Hellblazer Volume 4: The Family Man by Jamie Delano

[It completely slipped my mind to review this volume collection last year so here we go]

Comprised of eleven issues, The Family Man has to be my most favorite volume of all the Hellblazer collections so far. The reason is because Delano's story arc concerning the serial killer who targets happy families and his cat-and-mouse game with John Constantine definitely remains as one of the most chilling and memorable things I have read in Hellblazer. I'm currently in Ennis' run, but nothing in Ennis' stories so far can compare as far as unsettling and disturbing goes. This story Delano crafted asked some hard questions about the moral repercussions and emotional decay that entails taking a life, and the writer had something philosophical albeit bleak to offer.

This isn't a perfect collection, however. Grant Morrison contributes two issues (#25-26) for this volume which was...not that great, and this is coming from someone who would defend a lot of Morrison's more complex and ambitious comics like Batman Incorporated which I think tends to be deeply misunderstood by Bat-fans themselves. Neil Gaiman also has a standalone issue (#27) which was as Gaimanesque as one could expect and I really, really hope he'd write for Hellblazer again down the pipeline. Another standalone issue includes the opening issue #23 which was a nonsensical yet delightfully quirky story about a man who has grown to love the fictional worlds he reads and collects that he was becoming less of a real person in his life.

Aside from that, we get a very intimate look concerning John's relationship with his father in issue #31. The poignancy of this issue will unmistakably move readers, that I can guarantee. For his form of bereavement, John makes amends with his father whom he shared a very tumultuous relationship with growing up. He hasn't seen the old man in years and it's quite sad that it was only through his demise that they were reunited. Once again indirectly responsible of the death of a loved one, I thought John would maintain his cowardly ways and just walk away from this. After all, that's the John we met when the series started--and we loathed him for it. But the beauty of being a human being is that we evolve constantly, and John has grown and changed in the course of the many  frightening experiences he faced where the true measure of his character has been tested and eventually refined.

I think The Mourning of the Magician is the perfect follow-up to the grim story arc that was the Family Man. In that story, we see John kill a man for the first time and it has left him questioning everything that was sacred to him, and everything he wanted to stand for. I don't think John ever considered himself a hero but I know he wants to be a good man who chooses the right things. Killing a man, though it was a bastard who deserves it and John did it out of self-preservation, was still a very significant moment because Constantine acknowledges that taking a life is no small potatoes. It will change you in a way you can never come back from. So understandably, I thought we'll get a darker John out of this, suffering from the burden of such an action. But no, Delano decided to provide us something bittersweet and uplifting here in this issue. But I think I'm getting ahead of myself now. The true star of this volume, of course, is the transcendent main story arc that started with issue #24 and continued on from issues #28-30.

For The Family Man, it feels more personal than it should, most probably because serial killings are intimate in some level, especially when crimes against humanity like this can threaten what we know about the safety of social constructs versus the savage inclinations of the human nature. It would be just awesome for Hellblazer to tackle this and with a character like John Constantine who lives and makes decisions left and right with shades of gray. Basically, a serial killer is on the loose and he massacres happy families. That's how the issue begins, showing us a family having a normal day and then shit got real fast. After that, we shift the narrative focus on out titular hero. John's friend from the previous issue, the shop keeper/procurer of rare and priceless things/fictional-character-trying-to-be-a-real-person named Jerry O'Flynn gets taken and so John decides to squat in his mansion for a while. It's worth mentioning that John has great respect for O'Flynn because, judging from their interactions from the previous issue, there is a certain fondness they share for each other. So he feels the need to probe his friend's life just to amuse himself--and ends up discovering a repugnant secret. As it turns out, his friend has been supplying information to this customer who turns out to be a serial killer. I felt John's horror and sickening feelings as the truth creeps its way in. 

Of all the story arcs featured in Delano's run of Hellblazer so far, I think the Family Man had the most solid conclusion and most probably because it stayed true to its core; a grounded psychological drama that explored our main character's ongoing struggle towards forces beyond comprehension, let alone his control, and his conflict with a monster in human form: a serial killer who had committed heinous crimes that spanned for decades which could be interpreted as merely a tragic result of the most common (and often underestimated) suffering of all: a childhood under neglectful and emotionally absent parents.

