Hellblazer #253

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini

This is the end of Milligan, Camuncoli, and Landinis' first arc on Hellblazer, and I think they have a very good feel for the book. It must be difficult to write a character like Constantine - he has to be likeable enough that people will want to stick with the title, but being a jerk is so very at the core of who he is. Milligan seems to have the right balance here, as he has Constantine examine his own personal guilt as a way of getting rid of the horrid scab that has been covering his body.

I like the addition of John's uncle to this story - it helps to establish some connection to the story, and leads to one of the funniest moments I've seen in comics in a while.

I hope that Constantine's relationship with Phoebe makes it past the hurdles set up in this arc - I like the character and still firmly believe that it is only when Constantine is in a relationship that this book is at its best.