3.5 starsEveryone's pretty much right. This isn't Vertigo's Constantine, so fans of Hellblazer will probably feel quite a pang of disappointment at DC's shinier version of the character.Not that John's shitting rainbows, but this title definitely captured his PG-13 side.I've really enjoyed him in Justice League Dark, so I was hoping (since this is volume 1) that this would give an origin story for him.No such luck.I haven't read a great deal about him outside of the DC universe, so I'm not reall...

I have to admit that I don't like the character of John Constantine. I do like the Justice League Dark series and he is in that. He is a great character to hate. I decided to give this book a try and so I did. I have to admit that I actually enjoyed this story, was entertained by it and John didn't get on my nerves quite as bad as he has. He's still a bastard, but the story is good.He's looking for a McGuffin, a magical compass and it is in 3 parts. He is seeking them out. Others are also lookin...

“Constantine” – right away you can tell DC have fiddled with the former Vertigo fan favourite by naming it after the atrocious Keanu Reeves picture from 2005. It used to be called John Constantine: Hellblazer and the name Hellblazer isn’t mentioned once in this comic. But it’s still recognisably the same character even though the character’s doomed soul isn’t mentioned as much in this reboot than it was before, and I’m not sure it’s once mentioned that he’s from Liverpool, just that he’s English...

There's been a lot of apprehension about the decision to move Constantine as a character from the realm of Vertigo into the DCU proper. Hellblazer, as a property, had been a solidly and proudly "mature" title, and was beloved in no small part for being so. Obviously, the move would mean that the cursing, sex, and violence of the original would have to be downplayed, or at least be less explicitly drawn on the page. I imagine that, if you dearly loved the original, it felt like quite a blow, like...

Bullet Review:Issues 1 - 3 were stereotypical and a little video game (go to this place, get this item, fight these bosses), but at least they were OK, if not noteworthy.Issue 4 was eh.It was Issue 5 that I just went, "WTF is this?!?!" It had Shazam and seemed to tie into a bigger DC storyline, and made NO SENSE. Issue 6 wasn't much better, dealing with the aftermath of the previous issue.If I were rating 1 -3 (maybe 4 if I were generous), it would be 3 stars. Issues 5 and 6 leave a bad taste in...

I already read 2 and 3 so this volume was out of order.I saw how things got started and I can't say I am impressed. I've seen more interesting versions of this character in a page long cameo in Swamp Thing in the 80s.I know the idea and I feel like I owe it to myself to try the Hellblazer series, but this isn't good.I don't feel any interest, no connection, just a dislikeable guy who does magic tricks.Jeff Lemire was a writer for this? Not so good, but it utterly lost the plot when Ray Fawkes to...

A couple repeats of issues I read in Trinity War collections... not bad, mostly reading for continuity. The CW Constantine really is the best of them all, "luvs".

John Constantine has been around for a long time (since 1985 in fact), and for most of his history (in the form of the 300 issues of the Hellblazer comics) he has been a part of the Vertigo series from DC. I read the story for about half that history before I gave up on it, and it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I picked up this new series with Constantine now a part of the new DC universe.So does it work? For the most part, yes it does though with notable reservations. Constantine...

I wasn't a dedicated reader to Hellblazer, but I did dip into it from time to time; however, I have been following Justice League Dark very closely, so I feel that I have had time to prepare for the newer, more sanitized version of John Constantine.As a horror comic, this collection just doesn't cut it.... I mean, I'm assuming this was meant to be horror because the whole Constantine brand has always been horror, but it's the new 52 so who knows what they're trying to accomplish. There are a cou...

