Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #9

It occurred to me that anyone who will read Hellblazer for the first time, most naturally by starting it chronologically, might find most of John Constantine's characterizations as reflected by his choices and actions to be rather distasteful and hard to swallow. Our titular 'hero' is not a shining example of the term itself and there are trying times that make us question any sympathy we may have been feeling for him while we read the first eight issues of the series. 

I'm just as torn even though I've known John first in his later adventures and loved him there instantly. Everything has been messy and distorted since the second issue and although we like John every now and then, he also proves to be difficult to root for, especially whenever we see him not only fail the people he cares about but also himself. Story of the man's life right there.

The cowardice and self-pity that John continues to show us can be wildly disheartening even to a loyal fan, but I believe that this is an integral part of his personality and characterization for the earlier issues; it's his flaws, doubts, fears and often questionable actions that help us not only to know him better as character but also to perhaps identify our shortcomings with his own. I certainly had which is why Hellblazer feels personal to me every time I read it. Just like John, we all experience a sense of foreboding in our lives when we simply lack the faith and courage to overcome the misfortunes before us. 

There is a point we get to where we hit rock bottom and become very convinced that we will never survive it. To demonstrate just how hopeless his situations are, this issue Shot to Hell takes us to Gotham City (a perfect place for much needed brooding and enlightenment) where John wanders around the filth-laden streets, drinks himself to near stupor as he fights with ghosts in a bar and was then thrown out of there, and is spooked by his own shadow (or conscience, if you like) taking unnatural physical forms as it chases him down. To make things truly cosmically yet depressingly comedic, it turns out that today is also John's birthday. Whoopee-doo?

What I love about this issue the most comes when John Constantine sits in a sofa in a dark, dank apartment while an ongoing demolition (complete with an illustration of  a large wrecking ball swinging around since the very first time John appears in the pages, something I took has symbolic meaning) can be seen in the corner. In a very Dickensian fashion, John gets another ghostly visit, but this time it was his former, younger self (or at least a version of his person who is confident and at the top of his game). I enjoyed how seemingly disgusted his alter ego was with the way he had been behaving since he messed up things in Newcastle. I love the contrast between these two personas as well, especially when I know that this self-assured version of John Constantine is just beneath the surface of pain and suffering that his present self is wallowing in. It has come out to bitch-slap him and get him back in shape. It just goes to show that there remains an empowered John Constantine in their somewhere, who does accept the ills and inconveniences of his career choice with a devil-may-care attitude and a ready middle-finger to the powers-may-be.

Finally, after that self-intervention, John travels back to the Resurrection Crusaders' lair to see Zed. It wasn't a rescue mission, however. John seems to know for a fact that the woman is beyond saving. Strangely enough, they started professing love to each other (which did come off random because it's only been a few days since they became entangled, and yet it was still heartbreakingly sincere, considering the circumstances) and then they had one last shag for old times' sake (which we later found out was exactly what John intended all along. He still has Negral's demon blood coursing through him and an intercourse with Zed would taint her, apparently). He leaves her after that, taking comfort in knowing that losing another woman like that will at least neutralize the war between demons and the religious fanatics for a while. John has learned to count small victories by now.

The last scene was humorous yet confusing. Swamp Thing appears by using John's box of smokes as a physical manifestation (which, of course, promptly pisses off John). Swamp Thing would have beaten him to bits but then John proposes his plan which he guaranteed would be something they'd both like. And then the issue ends mysteriously enough with a note that the story will continue in a Swamp Thing issue I'm not even sure I should pick up or not. It seemed like a supplement I could get away not reading so I'll proceed with the general review of the first volume of Hellblazer (issues #1-9) next.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #8

This issue of Hellblazer entitled Intensive Care continues the morbidity trend as the Resurrection Crusaders get more page time as they try to perform and accomplish a once-in-a-lifetime miracle on Zed (who was actually named Mary), and John Constantine continues to spiral downwards after he literally jumped off a train to avoid the ghosts of his past (as seen from the last issue). 