The old argument of nature vs. nurture definitely plays a vital role in the narrative for this last issue of the Family Man arc entitledFatality. Here we get the climactic confrontation between Constantine and Morris and it was every bit as thrilling, dangerous and heart-pounding as I thought it would be. The collision was both meaningful and absurd, an ill-fated meeting between two men who have been consumed and tortured by their own inner demons for a long time--but only one of them survives the encounter. Understandably, it's John because he is the titular hero of this series, but the victory is not sweet or worth relishing at all. It was yet another rude awakening for Constantine as he eventually embraces the futility of it all. It's been hinting towards that end, actually, since the very first issue of this arc, that John is going to have to murder Samuel Morris (I mean, just look at the goddamn issue cover so me stating this is not a spoiler) because it was the only scenario that could possibly play out where John will get away with his life. But John, in spite of his often reckless and arrogant ways that cost some of his friends' lives, is inherently a good man who cannot imagine taking another human being's life with his own hands. This display of vulnerability makes him more relatable, to be honest.

The resolution of the entire arc was proverbially devastating. As a story and speaking about it objectively, it was predictable yet it did not make the finale act any less powerful and thought-provoking at all. Under the right conditions, anyone can kill another human being. There is a strength to it so brutal and brittle all at once--to be able to make that haste decision that it's either you or that person who must live. It made me think about how I will act in a similar situation and whether I will choose to kill or be killed. In context of all the events that have happened in John's life as I follow him diligently in this series, I think this could be considered a game-changer but one that is on a more intimate level where the pressure will solely rest on John's psyche, and it could determine his succeeding actions in the next cases he will take on. 

I'm glad that Delano approached this sort of story with sensitivity and a deep understanding of the weight it carries. He could have easily wrote a story where killing people is something badass and casual that heroes do, as most action-oriented comics would portray. He didn't completely discard the social and moral impact of such an act, thankfully, which only further elevated the Family Man story arc in my eyes. I think this would be the highest compliment I could give him for his run of Hellblazer because it is the first time that I've read something of his work in this series that does not always have to be a grand spectacle like his Fear Machine arc. He should write more stories like this, and put John in compromising situations that will force his character to grow and evolve.

In a nutshell, the four-issued The Family Man arc is extraordinary and definitely my most favorite of Delano's stories, and this volume is a guaranteed collectible.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #33

"The game is dangerous if you are not"

The first thing I noticed and immediately enjoyed about this issue oddly entitled Sunday Is Different is that it made use of probably the most under-appreciated (or at least underused) form of point of perspective in fiction writing, and my personal favorite: the second-person. Delano once again demonstrated that he has a strong, inviting prose when he has a really good story to tell, which was only further accentuated because of how creepy he made use of the second-person POV in this issue.

The next thing I noticed is that the monologues are written with unmistakable shades of optimism and hope that could even pour out of the pages because of how much they were emphasized. Wait a fucking second--optimism and hope in a Hellblazer comic book? Should I double-check the cover and make sure I am reading the same series? Well, apparently I still am, and this puzzling dissonance has instantly made me suspicious as I continue to read on. I am just not used to John Constantine spouting out quotable uplifting proverbs as he waltzes down the streets, appreciating every beauty in sight. I was half-expecting him to burst into a song or something. 

Another thing that struck me is that while in the middle of a joyful conversation with some friend, John was about to light a cigarette and then stopped himself, realizing that he didn't need a nicotine fix for today. Check that sentence again because I myself cannot believe I just typed that. CHAIN-SMOKING REBEL JOHN CONSTANTINE REFUSED TO SMOKE ALL BECAUSE HE WAS IN A HAPPY MOOD. Something is definitely, definitely wrong, guys. 

Anyway, the conversation he had with said friend was about the change happening as the era nears the nineties. His friend described it as building a "sustainable future wih moral value" or what you call a 'global village'. Now as a child born in the nineties, these ideas are not that unusual because the world this guy is describing is exactly the world we are living in now. This issue was written around 1988, I believe, so such a radical way of thinking isn't really a far-fetched thing to do. And yet for some reason Delano still manages to write the paranoia that comes with every threat and turbulence of change. It's sort of a package deal, and that's just dandy.  John, who started out fully invigorated and in high spirits when this issue opened, suddenly fell into a depressed state like a switch had been turned on, and his feelings of dread and fear about things were amplified. Now this is a John I know and love but it was weird for me to see him go manic depressive like this. But I guess this is one of the many burdens of being an occultist. He senses the change in a more visceral level as if it's literally ripping him apart. Delano's second-person narrative excitingly captures all of this as it happens within and outside of John. The frightening part for me was when he began to lose the ability of coherent language. He kept walking around, trying so hard to communicate with anybody but all he can do is mutter gibberish and the people's responses are just the same. It felt like he unknowingly entered some capsule suspended in time, like a tourist in a Babel-like landscape and nobody knows him or cares to help him. 

