Hellblazer: The Fear Machine by Jamie Delano and others

Hellblazer: The Fear Machine is the third trade collection of the John Constantine- Hellblazer title, and collects issues 14 through 22.

This trade is now one of my favourite Hellblazer stories. The pacing is aces, the characters are well fleshed out, and the story has teeth; Delano deserves accolades for this one. It starts with Constantine fleeing the big urban centres when he finds out that he is suspected in the murder of some former fellow apartment building tenants, and he hooks up with a roaming band of free spirits. From there he slowly gets embroiled in a politically charged, occult conspiracy to harness ley lines and use them as a weapon. The story starts so personally and small scale in the first few chapters, that as it builds to epic proportions you can’t help but feel like you are being swept up in something huge in scope.

New characters are brought into Constantine’s life, and a few old friends show up as well, and each of them gets a fair shake in the story, allowing each of them to grow and expand from archetypes to real feeling people. I personally wished that these characters could stay forever, but of course, this being a Hellblazer book, John never gets that lucky, and for every friend that dies, a dozen others disappear into the ether. It’s incredible how quickly in the series that this theme of the high cost to personal relationships the occult requires is introduced. It was the backbone of the first story, and each new tale Delano weaves strongly reinforces that. Watching John loose connections and drift away from people that he was once close with, really emphasizes the loneliness he is forced to live with. It makes him an object of sympathy, as well as empathy, and the fact that he doesn’t drive the reader to annoyance after a while speaks to the complexity of a character that Delano fleshed out from Alan Moore’s original conception.

This is a book I don’t have the ability to say much about without spoiling, but know that it is well worth your time to read. It’s a much more dynamic read then the classic ‘Dangerous Habits’ storyline, (which, I’m pretty sure I mention every time I read about Hellblazer, as it is my litmus test for the title), and even though it requires a bit of background knowledge to understand the human connections, it is one of the most interesting long form arcs I’ve read thus far.

Superman Earth One volume 1 by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis

I’ve never been a big reader of Superman. I don’t really understand how such a strong character can have truly challenging obstacles to face as to make him believable; he’s just too overpowered. All things being equal though, there are stories that make Superman a great character, All Star Superman was one, and Superman: Red Son is another. This book is a third. What all of these stories share is taking of the preconceived notions of what Superman is, and spinning them into something unique. JMS does this in this story quite well. He takes the mythology we all know, (Clark Kent being found as a child, being abnormally strong, and standing up as a protector and doing the right thing), and modernizes and tweaks it so that it feels fresh and new.

From a narrative point of view, JMS rocks the scripting. He introduces the character at a moment where he is uncertain of who he is, who he wants to be and what he wants to achieve, making him instantly relatable. The easy hook would have been starting the book off with a bang, showing Superman in action, which is a great hook for getting readers set for an action filled adventure, but at the cost of setting the reader apart from character. By narrowing in on the quiet, small moments, JMS allows the reader to connect with the character, and allows them to generate a vested interest in Clark Kent as he goes from drifting twenty-something to grounded reporter and hero.

It’s impressive how effortless JMS makes storytelling appear in this book. Everything is pitch perfect as it builds towards its eventual ending. He deftly introduces the character and his emotional state of mind, while fleshing out his history in flashbacks, all while building to an explosive final act and satisfying conclusion. He manages to give each secondary character their moment to shine, while still keeping their ‘screen time’ organic feeling. You don’t realize how much more adapt a master is at writing well-constructed narrative compared to the average writer until you experience it. The only reason I bring this up is that I just spent the evening reading comics, (and there were some good ones in the pile), finishing off with this graphic novel, and the amount of satisfaction I received by reading the book was immense in comparison. It took me a few moments to figure out why, and then it hit me: the pacing was perfect. So perfect that I’ve made a mental note to re-read this story when I want to study story structure more, as it sits head and shoulders above most.

The story itself is a great introduction to the character of Superman, and does not rely on the reader having any prior knowledge. The book opens with Clark Kent riding the train into the big city after living his whole life in a small, rural farming community. He admits to his new landlord he has no idea what his plans are, and we watch as he searches for belonging. It is quickly revealed that Kent is exceptionally good at whatever he does, but he is unable to choose what he wants to pursue. He eventually begins to slowly gravitate toward his future, and we learn about his origin and growing up with his Earth parents. By the time a threat arrives, causing Kent to have to decide if he should show the world what he has the ability to do, we have seen him start to understand himself after wrestling with knowing what he can do and what he wants to do, while this new threat forces him to decide what kinds of rights and responsibilities he has.

The story is one about growing up and finding your footing. It also has the uplifting message that many Superman stories have: you shape your destiny and because of this, you can never lose faith in who you are or stop believing in what is right. This is a message that can feel far too boy scout in a Superman story when it’s done wrong, but in JMS’ hands, it rings true. In his dedication JMS writes “that [the Superman] symbol means that all things are possible” and this story embodies that message in a way that does not preach, but inspires. You can’t help but be lifted up as you read the sage words of Jonathan Kent as he speaks to young Clark, and then see Clark take those words to heart when he faces adversity.

There is a lot I could say about the wonderful art of Shane Davis, who knows how to convey emotion so well as to not need dialog to explain what people are thinking, but I think I’ll let those that read the book discover it for themselves. All I’ll say is that he can do a lot of things well, and he helps make this book a full package.

I went into this book expecting a good story, and I ended up getting something even better. JMS hit all the right notes, and he managed to capture the essence of a character that often feels old and uninspired, and breathe new life into him. I plan on reading the book over again before the month’s out, and the idea of that excites me.