Things keep getting a shade darker every issue, it may seem. The thing about this issue is I felt like I was just going through the motions myself, most probably because the Resurrection Crusaders are a nameless entity of religious nuts I'm not being given a chance to care about. As for Zed, I still like her character so far but I'm beginning to feel disconnected with her because her characterization hasn't been growing lately. I'm also annoyed with her role in the story as a whole which feels a bit forced. There really is hardly anything else to say about that storyline because the most interesting aspect of Intensive Care has to be John's conversation with the demon Nergal who is the self-appointed leader of the Damnation Army (as explored in issue #6). So let's focus on that delightful exchange instead.

John once again re-defines my understanding of 'hot mess' and 'reluctant hero'. It was almost laughable (if it wasn't also downright sad) that he jumped off a train just to escape the haunting of his dead friends. We then get to experience his nightmare ourselves where he is electrocuted both as a form of punishment and treatment. Seriously, this man's life is a waking sort of hell already, and it would seem that he couldn't even find peace in his dreams. But at this point, given the events in Newcastle (which will be revealed in issue #11), I don't think he deserves serenity just yet. This unhappy circumstances reminded me of what was said in the second issue about guilt and that it's a human luxury. John is certainly burdened by the heaviest kind there is. Bloody and broken in more sense than one, he wakes up in a hospital to a timely visit from the demon Nergal who convinces John that joining the Damnation Army is going to be his wisest decision yet.

They sparred witty remarks for a while until Nergal gets serious and threatens to--and I kid you not--start eating babies if Constantine doesn't do whatever it takes to stop the Resurrection Crusaders from coming up with yet another immaculate conception via Zed's uterus. It's actually comically symbolic when you think about it. Nergal doesn't want another son of God to be born in earthly plane so he recruits John to put a stop to it under the threat of infant massacre. I shouldn't be chuckling about that dialogue exchange but I am. There is something inherently devious about Hellblazer's gallows humor that makes even the gravest situations slightly humorous if you distance enough yourself from it.

So the issue ends with Constantine agreeing to the settlement offered by said demon (because, fuck it, there are no other viable options in the present), but John also requires his own set of terms that Nergal must fulfill. Nergal then jumpstarts John from his broken physique (due to train-jumping earlier) by giving him some demon's blood which freakishly made John energetic enough to start running again. Despite being physically revitalized, John is still mentally and emotionally fatigued and it's going to take more than a cigarette to get his morals up--but hey, it's as good as a start as any.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #7

"Goddamn it all to hell. Why is it that, lately, everything I touch--turns into shit in my hands?"

Well now, this more like it. It's not exactly a pleasant story (in fact, it's an awful bloody mess that John once again has to cope from but then again, should I expect anything else from Hellblazer at this point?) but the delivery's overall tone was incredibly sublime with a few touches of coy humor in the middle and some unexpected poignancy near the end. 

Honestly speaking, the so-called maternal instinct in my 'biology' as an AFAB has made me very sympathetic to John, only because I had this sudden yet not completely surprising desire to take care of him like he's a stray in need of a new home and a hot meal or something. But I must acknowledge that he's not exactly the victim of his circumstances. We just get the sense that the bell has been tolling for this man's soul.

Everything since the first issue of the series all ties back to the mysterious events in Newcastle (which, as I stated when I began my Hellblazer comics diet, was the issue I read first which was the eleventh one so I think it's unavoidable for me to contextualize what I know about that storyline as I go about reviewing this issue entitled Ghost in the Machine). And what a wonderfully depressing issue it has been for me!

The decision to write the first few pages that features a symbolic nightmare sequence was a strong literary device, personally, especially when we consider the eventual destination that the story was gunning for. That entire sequence is the sum of all parts for Ghost in the Machine. No spoilers, of course, but it's very notable because of its quality of premonition. It was also a glimpse at Constantine's frame of mind at this point of the story where everything is slipping including his mask of detachment and self-contained sorrow. To uncover the intentions of the Resurrection Crusaders, John visits an old acquaintance, Ray Monde, whose expertise has something to do with infiltrating the cyberspace for paranormal purposes. It's...a tricky thing to explain here. You just have to read it for yourself to get the picture. But basically, he helps out John in finding out more about the base operations of said Resurrection Crusaders by immersing himself in a trance via computers. Constantine leaves him to this ritual, considering it's not his specialty so he really has nothing to contribute.

