Hellblazer: Original
Sins, collects the first handful of stories from the John Constantine: Hellblazer series, with an added bonus of a two
issue Swamp Thing story guest staring Constantine, during Rick Veitch’s run on the series.
This is a book I have wanted to read for a long time, ever
since first reading the character in Neil Gaiman’s Books of Magic when I was a kid. Since then, I’ve picked up a few
trades (predominately, Garth Ennis’ first story arc 'Dangerous Habits', the basis of the Constantine film starring Keanu Reeves) and a spattering of
floppies I’ve managed to track down at comic shops during my travels. He’s
always been a fascinating character. He’s a true anti-hero with a British sense
of wit, who always manages to stay ahead of the worst of it, often at the
expense of those who trust him and count him as a friend.
This first trade, while containing a few different stories,
mostly deals with this theme; the sacrifice of others to reach Constantine’s
goals and the psychological costs associated with these sacrifices. In this
regard, writer Jamie Delano and main artist John Ridgway do an outstanding job.
Constantine’s tortured inner monologues and the pain in his face when he is confronted
with his past gives the reader a real understanding of the character, and helps
ensure Constantine isn’t just seen as a psychopath, instead adding a depth of
humanity to Constantine.
The collection contains six stories spread over eleven
issues. The first was my favourite, and does a solid job of introducing readers
to what the character is about, as Constantine cleans up a mess let loose by a
friend. The next few are all solid stories as well, and really build upon the
mythos of Constantine, showing the range of stories that can be told. The only
story that might be a touch weak is
the final story taken from the book Swamp
Thing, as it expects the reader to know a lot about what was going on in
that title at the time. Having never read the Veitch run on Swamp Thing, I
didn’t fully understand a lot of the motivations of Alec Holland or Abby except
for what was inferred in the story or what I knew from Alan Moore’s run, making
me feel like I was only getting a small glimpse into a world I wasn’t privy to.
Speaking of Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing, even though this book is a decent introduction to
Constantine and his world, there is a lot of references to his actions in the Swamp Thing title from when Moore introduced/created
John Constantine, and the majority of the ghosts Constantine is haunted by stem
from events in that title. There is also an extended sequence where he visits
the former apartment of an old friend that lacks exposition, and thus loses a
lot of its power unless you have read the Swamp Thing 'American gothic'
storyline.
Overall, this is a great book, and worth the read if you are
into occult comics or British anti-heroes. It sets the series on the right
track, and while it reads like something out the 80s with its slow burn
storytelling, it’s a refreshing change of pace compared to the high octane
books that come out now, and it strikes a good balance of never being too
compressed, nor a bloated uncompressed arc that drags out for the sake of
filling a trade. If you’ve read any of Delano’s wonderful run on Animal Man, or
loved Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing,
this is a book you’ve probably read already, but if not, you’d be doing
yourself a favour to move it up to the top of your pile.
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