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fangsfirst's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Call me the weirdo: I still prefer Delano.
Ennis is not as insufferable as he would become, being multiple rings notably down (or is it up?!) the ladders of the edge lord with the humanity of his later Preacher, but none of its excess (or at least very, very little). Which was, eventually, all he seemed to have interest in writing (I suppose I did like Code:PRU on the whole…).
I feel as if most people came to this character from this Ennis arc, or started off going back only as far this arc. I admittedly came in MUCH later (Carey era) but then went back to the start after first reading Moore's Swamp Thing and started from the beginning and fell for Delano's style and the horror around a man who is so deeply, deeply flawed and hardly up to the depths he finds himself in for even a moment, getting past them by the skin of his teeth.
Ennis is not as insufferable as he would become, being multiple rings notably down (or is it up?!) the ladders of the edge lord with the humanity of his later Preacher, but none of its excess (or at least very, very little). Which was, eventually, all he seemed to have interest in writing (I suppose I did like Code:PRU on the whole…).
I feel as if most people came to this character from this Ennis arc, or started off going back only as far this arc. I admittedly came in MUCH later (Carey era) but then went back to the start after first reading Moore's Swamp Thing and started from the beginning and fell for Delano's style and the horror around a man who is so deeply, deeply flawed and hardly up to the depths he finds himself in for even a moment, getting past them by the skin of his teeth.
The Ennis stories weren't as jarring as I feared now that I'd gone from loving Preacher to despsing most things I've read since as I noticed the stock characters Ennis just seemed to reel out again and again, unable to resist his love of the flawed-loner-cowboy that peaked with Jesse Custer.
But still: I've seen reviews complain John never does magic and thought, "That's what I actually like!" He's a man who knows some things and sees horrible things and sometimes knows how to get out of or around them, not a superhero. But Ennis nudges him firmly toward an Ennis-y protagonist: a likably-flawed antihero to root for, maybe more coarse, but less definitively awful as a person. And I think something gets kind of lost there. In a weird irony, Delano's Constantine is truly an un-superhero, where the famously superhero-hating Ennis tips John closer to exactly what he hates: a more palatable, more assured and powerful man.
I've got a great deal more Ennis to read, and some Jenkins and Milligan and Mina and Carey and the rest, and I'm pretty sure we'll never see the like of Delano's Constantine again from what I've read or know, so I'll have to get used to and accept the mostly-sanded-down version, and my place as the absolute weirdo mourning that loss unlike every other reader on earth.
So it goes, I suppose.
But still: I've seen reviews complain John never does magic and thought, "That's what I actually like!" He's a man who knows some things and sees horrible things and sometimes knows how to get out of or around them, not a superhero. But Ennis nudges him firmly toward an Ennis-y protagonist: a likably-flawed antihero to root for, maybe more coarse, but less definitively awful as a person. And I think something gets kind of lost there. In a weird irony, Delano's Constantine is truly an un-superhero, where the famously superhero-hating Ennis tips John closer to exactly what he hates: a more palatable, more assured and powerful man.
I've got a great deal more Ennis to read, and some Jenkins and Milligan and Mina and Carey and the rest, and I'm pretty sure we'll never see the like of Delano's Constantine again from what I've read or know, so I'll have to get used to and accept the mostly-sanded-down version, and my place as the absolute weirdo mourning that loss unlike every other reader on earth.
So it goes, I suppose.
arf88's review
4.0
This volume contains the last of Delano’s main run on Hellblazer and I’m honestly just relieved.
Delano’s a man with lots of good ideas but he’s so up his own arse that the resulting story on the page is a mess. Anyone who’s gotten this far will know he has a habit of putting a load of words together to try and sound deep and tortured, but the resulting mess is barely comprehensible.
Despite Delano’s faults as an author I did for the most part enjoy his issues in this volume. It was interesting to see Constantine as child, although he was portrayed far creepier as a child than he’s ever come off as an adult. The issues that followed Mercury were well done, and it was nice to get a break from John’s tortured inner monologue.
And I enjoyed the story surrounding Constantine’s twin brother. One of these issues has fantastic art, some of the best in this series so far. Ultimately though Delano’s run ended unintelligible and confusing.
The second half of this volume is dedicated to Ennis’ story “Dangerous Habits”. This is the most famous of the Hellblazer stories and it’s easy to see why. For one thing Ennis’s Constantine is more capable than Delano’s, and a compelling as an underdog is it’s nice to get a win now and again. Despite the cancer Ennis’s Constantine is also a lot less self pitying. Ennis had Constantine being proactive in finding a solution to his problem, while with the same story you know that Delano would have spent pages on John whinging.
Ennis’s writes Constantine as a bastard, but he’s a bastard you want to see succeed. His story is moving, sad, funny, clever, and ultimately makes you want more. I’m looking forward to reading more of his run.
Delano’s a man with lots of good ideas but he’s so up his own arse that the resulting story on the page is a mess. Anyone who’s gotten this far will know he has a habit of putting a load of words together to try and sound deep and tortured, but the resulting mess is barely comprehensible.
Despite Delano’s faults as an author I did for the most part enjoy his issues in this volume. It was interesting to see Constantine as child, although he was portrayed far creepier as a child than he’s ever come off as an adult. The issues that followed Mercury were well done, and it was nice to get a break from John’s tortured inner monologue.
And I enjoyed the story surrounding Constantine’s twin brother. One of these issues has fantastic art, some of the best in this series so far. Ultimately though Delano’s run ended unintelligible and confusing.
The second half of this volume is dedicated to Ennis’ story “Dangerous Habits”. This is the most famous of the Hellblazer stories and it’s easy to see why. For one thing Ennis’s Constantine is more capable than Delano’s, and a compelling as an underdog is it’s nice to get a win now and again. Despite the cancer Ennis’s Constantine is also a lot less self pitying. Ennis had Constantine being proactive in finding a solution to his problem, while with the same story you know that Delano would have spent pages on John whinging.
Ennis’s writes Constantine as a bastard, but he’s a bastard you want to see succeed. His story is moving, sad, funny, clever, and ultimately makes you want more. I’m looking forward to reading more of his run.
blundershelf's review
I love John Constantine but he makes me want to unalive myself yknow what I mean
deathtomartyrs's review
fast-paced
4.75
Currently my favorite John - but l have to l absolutely abhor the twin arc was the worst thing,l hate twin storyline and this was no exception.
scheu's review
5.0
The archetypical Constantine story. I'd pirated these books several years ago, I freely admit that, but as with the others I picked up the trade because they're so great. Not for the faint of heart, though!
mboyette252's review
5.0
John Constantine, Hellblazer, is already an interesting individual. Yet, in the hands of Garth Ennis he becomes a mate who’s life is a train wreck that you can’t look away from. Yet another great set of stories following the enigmatic adventures of one John Constantine.
nectarinepran's review
5.0
Ennis on Hellblazer is something I would never have expected to like let alone love to the degree of wanting more! But damn here we are, Garth I usually find way too edgy for my likeness in all honesty I mainly read his stuff to laugh at how dumb it is but this wasn't any of that. Despite John's incredibly rough exterior there is a heart to him a self destructive one ofc but still it beats and bleeds like any other, Ennis shows it as it is a slow march to death formed by his own design. The most stressful and fast paced arc but there's so much beautiful character work and interactions that chip deeper into that steel shell of a personality Constantine has. And it's just the beginning! Imo the best work Garth has done since Punisher and honestly his best ever, once Kit comes into the play he shows such a wonderful sensitivity and emotional range to the cast it just really made me wonder why he made such a awful brand for himself when he can do so much better.
golembutch's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75