Mako hunting the Laughing Magician who he believes to be Constantine. This was by far my favorite of this collection. The artwork was viscerally on point. The last arc covers the exploits of one of Constantine’s ancestors. I found the artwork here to be rather pedestrian if the story was solid. One can never consider story and artwork separately though when judging comics hence the four star overall rating. That said, you likely know the waters you are venturing into and won’t be disappointed herein. It’s always been devil may care with specific emphasis on devil.
September 15, 2021
Why do I like Hellblazer so much? John Constantine is not a nice person, though he often does the right thing. A lot of the material in these pages are downright unpleasant! As a Christian, I’m uncomfortable with how angels and demons and God are portrayed, but that doesn’t stop me cheering when he tricks them once again and escapes with his charmed life. Maybe I like it because victory is won using won by Constantine being smart and using the enemy’s evil intentions and greed to lead them into traps they’ve dug themselves. He doesn’t use super powers to crush the opponent with brute force. Some of the plot twists are breathtaking. Maybe I like it because it is set in Great Britain and uses lots of British mythology, ancient stories that I have grown up with, and I see them used in imaginative new ways in Hellblazer.
Hellblazer is my guilty pleasure.
Hellblazer is my guilty pleasure.
March 30, 2022
More lore around the Constantine line, hints of destiny thwarted before birth, a magic stick, and a mage hunting shark man.
Good times. Good times.
Also: Tell me there’s a series about Johanna Constantine. That’s quite the story of hers at the end of the volume.
Full review (spoilers and pretty* pictures):
https://blog.jverkamp.com/2022/03/29/...
Good times. Good times.
Also: Tell me there’s a series about Johanna Constantine. That’s quite the story of hers at the end of the volume.
Full review (spoilers and pretty* pictures):
https://blog.jverkamp.com/2022/03/29/...
September 17, 2024
Note this is for both Hellblazer vol. 20: Systems of Control and vol. 21: The Laughing Magician
This was actually a pretty strong run with some pretty solid filler. The main story involves Constantine fighting two evil mages, one who is a politician using magic to amass power, the other being a cannibal who devours the powers of other mages by literally eating them. The latter wants to eat Constantine, who he refers to as "The laughing magician." Spoilers: That isn't Constantine, but the true villain of the story (which was a nice twist, bringing this whole story to a nice close). This was a fun arc where Constantine shows unusually high competency, playing both sides against each other and having a pretty quick elimination of them once he takes both parties seriously. We actually spend more time with the victims and villains than we do our hero, which was surprisingly great as they were compelling characters in their own right. Additionally, the arc does a good job continuing the conclusion from Carey's run where magic's ultimate price is damnation. Everyone has a very dark and poetic end (except Constantine). With the victims it was tragic, while with the villains oh-so satisfying.
However, the strongest part of this whole set is "All His Engines." Carey returns for a final story that restores Chas and Constantine's friendship. Chas calls upon John when Chas's granddaughter is put into a coma by a demon and held hostage. This is certainly a dark story that really presses into the urban fantasy side of Hellblazer with some pretty hard decisions and moral compromises to get the job done. What's great is this story can easily be a standalone and introduction to the character... despite being near the end of his story.
The lowest point is easily Lady Constantine, which is weird because this was a very fun story. Picture Constantine as a femme fatale, pirate during ye olden days. She fights homunculi while chasing after a mythical treasure tied to ancient mythology. Sounds fun, right? Well, it was! In fact, it wasn't dark at all or particularly humorous. Twas a very 'safe' story. So, nothing stood out other than the fun of it.
In short, a good collection of non-linear stories with some decent filler. I've been told this is the last stop before the train wreck, so I'll leave the series here while things are still good. Been a fun and demented ride!
This was actually a pretty strong run with some pretty solid filler. The main story involves Constantine fighting two evil mages, one who is a politician using magic to amass power, the other being a cannibal who devours the powers of other mages by literally eating them. The latter wants to eat Constantine, who he refers to as "The laughing magician." Spoilers: That isn't Constantine, but the true villain of the story (which was a nice twist, bringing this whole story to a nice close). This was a fun arc where Constantine shows unusually high competency, playing both sides against each other and having a pretty quick elimination of them once he takes both parties seriously. We actually spend more time with the victims and villains than we do our hero, which was surprisingly great as they were compelling characters in their own right. Additionally, the arc does a good job continuing the conclusion from Carey's run where magic's ultimate price is damnation. Everyone has a very dark and poetic end (except Constantine). With the victims it was tragic, while with the villains oh-so satisfying.
However, the strongest part of this whole set is "All His Engines." Carey returns for a final story that restores Chas and Constantine's friendship. Chas calls upon John when Chas's granddaughter is put into a coma by a demon and held hostage. This is certainly a dark story that really presses into the urban fantasy side of Hellblazer with some pretty hard decisions and moral compromises to get the job done. What's great is this story can easily be a standalone and introduction to the character... despite being near the end of his story.
The lowest point is easily Lady Constantine, which is weird because this was a very fun story. Picture Constantine as a femme fatale, pirate during ye olden days. She fights homunculi while chasing after a mythical treasure tied to ancient mythology. Sounds fun, right? Well, it was! In fact, it wasn't dark at all or particularly humorous. Twas a very 'safe' story. So, nothing stood out other than the fun of it.
