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Hellblazer: New Editions
Hellblazer, Vol. 24: Sectioned
John Constantine is a bastard. But just how much of a bastard?
John Constantine struggles with his sanity as he is haunted by memories of Epiphany. He gets so desperate, he's even willing to summon Shade, the Changing Man! Constantine's journey to sanity is a twisted one that takes him back to Meta to settle old scores.
And will Constantine be able to have his "happily ever after"? After he proposes to Epiphany, will more conspire to stop Constantine from getting married? This time it's different--this time, it's Epiphany. Find out if the uninvited guests from Heaven and Hell suceed in ruining the wedding of the year!
Including the incredible miniseries John Constantine: Hellblazer - City of Demons! When John Constantine is run over by a truck, it takes a little while for England's nicotine-fueled magus to realize that he's perched between life and death. After a few weeks of hospital rehab, Constantine find the London streets VERY different from when he left them behind as a series of occult murders and mutilations demands his attention. The common denominator points back to the ER where Constantine was admitted...
Collecting Hellblazer #267-275, John Constantine: Hellblazer - City of Demons #1-5
John Constantine struggles with his sanity as he is haunted by memories of Epiphany. He gets so desperate, he's even willing to summon Shade, the Changing Man! Constantine's journey to sanity is a twisted one that takes him back to Meta to settle old scores.
And will Constantine be able to have his "happily ever after"? After he proposes to Epiphany, will more conspire to stop Constantine from getting married? This time it's different--this time, it's Epiphany. Find out if the uninvited guests from Heaven and Hell suceed in ruining the wedding of the year!
Including the incredible miniseries John Constantine: Hellblazer - City of Demons! When John Constantine is run over by a truck, it takes a little while for England's nicotine-fueled magus to realize that he's perched between life and death. After a few weeks of hospital rehab, Constantine find the London streets VERY different from when he left them behind as a series of occult murders and mutilations demands his attention. The common denominator points back to the ER where Constantine was admitted...
Collecting Hellblazer #267-275, John Constantine: Hellblazer - City of Demons #1-5
352 pages, Paperback
Published February 16, 2021
1 person is currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Peter Milligan
1,297 books389 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Peter Milligan is a British writer, best known for his work on X-Force / X-Statix, the X-Men, & the Vertigo series Human Target. He is also a scriptwriter.
He has been writing comics for some time and he has somewhat of a reputation for writing material that is highly outlandish, bizarre and/or absurd.
His highest profile projects to date include a run on X-Men, and his X-Force revamp that relaunched as X-Statix.
Many of Milligan's best works have been from DC Vertigo. These include: The Extremist (4 issues with artist Ted McKeever) The Minx (8 issues with artist Sean Phillips) Face (Prestige one-shot with artist Duncan Fegredo) The Eaters (Prestige one-shot with artist Dean Ormston) Vertigo Pop London (4 issues with artist Philip Bond) Enigma (8 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo) and Girl (3 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo).
Series:
* Human Target
* Greek Street
* X-Force / X-Statix
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Peter Milligan is a British writer, best known for his work on X-Force / X-Statix, the X-Men, & the Vertigo series Human Target. He is also a scriptwriter.
He has been writing comics for some time and he has somewhat of a reputation for writing material that is highly outlandish, bizarre and/or absurd.
His highest profile projects to date include a run on X-Men, and his X-Force revamp that relaunched as X-Statix.
Many of Milligan's best works have been from DC Vertigo. These include: The Extremist (4 issues with artist Ted McKeever) The Minx (8 issues with artist Sean Phillips) Face (Prestige one-shot with artist Duncan Fegredo) The Eaters (Prestige one-shot with artist Dean Ormston) Vertigo Pop London (4 issues with artist Philip Bond) Enigma (8 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo) and Girl (3 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo).
Series:
* Human Target
* Greek Street
* X-Force / X-Statix
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 21, 2024
Is it true love or an unhealthy obsession? A story as old as time but you’ve never seen it done quite like this. Probably.