Meanwhile, Zed is staying with Ritchie Simpson, another friend of John who was introduced in the previous issues. He's an elderly gay man who was also John's very first friend when he moved to London. Zed sort of wondered about the nature of their relationship (it's worth mentioning that during the Hellblazer's run, Constantine had been written as bisexual though we see him having relationships with women more). Tragic stuff happens in this scene which almost made me stop reading because I couldn't believe that happened so quickly and with John nowhere to be found to help prevent it. But we need to move the plot forward so I guess it was inevitable.

Back to our hero: John comes back to Ray to see if there was any progress in the search; only to witness Ray completely losing control of the process that he ended up, well, giving way to spontaneous self-combustion right where John stands up helplessly, unable to salvage his friend's charcoaled-up body. Ray is oblivious to the fact that he no longer has a tangible form to return to, and there's no way in hell John is going to tell him. He opted to switch off the machines, entrapping Ray's consciousness within. John admits that it is a cowardly gesture but he just couldn't take any of his friends' demises being blamed on him once again. He had reached that quota as of now. "Why is it that, lately, everything I touch--turns into shit in my hands?" he naturally soliloquizes as he leaves the place and boards the train, supposedly to get back to Zed and Ritchie (and we all know that it's yet another bleeding wound John needs to clean up). On the ride home, he was haunted by Emma, Gary Lester and the rest of his dead friends. Not one to stand up for anything resembling dignity, John literally jumps out of the train to avoid the scolding from the ghosts of his past.

"My heart twitches like a bloody beast, crawled into the rank burrow of my chest to breathe its last. I feel like an old soldier, attending one by one, the funerals of my own war comrades."

Oh, John. You beautifully sordid man with issues caked in blood and grief. I'm not hot on your avoidance tactics right now but I still feel legitimately bad about the circumstances that are closing in on you. At this point, we're all interested to know what really happened in Newcastle that changed John in ways where there is no going back from it. Covered in thistles and weeds and in urgent need to bury his dead, John has to overcome his issues and to do it fast because there is a case at hand that requires his full attention. 

No pressure or anything, mate, but there are bigger battles to fight.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #6

It's really taking me a long time to read and review Hellblazer this week due to needless distractions. It also didn't help that the last issue was alienating and baffling for reasons that just disappointed me. This Extreme Prejudice issue, however, was right up the alley with what I'm used to when reading this comics but not exactly a stellar story that I ate up readily. 

There are great elements of gore and grim that I think effectively served the plot. We get to see another dimension of Hell which to me are aspects of this comics that I couldn't help but consider to be socio-political representations of the times Hellblazer was written in. There are strong religious overtones so far since issue #4 Waiting for the Man that are hard to miss by now, and this issue provided us not just with literal demonic entities but also zealots bent on oppressing and attacking the marginalized in society, and who are eager to impose their own self-righteous crusade. These are the true villains we face every day, and John Constantine is aware of this.

True to its title, this issue showcased subplots which bear that thematic resonance I just described. Delano's writing has painted England with bold brushstrokes composed of dark hues and hard-edged lines. It's a portrait you don't exactly enjoy looking at but also can't turn away from. I liked that even though the humor is scarce in this issue, we still get gems of it along the way, particularly when John Constantine monologues like he couldn't be bothered by the atrocities escalating around him. 

One would believe that our supposed hero is a callous, self-absorbed asshole who doesn't care about humanity in general but that's an erroneous interpretation of the character. Constantine requires deeper reflection than that. Personally, I believe what he has is manufactured apathy. I think he's been in the game long enough to understand that getting too emotionally involved with both the victims and villains of this macabre charade will only make him lose sight of the important things. Seemingly laidback and snarky, John wants everyone to believe he doesn't care enough when in reality he is putting himself in danger because he knows he is called upon for a mission, as reluctant and begrudging he may be in fulfilling such a burdensome role. There is a devotion in which he surrenders himself upon that role. I don't think he ever complained about it. I don't think he ever wanted to seriously quit. It's a suffocating lifestyle which is why it's always great to see John take breaks here and there just to take the edge off. 