In short, a good collection of non-linear stories with some decent filler. I've been told this is the last stop before the train wreck, so I'll leave the series here while things are still good. Been a fun and demented ride!
June 18, 2023
Borrowing graphic novels impromptu seems to be my new library routine.
This one reminded me of the escapist fun this sort of story can be. It revels in its occult and gore; the reckless charm of its protagonist and the conceit of his secret goodness hidden under a careless surface.
A long time ago I would have lapped it up but now I see some cracks, for better or worse. Still a fine story that delays resolution just enough to be satisfying.
This one reminded me of the escapist fun this sort of story can be. It revels in its occult and gore; the reckless charm of its protagonist and the conceit of his secret goodness hidden under a careless surface.
A long time ago I would have lapped it up but now I see some cracks, for better or worse. Still a fine story that delays resolution just enough to be satisfying.
June 22, 2024
Toneladas de lore añadidas en este volumen. No cualquiera lo hace con tanta elegancia en una saga que para este momento ya tenía unos 13 años. Hubo un momento en que estuve a punto de enojarme por lo simplón de una de las historias pero después metió un giro muy inteligente como diendo "no, pibe te la re creíste, qué salame que sos, mirá si ibamos a guionarlo de esa forma tan estúpida, como si fuese una adaptación hecha con Matt Ryan".
January 21, 2022
The main series issues are solid. Introduces a unique villain and Constantine’s solution is particularly inventive. I’m not crazy about the twin/ legacy stuff. The lady Constantine series was pretty bad though.
October 19, 2022
Andy Diggle's stuff is actually pretty alright. He hasn't blown me away yet or broken much of the mold, but it's still enjoyable Hellblazer stories. The Lady Constantine mini in this volume took some time but eventually one me over.
October 8, 2023
Excellent artwork AND stories.
This is one of the best books of the series. It has iconic moments and plots that go far to the first books.
An easy recommendation, especially if you have read the first books.
This is one of the best books of the series. It has iconic moments and plots that go far to the first books.
An easy recommendation, especially if you have read the first books.
February 28, 2020
Gets back to some of the classic Constantine stories. Great stuff!
May 24, 2020
Some good ones, some fair ones, story and art. Most of the story arcs were very good, setting things up for later arcs.
July 1, 2021
May well be one of my favourites.
December 30, 2022
Really good end to his run.
October 20, 2023
A great ending to the previous storyline and a stand-alone that was decent. Unfortunately, The Lady Constantine plot felt rushed and the art didn’t suit my taste.
February 20, 2024
johanna constantine, you will always be famous
June 2, 2024
Blood and guts and gore and demons... now that's what I read Hellblazer for. Haven't come across Andy Diggle before, but he's great.
August 8, 2025
A fairly middle of the road collection that doesn’t really do much to move the character along…some really lovely, atmospheric artwork though.
Read
March 18, 2021Right off the bat, this book introduces a new set of worries for John, as a cannibalistic war mage comes to England to pillage and find the so-called Laughing Magician, a seemingly eternal being who serves as a constant (hint hint) amid chaos. John’s put on the defensive as this guy teams up with Lord Burnham to enact nefarious plans. While this is a good set-up, it leads to a quick anticlimactic ending, at least in my opinion. Diggle pulls off a rather big retcon, one that dangerously diminishes part of John’s character over the past 250 issues. It feels forced in the context of Diggle’s run, too, and I have mixed feelings about the reveal overall. Also, the villains here - the war mage and Butnham - have generic motivations: power and immortality, respectively. You could do worse I guess, but I was hoping for more nuance.
That said, I really enjoyed the other bits of this collection. Jason Aaron and Sean Murphy’s two-parter about Newcastle and John’s punk days is well-told and appropriately spooky. It makes me curious how a Jason Aaron Hellblazer would have gone, because he has a great handle on the character and his history in this story. Then there’s the Lady Constantine miniseries, which is pure fun. It’s a high seas adventure taking place several years before the Sandman issue. It ties nicely in to that story as well as Diggle’s Hellblazer. An entertaining, if predictable, diversion from present Constantine.
That said, I really enjoyed the other bits of this collection. Jason Aaron and Sean Murphy’s two-parter about Newcastle and John’s punk days is well-told and appropriately spooky. It makes me curious how a Jason Aaron Hellblazer would have gone, because he has a great handle on the character and his history in this story. Then there’s the Lady Constantine miniseries, which is pure fun. It’s a high seas adventure taking place several years before the Sandman issue. It ties nicely in to that story as well as Diggle’s Hellblazer. An entertaining, if predictable, diversion from present Constantine.
August 2, 2019
The stories end a bit too abruptly, but the mood is overall good and I liked most of the art too.
We meet Johanna Constantine again, whom I recall fondly from Sandman. Her hubris leads to tragedy, as always with the Constantines, and it fit well with the theme of the other stories.
We meet Johanna Constantine again, whom I recall fondly from Sandman. Her hubris leads to tragedy, as always with the Constantines, and it fit well with the theme of the other stories.
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