This was a perplexing issue but quite ominuous in the most delightful sense. It left me in awe and a questioning mood like the same way I felt when I read issue #14 about the dream-sequence. I get the sense that this was a purposeful stand-alone story that has given us hints on what's to come for the new story arc which I am so, so, excited to read again, Dangerous Habits. I only have two weeks to go before I end the first wave of my comics diet for Hellblazer and I plan to make DH to be my final arc to accomplish before the month is over!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #32

This was a rather peculiar issue and it's one that reminded me of this recurring stress dream I had. Back in college, one sign that I'm reaching my limit was whenever I'd dream about walking down the street, suddenly turning to a secluded corner and finding a group of men who are hellbent on raping me. Yes, that's my stress dream. A bit TMI? 

But how is this an appropriate opening for my review of this issue entitled New Tricks? Well, another variation of that stress dream is that, instead of gang rape once I turn into a corner, I'd get chased by rabid, monstrous dogs instead. And this issue is about said creatures. So I was genuinely creeped out while reading this fucker.

Co-written by guest writer Doug Foreman, the entire story is a subversion of the long-held belief that a dog is a man's best friend...which means this is bound to get uncomfortable real fast for you dog lovers out there. In this issue, we see a dog whose body was occupied by a psychopath and who apparently acquired the taste for human flesh. Because he is now the top dog, he managed to get the rest of the stray dogs around the neighborhood to serve as his entourage. He also has a mentally-challenged young man as his servant who lures unsuspecting victims into the junkyard where he would feast on them. Everything about this story is as ridiculous as it sounds. However, it manages to be enjoyable because it is bloody disturbing to read about killer dogs eating people. 

That's anyone's nightmare fuel under the right conditions. As always, John Constantine meddled because that's just how our favorite anti-hero does things. We get some pretty slick action sequences where the monster dog tries to get John and John, using wits and charms alone, managed to elude capture. It was humorous and absurd but still a great fun, which I think was the point of this issue. 

There are a few socio-political commentaries again about how the country belongs to the dogs now. It's a literal manifestation of the 'dog-eat-dog world' proverb. It's also a testament to the savage nature of man; how animalistic bloodlust is a common instinct in any species. I think I like this issue because it wasn't pretentious or over-the-top vicious. Some gruesome images of canine fangs are shown which I thought was properly disgusting and scary to look at. John gets to be clever and entertaining which is sometimes a needed comic relief for all the darkness and macabre that this series usually indulges in. Just like issue #23, this was feels like a filler whose purpose is to entertain rather than tell a substantial story which is fine as long as it works well. And it does. I can appreciate it for that quality alone.

Nothing to more to add to this review. This was easily digestible but not memorable enough for a re-read. I do like reading John Constantine adapting to strange situations well and making the best of it, and  this issue is one good example of that.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #31

My passion for Hellblazer has gotten stronger since the satisfying conclusion of Delano's The Family Man which I maintain is the most impressive story arc he has written so far in his run. But it wasn't always a smooth, pleasant ride because there were some issues in between that confused or annoyed the shit out of me, and in those sorts of stories I still tried to be objective in my reviews even when I'm absolutely critical of the work itself. Now I have a self-imposed deadline to meet, and I only have to two more weeks until I cut short my Hellblazer comics diet and once again return to my Batman one. My target is to finish until the Dangerous Habits story arc (which I am looking forward to). In the meantime, I finished reading three stand-alone stories, and this is the first of that batch.

The Mourning of the Magician was a rather unexpected issue that dealt with John Constantine at his most personal, which of course has something to do with his estranged family (his sister Cheryl and niece Gemma), and his father who recently passed away, murdered by Samuel Morris, the serial killer known as the Family Man. Usually, Hellblazer has a way of making its titular hero disagreeable and often depressing, yet always comes out as a true anti-hero who manages to gain our sympathy because of his intriguing personality that never fails to make every situation he finds himself in relentlessly engrossing to read. 

This issue is something I would consider the most enlightening of what we have seen of John so far. In a way, the Family Man story arc had become the necessary catalyst for Constantine to reflect on his humble beginnings. It is said after all that one must know where he comes from before he could move forward. There is a heavy baggage we all carry, and John's share of the load has lightened once he began to deal with its contents more honestly. 

The poignancy of this issue will unmistakably move readers, that I can guarantee. For his form of bereavement, John makes amends with his father whom he shared a very tumultuous relationship with growing up. He hasn't seen the old man in years and it's quite sad that it was only through his demise that they were reunited. Once again indirectly responsible of the death of a loved one, I thought John would maintain his cowardly ways and just walk away from this. After all, that's the John we met when the series started--and we loathed him for it. But the beauty of being a human being is that we evolve constantly, and John has grown and changed in the course of the many  frightening experiences he faced where the true measure of his character has been tested and eventually refined.