Story-wise, this is a bit of a mess but an entertaining mess, nonetheless (man, I’m turning into Dr. Seuss). A bit more of an explanation as to who Shade the Changing Man was would have been nice, for those of us who only have a very fleeting knowledge of the character, considering he had such a big role here.
I liked the art but I didn’t really like it (hence three stars, not four) and it always annoys me when they alternate between two artists on the same story, even when the guest artist is Simon bleedin’ Bisley.
Story-wise, this is a bit of a mess but an entertaining mess, nonetheless (man, I’m turning into Dr. Seuss). A bit more of an explanation as to who Shade the Changing Man was would have been nice, for those of us who only have a very fleeting knowledge of the character, considering he had such a big role here.
I liked the art but I didn’t really like it (hence three stars, not four) and it always annoys me when they alternate between two artists on the same story, even when the guest artist is Simon bleedin’ Bisley.
March 23, 2021
Constantine's having a bad day. What's new? This time he's gone literally insane, and finds himself trapped in a mental asylum with only Shade, The Changing Man for assistance. Then it's time for a wedding, but no one wants John Constantine to be happy, least of all John himself. And finally,
We open with Sectioned, a four part story that seems to be about sending Constantine mad, but really doesn't tap too much into it. It's mostly a vehicle for Milligan to bring back Shade, who he also wrote, but a lot of the references to Shade's solo series fall flat since it's either never been collected or is very out of print at this point. Constantine's struggle, and the idea that the audience might actually believe he's as bad as he seems in this story, is played up fairly well, but this is mostly a throwaway story in the grand scheme of Hellblazer.
Bloody Carnations follows this, a five part story about John getting married, while his bride is thrown back in time to 1979 where she meets John's younger self. I didn't realise this arc was building to the extra-sized issue 275, but it definitely feels like it's earned the anniversary by the time it gets there. We get to revisit some of John's greatest hits, including lost loves and arch enemies, all culminating in a chilling ending that sets up the next volume nicely.
The majority of the artwork here is by series artist Giuseppe Camuncoli; he and inker Stefano Landini (who oftentimes provides finishes over Cammo's layouts) work very well together by this point, and their collaboration is definitely a high point of the art on Hellblazer over the years. Frequent cover artist Simon Bisley steps in for the sequences set in 1979 during Bloody Carnations, adding some grit to proceedings which are pretty gritty to start with.
Also included is the five issue City Of Demons mini-series by Si Spencer, with art by Sean Murphy. The premise of this one involves Constantine's demon blood getting co-opted by two surgeons at the local hospital, only for them to start trying to create an army of half-human hybrids, and it all going very, very wrong. Spencer's voice for Constantine is perfect, and he manages to thread some truly heinous descriptions throughout the story when John's not on-screen and we're dealing with the aftermath of what's been going on. Murphy's art is a good fit as well; it's a tad scratchy, but he uses the darkness very well - it's often what we can't see that's as terrifying as what we can, here.
This is another solid collection of Hellblazer material. With only two more to go before the end, if this is how we're heading to the finish line, then it's going to be all downhill for John and all enjoyment for us.
We open with Sectioned, a four part story that seems to be about sending Constantine mad, but really doesn't tap too much into it. It's mostly a vehicle for Milligan to bring back Shade, who he also wrote, but a lot of the references to Shade's solo series fall flat since it's either never been collected or is very out of print at this point. Constantine's struggle, and the idea that the audience might actually believe he's as bad as he seems in this story, is played up fairly well, but this is mostly a throwaway story in the grand scheme of Hellblazer.
Bloody Carnations follows this, a five part story about John getting married, while his bride is thrown back in time to 1979 where she meets John's younger self. I didn't realise this arc was building to the extra-sized issue 275, but it definitely feels like it's earned the anniversary by the time it gets there. We get to revisit some of John's greatest hits, including lost loves and arch enemies, all culminating in a chilling ending that sets up the next volume nicely.
The majority of the artwork here is by series artist Giuseppe Camuncoli; he and inker Stefano Landini (who oftentimes provides finishes over Cammo's layouts) work very well together by this point, and their collaboration is definitely a high point of the art on Hellblazer over the years. Frequent cover artist Simon Bisley steps in for the sequences set in 1979 during Bloody Carnations, adding some grit to proceedings which are pretty gritty to start with.