Speaking of which, what gets him in a good mood is his relationship with Zed. The two are lovers by now though I think every relationship with a woman John gets caught up in is a matter of convenience and tragic circumstances. His rendezvous with Zed falls on the former category which is quite nice. A perfectly cathartic shag is fine every now and then, especially when the rest of John's world is unfolding into madness and chaos. This issue reveals that the stakes are higher than what he anticipated and that he is much of an inconvenience to the demons as they are to him. They want Constantine to join them, enticing him quite a pragmatic proposal ("Your interests are best served with the Army of the Damned"). There are also the enigmatic Damnation Army and Resurrection Crusaders. My theory is that the first one is a military infantry from hell and the second is a faction of quasi-religious zealots. And that there's going to be a war and John Constantine is going to have to choose sides or fuck them both. It's in everyone's best interest that he would opt for the latter.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #5

I was perturbed with what I just read. I still can't find the words since yesterday but I'm going to have to suck it up and start reviewing because I feel like I'm losing momentum here. As far as first impressions go, I thought this issue (When Johnny comes marching home) was interesting but otherwise quite exhausting and confusing to get through.  It's not even the premise itself that made it hard for me to wrap my head around it. I actually adore stories on the psychological effects of warfare on soldiers especially the distress that comes from the aftershocks of committing inhumane and violent actions that they justify as mere by-products of war. In that sense, this issue should have been a great read for me. In some parts, it was. But for some other parts, it just became irritatingly confounding.

I can't help but feel immensely disconnected from what I was reading. Delano's prose is top-notch descriptive and vivid as always but I can't bring myself to care about what happens to the characters, not even the soldiers with their PTSD whom I do feel sorry for. But again, it didn't seem enough because I wasn't sure what the direction or message of this issue were. I was grasping on straws the entire time. I knew what I was witnessing was tragic and it was unfolding in such a solemn way that I would have been more moved if I understood why it was happening. I supposed we will get some enlightenment on the later issues after this because I believe even Constantine himself is confused as fuck.

And this brings me to my next point. John Constantine didn't take any active role for this story and such inaction serves a bigger purpose, apparently. He was merely an observer like he's in some sort of wild-life documentary where he cannot interact or intervene which means that while all this gruesome things were happening around him, he made a decision not to interfere. The most extreme portrayal of which is when he watched a deranged husband rape his own wife. John hid in view and didn't make a sound. That was pretty cold no matter how understandable his motives were by not stopping it. 

It would have been agonizing for anyone in that situation but I think John was actually skilled in distancing himself from this sickening environment. I perfectly understood why he did it, though. I suppose he was gathering intel and he needed to see for himself the gravity and measure of what he is up against, these Resurrection Crusaders as they call themselves. I think I'll rate this the lowest from what I read so far because there was enjoyment or pleasure while reading. I also wasn't sure I also liked the way John was characterized here even if it was a logical direction.

RECOMMENDED (sort of): 6/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #4

First off, I liked the creepiness factor of this issue, but it wasn't that strong of a story for me unlike the last three before it. Nevertheless, what I did enjoy the most is that John Constantine becomes very personable in this one, most likely because we get to see him in different roles: as a brother, uncle, and a lover. To recap, we have already seen him as a man who makes hard decisions that would often cost him sacrificing people he cares about for a utilitarian purpose (#2) and as a man of impulses but with of discerning attitude when caught in a pinch (#3).

