#IReadsYou Review: JOHN CONSTANTINE Hellblazer #1

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER #1
DC COMICS/DC Black Label – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Simon “Si” Spurrier
ART: Aaron Campbell
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Aditya Bidikar
EDITOR: Chris Conroy
CURATOR: Neil Gaiman
COVER: John Paul Leon
VARIANT COVER: Charlie Adlard
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2020)

“Ages 17+”

John Constantine created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben and Jamie Delano & John Ridgway

“A Green and Pleasant Land, Part One”

John Constantine is a DC Comics character, an anti-hero, magus, con man, troubleshooter, and occult detective.  He was originally created by writer Alan Moore and artists Steve Bissette and John Totleben as a supporting character in the horror comic book series, The Saga of the Swamp Thing (1982), first appearing in issue #37 (cover dated: June 1985).  John Constantine starred in his own comic book series, Hellblazer, which ran for a quarter-century, beginning with Hellblazer #1 (cover date: January 1988) and ending with Hellblazer #300 (cover date: April 2013).  In Hellblazer (the first of  four series), the character was further defined and refined by writer Jamie Delano and artist John Ridgway.

John Constantine: Hellblazer is the fifth and newest John Constantine comic book series.  It is written by Simon Spurrier; drawn by Aaron Campbell; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by Aditya Bidikar.  John Constantine: Hellblazer and its one-shot prologue (of sorts), The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer, brings John Constantine back to the mature-readers, supernatural setting in which the character existed for the first three decades.

John Constantine: Hellblazer #1 (“A Green and Pleasant Land, Part One”) finds John Constantine back in London, after being abroad for quite some time.  Constantine is a bit perturbed to discover that London has changed enough that his jokes offend everyone.  The young people speak a language and a slang that the now-old-man Constantine does not.  And the young women don't drop their panties as soon as John starts working his charm.

However, there is someone who really wants Constantine.  K-Mag, also known as “the Haruspex,” is the kingpin of a local drug gang, “the Ri-Boys.”  K-Mag dabbles in magic, but he is apparently not strong enough to stop a supernatural force that tears apart any Ri-Boys trying to sell drugs in a local public park.  That's where John is supposed to help...

I thought that The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer was, except in a few places, a disappointing and mediocre comic book.  Thus, I only bought John Constantine: Hellblazer #1 because I usually buy the first issue of a Constantine comic book, but I did not expect much from it.  Surprise, surprise:  I am glad that I tried this new first issue.

In John Constantine: Hellblazer #1, Simon Spurrier's story recalls the classic, gritty, noir-ish, dark fantasy vibe of the original Hellblazer comic book.  It is as if Spurrier is doing his best Jamie Delano  impersonation.  This first issue is by no means perfect.  I am a little perplexed about the characters and the plot of “A Green and Pleasant Land,  Part One,” but I still am intrigued.

Artist Aaron Campbell is also doing his best John Ridgway impersonation in recalling the alluring, occult vibe of Ridgway's early art on the original Hellblazer.  Campbell's storytelling is gritty, scratchy, and looks like cinematography in post-World War II, American urban crime films.  Jordie Bellaire's coloring brings out the danger and the dangerous atmosphere in this story.  Letterer Aditya Bidikar changes the fonts in ways that convey the dark mode and darker moods of this tale.

So I intend to read more John Constantine: Hellblazer.  I have hopes – hopes that this new series can pick up where the original Hellblazer left off in 2013.

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE DREAMING #1

THE DREAMING No. 1 (2018)
DC COMICS – @DCComics @vertigo_comics

[This review is posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Simon “Si” Spurrier
ART: Bilquis Evely
COLORS: Mat Lopes
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Molly Mahan
CURATOR: Neil Gaiman
COVER: Jae Lee with June Chung
VARIANT COVER: Yanick Paquette with Nathan Fairbairn
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2018)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

The Sandman created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth

“The Kingdom”

The Dreaming is a fictional place or realm appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.  It first appeared in The Sandman #1, (cover dated:  January 1989) and was created by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth.  The Dreaming is the domain or kingdom of Dream (Morpheus and later, Daniel) of the Endless.

The Dreaming was the setting for a monthly comic series, The Dreaming, that ran for 60 issues (cover dated:  June 1996 to May 2001), published under DC Comics' Vertigo imprint.  Vertigo is rebooting that comic book as part of a new line of comic books, The Sandman Universe, based on the work of writer, Neil Gaiman, who is also the curator of this line.  The Dreaming (2018) is written by Simon “Si” Spurrier; drawn by Bilquis Evely; colored by Mat Lopes; and lettered by Simon Bowland.  The series is set in a realm that must survive in the aftermath of the disappearance of its domain lord.

The Dreaming #1 (“The Kingdom”) finds Lucien the dream Librarian holding forth with his master, Dream's helm.  Where is Dream, he asks?  Dream has apparently abandoned his realm, and the result is that The Dreaming is a kingdom in chaos.  This place where stories are born now finds its walls slashed and bleeding.  Now, Lucien and the strange residents of The Dreaming must protect its broken borders alone.  The most worrying occurrences, however, are that Dora, a recent resident, is finding opportunity in this madness, stealing dreams for the highest bidder, and in Dream's gallery, something new has started growing...

I think the art for The Dreaming #1, illustrations by Bilquis Evely and colors by Mat Lopes, is gorgeous, especially story page #10.  Letterer Simon Bowland's cascade of delightful fonts are eye candy.  I have no use for Si Spurrier's story and script.  It is 22 pages of meanderings and repetition of story elements already established.

I have a standard I apply to the work and storytelling of comic book writers.  Would an editor accept this work from a unknown writer who was pitching a comic book to that editor?  Or in the case of an established property belonging to that editor's employer (the publisher), would this script for an established writer be considered acceptable work if it were from an unknown writer who was trying to land a gig?  In the case of The Dreaming #1, the veteran scribe, Si Spurrier, got a pass from his editor that an non-established writer would not get.

Well, although I have enjoyed other comic books written by Spurrier, I won't give a pass to The Dreaming #1, if it means paying $3.99 for the mediocrity of future issues.  I hope for better.

4 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: NUMBERCRUNCHER #1

NUMBERCRUNCHER #1 (OF 4)
TITAN COMICS – @ComicsTitan

WRITER: Si Spurrier
ART: P.J. Holden
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S., £3.99 U.K. (August 2013)

Numbercruncher is a new four-issue comic book miniseries from writer Si Spurrier (X-Men: Legacy) and artist P.J. Holden (The 86ers).  Venerable United Kingdom publishing concern, Titan Publishing Group, Ltd., now has a comic book division, called Titan Comics.  Numbercruncher is one of several titles Titan Comics is launching this summer.

Numbercruncher #1 introduces Bastard Zane, Operative #494.  In what amounts to a strange afterlife of numbers, data, and accounting, Zane is a bailiff for the Karmic Accountancy, where he pushes paper and occasionally deals with souls that break the rules of the afterlife.  The big boss of the afterlife is the Divine Calculator, an elderly white man who maintains the “soulpool,” in which “souls are counted, processed, and – sometimes – questioned.”

Richard Thyne is a brilliant young mathematician who dies young and enters the afterlife.  However, Richard wants more time with Jessica Reed, the woman he loves.  He makes a deal with the Divine Calculator and Bastard Zane to be reincarnated in his lover’s lifetime, but there is a twist/complication.

Honestly, regarding it concepts, I am not especially interested in Numbercruncher.  What does make the book worth reading is Spurrier and Holden’s execution of the progression of the narrative.  Numbercruncher has a wicked sense of humor, and the creators are mean-spirited and/or cruel towards their characters.  However, they do it with humor and with the best of intentions – for their readers, if not necessarily for their characters.  That is what interests me – the humor and the interaction between the characters – and not necessarily this series’ concept of an afterlife.

This early in the series, I’ll say that Numbercruncher looks to show its funny streak.  Just how imaginative it is will be seen over the course of the series.

B+

www.titan-comics.com
www.facebook.com/comicstitan

Albert Avilla Reviews: X-Men Legacy #1

X-Men Legacy #1
Marvel Comics

Reviewed by Albert Avilla

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Pencils: Tan Eng
Inks: Craig Yeung

“Prodigal” (Spoilers!)
The story begins in the mind of David Haller, where he has set up a prison system to control his alternate personalities. Apparently, the system had been working until one of the inmates, Ksenia Panov, notices a weakness. David returns to the real world, where he is working with Merzah the Mystic to deal with his insanity. David seems to be doing well, even healing others from their mental illnesses. He has a moment when he loses his concentration and Panov attacks at this time. David gets his control back and Panov is put back in her brain cell.

At that moment in the real world, David deals with a group of restless natives; by the time he’s finished, they want to worship him. Then all heck breaks loose when David feels the death of Xavier. The prison in his mind is destroyed, and the compound and the surrounding areas in the real world are also destroyed. We are left with two ominous battles looming: (1.) David fighting the X-Men and ( 2.) David fighting his evil alternate personalities.

As a set up issue, this is not a bad story, but if the coming battles are not awesome, then I’ll feel that this was lost money. I want to judge an issue on its own merits, but that is hard to do when it is a part of a story arc. With a character as powerful as Legion, the challenges that he faces must be more powerful than he is. We need to see our heroes face insurmountable challenges. Mr. Spurrier has his own challenge of beginning to create stories where Legion will be challenged on a consistent level. Having Legion on the edge of loosing his sanity and going ballistic will always maintain a certain intensity in any story.

I respect the talent of artists, but I have taken on the role of reviewing books for the public. I have to have the integrity to say blah when I feel blah. The art in this book makes me feel blah. The faces are blah. The characters are blah. The backgrounds are blah. The details are blah. It might be the reason that X-Men Legacy does not put the wow in Marvel Now.

I rate X-Men Legacy #1 Read a Friend’s Copy. #3 (of 5) on Al-O-Meter Ranking