I think The Mourning of the Magician is the perfect follow-up to the grim story arc that was the Family Man. In that story, we see John kill a man for the first time and it has left him questioning everything that was sacred to him, and everything he wanted to stand for. I don't think John ever considered himself a hero but I know he wants to be a good man who chooses the right things. Killing a man, though it was a bastard who deserves it and John did it out of self-preservation, was still a very significant moment because Constantine acknowledges that taking a life is no small potatoes. It will change you in a way you can never come back from. So understandably, I thought we'll get a darker John out of this, suffering from the burden of such an action. But no, Delano decided to provide us something bittersweet and uplifting here in this issue. I'm pleased to see Gemma Masters here because she also has the gift. Watching her struggle to make sense of her abilities is great character drama especially once John comes to the picture and tries to help her sort it all out. Basically, the ghost of Thomas Constantine, John's old man and Gemma's granddad, has been haunting her. 

The shocking revelation as to why is the powerful driving force for The Mourning of the Magician. John asked Thomas' ghost to follow him instead of Gemma and the two had a one-sided chat where John reminisces about the old days when they would clash. John then admits to horrible thing he committed against his father which is ultimately a misunderstood adolescent's mistake and one we can forgive in the context of everything that has happened. At first I didn't want to spoil it here in the review but decided that maybe I should. 

What the hell, here it is:

The reason why Thomas' ghost still lingered even after his body was cremated was because of a curse that John performed on him in his teens where he sacrificed a cat and bound his father's soul there to make him sick. When his father became gravely ill, John realized what an awful mistake he made so he decided to preserve the cat's carcass using formalin. This meant that Thomas' soul is still bound to the said animal which is why he couldn't be put to rest unless the cat itself perishes. John explained all of this to his father's ghost whom we cannot see and cannot know how he's reacting to this revelation (which I think hardly matters; it's open to a reader's interpretation. Personally, I want to believe Thomas immediately forgives him because he's not exactly blameless. He did drill into John that it was his fault that his mother died). Speaking of which, where did John bury that sacrificial cat to make sure it was safely hidden away? I'm glad you asked.

He buried it on his mother's grave which included this rather passive-aggressive and sickeningly humorous epitaph on the tombstone:

"...who died to bring us John". 

Seriously? That's how you want your child to be described as on his mother's epitaph? Man, Thomas sure was a jerk. So, as you can see, the resentment between father and son goes both ways. But by his point, I think it's only proper and cleansing to let bygones be bygones. John lights up the cat's carcass and hopefully sets his father's soul free as well. It was...moving. I teared up a bit. Great way to severe ties with your abusive and overbearing parent and still come out of it stronger than ever, in spite of such an overdue reconciliation.

This issue was utterly brilliant. Everything about it was just splendid! It certainly elevated John Constantine as a character because all those terrible experiences he had to endure suddenly became more meaningful now because at long last we see him evolve into the great man we have all wanted him to be and knew he could become.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #30

"Executioners are always volunteers. They do it because they want to."

Of all the story arcs featured in Delano's run of Hellblazer so far, I think the Family Man had the most solid conclusion and most probably because it stayed true to its core; a grounded psychological drama that explored our main character's ongoing struggle towards forces beyond comprehension, let alone his control, and his conflict with a monster in human form: a serial killer who had committed heinous crimes that spanned for decades which could be interpreted as merely a tragic result of the most common (and often underestimated) suffering of all: a childhood under neglectful and emotionally absent parents.

That's not to say that this is enough to excuse and exonerate Samuel Morris for the family massacres, for all the devastation he had inflicted towards unsuspecting fathers, mothers and children. It is fucking not, and Delano drives that point home by subtly contrasting him with John Constantine, who had the same type of upbringing in a sense (his father Thomas had believed that John is responsible for his mother's death all because she died during childbirth; we also get hints here and there that John chose to spend most of his childhood discovering the paranormal and occult just to get away from the loneliness of his youth), but he did not become a sadistic killer hellbent on committing atrocities against his fellowmen like Samuel Morris--though he easily could have been, and I think that's what this story arc wants to tackle. 

Human nature is an inexplicable thing that might only be defined by the choices we make, as much as the choices we can't make. And the Hellblazer series does a good portraying the significance and burden of an individual's agency, and the consequences he or she will reap depending on how they decide for themselves which also affect other people.

The old argument of nature vs. nurture definitely plays a vital role in the narrative for this last issue of the Family Man arc entitled Fatality. Here we get the climactic confrontation between Constantine and Morris and it was every bit as thrilling, dangerous and heart-pounding as I thought it would be. The collision was both meaningful and absurd, an ill-fated meeting between two men who have been consumed and tortured by their own inner demons for a long time--but only one of them survives the encounter. Understandably, it's John because he is the titular hero of this series, but the victory is not sweet or worth relishing at all. It was yet another rude awakening for Constantine as he eventually embraces the futility of it all. It's been hinting towards that end, actually, since the very first issue of this arc, that John is going to have to murder Samuel Morris (I mean, just look at the goddamn issue cover so me stating this is not a spoiler) because it was the only scenario that could possibly play out where John will get away with his life. But John, in spite of his often reckless and arrogant ways that cost some of his friends' lives, is inherently a good man who cannot imagine taking another human being's life with his own hands. This display of vulnerability makes him more relatable, to be honest.

