Hellblazer #275 - 279

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Landini, and Simon Bisley

I find it odd that I enjoy Milligan's run on Hellblazer, but actually have no desire to purchase the book each month.  Instead, I scour bargain bins at poke around used book stores for it, and usually score small runs at conventions.  That's how I amassed these five issues, which start with John's wedding to Epiphany, and move through their first few challenges as a married couple.

The notion of Constantine being married is an interesting one, especially since he married the alchemist daughter of a notorious gangster.  There is a lot of story potential in that sentence, and Milligan is slowly unpacking it.  We see the desire they both have to remain independent in dealing with their own issues, the first of which is John wanting to retrieve the thumb he cut off a little while ago.  This leads to an odd sequence of events involving crashed cars, thieving art managers, and Epiphany's father.

This comic remains fun (when it's not dealing with topics like John's demonic side molesting his niece Gemma at the wedding), and very well put together, but for whatever reason, it's not enough to attract me to it on a more regular basis.  I'm also not sure what it would need to do that.

Hellblazer: City of Demons #1-5

Written by Si Spencer
Art by Sean Murphy

While I always like a good John Constantine story, my interest in this mini-series was largely fueled by my regard for Sean Murphy's artwork on Joe the Barbarian.

This story is kind of strange.  In the first issue, Constantine gets hit by a car, and ends up in the hospital for a while.  While there, a pair of doctors extract some of his demon blood, and use it to experiment on just about any other surgery patient they can find.  This leads to a number of random acts of violence around London, which John has to investigate.

What makes this series strange is the way in which Spencer takes a lot of space to develop a number of characters who are then quickly killed off or otherwise dispatched.  While I liked these little character studies, I found that it disrupted the flow of the narrative each time.

But, since I bought these comics for Murphy's artwork, I was still quite happy with the whole thing.  His work is not as inventive as it was on Joe, but it's still very good.  I found it a little reminiscent of Shade-era Chris Bachalo (mostly because of the lines on peoples' noses), which is always a good thing.

Hellblazer: Pandemonium

Written by Jamie Delano
Art by Jock

It's nice to see Delano come back and write John Constantine again in this original graphic novel.  Delano didn't create the character, but he did write the first pile of issues of the comic, and worked to establish Hellblazer as the flagship Vertigo title, not to mention its longest lasting.

In this book, Delano returns Constantine to his classic form - he's wearing the trenchcoat, smoking, and bossing poor Chas around like it's still the early nineties.  John sees and becomes interested in a woman wearing a niqab on the tube, and follows her to the British Museum just in time for bombs to go off and pandemonium to break loose.  It turns out that the woman is working for British Intelligence, and soon enough, John and her are off to Baghdad to deal with a man in American custody who seems connected to the supernatural.

What unfolds is a fairly typical Constantine story, complete with a stint in Hell and a demonic game of poker.  Delano writes a great Constantine - the off-hand cruelty and manipulation are front and centre - and it's nice to see John interact with such a different world.  Lately, Delano's writing has become increasing purple (read his Rawbone - it's out of control), although he keeps a handle on it here.

Jock's art is always great.  I love his panel design and the way in which he constructs a page.  This is a good book.

Hellblazer #265-266

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Simon Bisley

If there's one thing that Milligan brings to Hellblazer, it's a sense of authenticity.  This book needs to be written by a Brit that lived through the Thatcher era.  I imagine that Milligan is about the same age as John Constantine, and is putting some of his own experiences or impressions of the world into the character.

This two-part arc has Constantine hooking back up with his old friend Faeces McCartney, who has an effigy housing the spirit of Sid Vicious.  Faeces has been keeping up the good fight against the Conservatives since the punk days ended, and has with him a small commune of young believers.  They are being recruited by a dark wing of the Conservative party to help them return to power, and Faeces needs John's help to put a stop to it.

This means that Constantine has to shave his head, and immerse himself in this sad little scene.  While the story has John examining his past on the eve of a return to power for the party he hates, it also gives Milligan a good reason to further examine the blossoming relationship between John and Epiphany, who is an interesting character.

The guest art by Bisley is quite nice (I don't usually like him at all), although I felt that his Constantine is a little boxier and more burly than is usual for the character.  I'm starting to reconsider having dropped this title.

Hellblazer # 264

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giusseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini

Constantine's Indian adventure comes to a close, and while the cover suggests a big Bollywood ending, there are no big dance numbers, and no one really gets the girl.