Also included is the five issue City Of Demons mini-series by Si Spencer, with art by Sean Murphy. The premise of this one involves Constantine's demon blood getting co-opted by two surgeons at the local hospital, only for them to start trying to create an army of half-human hybrids, and it all going very, very wrong. Spencer's voice for Constantine is perfect, and he manages to thread some truly heinous descriptions throughout the story when John's not on-screen and we're dealing with the aftermath of what's been going on. Murphy's art is a good fit as well; it's a tad scratchy, but he uses the darkness very well - it's often what we can't see that's as terrifying as what we can, here.
This is another solid collection of Hellblazer material. With only two more to go before the end, if this is how we're heading to the finish line, then it's going to be all downhill for John and all enjoyment for us.
April 19, 2021
Well, we're back "on track" with this volume, after a somewhat disappointing Volume 23 (though, for completeness, I do appreciate them including "Supplemental" series and OGN's within these new volumes.)
Two volumes to go, and can't wait to see what they bring to the table!
Two volumes to go, and can't wait to see what they bring to the table!
June 22, 2025
Wasn't that thrilled on the main story, but goddamn City of Demons was so horrifically good.
December 11, 2025
This was actually the best volume in the series for a good long while, particularly Si Spencer’s City of Demons mini series - two more volumes to go and I’m hoping the title stays on track now
February 1, 2022
Right. Twenty-fourth compiled edition. Almost there. And yet, now is when John Constantine decides to get married. And married he does get, with far less tragedy (thus far) than one might expect.
Having had expectedly tragic consequences with his love interest in the previous volume, Constantine appears to be smitten, albeit resignedly, by alchemist Epiphany Greaves. Greaves the younger is also a main character in the previous volume, No Future. And, like that one, the expected social commentary and criticism is there, not as heavy-handed as one would expect. What’s interesting here is that it’s less punkish and decidedly more cyber. John and co, after all, are no strangers to tech and its pernicious uses and effects.
The present edition, Sectioned, starts off with John being committed à la Ravenscar. Turns out his previous liaison with Epiphany had not gone unnoticed by an amateurish -and jealous- spell caster called Carew. That John doesn’t see this coming a mile away (and that, towards the end, he doesn’t even properly close off a mystic circle as he falls asleep) is author Peter Milligan’s presage of the end. Cancer, angels, demons,
Swamp Thing, witches and wizards, mob bosses,and even the Tories couldn’t take Constantine down. Late middle age will.
Aiding Constantine in the exquisitely (and quite nineties-like, ten years later) drawn pages is dimension and time-traveller Shade. Nergal (and John’s demo blood) make a central appearance. As do succubus Gloria, old flames, his niece Gemma, and other family members. There’s the laughing magician’s wit and trickery. There’s time-travel, there’s young Constantine meeting decaying John (another nod to the series coming to an end). There’s the marriage. And there’s even is a nod to Douglas Adams (I’m sure) as John decides to throw himself out of a tall window, as the ensuing panels simultaneously narrate how ridiculous his fall is, and the sub plot.
The edition rounds up with a Hellfire-style, conspiracy theory laden arc, the City of Demons miniseries. Two evil doctors, with a deep, politically-funded, war chest have harvested John’s blood and are creating zombie-like former patients. An army to challenge Hell itself.
The entire edition is a fitting tribute to a decades long publication. More mature than its predecessors, it's squarely sophomoric when needed. It adequately recalls to life previous plots, characters, artwork, and deviousness. Gruesome and light-hearted, dark and sarcastic, violent and mystic, vile and sober. It’s punk and new age and a broken pint glass and a burned out fag. It's contemporary and vinyl. Well-worth a read.
Having had expectedly tragic consequences with his love interest in the previous volume, Constantine appears to be smitten, albeit resignedly, by alchemist Epiphany Greaves. Greaves the younger is also a main character in the previous volume, No Future. And, like that one, the expected social commentary and criticism is there, not as heavy-handed as one would expect. What’s interesting here is that it’s less punkish and decidedly more cyber. John and co, after all, are no strangers to tech and its pernicious uses and effects.
The present edition, Sectioned, starts off with John being committed à la Ravenscar. Turns out his previous liaison with Epiphany had not gone unnoticed by an amateurish -and jealous- spell caster called Carew. That John doesn’t see this coming a mile away (and that, towards the end, he doesn’t even properly close off a mystic circle as he falls asleep) is author Peter Milligan’s presage of the end. Cancer, angels, demons,
Swamp Thing, witches and wizards, mob bosses,and even the Tories couldn’t take Constantine down. Late middle age will.
Aiding Constantine in the exquisitely (and quite nineties-like, ten years later) drawn pages is dimension and time-traveller Shade. Nergal (and John’s demo blood) make a central appearance. As do succubus Gloria, old flames, his niece Gemma, and other family members. There’s the laughing magician’s wit and trickery. There’s time-travel, there’s young Constantine meeting decaying John (another nod to the series coming to an end). There’s the marriage. And there’s even is a nod to Douglas Adams (I’m sure) as John decides to throw himself out of a tall window, as the ensuing panels simultaneously narrate how ridiculous his fall is, and the sub plot.
The edition rounds up with a Hellfire-style, conspiracy theory laden arc, the City of Demons miniseries. Two evil doctors, with a deep, politically-funded, war chest have harvested John’s blood and are creating zombie-like former patients. An army to challenge Hell itself.
The entire edition is a fitting tribute to a decades long publication. More mature than its predecessors, it's squarely sophomoric when needed. It adequately recalls to life previous plots, characters, artwork, and deviousness. Gruesome and light-hearted, dark and sarcastic, violent and mystic, vile and sober. It’s punk and new age and a broken pint glass and a burned out fag. It's contemporary and vinyl. Well-worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2022
Well that’s unexpected. Epiphany is pretty cool… but she’s way too young for him. Still, demons, time travel, a succubus, demon blood transfusion slaves, a wedding or two? A good volume.
Full review:
https://blog.jverkamp.com/2022/04/16/...
Full review:
https://blog.jverkamp.com/2022/04/16/...
July 30, 2021
A solid volume, the weakest link being Shade, which Milligan once wrote better than anything here.
Read
November 10, 2021Constantine goes mad and summons Shade, who has lots of baggage, for help. I’ve never read Milligan’s Shade series and didn’t care for the character here. Obviously there’s interesting history between him and John, but Shade comes across as petty and desperate, using John and Epiphany to resurrect his dead girlfriend.
Then Epiphany goes back in time and meets young John before - spoiler - marrying him in the present. I liked this arc and I’m warming up to Epiphany. John’s punk days are always fun to read about; we get some good pre-Ravenscar scenes here. The actual wedding of course goes wrong, but it’s a fun ride, and I gotta say I did not expect Milligan to take John in this direction. But I’m interested to see where it goes, even if I’m not big on how Milligan writes Constantine. I also think Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art is ugly. Sorry to his fans.
Lastly, this book collects the gruesome City of Demons miniseries. It’s standard Hellblazer stuff - John gets in an accident and surgeons take some of his demon blood to infect London’s population. I was wondering if something like this would happen ever since that scene in “Dangerous Habits” where John’s doctor realizes something’s wrong with his blood. Si Spencer writes a great John, although the story’s predictable and a little too “shock for shock’s sake.” Nice Sean Murphy art.
Then Epiphany goes back in time and meets young John before - spoiler - marrying him in the present. I liked this arc and I’m warming up to Epiphany. John’s punk days are always fun to read about; we get some good pre-Ravenscar scenes here. The actual wedding of course goes wrong, but it’s a fun ride, and I gotta say I did not expect Milligan to take John in this direction. But I’m interested to see where it goes, even if I’m not big on how Milligan writes Constantine. I also think Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art is ugly. Sorry to his fans.