For this issue called Waiting for the Man, we see Constantine in a pub somewhere in London, I assume, having a good time playing pool with some chaps and his BFF Chas Chandler. There is a noticeable change in the way he inner monologues too, which gave readers the impression that Constantine is indeed very relaxed. And the guy does deserve some break, you know. In just a span of three issues, he sacrificed a friend to bind a demon, and he was almost eaten by a collective of them later on. I don't know about you, but I simply admire the fact that he can still get himself out of bed and be John Constantine. 

A few drinks and some good company can be quite enough for someone with his career choice, and Constantine is determined not to let the opportunity for fun pass because he can't possibly know when the next good times will come around again. 

In line with this newfound optimism, Constantine meets an enigmatic woman named Zed whom he spotted in an alleyway. He was easily taken with her and invited her for dinner. It was a very random meeting which is so Constantine, isn't it? There was just something inherently magnetic about Zed that he responded to and in the next pages he knew he was going to sleep with her. Why not? You deserve a good lay, John so go for it.

But as things are about to heat up between him and this alluring woman, he picked up a news story from her radio which talked about a missing ten-year-old girl named Gemma Masters. The kid turns out to be his own niece, the daughter of his sister Cheryl. He quickly went to Cheryl's place to aid and Zed tag along with him. It's worth noting that the issue jumps from Constantine's scenes to Gemma's own scenes as she is somewhat hypnotized by a group of girls who claimed to be wives of one man, and they promised her that she will become his bride as well. The eerie atmosphere of these events is very well-executed. I was really uncomfortable reading Gemma's monologues (especially whens she starts talking way out of her depth which led me to believe that she is being controlled or brainwashed telepathically). I guess that's all I'd like to talk about the plot. I sometimes do take time to discuss important plot points for Hellblazer issues so far but I think this one requires more of my insights on how John Constantine is characterized at this point of the story.

I like that we got to meet his family already because now we can understand that Constantine does have loved ones who are still alive, even though he and his sister Cheryl do seem to be estranged from each other. Could it be because of his way of living? Perhaps. It's notable that Cheryl seems like a woman of faith herself, but I don't really see Constantine a religious man in spite of his calling as an occultist. Perhaps this could be one of the things that has caused tension between them. However, I also get the sense that his niece Gemma might have something in common with him, particularly her affinity for the supernatural and occult. She also grew up a lonely kid, and that seemed to worsen when her parents started fixating on this religious, fundamentalist sect, and they had to move closer to the ministry which meant she had to leave her old life and friends behind. I felt like Constantine sympathizes with this and so hurries to rescue her. 

I don't think he even knew that there was something mystical about her abduction. I get the sense that John hasn't been around in his sister's life and her kid's and he's trying to make amends. I think I want to see more of his family in the later issues. It certainly makes me feel for his struggles more, knowing that he has blood relatives to depend on and who can depend on him; and what he could do about that or not do about it. He's not exactly a stay-around kind of guy, is he?

Now as for my thoughts on this new character, Zed: I know she's going to be a more significant character later on and I look forward to knowing more about her alongside John. He does seem intrigued by her presence because he could tell that she's keeping him at arm's length and for possibly valid reasons. Also, Constantine is a man with needs and it'll be great to see him shacking up with someone. That could get complicated, him being in a relationship while working cases. I mean, look at what happened to Emma (and when she got screwed over, they weren't even together anymore). I don't know why I sound like I'm giddy about any foreseeable tragedies in Constantine's life. 

If it was up to me, I wish he gets a happy life; but then we wouldn't have 300 issues of Hellblazer now, would we?

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #3

I was surprised this issue managed to make me chuckle several times. It was a breath of fresh air from the grimness and moral ambiguity of the first two issues. Both John Constantine's inner monologues and the dialogues among characters are sparkling with wit and snark. Everything felt lighthearted on the surface because of the black humor injected in the pages, but it starts to become disturbing once you started to think more about what you just read. And you should, trust me.

So far, I'm enjoying Jamie Delano as the writer for the series, mostly because I never know what to expect or to get from his Hellblazer stories. He also writes with great subtlety, never resorting to heavy-handed prose. I'm also tickled in a special way with his descriptions of the most mundane events in the pages. He also marked John Constantine's sense of humor with a dark tinge to it which I just ate up while reading his inner monologues.

