Hellblazer by Garth Ennis issue #46

PART SIX

 

"I'm John Constantine after all. 

I'm stupid in style."

This was a great epilogue to Garth Ennis' Dangerous Habits story arc. It's calld Falling Into Hell which is not exactly a happy title, is it?

John has survived his battle with lung cancer by forcing the hand of three devils, by being clever and strategic, to cure his ailment. Quite an amazing accomplishment for Constantine indeed. Nevertheless, I'm glad that John has acknowledged in this issue that what he did to save himself was dishonourable in a sense that he was willing to use his soul as a catalyst for the unholy trinity of Hell to wage a war among each other in order to decide which one can claim him. One would think that duping the devil and getting a second chance at life would call for celebration--but this is John we're talking about so it was to be expected that he'll be depressed about all of this.

Two important things happened in this closing issue. First is the appearance of Kit, the long-time girlfriend of the late Brendan Finn, John's friend whom we met in A Drop of the Hard Stuff previously. She hasn't been a part of Brendan's life since he pushed her away once his liver condition worsened. Based from the conversation John and Brendan had about her in said issue, she was a beguiling Irish beauty who understood and accepted the kind of working relationship her boyfriend then had with someone like John. She seemed to be open to their alternative lifestyles of the mystic and the occult which is why John remembered her very fondly. When they encountered each other again after so many years, John was so pleased to see her and they started reminiscing of the old times. It was nice for me to see John in good terms with an old friend, considering his questionable and grim history with a lot of them.

In fact, this issue's thematic message was the significance of such friendships for a man like John Constantine. The second important thing that happened here has something to do with the elderly cancer patient Matt whom John bonded with over the course of the Dangerous Habits story arc. John's concern for Matt was touching albeit self-deprecating. Once again, John feels like he had a hand on Matt's demise which is...foolish but then he justifies it to himself by saying that his own second chance at life was only earned because he cheated whilst his own friend whom he barely new but deeply cared for had to meet such a cruel end because of a terminal disease--and John should have just accepted that kind of ending for his own miserable life, instead of playing games with the devil to prove to the world that he's a clever bastard. God, at this point I'm just damn exhausted of John bitching about his bullshit choices--but I never had the kind of tough life he had so I tried to be more sympathetic than I already am--John is really pushing me, though.

Luckily, Kit was there to pick up the pieces though John cautions her into welcoming some pathetic bloke like him into her life. Kit asserts that she can handle it and holds him under the rain for a while as he grieves the loss of yet another friend. I loved that final panel of just the two of them there. John badly needs stability and Kit struck me as a strong person with a lot of compassion. I'm very interested to get to know her some more. I believe that, somewhere down the road, there might be a romantic possibility between the two of them that could form--and I wouldn't mind as long as it's written with more impact unlike the last two ambiguous relationships John had with women (Zed and Marj). 

I can tell that since they have known each other for almost a decade before through their connections with Brendan, then John and Kit's relationship could develop easily from there if Ennis does intend to make it romantic. I just want John to stop feeling sorry for himself and to be loved by a worthy woman. That's all.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Garth Ennis issue #45

PART FIVE

THIS IS STRAIGHT-UP THE FUNNIEST SHIT I HAVE EVER READ IN Hellblazer, which is saying much because the last time this bloody series made me crack up was during issue #3, Go For It so it has been a fucking while. And would you believe it, just like with the third issue, this one centered around John Constantine's complicated relationship with the demon kind--but this time around, he interacted with the three big bosses: Satan, Beelzebub and Azazel. Appropriately entitled The Sting, this was an issue that amused me to no end. 

There were genuine laughs in between while reading this. I was so shocked that Ennis employed a comedic appeal to this story, considering his Dangerous Habits arc was as grim as it gets (though his prose writing is far more straightforward than Delano; their distinct styles are comparable only because I believe they are both in tune of the kind of stories they tell). I'm quite relieved that Ennis decided to make this ridiculously entertaining as possible. Also, just when I thought I couldn't fall more insanely in love with John Constantine, I FALL EVEN UNDENIABLY HARDER. Srsly, fuck Hellblazer and the giddy fangirl feelings it inspires as well as its uncanny ability to smash my heart into smithereens! Fuck this series!

*beat* I LOVE THIS FUCKING SERIES

Why is this so funny, you ask? Well, John Constantine is dying of lung cancer (sad), he says goodbye to his sister and best friend (sadder) and loses another friend but not after he did him a huge favor by saving his soul from the devil's clutches (saddest shit ever but quite touching and uplifting). 