I've enjoyed this arc. Putting Constantine in such an unfamiliar setting allowed his shtick the chance to seem fresh and new, although this last issue puts things back to status quo so neatly, and with such a dismissive wave of Milligan's hand, that I'm not all that interested in reading the next issue (even if it wasn't drawn by Simon Bisley). It's hard to accept that Chas isn't even angry with John after the events of a few issues ago.

I have been on the fence with this title since Milligan took over, and I think I'm done now. It's been decent, but I can live without it.

Hellblazer # 263

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini

More craziness in India, as Constantine is reunited with the wrong (if more interesting) girl, the Bollywood movie mogul gets what's coming to him, and the Indian cops track down their serial killer.

This has been an enjoyable arc on this title, with only one issue left before its conclusion. Milligan's doing a good job here, as are Camuncoli and Landini. I wish Vertigo would leave Simon Bisley on the covers only though, as I saw in Previews that he's going to be doing interiors on the book again soon...

Hellblazer #262

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini

Milligan's 'Constantine in India' storyline continues to please, as John faces off against a demon from colonial times, meets up with an old mage in a loincloth, and scares his white guru friend. Milligan has managed to introduce a number of new characters over the last couple of issues, my favourite being the two Indian cops that tail John, thinking that the serial killer they were denying the existence of last issue, might be advantageously white.

I feel like Milligan's put himself on very familiar ground, and he's able to use that as a definite strength in this story. As always, Camuncoli and Landini are turning in good, solid work as well.

Hellblazer #261

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini

I've been unable to make up my mind about Milligan's run on Hellblazer. Some issues have been fantastic, while others have been lackluster. This new arc sends John to India, because he's still looking for ways to resurrect Phoebe, and feels that a fellow Englishman there has a way to 'purify' his soul enough to get the job done.

Milligan seems to be on more familiar ground here, establishing a number of new characters and potential plotlines. There is a Bollywood movie mogul with a connection to an old English spirit, as well as a couple of police detectives who are investigating a string of murdered girls.

There is more than enough to keep me intrigued for this arc, and Camuncoli and Landini are always good.

Hellblazer #258

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini
I keep deciding to drop this title, and then give it another issue, which ends up convincing me to stick with it. I think that this has not been a very consistent run. Milligan has some great ideas, and the art by Camuncoli and Landini has been very nice, but there is a lack of cohesiveness.

I'm inclined to think that the events of this issue, involving death, alchemical resurrection, zombies, and police, do a good job of setting up the next set of storylines to be interesting, fast-paced, and a little unusual for a Constantine story. The only problem is, the next few issues are drawn by Simon Bisley, of whom I'm not a fan anymore (when was Lobo cool again?).

So: we've got John on the run from the police and a gangster, looking for revenge on a love-sick ekkimu, and I'm certain that if Camuncoli was the artist on the next issue, I'd be singing the praises of this one so much more. I guess I'll have to take a good look through the next issue before I decide if it's coming home.

Hellblazer #257

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini

I continue to be torn by Milligan's run on Hellblazer. The first arc, with the scabs, I liked a lot. The plague doctor story didn't really do it for me. This current story, wherein John gives a love potion to both Phoebe and Julian the Ekkimu, is much more interesting.

There is a lot of good character work in this issue, as John starts to see some of the consequences of his actions, and, being John, pushes things a lot further as he tries to overcome his addiction to Julian's dead skin. I'm very curious to see how this storyline ends.

The next arc is going to be drawn by Simon Bisley, and if it looks like this cover, I'm going to be passing.

Hellblazer #256

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini
I really can't seem to make up my mind about Hellblazer. I enjoyed Milligan's first arc, but wasn't as impressed by his second. I like the introduction of characters like Phoebe, John's current love interest, and Julian, the Ekkimu to whose skin John is addicted, but I'm not sure that a 'love potion' plot is right for a character like Constantine. I feel that, at this point in his life, he would know better. All the same, I'm intrigued to see how this all plays out.

The art is great. I've liked Camuncoli since his run on The Intimates (now there's a comic I miss), and while he's not as gritty as Hellblazer artists usually are, I feel like his look fits this title nicely, for a change.

I'm sticking with this title through the end of this arc, but am not promising anything past that.

Hellblazer #255

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Goran Sudzuka and Rodney Ramos

This is a decent enough Constantine type of story, but in some ways, it feels like Milligan is just phoning this one in. Nothing momentous happens - Constantine goes to a supposed pit of plague victims, and ends up talking to one of their spirits - a phony plague doctor who went to extreme ends to keep his family safe from that horrific deed, and then doesn't help him. It's a good story, but it's on such familiar ground, that it causes deja vu.