I will try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, since I know some people out there are waiting for the graphic novel before reading. But, be warned, that may not happen.I’m going to start by saying this, because it needs to be said: for most of my comic-reading life, I’ve stayed away from the powerhouses of Marvel and DC. I didn’t care for the concept of reboots and multi-verses and why does the world need 4 different versions of Batman and the X-Men and what the hell is continuity,

This is the Hellblazer reboot, under the "new 52" revamp.First off, I love Constantine. If it weren't for him, there'd be no Harry Dresden and probably no urban fantasy. He paved the way for the damaged magicians in mega cities all over the world. But reading Hellblazer? It's hard. Such a product of its time (the 80s in all its big hair big shouldered glory) that it doesn't stand weathering well, at least for me.That left me quite eager to check out this trade, the first six issues collected. It...

First of all, the art by Renato Guedes is fantastic, and it's good to see the colorist, Marcelo Maiolo, get cover credit. They both give Constantine a consistent look and feel that set the tone of the book.The first arc of the book is rather lame, which surprised me because Jeff Lemire, one of my favorite writers, was co-writer, along with Ray Fawkes, who finished out the volume. We get some lame-o story about a compass that all these evil mages are trying to collect, and Constantine has knowled...

I just finished watching the complete first (and only) season of the NBC TV show “Constantine”, based on the long-running DC comic book series that started in the ‘80s. It was disappointing, to say the least.The fault does not lie with the casting, as Matt Ryan was superb as the chain-smoking, snarky British exorcist/paranormal expert/master of the occult. I honestly don’t know who to blame for the show’s failure, although I would agree with Ryan, who, in a recent interview, said that the show m...

With any graphic novel or comic collection, the first thing I notice is the artwork. I ask myself is it smart and stylish, perhaps something new is displayed in the envisioning of the layout as opposed to the standard panel format. Are the size and placing of the illustrated blocks pleasing to the eye and subtly drag that eye in the direction the writer intended the story to flow or do I find myself forcing my way through the dialogue bubbles, sometimes reading them out of their intended sequen

I thought this was pretty good. I guess I understand people not liking it going from Vertigo back to DC, but I personally haven't even gotten to the part when it switches over to Vertigo in the original series so it's really all the same to me. I'm still going to be reading the older stuff but I think I'm gonna go back and forth with the new as well. I mean ...he's still a complete bastard, there's still swearing and some gore. What are we missing? The horrible 80s art? The casual sexism? The ti...

I love early Hellblazer stuff. It's what would happen if Raymond Chandler and HP Lovecraft decided to write comics together.This new DC iteration of Constantine, though not bad, is not Hellblazer. John is harder to connect with, the plots feel a bit flimsier (Papa Midnite is still there though and his costume is crazy). There are aspects of it I like. But then, Constantine also becomes Shazam at one point.Mixing a strong Vertigo character in with the superheroes of DC may seem like a cool idea,

This new reboot of the excellent Hellblazer series falls short of greatness. Sure, it has it's memorable moments, and really cool villains, but it's not what I look for when reading a John Constantine tale. The darkness is gone, character depth is lacking, and London is no longer the setting. The deeper issues, such as environmentalism, political corruption, spirituality and even John's misanthropy, and cynicism is totally gone. Sadly, I won't continue to read this series, and will resort to the...

I read this because it features, in this initial volume, the writing of Jeff Lemire, because it is the sort of New 52 version of Hellblazer, because Alan Moore wrote him into Swamp Thing (I think Moore actually invented him?), because he is a small part of The Sandman that I liked, because he is this roguish kinda punkish eighties character, and because my brother in law lent it to me. I think it gets it basically right but is pretty boring compared to other versions.

This got me out of a pretty bad reading slump. I read it quickly because I had borrowed it from my cousin and I wanted to return it to him ASAP. I liked it. I guess it has the capability of opening people up to the idea of "magick" and "the occult", however, it accomplishes this in a rather fearful manner (which isn't necessarily bad, but yeah). I don't know what else to say at the moment.

Nice art, but weak on plot. Maybe they're just trying to get their footing in the larger DC universe, but I hope some depth is established. Also, not a big fan of how they Ziggy Stardusted out Papa Midnite.