So...so far, everything is serious (that's why this issue was so refreshing to get to). So while our titular hero is figuring out a way to escape his fate that's he's never going to willingly accept is inevitable, John encounters the pompous archangel Gabriel and had a few choice words with him, gets chummy with a cancer patient waiting for his own death, and dupes Satan into drinking holy water. And yes, the last statement is as funny as it sounds but Satan is understandably NOT goddamn pleased. When we ended the previous issue, John Constantine just slit his wrists and waits for his plan to take place. He was literally bleeding to death while Satan gleefully watches, hoping to snatch John's soul once he perishes in the mortal plane.

But hold on a bloody minute, two other devils (Beelzebub and Azazel) wanted John's soul as well and they have legally binding contracts (as it turns out, John just sold his soul to both of them). Satan's claim is that of insult because John costed him a soul (his friend's Brendan) and got him to unknowingly drink holy water like an idiot. His hurt pride is what motivates him to punish John and make him suffer in Hell while the other two know that John is a prized possession. Basically, it's a riot because both three can claim him but will not give up their own claim. John, though miserably bleeding on the floor, is enjoying the show. He knows that demons will always be selfish and these three have the largest egos of the bunch.

The dialogue is smart and hilarious all throughout especially the arguments among the three baddies and the occasional snarky and unhelpful remarks from John (who isn't bleeding quicker enough so he slits his wrists again just to mock the devils so they can hurry up and make a decision already). In the end, the three knew that none of them will concede and eventually God Himself will get involved and John's soul will ultimately belong to neither of them. Stupid John Constantine and his fool-proof plans! With a begrudging reluctance, the three devils decided that the only way to avoid an all-out war occurring in Hell (they would literally wage a war to get this man's soul, for crying out loud!) is to KEEP JOHN CONSTANTINE ALIVE. That way, no one gets to claim his soul and everything will be just dandy.

The only victor of this resolution is John himself. Not only does he get to live but Satan also guarantees to CURE HIS CANCER. But, Satan asserts, he will make it AS PAINFUL AS FUCKING POSSIBLE. So he LITERALLY SHOVES HIS HANDS INSIDE JOHN AND STARTS SCOOPING THE BLACK TAR OF HIS LUNGS. And then HE BURNS JOHN'S BODY HORRIBLY and replaces it with a new one. And the first thing John does after his resurrection? HE LIGHTS A FAG. Right in front of Satan and the two devils who had just cured him of the cancer that would have killed him. Way to rub it in their faces, you beautiful jerk! Satan then tells John that by the time he does die, he will inflict all kinds of pain and torture on his damned soul--but John brushes him off, saying that Satan HAS TO KEEP HIM ALIVE FROM NOW ON or the entire conflict of contracts will start again among the three and there's going to be an unholy war. Again, John is really rubbing it in. Not only did he manage to get a second chance at life, he is possibly never allowed to die due to security purposes, AND HE GETS TO PLAY THE DEVIL FOR A FOOL!

And yet John Constantine still thinks the spoils of his victory aren't enough. Before he leaves the seething imbeciles to contemplate how badly they screwed up, John smiles at them and gives them the middle finger.  BECAUSE WHY NOT YOU BASTARDS I'M JOHN "FUCK YOU" CONSTANTINE! One last issue to go before I end Dangerous Habits!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Hellblazer by Garth Ennis issue #44

PART FOUR

When I started my review for Garth Ennis' Dangerous Habits story arc, I asserted that John Constantine is undergoing the stages of grief while waiting his impending death due to lung cancer. In The Beginning of the End issue #41, we see him in his Denial stage where he felt as if life owed him a more meaningful death than cancer, considering that he thought that he had lived a special life. In A Drop of the Hard Stuff issue #42, he started spending time with a friend he hasn't seen in years and lashes out when the Devil came to claim his friend's soul. He did display Anger in this issue but only to the extent that it was the only emotion he has that doesn't make him powerless so he embraces it. In Friends in High Places issue #43, John tries to get out of his looming mortality through Bargaining, setting up meetings with a minor demon and an archangel who both refused to do anything about his situation. Now we come to the Depression stage of the story and yet, to be quite honest, the transition towards Acceptance is quick by the middle of the story because this is also the issue where John dares to do the unthinkable which is also his last resort.

