Reviews

John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 2: The Best Version of You by Simon Spurrier

betogzz's review

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5.0

Lo mejor de Hellblazer en años, el clasico Constantine regresó y duro poco. Espero renueven esta serie con los mismos artistas.

kaumlaut's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

elturko64's review

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5.0

This is possibly the greatest John Constantine story since Garth Ennis's run in the 90s. Spurrier truly knows Constantine. The mixture of social commentary with horror, wit, guilt and fear is what makes the Hellblazer and Constantine so special. And Spurrier does this with ease. Such a shame that this series was cancelled.

billyjepma's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm glad Spurrier could wrap up the narrative he started before the series ended, but it almost makes its cancellation that much more tragic. This book has so much rich, nasty potential that it's just as hard to put down as it is to keep reading. And I mean that in the most complimentary ways because a John Constantine story should make you feel a bit dirty. Spurrier's scripts are charged with a sharp, underlying political commentary that never overshadows the magical, horrific settings he's working in but gives them additional teeth. Whenever I thought the story was about to take the easy way out, it swerved some other way and found a creative way to make my skin crawl. It's inspired stuff, and it sucks that we couldn't see Spurrier continue to flex those muscles. 

The series also thrives off of its artwork, which is so gleefully in line with the grime and scum of Spurrier's scripts that you can practically smell the pages as you read them. Campbell and Bergara's different art styles don't clash at all, so there's no dissonance between the arcs they draw. And, of course, Bellaire's coloring is as stellar as ever. So murky and moody that you can feel the smoke in the air, and the flashes of aggressive reds and oranges perfectly convey the violence they're often associated with. 

Some of the reveals in the final issue felt sudden, and they didn't have enough time to pull off the guttural reaction they were aiming for. Still, it's hard to blame the book when Spurrier's overarching narrative had the rug pulled out from beneath it. Even on those unfortunate terms, it's impressive how complete this story feels. I hope Spurrier gets to come back to Constantine someday.

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catburps's review

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

3.0

haddocks_eyes's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

emeliaisreading's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

nargleinafez's review

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5.0

This was so damn good I wish there were more. Excellent writing by Spurrier and great art by Campbell.

gamboge's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

elysareadsitall's review

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2.0

I liked the story in this one and the build-up, but I didn't like the art. It was clear until important scenes, and then I couldn't tell what was happening.