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kurtwombat's review
3.0
A fun, dark and somewhat hallucinatory read. John Constantine, the main character of the Hellblazer series, skirts hell on earth and elsewhere. Conflict with soul supposed to be in the middle of the pack as far as this long lived series goes...this is one I just happened to find at my favorite used bookstore (Reader's Corner in Raleigh, NC) Have found the Graphic Novel movement of interest as it seems a vivid mixture of two things I love....books...movies. It is no accident that the movies seem to love comic books. The value of the human soul seems to be a recurrent theme in this series....also something I find of interest.
crookedtreehouse's review
4.0
Ennis continues the interpersonal relationship section of his run, as Constantine ends up in a hallucinatory quest courtesy of Papa Midnite, during his return to America. We also get to see a major flashback featuring several characters from earlier in his run, and even an interesting mishmash of characters from Delano's run showing back up in flashbacks.
This is hardly the best of Ennis's run, but it feels very deliberate, kind of like when David Tennant, as the Tenthish Doctor says goodbye to all of his companions at the end of Russel T Davie's run on the show. Clearly, there's going to be at least one scene left, but it's nice to give him some down time and closure with characters. Even characters he, technically, shouldn't be able to have closure with.
This volume also has the best use of Chas, since Constantine gave him a bunch of money during one of the previous times he was convinced he was going to die.
I understand why some people didn't enjoy this, but I think if you're invested in the character, this is a solid volume. If you're reading this more for the demon and magic focused plots, this is unlikely to be one of your favorite parts of the run.
This is hardly the best of Ennis's run, but it feels very deliberate, kind of like when David Tennant, as the Tenthish Doctor says goodbye to all of his companions at the end of Russel T Davie's run on the show. Clearly, there's going to be at least one scene left, but it's nice to give him some down time and closure with characters. Even characters he, technically, shouldn't be able to have closure with.
This volume also has the best use of Chas, since Constantine gave him a bunch of money during one of the previous times he was convinced he was going to die.
I understand why some people didn't enjoy this, but I think if you're invested in the character, this is a solid volume. If you're reading this more for the demon and magic focused plots, this is unlikely to be one of your favorite parts of the run.
sisteray's review
3.0
The whole thing is disjointed. The American arc, while cool in concept doesn't really pay-off (and really Shade did the whole thing much better). Sadly, that is the most exciting thing that happens in the book. There is some fun character development but mostly it is just pub-crawling and drunken yammering.
crowyhead's review
4.0
I wasn't that into this installment the first time I read it, but having read the story arcs leading up to it, it makes a lot more sense and is more enjoyable. I would still only rate the larger story in this volume, "Damnations Flame," maybe a 3.5/5, but the shorter stories (particularly the one told from Chas's point of view) are completely excellent.
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