"Can you see me now, all you friends I've lost and betrayed? Do you wish me well, then, or are you praying I'll be with you soon? Will you relish every scream when my blood starts hitting the floor, or will you turn away, afraid to look, the moment you've been waiting for too awful to look at, even for my sins? Sit back and enjoy the show."

I love this issue because it reminded me of the John Constantine I was introduced to when the series began. I've described John once as a man of action even if his decisions usually have detrimental results to the lives of his friends. Though I was impressed of his resourcefulness and ability to adapt into any given situation, I also resented him because he was selfish in such a way that he's using people around him without even owning up to the deception. The weirdest thing about this narcissistic display is that he always feels remorse and guilt afterwards which makes me as a reader wonder why he would commit such a vile act in the first place if he's going to start feeling bad about it anyway. And that's the thin line that separates John Constantine from the real assholes who see humanity as expendable--and why we relate to his struggles in a way that keeps Hellblazer interesting and emotionally moving at times.

At his core, John is a decent and compassionate man who has learned to guard his heart by employing a carefully-crafted cynical approach in all the things in his life--including he people he claims to love. He does selfish things and regrets them later which is what every flawed human being does on a daily basis, and in the expanse of the series he has learned and evolved from such mistakes, and I was happy to join him along that journey.

That shrewdness and self-reliance that defined John Constantine from the start became all the more admirable now because, by this point, he also carried with him all the changes that have made him a better person from the kind of man he used to be when we read him in the first issue. In My Way issue #44, we see John saying his goodbyes with the people who mean the most to him and, more often than not, they were also the people whom he treated either kindly or dismissively. There was his sister Cheryl, his best friend Chas and even his new friend Matt (the cancer patient he made an instant connection with during this story arc). Though John has a plan in place, the odds of him surviving the ordeal are still slim so he decided that it's only necessary to make peace with this people because it's a closure that they all need. I almost teared up with that letter he left Chas (which was made all the more poignant because of the last lines where John stated that at least he and Chas parted in good ways--which is not what happened before he gave Chas that letter. They had a small argument right before John walked out of his cab and Chas realized too late that it was the last conversation they had until he read that letter). John's goodbye to Cheryl felt long overdue. He was never a big part of her life and her daughter's. They were estranged for a while, but it was cathartic because it was also his way of assuring Cheryl that both of them are ultimately forgiven for all the things and actions that were left unsaid and undone.

The issue ends with a thrilling cliffhanger. John Constantine, at the end of his straw, does the impossible and it was only by the next issue that it became clear to the readers what exactly he just committed. It was a rather good one too.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Garth Ennis issue #43

Gabriel: For all your bluster and your arrogance, you are doomed because hell has laid claim to your soul. And it is to hell that you shall go.

Constantine: Yeah? Well, maybe I'm not the only one...I hope your dad doesn't know the sort of people you hang out with. I don't think he'd approve.

PART THREE

John makes the worst enemies. Last issue, all he wanted to do was to save his friend from eternal damnation so he ended up playing Satan for a fool in the most demeaning way possible (seriously, it was straight-up HILARIOUS too!) and now the King of Hell has placed a bull's eye on his back. But hey, there's a silver lining; it's yet another incentive not to die from a terminal illness, right? With John's track record of bad deeds outweighing his good, his soul is bound to be sent to Hell which would suck ass because John's not exactly a popular guy among demons in a good way, if you know what I'm saying. So what is our titular, wretched hero to do in this situation? I've made remarks once that Constantine is a self-preservationist type and he always has tricks up his sleeves. I guess this is why I don't feel disheartened as he goes through the motions. The sheer capacity of his will to fight another day has never failed me before and I am not about to give up on Johnny meself.

I'm still reading this series for a good reason--and it's because John Constantine is ME to a certain extent and in the most unpleasant way possible that he has made me examine the choices I made in my life. And I'd like to think I became a better person once I was brave enough to overcome my bullshit baggage--so call me an optimist but I want to see John survive all of this as if it's some sort of affirmation that what I've been through also mattered in the long run.

ANYWAY. We're at the Bargaining stage of the story. First, John meets up with a female woman named Ellie whom he seems chummy with. He gets quick updates about the situation in Hell where Satan definitely wants to make him his bitch. Ellie, unfortunately, cannot aid him in his quest for a cure but she suggests that John should see the "Snob" and the immediate furious reaction from John was outstanding! I have never seen him so worked up! 