Hellblazer: The Devil You Know by Jamie Delano and others

Hellblazer: The Devil You Know is the second trade collection of the John Constantine- Hellblazer title. This is an interesting volume to read, because it is a mish mash of stories, collecting issues 10 through 13 of the series, plus the first annual, and The Horrorist miniseries. What makes this collection a diverse read is that, while Delano wrote all of the main stories, the tone shifts heavily between regular issues, the annual, and the miniseries. They do not flow together, and feel like different animals entirely, which isn’t a problem, but because of this, it seems to read better if you take breaks throughout your time with the book.

Overall, the stories were all well written, but that is to be expected, and as such, not a surprise. Even the annual, which I didn’t care for, was still a strong piece, and my only issue with it was I didn’t care for the events being told, no matter how well it was put together. The art was done by a number of different artists, but of course, the art that stood out most was David Lloyd’s work on The Horrorist. Lloyd’s work on the book perfectly depicts numbness and detachment,  one of the key themes of the story.

The book opens with what should have been the conclusion of the first volume; Constantine manages to get back into his body after the Swamp Thing takes it over, and we learn what happened to the Resurrection Crusaders’ plans to recreate another immaculate conception after Constantine taints their ‘Mary’. Overall, I thought this issue was fantastic. It had the payoff I wanted after reading the first volume, and at the same time, sets the scene for the next few issues, as a demon taunts Constantine with his past.

The next issue is a backstory issue that really helps flesh out the character of Constantine: ‘Newcastle: A Taste of Things to Come’. It shows a young, cocky Constantine and his friends planning on dealing with a supernatural event, and due to Constantine’s assumptions on how much control he could have over supernatural forces, leads to the eventual death of all his friends, and the death of an innocent girl. The well-executed story and pacing puts this pretty high up on the pile of great Hellblazer stories that I have read so far (right up there with the delightfully fun “Dangerous Habits” storyline issue where Constantine manages to trick a demon into drinking holy water disguised as beer).

After that we have the wrap up issue to the Nergal overarching storyline that started in Original Sins, where Constantine manages to deal with this demon, who was also a key instigator in the Newcastle affair. This issue, while a key plot point, was just a story, and not much really needs to be said about it.

The next issue, however, is another true highlight. ‘On the Beach’ is a one off story that starts grounded in reality, and hauntingly slips into an uncomfortable, dark, dream state. It starts with Constantine sitting at the beach and as all around people play. There is an undercurrent of dread, as a nuclear power plant sits across the bay from everyone. The beach patrons joke about the radiation they must receive when they work there and how it doesn’t affect them, while others liter and give off a laissez-faire attitude towards the environment.  Suddenly, there is a blinding flash as the power plant goes up, and birds begin to drop from the sky.  From here on in, the story takes a dark turn, and maybe it was just my mindset when I was reading it, but this was one of the true horror comics that really created the sense of dread and despair in me that horror comics are meant to. The rest of the issue shows Constantine living on the nuclear wasteland of the beach, building a life there, having deformed (animal) children, etc. For fans of horror comics, this issue stands as a strong example of how to do it right. This issue, along with the ‘Newcastle’ issue, are stories I wish I could rip out of the book and hand to strangers, as they are stories that deserve to be read, and, while they at least are still around in this trade, are not on lists of great literature or pop charts, and sadly are going to remain slightly obscure until the day they drift into the ether. If you are reading this, do yourself a favour and try to read these issues somehow, at some time, they are well worth the effort to track down.

As far as the annual goes, there’s not much I feel worth talking about. It’s mostly set in the medieval past, except for a few moments where Constantine dwells on his time in the asylum, and we have Merlin’s head talk a lot. So onto the last story in the collection instead.

The Horrorist takes up the vast majority of the book, and tells a story about a numb, unfeeling and uncaring Constantine who has lost touch with humanity. He’s lost his sense of love, wonder, and compassion, and it shows with each interaction he has as he plods across the States looking for a ‘horrorist’. A ‘horrorist’ is a person who suffered unbearable pain and suffering when alive, and now that they have passed on, they spread this pain to others in an act to try and balance out their suffering with others lack of (or at least, that is my interpretation). This sadly leads to these people going crazy, and sometimes killing people in their lives. Constantine eventually finds the spirit and through helping it deal with its pain, Constantine is once again able to feel for others.

 I enjoyed ‘The Horrorist’, and it takes a very different tone than most other Hellblazer stories. I can’t say it was my favourite, but the art and concept were enjoyable and it was interesting to see this in depth character study of Constantine when he is at a low point as the horrors he has confronted have finally worn away his ability to feel. The only thing off putting about this piece is where it’s placed in relation to these trades. This story came out in 1995, well later than the rest of the book, and even chronologically in Constantine’s life, doesn’t feel like it fits well. Constantine goes through a lot of worse things coming up, and it may have made more sense inserting this story in a later trade. That being said, without it, this trade would have been fairly empty, and the way the story is written, it’s so self-contained that it isn’t painfully jarring here, as it hypothetically could go anywhere in Constantine’s timeline.

This isn’t a collection that I expected much from. I knew that it didn’t contain one singular narrative, and I went in knowing that there would be very little flow between the main issues and the additional works. That being said, it surprised me by containing some great stories that really stand the test of time. At this point, my only wish is that these new editions of Hellblazer trades would feature something more than new cover work, such as introductions or histories from the people that helped bring these stories to life. John Constantine has such a rich history, and passionate fans that they just scream for the need for a caring hand to put together well constructed editions. However, don’t let that stop you from reading them if you are thinking about perusing these stories, as the stories themselves are what make this series so great.

Hellblazer: Original Sins by Jamie Delano and others

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.