The issue started entertainingly enough. We finally get introduced to demons who function as 'soul-brokers'. There's a network of them operating in London, handling contracts with mortals who sell their souls for wealth, fame and your garden-variety hedonism and/or narcissism. Anyone who's a Supernatural fan would recognize this formula (but given the 1988 publication date, Hellblazer came up with this beguiling concept first. It's safe to say that Eric Kripke, SPN creator, has read these comics as well and were inspired by them). 

John Constantine tracks down a couple of said demons and managed to infiltrate their club by sheer luck and accident. He barely got out of there alive since he was ill-prepared. But our hero casually brushes that reckless self-endangerment and proceeds to contact the head supervisor of the demonic lot. Things got even weirder and more hilarious later on. Constantine makes the simplest of mistakes that he's also able to remedy along the way which highlights how quick he is on his feet. He still possesses that laid-back begrudging attitude even when confronted with literally hellish situations; as if getting almost savaged and eaten by demons is more of an inconvenience he needs to deal with it as oppose to a real threat. The writing's sardonic and comical approach is to be commended. I enjoy sinister stories that have some humor into them. It makes the reading experience well-balanced. For that alone, this issue gets another 8 out 10 rating for me like the last two. I know that my rating has been consistently high so far but that's because the issues deserve it.

I don't want to spoil the story further by going into any more details but I can guarantee that the third issue entitled Go For It is pure, wicked fun. It has satirical commentary thrown in the mix and a definitely more relatable and down-to-earth version of Constantine yet that manages to find himself in the most absurd situations and yet responds to them like a champ. I truly believe it was important for Delano to contrast this issue from the last one (which was quite sad and depressing and has certainly made Constantine kind of a prick). It's great that Delano has already established dimensions to his titular this early in the game and doesn't make him come off too likable. This allows readers to get to know Constantine for themselves through the delightful conversations he has with himself and other people. Readers also understand his personality better because his actions truly do speak louder than his words could--and the result isn't always pleasant. I hate getting ahead of myself but Constantine can be such a polarizing figure in these stories that Hellblazer could have suffered with a dwindling number from the readership. However, the tonality of the stories we find him in was able to make him endearing in such a jaded sort of way.

Go For It is a great stand-alone story with a writing that doesn't hesitate to make fun of itself, as well as make readers think why they are laughing about certain things in the panels and/or dialogue. Of Delano's descriptive passages, a phrase that stuck with me was "fetus-skin sun drapes" because I remember chuckling quite gleefully at that...and it made me uncomfortable that I did. I'm excited to see what new directions the story is going in the next issues. I really appreciated the cohesiveness of the elements presented in the first three so far.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #2

Picking up from the events from the first issue, A Feast of Friends offered a lot more than a resolution for the paranormal case at hand. It also allowed readers to see John Constantine in a perspective that's not exactly flattering or uplifting but one that definitely challenges the norm for the titular hero we're supposed to root for.

To recap: a hunger demon by the name of Mnemoth invades New York, the city that never sleeps. It starts to feed on the corporal greed and desires of people as any supernatural parasite ought to. Mnemoth was recently in Sudan, Africa, plaguing malnourished children until a shaman entraps it, using a child as a host, and sells it to a slavery market. When Constantine confronts the shaman, he admits that his actions are regrettable, and helps Constantine find a way to get rid of Mnemoth once and for all. 

In the midst of all this, Constantine encounters Gary Lester who unknowingly exorcised Mnemoth from the child in the first place. Sadly, because Gary is recovering from a drug addiction, the hunger demon became drawn to this weakness and consumed him. Constantine also crossed paths with Papa Midnite, a notorious crime boss who supplies and indulges many of the city's sins and proclivities. Though at odds with each other, Constantine asked for Papa Midnite's help in binding Mnemoth.

I'm pleased that the hunger demon storyline ends here because there really is no point to stretch this plot further. As for the resolution, I thought it was the only appropriate ending possible. It was not a surprising twist, really. 