By this point, I was rather curious to know who this Snob person is. It turns out he's one of the archangels, Gabriel. In the few adaptations of this angel, he's always been portrayed as a douchebag and Hellblazer presented him as some prejudiced aristocrat who belongs in a very high-esteemed society, and he couldn't be bothered with us average folks. John was forced to meet him and they had a rather...delightful conversation.

Gabriel, true to his moniker, does not have any compassion to spare and refuses flat-out to help John from his quandary. They had a heated argument but it was mostly John calling him out of his arrogance and narrow-mindedness. Really, Constantine? First the Devil and now an archangel? But I was on John's side all the way because Gabriel is a dismissive arsehole who considers himself above humanity--and isn't pride the first sin and what got Lucifer banished from Heaven in the first place? So better be careful, Gabs.

My favorite moment in this issue has to be when John visited his new acquaintance, Matt, the ageing cancer patient he met in #41. The friendship was easy because there were no false pretenses. I like that John has at least someone to talk to and it's someone who gets exactly what's he's going through. At this point, John still has plenty of drive to live and Matt shared a story that I think only encouraged him to find a solution fast. The issue ends in a rather unexpected cliffhanger. John was left to contemplate his next course of action but that plan wasn't revealed just yet. But, based from his visceral reaction after coming up with it, I get the impression that it's definitely the last resort, something borne of madness that just might work.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Garth Ennis issue #42

"I'm pissed and happy and I'm with my mate. Thank bloody Christ!"

PART TWO

I enjoyed this issue for so many reasons. Entitled A Drop of the Hard Stuff, I was expecting that we'll be reading the Anger aspect of John Constantine's continued downward spiral along the stages dealing with his eventual demise because of terminal lung cancer (of all things). We get hints of that, sure, but overall I felt that this was a rather uplifting issue which is saying much because Hellblazer is one depressing broody fest after another (not that I'm complaining. I'm a masochist that way). I think what helped this issue is the appearance of one of John's long-time friends, Brendan Finn who was instantly endearing because of the way he and John just got along so organically even after so many years of non-conversation and other undisclosed baggage.

"Hold on a sec," you'd say, "History has indicated time and time again what a shitty friend John Constantine is. After all, he got a lot of his so-called friends killed. What makes this expendable friendship any different?"

Now that's a valid query yet judging Brendan Finn as an expendable friend is highly inaccurate. There is a recognizable bond between these two men that was unlike any other, considering almost every friend from John's past that we have encountered in the previous issues has some resentment kept buried within that often comes out at an opportune moment. This was not the case with Brendan Finn. He seems to genuinely adore John and so welcomes him back into his life without a second thought. I have never met Finn before until this issue but Ennis has established that he has an affinity with John that's mostly founded on the fact that they both practice 'sorcery'--and perhaps it's also because they're self-indulgent bastards with parallel vices; John's a chain smoker who can offend a chimney, and Brendan's a drunkard. 

On the superficial surface, these things are inconsequential reasons to stay friends with someone but I think that's what makes their relationship work. There is unspoken compassion in an instant, an understanding that they're both so fucked-up that it should be no surprise they get on well. Friendships often come rarely for people of their trade and lifestyle choice.

It was made all the more poignant when John finally reveals the purpose of his visit: he wanted Brendan to cure his cancer. Brendan, as it turns out, wanted the same thing from John. He himself has problems with his liver. It's pretty hilarious if you distance yourself from the story; these irresponsible, reckless men facing the price of their hedonistic lives is a trope for situational comedy. And it is funny, they both admit that, and so both decided to spend the rest of the night getting drunk, singing songs and having a blast.

The sadness would creep in, sure, but at this point neither the readers or these characters care to acknowledge it. What matters is that for tonight, they don't have to face their fears alone, as long as they have each other.

By this time, readers might think, "Strewth, here we go again! Another one of John's buddies having a tragic end," and they'd be wrong--in a way. For the first time in forty-plus issues, John Constantine dared himself to do something he never had the courage to do before. When Satan visits to take away Brendan's soul because a bargain has been struck between them a long time ago, John displays one final act of cunning and dupes Satan which made him incapacitated long enough for the agreed contract not to be acted upon. That meant that Brendan Finn's soul was no longer bound to Hell. John didn't make a big deal of this small victory which was endearing for me because it goes to show that it wasn't anything premeditated or done to impress the readers--it was truly a selfless act in the heat of the moment. John was just relieved that he was able to give Brendan a piece of compensation in his demise; sparing him from eternal damnation should do the trick. That panel shot of him looking at Brendan's face as he passed away serenely was so touching. In the context of all the dead friends who blamed him for their suffering, this was a redemptive moment for John; and he couldn't even take the time to appreciate it because there are more pressing matters.