But as I predicted earlier on, I've always known that John Constantine will pull the trigger out of self-preservation which he has plenty of. It had taken a toll on him, however, given the last pages where he bemoans how the world just manages to go on even after a man kills another man. It spells out the possibly microscopic impact of our actions in the grand scheme of the universe. Fractured and feeling as if he was marked like the biblical Cain, John Constantine quickly flees the scene of the crime, keenly aware that somewhere, someone must be judging him. I put down the issue and felt  a sense of strange completion after reading. As a story and speaking about it objectively, it was predictable yet it did not make the finale act any less powerful and thought-provoking at all. Under the right conditions, anyone can kill another human being. There is a strength to it so brutal and brittle all at once--to be able to make that haste decision that it's either you or that person who must live. It made me think about how I will act in a similar situation and whether I will choose to kill or be killed.

In context of all the events that have happened in John's life as I follow him diligently in this series, I think this could be considered a game-changer but one that is on a more intimate level where the pressure will solely rest on John's psyche, and it could determine his succeeding actions in the next cases he will take on. I'm glad that Delano approached this sort of story with sensitivity and a deep understanding of the weight it carries. He could have easily wrote a story where killing people is something badass and casual that heroes do, as most action-oriented comics would portray. He didn't completely discard the social and moral impact of such an act, thankfully, which only further elevated the Family Man story arc in my eyes. 

I think this would be the highest compliment I could give him for his run of Hellblazer because it is the first time that I've read something of his work in this series that does not always have to be a grand spectacle like his Fear Machine arc. He should write more stories like this, and put John in compromising situations that will force his character to grow and evolve.

In a nutshell, the four-issued The Family Man arc is extraordinary and definitely my most favorite of Delano's stories.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #29

I'm really happy that Delano was able to maintain the suspenseful pacing of The Family Man story arc with this third to the last issue entitled Sick At Heart. 

This was just bloody fantastic all throughout as it further escalates the cat-and-mouse game that John Constantine and Samuel Morris are caught up in. The stakes had gotten higher which was only expected when an occultist and a serial killer are trying to outsmart each other. It is worth mentioning, however, that John would like nothing more than to just get it over with, especially since Morris has just killed a loved one he hasn't seen in years, and that was a mighty blow that even I did not expect John to be so visibly affected by. I wanted to hold him myself because he looked so pitiful, cowering there in a corner as he started sobbing. All the more reason to fucking murder that Family Man bastard!

I'm also pleased to see Chas making a memorable appearance here and I appreciate the friendship between him and John a lot because there is a level of trust there that I think had been put to the test before, and only continue to grow stronger. I would also like to mention that Chas' wife has no love for John whatsoever and if she had it her way, John will no longer be a constant presence in Chas' life. 

But Chas is reluctant to let go of his old mate, not when he knows for a fact that John keeps meddling on affairs and gets himself into trouble that are beyond his capabilities. And he wants to help as much as he can, but it has proven dangerous in this issue because Morris is quite determined to destroy John, including the people closest to him.

This issue made me pause every now and then because it was a bit painful to see John suffering in a very intimate level. He never asked to be hunted by a maniac. It was only by accident that he encountered Samuel Morris in the first place. 

But ever resourceful and easy to adapt, John knows he just has to make due of his circumstances. He's still very shrewd and hasn't lost his wits. It's worth noting that, as much as he's used to demons and paranormal confrontations, John does admit that humans can be the worst monsters and that's the irony that encompasses his troubles right now. Skilled in fighting the unknown and supernatural, John is actually struggling to confront this malicious entity in human flesh known as the Family Man. He still hasn't made up his mind whether he should kill him or not, but also knows that the choice has to be made soon or else. A part of me knows he can pull the trigger because John is one hell of a self-preservationist based from what I've seen so far. But good for Delano for always humanizing John when the opportunity presents itself.

I gotta say that John is still coming out strong in spite his grief. He is not giving up. I also love the fact that he doesn't seem angry or vengeful either; I get the sense that he even pities Samuel Morris for being a bloodthirsty killer. Nevertheless, John can't see himself taking a life of another person which was strange when you think about his history (and how his often reckless decisions have cost the lives of his comrades). It's mind-boggling that he hesitates to kill a piece of shit who deserves it the most. But then again, it only makes John Constantine more compelling to read because you just never know what to expect from this bloke. He continues to defy expectations. And my love for him deepens for every single issue!