I hope that the next arc brings back some of the energy that Milligan's first story arc had. It was nice to see Sudzuka's art again, but I found that I was really liking Camuncoli's look for this book. Good thing he's back next issue.

Hellblazer# 254

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Goran Sudzuka and Rodney Ramos

Milligan is into his second story on Hellblazer, and I'm happy to see that Phoebe is still in the mix, as is the London Olympics, 17th century plague doctors, more dried skin, the next Banksy, and bird masks. In other words, it is definitely 'good Milligan' at work on this title, and it seems to keep getting better.

I really like seeing John get involved in local political protest action, even if he doesn't really have much choice in the matter. It works to balance his earlier involvement in breaking strikes in the last arc.

Sudzuku's pencils here make me nostalgic for Y The Last Man, and he does an admirable job, but overall, I think I prefer Camuncoli on this book now.

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.

Hellblazer #252

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini

Hellblazer under Milligan and Camuncoli continues to look like a very good thing. The scab storyline continues, as Constantine's usual weirdness infects his new girlfriend.

I really like Camuncoli and Landinis' look for this book. Usually Hellblazer is drawn in a tight, realistic and dark look, so the more open lines and spacious panels are a nice change of pace. I like the nod to Kill Bill in the girlfriend's friend's outfit.

I think I'm going to stick with Hellblazer for this team's run.

Hellblazer #251

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini
I wasn't sure if I was going to continue reading Hellblazer now that Andy Diggle's run as writer was finished. Peter Milligan is a highly inconsistent writer, having written some truly amazing books (Shade the Changing Man, and X-Force/X-Statix), and some books that have left me completely cold (his X-Men run for example). But, I have liked Cumoncoli's art since the criminally shortlived 'The Intimates', so I thought I'd give them one issue to see if they impressed me.

I'll be back for the next issue for sure. Milligan introduces a much-needed supporting cast for Constantine in this issue, in the form of Phoebe, his new girlfriend. Constantine hasn't had a serious relationship since Kit graced the pages of Ennis's historic run, and I think that the addition of Phoebe adds a grounding element to the types of stories that usually play out in Hellblazer. John has to be more human when he is explaining some of this stuff to someone (other than Chas). As well, Milligan excells at writing strong female characters who get sucked into a lot of weirdness (I had a small crush on Shade's girlfriend Kathy when I was a teenager).

The story of a mysterious scab is an interesting way to provide background for this new status quo in Constantine's life, and all of the dialogue scenes provide Camuncoli with plenty of opportunity to showcase his skill at conveying emotion.

Hellblazer #250

Written by Dave Gibbons, Jamie Delano, Brian Azzarello, Peter Milligan, and China Mieville
Art by Sean Phillips, David Lloyd, Rafael Grampa, Eddie Campbell, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Stefano Landini

I'm not usually a fan of the Christmas anthology, but this is how such things should be done. In this extra-sized issue, we get five stories by different creative teams, almost all of which are centred around Christmas. (I think it strange that the book starts off with the New Years story, and then backs up a few days.)

It's a real treat to see artists like Phillips and Lloyd draw Constantine again, and an even bigger treat to see the series' original writer come back for an excellent tale of poker and trafficking. The story by Azzarello and Grampa is beautifully drawn, if a little tenuously linked to the Christmas theme. Milligan's story augers well for his run on the title, which begins next issue. The final story, about a Bhopal-like industrial accident was odd - I couldn't figure out where it was taking place.

This was a very enjoyable book. It didn't have many of the elements I expected - Constantine wasn't haunted (well, at least, not by ghosts of his Christmases past), and there was no mention of his having snorted the ground up bones of St. Nick a few issues back.

All $3.99 comics should have this level of quality.

Hellblazer #249

Written by Andy Diggle
Art by Leonardo Manco

Andy Diggle has had a very successful run on Hellblazer. I hadn't read the book for years, having lost interest at some point after Garth Ennis's historic run, but as I'd loved The Losers I felt it was worth checking this series out for a few issues when I heard that Diggle was coming on as writer.

He's done a great job of crafting a long-running story; this issue returns us to the events and themes of the beginning of his run, and also reaches back to the heights of Ennis's. We learn the truth behind John Constantine's cancer of way back, and also learn the secret of the 'Synchronicity Highway' he's been known to follow.

Hellblazer is, alongside The Sandman, the quintessential Vertigo book, and this run has been textbook perfect Vertigo.