As is certainly no longer insightful commentary, John Constantine has held two ongoing series since his debut in Swamp Thing. The long-running Hellblazer was a horror classic and a mainstay of Vertigo’s heyday. The more recent Constantine sought to supplement John’s appearances in Justice League Dark and fit the character into a more marketable, more integrated package. For whatever reason, neither one is will us today and, in their place, stands this first issue of the aptly named Constantine: The Hellblazer.
I’m no expert on Constantine, but, based on my understanding, this feels like John Constantine. The man Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV present us with is charming, human, slick, callous, arrogant, vicious. His highs and lows are palpable and present, essential for this one-shot series premiere, which sells itself on the strength of its tone and its protagonist.
The plot is pretty standard in theory, as I suppose it should be as it really only takes nine pages. It does a good job of establishing what kind of world we’re working with and how interconnected John is with it. Honestly, the resolution of this a-plot is probably the weakest part of this issue. It’s such a simple, classic way to end things that I’m almost certain that there must be a Loony Toons short that effectively has the same ending. The problem is that while Loony Toons are known and loved for a reason, I’m not sure that this world can handle something with quite so many similarities to “Duck season! Fire!”
Still, while it’s unfortunate to have a weak spot in such a crucial moment, the rest of the execution is fairly excellent. There are lots of clever bits throughout this issue that help establish who John is and what we’re dealing with while telling the story. It particularly interests me that it’s actually incredibly vague whether John actually performs any magic in the opening scene. I think there are more than enough visual hints to support that he does enchant the poor saleswoman, but it’s eerie how easy it is to read as John simply convincing her to look the other way. Before long we’ve got one of the most natural flirtations I’ve seen in comics in some time and some great hints about what led Constantine down this path and the potential tragedy of his situation.
The issue also benefits immensely from a wonderful two page composition depicting one of the issue’s most charming ideas. I don’t know that Inferno is the most original concept, but it’s one that’s perfect for comics, visual medium that they are. The slender panels allow a huge amount of dialogue in a minimal amount of space, which means that Doyle and Tynion can spend some more time letting the characters breathe. That allows for some much needed humor, but the whole thing is held together by the intrigue of exploring the club alongside John. Those familiar with the source material will appreciate the references, while those who haven’t read the poem will find it strange and wondrous enough to hold their interest, I imagine.
Best of all, while all this is going on, the b-plot is setting you up for a cliffhanger that could likely convince many to pick up issue #2 all by itself.
The art by Riley Rossmo is lovely and distinct, but definitely looks better from a distance. I don’t say that as an insult, I honestly mean it; the closer you look, however you mean that, the more the problems are apparent. There’s a simplicity in the look of the issue that belies the many, many lines and textures Rossmo uses. It’s actually a very sketchy look, but only if you look at it right. Swift readers might not even notice.
I’ve seen John’s hair compared to Astro Boy’s. While that’s a bit hyperbolic, it’s far too close to the truth and always looks weird. Eyes also seem to be a bit of a hit or miss proposition, but for any wobbles, Rossmo’s art suits the tone of this book beautifully. There’s a modernity in many panels that really works well and the beats are entertaining and legible. I also really enjoy the tactile quality that the numerous patterns Rossmo integrates into his work bring to the book.
Grade
B
Conclusion
Constantine: The Hellblazer accomplishes its mission, reintroducing the real John Constantine into a world full of even more strange and frightening creatures. Some of them come from Hell, some of them are regular humans, and some of them wear capes and tights.The character of John Constantine is overwhelming and the plot, while simple, engages the reader. I imagine some readers will take longer adjusting to Riley Rossmo’s art than others, but the entire creative team has done some excellent work in establishing a character, a tone, and a little corner of this shared universe for them to inhabit.Constantine: The Hellblazer #1 is that book you would have gone crazy for in high school, without the pandering philosophy or pretentions of invulnerability. It feels like a horror story, like a modern story, like a queer story (in both meanings), like a Vertigo story. It’s a great debut issue and a promising start to a new series with plenty to prove.