So this was yet another grand issue that I very much enjoyed reading because this dangerous game that our titular hero is playing is also able to provide a more nuanced and refreshing take on the character. Samuel Morris also makes my blood run cold. What a detestable creature! He doesn't deserve John's mercy at all! And I suppose that's why John has earned my respect (and bewilderment) with the way he keeps hesitating on executing this bastard once and for all.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #28

The Family Man story arc started in issue #24 but took a backseat to give us two issues written by Grant Morrison and one issue by Neil Gaiman (which were acceptable distractions). Now Delano is back to continue with this arc for the next three issues and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. 

My expectations were already set for The Family Man because issue #24 really took me by surprise of how well-paced and structured it was from the get-go. I'm also a sucker for serial-killer storylines and I've always thought that Hellblazer would be a perfect fit to tell such a tale of woe and gore. 

For the Family Man, Delano has merely taken the well-known formula of the genre and only enhanced the ingredients that made such stories appeal to the masses in the first place. Now after twenty-plus issues into Hellblazer, I also realized that the series truly shines and finds its edge when John Constantine is the center of the story (in fact, the reason why the Fear Machine story arc was uneven was because its titular hero was merely a set piece, a secondary element that had barely anything to do with a rather convoluted plot). I think that it's a good thing that Delano has turned the focus on John again because Constantine is so incredibly dimensional and he captivates the imagination as long as he's in the hands of a capable writer who understands him, and Delano has proven with the Family Man story arc that he does know John Constantine well, and what kind of material works best for the character.

The tonality and atmosphere set by this issue, Thicker than Blood, is a psychological drama-thriller where John and the serial killer Samuel Morris a.k.a the Family Man take turns being the hunter and the hunted. I would just like to state once and for all that I think this is why this story arc was so daring and engrossing; scenes and monologues are equally divided between these two characters as they get more and more involved in each other. Morris is relentless in his pursuit, convinced that John will be his downfall if he didn't find a way to exterminate him. Meanwhile, John has ignored his discovery of the Family Man's identity for three months, but has now come to terms that he has been allowing an evil man to commit heinous acts, which only makes him more responsible than he could ever imagine. 

While all of this is happening, we also get to know Samuel Morris better and the motivation behind his killing sprees that had spanned for decades. He is very interesting to read about even if I literally fear for John's life whenever he's in the pages, scheming away to take down our titular hero in the shadows.

There is a lot to enjoy about this issue. The pacing was just astounding because it kept me on the edge of my seat as I watch and cringe while Morris set his traps to get to John Constantine. For his part, John was still trying to get a sense of what he's up against and carefully sets his own traps, playing it smart as always. However, I also think John is underestimating what his foe is capable of and he could be in a great disadvantage unless he changes his game plan. In fact, Morris is at least three steps ahead and has killed someone significant in John's life. Ignorant of this development, John was forced to contemplate whether or not he has to kill the killer, which was something that admittedly shocked me because John has done some pretty murky things in the past--but then again he battles the supernatural and the human casualties in between are not by his own hand. Sure, John had been indirectly responsible of his friends' deaths but he had never tried to kill someone and it clearly shows in this issue how torn and apprehensive he is if it does get to that point.

I'm pleased that we get that kind of moral exploration for this story arc. After all, Delano never forgets to always write his stories about ghouls and monsters using a realistic backdrop, such as the society and politics of the era Hellblazer was written in, and a morally ambiguous character like John Constantine who is driven by actions that are not always heroic. Nevertheless, by the end of the day, he is a decent man who just takes a while to do the right things. I'm satisfied with the direction this story arc is going so far and there is hardly a dull moment while I was reading. The suspense just keeps building up, and I can't wait for the climax!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Hellblazer by Neil Gaiman issue #27

"For just a moment or two, the darkness doesn't seem so bad when we hold each other." 

I don't want to think about the two-parter Grant Morrison story from the previous issues because I cared little for them so I approached this Neil Gaiman story with already low expectations  because, just like Morrison, Gaiman is another favorite comics writer of mine. This interesting 25-paged issue entitled Hold Me didn't pull any strong punches or anything but it was bittersweet in the most surprising way possible. I liked it because of its simplicity. It was just a nice story that allowed us to see John in the most human way possible: vulnerable and compassionate; two qualities that I enjoy the most about our titular hero.

It started out as a creepy ghost story where a homeless man is haunting people, asking for them to hold him. And then within that same city, we get scenes of John hanging out at a party he'd rather not be a part of and then walking home a woman named Anthea, who was good friends with his late friend Ray (the elderly gay man whose death in the early issues really bummed me out). Anyway, things look like they could heat up especially since John took note than Anthea is interested in him. But then he remembered that Gary once mentioned Anthea and Sarah who turned out to be a lesbian couple. So basically, John was propositioned by a lesbian to put a baby in her because she and her partner decided they are ready to have a family. She then asked John if he was angry that she misled him and of course he is!

Amusingly enough, this would be the third time something similar has happened to him. First, there was Alec and Abby from Swamp Thing who asked to borrow his body so they can make love at last; then Zed and Marj who engaged him in a threesome mystic copulation so Zed can give birth to a large egg that saves the world from the Fear Machine. Not to mention John's disturbing dream about fathering a mutant two-headed seal. I mean, just wow. I just realized how fucked up most of John's relationships with women are, and people in general--most notably his relationship with himself.  Jesus. 

So it makes sense that he's very sensitive about this sort of stuff, and we got this winning line from the issue: "Do I have some kind of a sign on me back, 'walking sperm bank--withdrawals welcome'?"

I was reading this at work so I tried not to laugh aloud but this was comedy gold. I think I reacted to it the way I did because, as a queer woman myself (who weirdly enough WANTS SOME SEXY TIMES WITH JOHN AND WHY AM I CAPS-LOCKING THIS), I sort of feel bad for him because Constantine is the type of guy who owns up to his false bravado to protect himself that people often mistake it as sincere douchebag-ery. Nothing could be farther from the truth. John is actually more tolerant and sensitive of people's needs more than we give him credit for.  Also, I think it's fair to say that John has been objectified so many times at this point, reduced to a sexual purpose that it's starting to affect him psychologically (and it even manifested in his dream). I'm sort of guilty now too, because I desire John in a way that can only be described as amorous but that's only because he's a fictional character I relate to, and whose baggage and issues reflect my own which I know can be difficult to deal with.  Oh, John! Why are you so needlessly broken and complicated sometimes?  Anyway, I liked this issue because it was insightful of John's conflicted personality and I think Gaiman wrote him in kinder hues just as much as David McKean (an artist whose art I recognized from some of The Sandman issues) drew the landscapes and characters of this issue with dark, foreboding shades. I won't spoil you about what happens to that ghostly homeless man but I guarantee you that it's quite poignant and made me want to marry John and give him the children and family life he deserves.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #24

"It's only people with secrets who are interesting"

Where to begin...where to fucking begin on this one?

There are so many things I feel the need to compliment here: the overall appeal and pacing of the writing; Delano's command of language that I haven't seen him handle with such finesse since Go For It issue #3; John Constantine's unexpectedly admirable characterization; and the perfect pitch and tone that established the oncoming story arc. All of these elements have aligned quite excellently for The Family Man. As a reader who grew up reading detective fiction and enjoyed watching formulaic crime shows in my teens, I know a promising serial-killer story when I see one, and Hellblazer is about to serve me some. I can't contain my excitement, especially after I had to withstand the Fear Machine which was ten issues too much for a story arc that had a shaky premise from the get-go, and only gave us a fairly acceptable resolution towards the end. 

I will retain that I will never stop having high hopes for this comic book series, though, because it's such a compelling look at the paranormal while still making some satirical commentary about the society, politics and subculture phenomenons back in the era it was written in. It's always a great added bonus when the reading material can summon up the courage and honesty to explore such themes grounded on the real-world events happening around us. Hellblazer is truly one of those, and even though the eighties and the UK are not my generation or country, I certainly appreciate that Delano wishes to paint portraits of how it was like during those times, and how much influence and impact that era has on Hellblazer in general.

HERE BE SPOILERS. BUT IT'D BE WORTH IT. I MUST ANNOUNCE HERE THAT IF YOU AREN'T READING HELLBLAZER YET THEN THIS STORY ARC MIGHT BE THE BEST PLACE TO START.

"Safety is a relative concept. It needs risk to define it."

For The Family Man, this feels more personal than it should, most probably because serial killings are intimate in some level, especially when crimes against humanity like this can threaten what we know about the safety of social constructs versus the savage inclinations of the human nature. It would be just awesome for Hellblazer to tackle this and with a character like John Constantine who lives and makes decisions left and right with shades of gray. Basically, a serial killer is on the loose and he massacres happy families. That's how the issue begins, showing us a family having a normal day and then shit got real fast. After that, we shift the narrative focus on out titular hero. John's friend from the previous issue, the shop keeper/procurer of rare and priceless things/fictional-character-trying-to-be-a-real-person named Jerry O'Flynn (whose name I forgot to mention in my review of said issue, sorry) gets taken and so John decides to squat in his mansion for a while. 

I love how Delano builds up the tension and suspense of this issue with John having a perfectly normal afternoon himself, inspecting his friend's collection of antiques and whatnot, and then stumbling upon his safe box and uncovering a hefty amount of cash and some cocaine (because, reasons). And hey, of course John decides to keep the cash (and flush the coke when he thought the coppers were at the door). It turns out it was a customer who has some sort of strange arrangement/barter with O'Flynn regarding an envelope. John asserts that he couldn't resist so while the customer was at the loo, John checks out the contents of the envelope which contained some ordinary information like names and an address. As soon as that customer leaves (but not after he gives John a thermos containing his payment for O'Flynn's services), John starts to sift through O'Flynn's other personal items and ends up reading a ledger of his accounts, and even a diary.

It's worth mentioning that John has great respect for O'Flynn because, judging from their interactions from the previous issue, there is a certain fondness they share for each other. So he feels the need to probe his friend's life just to amuse himself--and ends up discovering a repugnant secret. As it turns out, his friend has been supplying information to this customer who turns out to be a serial killer. I felt John's horror and sickening feelings as the truth creeps its way in. But that's not even the most disgusting part of the ongoing transaction between O'Flynn (who's addicted to the trade of exchanging and selling goods) and the serial killer who is the Family Man (and whom John had even shared a pleasant chat with earlier HOLY FUCK!). 

It's the fact that O'Flynn started to require this Family Man to pay him with...souvenirs from his killings. On cue, John tries to open the thermos that was given to him earlier and as soon as he did, blood spilled in his hands which was symbolic, really, seeing as how he might be indirectly responsible now BECAUSE HE GAVE SAID SERIAL KILLER THE ENVELOPE CONTAINING THE INFORMATION OF HIS NEXT TARGET FAMILY.

Ashamed and furious, John Constantine quickly wipes the blood using the cash money he was about to steal earlier, takes a gulp of wine--and BURNS EVERYTHING DOWN in the mansion. This was a symbolic gesture too. It's him making a statement along the lines of "I am not going to take money from someone who has done these terrible things even if he was my friend." Thank fucking god he looked inside the envelope earlier! So now John Constantine, armed with a renewed sense of justice, goes to try whatever it takes to stop from yet another family from being murdered senselessly. Everything about this issue warrants a perfect rating. I have only given one so far in my readings of Hellblazer. And I'm glad to bequeath it this second time around.

[Also, and I don't mean to take the seriousness out of this issue, BUT HOW INSANELY HOT DOES CONSTANTINE LOOK WITH THAT YELLOW ORANGE POLO SHIRT? Anyone? Oh, just me then? Okay.]

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

Hellblazer by Jamie Delano issue #23

"Life is much more fun 

when you pretend that it's fiction."

I was relieved that right after The Fear Machine storyline thankfully wrapped up last issue, we got a break from all that macabre stuff and read something fun for once in Hellblazer and Larger than Life delivered exactly that. It was clever and light-hearted which, in hindsight, is a proper route to go when you need to prepare the readers for what comes next  (I'm referring, of course, to yet another dark storyline in the horizon that is coming after it).

In Larger than Life, John Constantine visits an old friend who turns out to be a very curious old man who has a penchant for making deals and procuring rare items. He's mean and grumpy but clearly has affections for John, and John definitely enjoys his company. They do verbally pick on each other quite a lot, and the old man is suspiciously enigmatic, but hey, that's just the kind of company Constantine keeps. 

At this point I'm no longer surprised of John's ability to bounce back, no matter the shitty scenarios he keeps getting entangled with. He has lost so much and so many people along the way and yet, as a lone creature, he has seen the pointlessness of looking back from the carnage, so all he can manage to do now is to look forward to things and there's something quite heroic about such a can-do attitude. 

This issue was just pure fun; nothing heavy or depressing like the usual lot of Hellblazer tales I've been served with lately--and I am so grateful, at least, that I was allowed to gather my bearings and get ready for yet another fucked-up story (again, I keep hinting about it because it's actually a pretty cool story unlike Fear Machine that I wasn't particularly invested in as a whole). Larger than Life is a lovely play at the concept of fictional characters and literary devices where John's friend turns out to be a character in stories who rebelled against his original form and started acting like a real person from outside the books. That's my understanding. It's an amusing plot twist, and seeing John doing something fun to help out a friend was refreshing.  That's not to say that this issue is devoid of gore because there are some scenes that are violent and grim but overall the humor is more pronounced and therefore Larger than Life manages to be a relaxing story than a vexing one. Even the ending was a punchline to a joke and it left me grinning after I finished it. But don't be deceived. Hellblazer is going to start mind-fucking again with us, especially now that we are facing yet another new story arc.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10