What do you think?
Rate this book
John Constantine: Hellblazer (Single Issues)
John Constantine: Hellblazer #9
The British royal family has always had an interest in breeding the world’s finest racehorses. When one disgraced royal cooks up a scheme to re-create the most magical of all horses, it’s up to John Constantine to stop him from unleashing a bloodthirsty horror!
24 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2020
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 8, 2020
How? How, in God's name, did this title get cancelled
August 26, 2020
Another enjoyable one shot
There’s a large degree in overlap between this and the previous monster of the weeks I won’t spoil. Bit disappointing they went with a generic obese wealthy man rather than a Prince Andrew likeness, my guess is there were changes made at the editorial stage. Doesn’t have the same twists as the prior story and the ending isn’t as satisfying, old John Constantine (who’s the age Constantine would be now if he’d aged chronologically from his first appearance) seems to be playing “careful what you wish for” with some fairly ugly people, but the targets seem a bit obvious and old hat in these days of revelation of Labour Party insiders sabotaging elections for the Tories, it reeks of remainer stereotypes of Brexit Britain. It remains enjoyable, well drawn, etc. But it lacks teeth, “barely legal” and “I tell myself she was 18”, is kid glove stuff when it comes to known associates of Mr. Epstein and a knee to the groin seems scant punishment for the kind of evil the Queen’s errant son represents (given we saw a man get eaten alive in the last issue). There is a story to be written about the wretched turn Britain has taken in recent years, the emboldening of open racism, the brain dead media, the chickens of empire come home to roost, a hard cold accounting for an empire that brought genocide first and foremost, the Nazis of the 19th century, the blood of the Irish, the Indians, the extermination of the Tasmanians has not been forgotten. This run flirts with the idea of being that at times, but it reads like a British equivalent of Southern Bastards, when really -if it wants to hit its target- it should be aiming to be a British equivalent of Maus.
There’s a large degree in overlap between this and the previous monster of the weeks I won’t spoil. Bit disappointing they went with a generic obese wealthy man rather than a Prince Andrew likeness, my guess is there were changes made at the editorial stage. Doesn’t have the same twists as the prior story and the ending isn’t as satisfying, old John Constantine (who’s the age Constantine would be now if he’d aged chronologically from his first appearance) seems to be playing “careful what you wish for” with some fairly ugly people, but the targets seem a bit obvious and old hat in these days of revelation of Labour Party insiders sabotaging elections for the Tories, it reeks of remainer stereotypes of Brexit Britain. It remains enjoyable, well drawn, etc. But it lacks teeth, “barely legal” and “I tell myself she was 18”, is kid glove stuff when it comes to known associates of Mr. Epstein and a knee to the groin seems scant punishment for the kind of evil the Queen’s errant son represents (given we saw a man get eaten alive in the last issue). There is a story to be written about the wretched turn Britain has taken in recent years, the emboldening of open racism, the brain dead media, the chickens of empire come home to roost, a hard cold accounting for an empire that brought genocide first and foremost, the Nazis of the 19th century, the blood of the Irish, the Indians, the extermination of the Tasmanians has not been forgotten. This run flirts with the idea of being that at times, but it reads like a British equivalent of Southern Bastards, when really -if it wants to hit its target- it should be aiming to be a British equivalent of Maus.
May 10, 2021
DC's New 52 attempt at "revamping" John Constantine was a horrific abortion of a hot mess, and everyone associated with it should be lined up against a wall and shot.
Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, and maybe I'm being a tad unfair. Unfortunately, DC's attempt to make Constantine a magical superhero was doomed from the start, really. Let's be serious: he's no Superman or Batman. The thought of him donning spandex is laughable.
No, Constantine is what he is: a British blue-collar sorcerer who is happiest telling tall tales in a pub. Occasionally, he'll save the world, but it's almost always for selfish reasons and you can piss off with your fanfare and gratitude, you bougie wankers.
In the latest DC attempt to set things right, DC has created what is called a "Black Label", which I'm guessing is what "Vertigo" attempted to do years ago. Basically, it's a grown-up (read: "for mature audiences only") line of titles for people like me who are sick and tired of superheroes, universe-ending crises, and annoying cross-over events.
In Issue #9 (in what I have learned is called a "one-shot"), writer Simon Spurrier has fun ripping the Royal Family a new asshole. Just a word of warning: this issue has a lot of trigger warnings including drinking, smoking, sexual assault of minors, copious amounts of horse ejaculate, exploding horses, and some naughty language.
Constantine is back, thank God.
Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, and maybe I'm being a tad unfair. Unfortunately, DC's attempt to make Constantine a magical superhero was doomed from the start, really. Let's be serious: he's no Superman or Batman. The thought of him donning spandex is laughable.
No, Constantine is what he is: a British blue-collar sorcerer who is happiest telling tall tales in a pub. Occasionally, he'll save the world, but it's almost always for selfish reasons and you can piss off with your fanfare and gratitude, you bougie wankers.
In the latest DC attempt to set things right, DC has created what is called a "Black Label", which I'm guessing is what "Vertigo" attempted to do years ago. Basically, it's a grown-up (read: "for mature audiences only") line of titles for people like me who are sick and tired of superheroes, universe-ending crises, and annoying cross-over events.
In Issue #9 (in what I have learned is called a "one-shot"), writer Simon Spurrier has fun ripping the Royal Family a new asshole. Just a word of warning: this issue has a lot of trigger warnings including drinking, smoking, sexual assault of minors, copious amounts of horse ejaculate, exploding horses, and some naughty language.
Constantine is back, thank God.
September 9, 2020
ETA: I’m mad as hell this run has been cancelled.
2.5. Oi. There’s elements of this I love and elements I hate. But that’s Hellblazer for you. I know what I signed up for and it’s not meant to be tidy. However. Sometimes I felt like despite getting the message via the mess was a bit too much of an anvil-drop for me.
Really great ideas here though. And managed to be both tragic and humorous at once without too much whiplash.
I’m following this run through to the end, regardless.
2.5. Oi. There’s elements of this I love and elements I hate. But that’s Hellblazer for you. I know what I signed up for and it’s not meant to be tidy. However. Sometimes I felt like despite getting the message via the mess was a bit too much of an anvil-drop for me.
Really great ideas here though. And managed to be both tragic and humorous at once without too much whiplash.
I’m following this run through to the end, regardless.
September 1, 2020
This is the Hellblazer I love!
September 10, 2020
I’m so disappointed that this got cancelled. I don’t know if it ever happens, but it would be great if DC changed their mind and started the series up again after #12.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews