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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rated entirely on the merits of the Dangerous Habits arc, which are the last six issues of this collection.
So...this isn't bad, but the Garth Ennis here is still evolving into the master we see later. Will Simpson's art is serviceable, never moving beyond it. Ennis's rendition of Constantine is similar to others, in that he understands his flaws but can't help them, but Ennis absolutely shines at writing that sort of character. There's the typical Ennis bit of simultaneous embrace and critique of machismo, and everything works as an Ennis comic should.
And it's still great, because the way Ennis writes is about 5000x better than the way anybody else writes. His characters are human, fallible, foibled, yet ones whom you understand. They're your brother or sister or friend or whoever. I mean, I don't know any conman magicians, but I definitely know people like the Constantine that Ennis writes.
UPDATE: I’ve been working my way through Hellblazer from start to finish now, so I can comment on the Delano end of this collection, too. It’s solid stuff, though Delano feels like he’s always on the verge of figuring out what makes a Hellblazer story work, but never quite hitting it. It’s quite clear, just in what’s present here, that Delano walked so Ennis and others could run. There’s nothing bad about the Delano stuff, but it’s a bit slower than other writers would eventually write it.
So...this isn't bad, but the Garth Ennis here is still evolving into the master we see later. Will Simpson's art is serviceable, never moving beyond it. Ennis's rendition of Constantine is similar to others, in that he understands his flaws but can't help them, but Ennis absolutely shines at writing that sort of character. There's the typical Ennis bit of simultaneous embrace and critique of machismo, and everything works as an Ennis comic should.
And it's still great, because the way Ennis writes is about 5000x better than the way anybody else writes. His characters are human, fallible, foibled, yet ones whom you understand. They're your brother or sister or friend or whoever. I mean, I don't know any conman magicians, but I definitely know people like the Constantine that Ennis writes.
UPDATE: I’ve been working my way through Hellblazer from start to finish now, so I can comment on the Delano end of this collection, too. It’s solid stuff, though Delano feels like he’s always on the verge of figuring out what makes a Hellblazer story work, but never quite hitting it. It’s quite clear, just in what’s present here, that Delano walked so Ennis and others could run. There’s nothing bad about the Delano stuff, but it’s a bit slower than other writers would eventually write it.
slow-paced
The individual ratings:
The Bogeyman + Dead-Boy's Heart
story - 5
art - 4
The Undiscover'd Country
story - 4
art - 4
Man's Work + Boy's Games
story - 3
art - 3
The Hanged Man
story - 5
art - 3
The Magus
story - 5
art - 5
Dangerous Habits (1-6)
story - 5
art - 4
The Bogeyman + Dead-Boy's Heart
story - 5
art - 4
The Undiscover'd Country
story - 4
art - 4
Man's Work + Boy's Games
story - 3
art - 3
The Hanged Man
story - 5
art - 3
The Magus
story - 5
art - 5
Dangerous Habits (1-6)
story - 5
art - 4
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The infamous devil trickery in the back half lives up to the hype but I didn't care for what the Golden Child/Magus arc in the first half did with a really interesting premise. Feels like the threads from Family Man that seemed they would carry through got lost in the weeds. That pig slaughterhouse issue will be back in my nightmares for sure though.
This volume has excellent new characters though. Upon first hearing about yet another old friend Constantine has never mentioned before, I was weary, but Brendan Finn is a good sort, and Kit has promise. Really though, I'm talking about Gabriel and Ellie (introduced here in issue 43). Even if the former should have been Sandman's Lucifer (c'mon he was right there, freshly out of hell). My favourite style of immortal is when they appear regular, maybe a little hotter or more intimidating but nothing crazy, and then they get one little line of the wackest shit that makes you go oh ok nope this is not a human and never has been.
Anyway, John is at his best in the second half here, both strategically and with the repercussions of his questionable morals causing him grief. And still managing to be a likable old sod despite it all(and by that, I mean risking throwing everyone into a cosmic hellwar to avoid the consequences of chain smoking) . Iconic.
This volume has excellent new characters though. Upon first hearing about yet another old friend Constantine has never mentioned before, I was weary, but Brendan Finn is a good sort, and Kit has promise. Really though, I'm talking about Gabriel and Ellie (introduced here in issue 43). Even if the former should have been Sandman's Lucifer (c'mon he was right there, freshly out of hell). My favourite style of immortal is when they appear regular, maybe a little hotter or more intimidating but nothing crazy, and then they get one little line of the wackest shit that makes you go oh ok nope this is not a human and never has been.
Anyway, John is at his best in the second half here, both strategically and with the repercussions of his questionable morals causing him grief. And still managing to be a likable old sod despite it all