Review: Sandman Universe Presents: Hellblazer
Sandman Hellblazer Cover by Bilquis Evely & Mat Lopes Photo credit: DC
Written by Si Spurrier
Art by Marcio Takara
Colors by Cris Peter
Letters by Aditya Bidikar
Cover by Bilquis Evely & Mat Lopes
Alternate Cover by Declan Shalvey
Editor: Chris Conroy
Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell
John Constantine returns to his own series-and to form-in this reboot story titled “The Best Version of You”
Mild spoilers
“The Best Version of You”
The story starts out like a good Hellblazer story should-John is neck deep in it. He narrates exposition of what is going on, and it is not pretty. Typical Constantine problems; world ending, superheroes being the ones who will get the credit while John fights in the shadows, sacrificing what he holds dearest while the heroes are mostly unscathed(Poor Zatanna, though-she gets a rough, non fatal wound).
Everyone I love is Canon Now
In a full page panel that made me a kind of happy I haven’t been reading Hellblazer since before the godawful Epiphany Greaves was introduced, Keanu Reeves and Matt Ryan make an appearance of sorts, so they both are now canon!
Everyone is canon and it is epic af
Photo credit: DC
John Saves His Own Skin
Of course, John had a hand in creating the mess, and it started with good intentions. It ends with death, and John getting mortally wounded.
But there’s always a way out for John Constantine, isn’t there? No matter who he’s hurt, who dies because of him, there’s always a deal to be made with some demon lurking about.
As John lay dying, he finds it isn’t a demon that comes to his rescue, it’s…
Who-or what-saves John Constantine?
Photo credit: DC
While I won’t reveal who saves him, I don’t think it is a spoiler for me to say John gets saved.
Never Mind the Buzz Cut
John wakes up, having lost quite a bit of time. His head is shaved, and he is in a familiar place-Ravenscar. John needs to get out. Weighing his options, John takes the conman path, and gets free.
John, about to use his silver tongue as a get-out-of-Ravenscar-free card.
Photo credit: DC
What he finds waiting for him in London-and in the spiritual plane-ain’t pretty. John has a lot of puzzle piece shaped work cut out for him, but first…Silk Cuts and a trench coat.
John gets told off by a spirit.
Photo credit: DC
Thoughts
- This is John! Si Spurrier has written John the way he should be. A selfish ass who is into saving himself, but truly vulnerable underneath all his talk. A powerful man that incidentally saves the day because it saves his ass. I laughed out loud, got sentimental, and gasped at parts. This is it-This is Hellblazer, y’all.
- The art is incredible, and never forget that lettering is also an art. Everything flows, gives us a feel for John’s gritty world.
- Gin and Tonic!
- Loved the shout outs to famous Hellblazer panels and quotes peppered here and there.
- Love the way John pays for his Silk Cuts.
- I hate Epiphany Greaves. I know everyone knows this, so the fact that Kit Ryan is mentioned and Epiphany is not made my heart do happy tippy taps. Maybe Greaves is in the grander scheme, and I hope if she is it is tiny and insignificant. But Kit is here in the beginning, and important in this story, so I am happy.
- About that trench…is it his original? I am guessing/hoping yes.
Hellblazer kicks off November 27 with an all new ongoing series. John is back!