Lastly, this book collects the gruesome City of Demons miniseries. It’s standard Hellblazer stuff - John gets in an accident and surgeons take some of his demon blood to infect London’s population. I was wondering if something like this would happen ever since that scene in “Dangerous Habits” where John’s doctor realizes something’s wrong with his blood. Si Spencer writes a great John, although the story’s predictable and a little too “shock for shock’s sake.” Nice Sean Murphy art.
March 19, 2023
El tomo más flojo de la colección. Sigue el run de Milligan al frente de la serie, con un cambio en el status quo del personaje que no me termina de convencer. El tono en que Milligan escribe a John se acerca más al de un comic de superhéroes, más parecido a la serie de John en el New 52.
Completa el libro una mini serie a cargo de Si Spencer y Sean Murphy totalmente olvidable. El guion de Spencer parte de una buena idea estirada innecesariamente durante cinco números, con líneas de diálogos que tranquilamente podrían pertenecer a una película de Marvel cualquiera (y hasta se podría decir lo mismo de la estructura narrativa). Murphy hace lo que puede, claramente no es su mejor trabajo.
Completa el libro una mini serie a cargo de Si Spencer y Sean Murphy totalmente olvidable. El guion de Spencer parte de una buena idea estirada innecesariamente durante cinco números, con líneas de diálogos que tranquilamente podrían pertenecer a una película de Marvel cualquiera (y hasta se podría decir lo mismo de la estructura narrativa). Murphy hace lo que puede, claramente no es su mejor trabajo.
June 13, 2022
Peter Milligan continues writing Constantine out of character, and the overall tone is still very much a black comedy version of Hellblazer. Its kind of fun to read, if slightly annoying seeing the writer getting the characters so wrong.
Camuncolli and Bisley's artwork is great, though. I really like how they draw these characters. Camuncolli's JC is very cool looking, and Simon Bisley really captures the grime of the Hellblazer universe.
Overall, a decent read, but its sure to infuriate readers less forgiving of changes to the characters of Hellblazer.
Camuncolli and Bisley's artwork is great, though. I really like how they draw these characters. Camuncolli's JC is very cool looking, and Simon Bisley really captures the grime of the Hellblazer universe.
Overall, a decent read, but its sure to infuriate readers less forgiving of changes to the characters of Hellblazer.
September 25, 2024
Gore al estilo del cine Giallo y crisis de la mediana edad. Jon está cada vez más del orto y piensa que casarse con una pendeja le va a solucionar la vida (hoy vivimos tiempos más sanos y los cuarentones lo resuelven comprándose una moto). Los demonios de esta saga están cada vez más boludos y nuestro protagonista cada día más pro. Bueno, andar por la vida con sangre infernal mientras te chupa todo un huevo ayuda. Todo dentro del verosímil comiquero, buen volumen.
December 6, 2022
Okay, this repackaging, while it caused me to reread a part of the series also causes some unintended issues. There are a few continuity issues between the regular run and some of the mini series.
I gave this two because although Shade is one of my favourites, this just seemed a little less mad. I'm just crabby and tired. Maybe that is all that it is.
I gave this two because although Shade is one of my favourites, this just seemed a little less mad. I'm just crabby and tired. Maybe that is all that it is.
December 14, 2022
This was fine but it's the weakest volume since Petter Milligan took over. I was hoping to dig City of Demons with Sean Murphy on art but his art was the only thing that kept my attention. Hopefully, the last two volumes bring up the quality.
December 27, 2021
Not all good but enough for a 4 star. A lot of the same ole John, but I did like the "love" story.
April 20, 2022
I liked the artwork in this volume, especially Sean Murphy stylised art. The stories were typical Hellblazer. Si Spencer’s City of Demons was particularly horrific.
August 22, 2022
Easily my least favorite of the Hellblazer run.
April 18, 2023
4 1/2 stars.
May 26, 2023
Great art, and great stories. I Liked the Epiphany story best.
February 27, 2024
A última história salvou esse volume
August 4, 2024
Just two more books to go in what is a truly epic series of graphic novels.
October 27, 2024
4 but closer to 3.5.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews