Hellblazer 197 - 199
Stations of the Cross
Constantine has remained one of my favorite anti-heroes through the years and I'm here to say, up front, that this is a clearly biased review as I am a traditional comic fan-boy when it comes to this title. John Constantine is the consummate reluctant hero and his stories have remained a joy (and at times as the plot goes where few others fear to tread, a guilty pleasure). I've had Hellblazer on my comic pull list since issue #1, haven't missed a month and will remain with the title until the day DC closes up shop on the seemingly immortal "con-job", John Constantine.
Constantine hooked me back when he made his first appearance in Alan Moore's classic run of Swamp Thing. I loved the way he continually manipulated the bog-bound-badass and have enjoyed his unrepentant way of doing right through wrong since that first read.
By the time this review posts, Constantine and the title Hellblazer will have passed the 200th issue mark. Considering the fact that it has never been published bi-weekly, you can do the math and come up with an impressive number. Here you have a feat that is getting increasingly rare in today's industry. With the recent story-arc, Hellblazer will have survived (and at times thrived) over sixteen years without a major restart, a full character redesign or a series reboot. A title that can make that claim in today's comic world has to have something going for it.
Okay, enough about why I respect Hellblazer as a title. Let's move on to the review of issues 197 to 199...
Many come to the title as fans of the macabre, the twisted magic, the hellish otherworldly storylines or the gruesome detail the title offers up month after month. Some love the British style and creative flair. For me, I'm a fan of the long con. I like seeing the deception and the hustle in action and the writers of Hellblazer have remained masters of this art through the years. Some of my favorite Constantine stories have involved this element and Stations of the Cross holds true to the classic Constantine bait and switch style. It's a simple equation of taking the hero to the brink of breaking then identifying a creatively intelligent way to pulling him back from the edge of the abyss. For Constantine, this edge is traditionally the literal edge of the hell, but that just makes it all that much more fun and rewarding a read.
Stations of the Cross has all of the best elements of a classic Constantine story. It's honestly creepy watching the homeless be snatched off the streets to feed a cult created by an old (and extremely intriguing) Constantine nemesis. The story enjoys twists as things go from bad to worse for Constantine in short order (another tradition of the series). Quickly, your basic hell-bent cultist story shifts to a meeting of the lords of hell as the protagonist invites the demonic hordes to bid for the right of torture John Constantine. Given Constantine's work against hell's schemes over the last 199 issues, there are no shortage of takers in the bidding war. In an interesting twist, it becomes a contest of who can one-upping the other in how they will torture Constantine after he's given over to them.
This story has the classic "gone to hell for our hero" moment when the First Among the Fallen arrives to end the bidding early. It's an impressive moment in an already enjoyable story. The art of Marcelo Frusin only adds to the enjoyment here. In one moment, as quick as one sly shift of a comic panel, John Constantine (who has been wandering the streets of London without his full memory for some time) returns to glory by turning the tables on his foe and tricking the First of the Fallen in one shining moment. It's the kind of fun turn we've come to expect from this series. Here it delivers.
This Stations of the Cross story is a great introduction point for a potential new Hellblazer reader. Writer Mike Carey weaves a great tale that takes advantage Constantine's memory loss to show the reader some of Constantine's past foes in a fresh light. A new reader gets to learn some of the history as Constantine relearns it. It's a great approach to writing the title and inviting expansion of the reader base. Be warned though, if you jump on here, issue 200 will leave you scratching your head as only the long time reader will get some of the characters reintroduced and the story's overall impact. That said, I invite you to join the ride, pick up an issue of Hellblazer and pray with me that the movie isn't as bad as it might be.
I, like many, raise a glass of Guinness to con-job, wish him a happy 200th and look forward to the next 16 years should we be fortunate enough to see them come our way.
Scale of 1 to 10 ... Stations of the Cross: 8
January 16, 2005
