The second and final collection of the Sandman Universe's Hellblazer is exactly what you want it to be, and everything you wish it wasn't.As John travels all over London on the tail of his mysterious doppleganger, the truth behind him comes to light in some horrific ways. While the early part of the volume is mostly one and done or short two part stories, they all have a throughline that ties them together, not to mention Si Spurrier's trademark sarcasm and biting wit that flows out of John's mo...

Great series by Spurrier. This one is filled with ideas made flesh and nothing is sacred. From sex with mermaids, forced teens and giants to unicorns ripping their moms a new one. Buckle up, its a black label for sure.

And that is how you bring this all to a close. One more side story before a string of issues to wrap things up. This run was my first Constantine title read. I'll need to be in the right mood for more of his stories, but I'm fully on board to take in more of the history of John Constantine, Hellblazer.

Outstanding, brutal, unflinchingly politically and emotionally charged.

Simon Spurrier truly gets John Constantine, and so this is the first great Hellblazer we've had since the conclusion of the Vertigo series ... so it's a damned shame this one only got 12 issues, not 300.Nonetheless, we get terrific one-offs that truly evoke horror, supported by horrific art (in the best possible way). The mermaid story is deeply evocative, while the stories about Prince Andrew and the Brexiters reflect the cracks in modern British society just as well as Ennis did when he reveal...

Really the only worthwhile comic to come from this whole re-ordered Sandman universe, and a book that does the Hellblazer name justice. Spurrier was born to write this character and the artwork throughout is consistently strong. So what does DC do? They cancel it...

The second half of this run is even stronger than the first, with Spurrier capturing the feel of vintage Hellblazer in a story about mythical creatures being brought to life. Helped by a grungy art style in mostly dark tones (there are multiple artists, and some are better than others, but all complement the tone) the story weaves in social commentary amidst the horror and sordid encounters. While the original run back in the '80s made jabs at Thatcher's Britain, here we have Brexit, royal scand...

Having read not a lot of the pre-New 52 Hellblazer, upon reading the relaunched series, written by Simon Spurrier and illustrated by Aaron Campbell, this feels like a return-to-form for the beloved creation that is the Liverpudlian street magician, John Constantine. Set in the present-day 2019, where he feels like a fish-out-of-water, Constantine roams the streets of London, where he confronts supernatural horrors that seem to be rooted from different facets of hate, a narrative that continues i...

This too-short run was always suffused with fury at the hatred and puffed-up pride fuelling Brexit, but the first two issues here pick an especially telling representative for that – a fisherman, part of that tiny heritage industry so often discussed as beneficiaries ahead of times, and the first to be thoroughly and visibly screwed once our bold new dawn of liberty arrived. But rather than just point and think the job's done like some modern Pat Mills slop, Spurrier has the artistry (and viciou...

My only previous experience with John Constantine has been through Sandman and the Books of Magic. I hadn’t realised until now that he is such a loser, but that is what makes this volume so enjoyable. There are so many words JC uses in the book that I would love to use to describe him. They are the sorts of words that are frowned upon in polite society and completely absent in children’s books. This is a well developed story with many an entertaining moment.

That conclusion...! It opens everything up and DC go and fucking cancel the series. Jesus. Such potential. This has been the best ongoing I've read in years, and I hate that it ended. Incredible stuff.

I enjoyed this, just not quite as much as the first one. Maybe it's being a year into the pandemic but it seems like horrific things imagined in horror stories just aren't as bad as reality. It was social commentary in the all the right ways, the horrible Brexit and racism and nationalism on the rise. But it all felt a little unreal and not as personal or emotional as the first volume. Still very good though and the artists do a wonderful job with it. I wish this series could have lasted much, m...

A darker volume than the first (which wasn’t all sunshine either) as Spurrier’s run approaches its premature conclusion. I loved the ideas for the particular mini-arcs (the one with the unicorn and a certain member of the royal family might be my favourite) as well as the way they were weaved together in the end. The whole run was an inventive exploration of English mytho- and psychology, and the ending offered a powerful meditation on pride and what underlies it.

A premature conclusion to a fantastic story. Continuing on their stride, Spurrier, Campbell and Bergara offer more of that Hellblazer goodness. Mermaids as an allegory for overfishing, mutant unicorns in a tale of royal perversion, a literal hate demon taking the lead in radical politics... It never let's down. Well except for the fact that it ends kind of abruptly, and what was supposed to be the big series climax is crammed into a two parter, where big reveals in the first part, fuel bigger re...

I’m glad to see the back half of this prematurely cancelled series still manages to pay off what the first arc setup for a much longer run. The fact that it’s so good makes the oblivious Warner corporate shuffling that led to its demise that much more tragic and frustrating, but thank god what got published is so great.Spurrier has been one of my favorite comic writers in recent years, and these issues make an argument for putting him at the very top. He writes weird and fantastical stories that...

The cancellation of Spurrier's Hellblazer - the best comic John Constantine had starred in since issue 215 of the original run - was nothing short of criminal, but it's a testament to the man's talent that this second and final volume doesn't feel rushed or cramped at all. Following on from Marks of Woe , Constantine and his allies - including a demon trapped in his smartphone and a two-fisted Glaswegian bouncer - have found themselves entangled in a rising tide of British jingoism, xenophobi...

I have a thing for anti-heroes and magic. So it should be no wonder that I'm a fan of John Constantine. A majority of the time, he's doing the wrong things for the right reasons, and somehow, it usually works out in the end.This trade paperback, at first, seems like little vignettes of John solving problems that only John can solve. Rescuing a mermaid, trying to explain to the royal stables why a unicorn is really a bad idea, dealing with a group literally worshipping the giant under London... B...

This was a great series, but it never quite reached its potential and the story was disjointed at times. The one-offs were good, but just didn't wrap around the main plot like I was hoping. All things considered, Simon Spurrier wraps up the story surprisingly well considering it suddenly got canceled when it was meant to be a long-running series. DC Comics disappoints everyone once again with its poor management...

This was depressingly interesting, morbid but cool. I'm definitely mad that there's no more to read.

Would've given it a 5 star if the last two issues hadn't been so rushed. From what I understand, the premature cancellation of the series is the cause, so Spurrier & team have my sympathy. They certainly earned it. Even Bergara whose art in the first volume was completely out of place, did not feel like such a jarring choice this time around, although Campbell's work is vastly superior. Spurrier seems to be much more adept at the 1/2 issue arcs than telling a long, overarching story... or maybe