We knew that Constantine needs to entrap the demon again and save the rest of New York City from the infestation, and that he will succeed in doing so. However, what is striking about this issue as a whole is the way our lead character goes about it. There is a callousness and unpleasantness to John Constantine that would irritate us every once in a while. But it's not like he's a pompous ass about it either. No, his general temperament seems to be that of solemn resignation that manages to come off like what he's doing and what he's going through are inconveniences.

Now given that I read Hellblazer irregularly before (I started with the fifth volume of the series), I actually already have a strong opinion pertaining to Constantine as a character and that is that I love him to pieces because there's always something new he offers the more you get to know him under that snark and duplicitous charm. However, in the two issues so far, I'm not sure I like him but I still do understand him. His motivation is not exactly admirable at all times and it's probably because readers can feel the distaste on his part; that there is a begrudging sort of duty in the way he does things. Needless to say, the bottom line is that Constantine doesn't hesitate to make hard decisions and that is what makes him a compelling hero to read. He may have doubts. He may have reservations. But Constantine is always able to look at the big picture and decide for the greater good's sake, knowing inaction will only screw him quick so he better get ahead then. Having said that, the shocker for this issue is the fact that Constantine sacrifices his own friend Gary Lester to ensure the city's safety.

He did so by choosing Gary as the host he will entrap Mnemoth in. He justifies this by saying that Gary is already a lost cause (given his addiction) and that Mnemoth was drawn to him in the first place which meant that binding him back to Gary's body will be easier. Another crucial reason is that he simply does not have time to look for a viable host especially with the restricted time they have to perform the ritual. In all pragmatic sense, Gary is the perfect, if not the only, candidate. Of course, Gary does not volunteer himself wholeheartedly. Constantine had to coax him, using the friendship and trust between them to lure Gary into giving up control of his body.

We can look at it in two ways. A popular perspective is that Constantine is a sociopathic jerk for not at least attempting to save both his friend and the city. A noble hero would go down fighting for both causes and not make a choice which one should be prioritized over the other. The other perspective which is I think what made the writing for this issue so extraordinarily cut-dry and honest is that Constantine knows he doesn't have the luxury to hit two birds with one stone. It needs to be a choice between one life against a million others. He does not dwell on whether or not he's a bad or good person for letting one his best friends become bait for a demon. He just does it. One notable scene is when four of his friends who passed away (including his ex Emma) started appearing in his bedroom the night before the ritual just so they could haunt him, as if to discourage him from sacrificing Gary Lester. Constantine shuts them out.

Now I believe that both perspectives are justifiable. Constantine was kind of a dick for doing that to his friend, given that readers were also able to see that he had a history of losing his friends whether through his own actions or because he placed them in harm's way unintentionally. However, I would like to point out that Constantine did stay with Gary to the bitter end. He spent hours sitting outside Gary's jail cell, listening to him adjust to the pain of the demon inside him. Constantine could have easily called it a day after the ritual and go some place to clear his mind. But no, he chose to drink himself into stupor while listening to Gary's torturous screams for the rest of the night.

The issue ends with a sharp kind of poignancy. Once Gary's corpse mummified, Papa Midnite had his cell bricked up to make sure Mnemoth never escapes again. Constantine then walks out to the street and sees the rest of the ghosts from his past. He thinks that they were waiting for him but instead it was Gary's ghost that they were waving at to join them. They didn't even glance at Constantine as all of them went their merry way. Weirdly enough, Constantine is hurt by this. The anger from these dead loved ones was to be expected but their casual rejection apparently wasn't. Constantine brushes it off with an instant "Well, fuck it" attitude, but there's an unmistakable loneliness about that scene that emphasizes that as a man who has to make hard decisions, John Constantine had lost people he cares about along the way. When this issue ended, the readers will get the sense that this was the first time that Constantine felt like he was the one who was left alone to die.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #1

My Hellblazer reading has been inconsistent throughout the years. I have never read the stories chronologically, nor did I ever bother to for two reasons: (1) It's pretty hard to find earlier issues to buy or borrow and (2) I much preferred reading hard copies (I only own the fifth trade paperback volume of the series) even if I had managed to download all the complete 300 issues in my hard drive for almost two years now. Thankfully enough, I'm now in the right place in my life where I can consistently read comics--even if it's done in my laptop and especially then, because it saves me the inconvenience of carrying around only one book at a time when I'm at work. I can just go through several folders in my desktop and read everything to my heart's content.