Invigorated from that final meeting with a dear friend (and equally dreadful because he also managed to piss Satan off AND THERE IS NO WAY HE COULD DIE AND GO TO HELL NOW), John sets out his sights to the bargaining stage of his death...

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Hellblazer by Garth Ennis issue #41

"I'm the one who steps from the shadows, all trenchcoat and cigarette and arrogance, ready to deal with the madness. Oh, I've got it all sewn up. I can save you. If it takes the last drop of your blood, I'll drive your demons away. 

I'll kick them in the bollocks and spit on them when they're down, and then I'll be gone back into the darkness, leaving only a nod and a wink and a wisecrack. I walk my path alone... who would want to walk with me?"

PART ONE

Reading John Constantine has been an emotional rollercoaster where one always has the power to walk away from the inevitable crash that's coming--and yet, for some reason, one also feels compelled to stay for the ride and hope there is something that can be salvaged. My connection to this character has gotten stronger each issue that it feels as if I've known and loved him in a previous life and I merely forgot about it. And then I'm constantly reminded why I was better off forgetting in the first place every time I turn a page in an issue.

It's the most exhausting and schizophrenic relationship I ever had with a fictional character; on one hand I know that I should hate him but on the other hand I just keep finding a way to forgive him anyway. Fuck. This.

MOVING ON. This issue marks the first part of the official Dangerous Habits story arc and it's called The Beginning of the End which is exactly what it says on the tin. This is one of those landmark storylines that even that Keannu Reeves movie adaptation added as a subplot. What was that, you ask, in case you never bothered to see the film or just forgot about it because the entire film was shite anyway?

Nothing much. Dangerous Habits just happens to reveal that JOHN CONSTANTINE IS DYING OF LUNG CANCER, WHAT THE FUCK?! The tragi-comic irony about this twist was not lost to our titular hero. It's the first thing he complained about right-off-the-bat. He really thought his death would at least be just as special as the life he lived. Heh. I'd feel the same way if I was living his life. Actually, he and I do share this unique sense of self-entitlement that often makes us believe we are destined for something...not boring.

What a tedious way to die, is what John thinks. Cancer!?

Written by Garth Ennis, the issue starts and ends with a less verbose prose than his predecessor's. No metaphors and literary symbolism scattered. The narrative is much more straightforward and I like it. I didn't mind Delano's poetic sentence construction. That element had made a lot of his stories vibrant and hard to put down. But Ennis' style is cleaner, proficient and yet still very distinct in voice and delivery. The plot of this issue serves to illuminate the readers what is the current conflict John has to face this time and that would be his impending mortality. Understandably surly, John Constantine contemplates the last month's events which included his reunion with his dead twin (the most fantastic story Delano has written after The Family Man story arc, personally), which I thought provided him a much needed spiritual closure. But things have not become easier for John at all; this is Hellblazer after all and Constantine is the king of complications.

After finding out that he's dying due to an ailment that doesn't fit a master of the dark arts (sodding cancer, can you imagine? I guess he shouldn't have smoked--thirty bloody sticks a day? WHAT?), John is quite possibly going through the stages of grief for his inevitable demise, and he's at the Denial and Isolation stage. Halfway through the issue, we see him trying to make sense of his situation, visiting clinics and acquainting himself with chemotherapy patients, all the while refusing to accept that this is how it's all going to end. It's...sad. And yet, as a fully-pledged Constantine fan, I myself know he will find a way out of this (well, the series also lasted until 300 issues so it's obvious that he wouldn't die in this story arc). But I try to be in the moment as much as I could and it's really not that hard because Ennis was great in capturing John's tumultuous psyche at the moment, perfectly spelling out how alone John truly is which is why he even befriended a sick, dying old man with the same affliction as has. He's taking whatever comfort he can get and for the first time I did get the sense that he might be too tired to come up with new tricks to outsmart his own fate.

Helplessness is John's enemy now. Nevertheless I know he can turn it around. A large part of him will never stop believing in him. Call me a sucker, but John is, ultimately, my hero.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10