In beginning my journey from the very start of Hellblazer, I would like to take this opportunity to briefly describe how I started reading him. I first came across John Constantine in The Sandman volume 1 back in 2007. I found out he was originally a character from Swamp Thing so I read the issue he was present in. This was in 2010 already. I realized the character appealed to me very much so I was pleased that he has his own title run. I knew a schoolmate who has Hellblazer issues that are incomplete and he let me borrow the Newcastle storyline. 

Unfortunately enough, we had a little dispute so I was no longer welcome to his other issues. I did get to buy Dangerous Habits, the fifth volume two years later, and read from there on but stopped in that volume since. Meanwhile, I had downloaded all 300 issues already but put off reading the rest because, well, there's Batman and Batman is always more important than everything else in the world. So, as you can see, I'm probably still fairly new to Hellblazer in the grand scheme of things, seeing as it's only this year for the next months of August to September that I finally decided to read the issues chronologically. However, just like with my Batman comics diet, I decided to create a blog where I will post my reviews for each individual issue just to make sure that I'll abide with my own self-imposed reading habits for Hellblazer. I'm pretty confident that I can deliver, seeing as I've always been a commitment-nerd when it comes to everything where I would vow to do something and always keep my word to accomplish it no matter what. Besides, I consider John Constantine to be a character I had a strong sense of relation to especially with the collected Dangerous Habits stories where I first came to love him and see myself in his flaws and struggles. 

I didn't mean to make the start of this review insanely long with that backstory but the truth is I really don't plan on discussing every bit of scene for this issue because I don't want to spoil you with the content too much. But I will say this: Hellblazer started as a slow burn, teeming with great potentials for the occult and paranormal. I'm personally an avid fan of the CW show Supernatural but I don't want to make it seem like I'm comparing Hellblazer to that show on the get-go because, though they have the same thematic resonance, the rhythm, delivery and characterizations differ in tonality and writing in many aspects. However, since I have read ahead in the comics (and I have watched all nine seasons of SPN), I will say that the one thing they have in common is that they get insanely better as their respective runs progress, most especially once the stories become more personal and multi-layered because it allows readers (and viewers) to emotionally invest on the heroes and the cases they solve mixed with the lives around them that are wasted or saved.

The first issue for Hellblazer entitled Hunger was a serviceable premise. Its formulaic flavor already establishes the kind of grime and macabre atmosphere that John Constantine will face from here on. Its narrative is set with John's first-person monologues which have done a great job introducing his personality and easy charm quickly and what his package of cynicism yet surprising heroism will entail for both the next stories and the readers who are now eager to learn and experience more of the strange world he treads. We are introduced to Chas Chandler, his long-time friend and cabbie, as well as Gary Lester (who had always made me feel uncomfortable) and Papa Midnite who will become one of the chief villains of the series' run. There was also a mention of Emma, John's girlfriend in Swamp Thing issue 37.

This is a good start. John hunts down a demon named Mnemoth whose victims are infected by a disease resembling that of insatiable hunger. In doing so, he had to travel to Africa to meet a shaman who knew how to entrap it. Basically, all the elements you might expect in a paranormal series are carefully knitted together in an exciting premise. The second issue will answer the questions readers may have and hopefully resolve the conflict. So far, John is still quite inaccessible. You get the sense that this man had his fair share of burdens that every once in a while would sap all his energies that he may not have sufficient time or the will to enjoy his life for all the compensations it can offer despite his line of work. Even then, there is still something captivating about his dreary vibes. You can tell that he's a man of action and decision, and you are compelled to believe he will find a way to get us out of trouble and clean up the mess.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10