This arc deals with Constantine finding out that he is dying of lung cancer. John deals with it by trying to find a way out and then decides to say goodbye to a few friends and family. Along the way he again pisses off the demons of hell in the only way he can do. This was a great story arc and left me wanting to grab the next collection and read it. Hat tip to the friend that posted about a great scene in the comic that I didn’t remember and found it was in this one. Luckily it was the next one I had to read so it didn’t take long to get to it. ( )

Kind of came at this backwards--had read Preacher before reading any Constantine. So didn't have much backstory on the character. ( )

Depressing psychological journey into the mind of a dying man, heavy with regret, guilt, and frailty. Constantine battles the demon of his own fleshy humanity, though a few supernaturals also show up. ( )

John gets diagnosed with terminal lung cancer which makes him go back and visit people from his past, both literally and figuratively, and it's a trip down memory lane that makes him face some terrible things about himself as a child, until magic comes to his rescue and he manages to trick three very difficult customers into helping him more than they ever though. This volume marks the end of Delano's Hellblazer-run and the beginning of Ennis'. It has a few stories that are brilliant - horrorwise - and the twist that John comes up with at the end it nothing short of genius. Overall, the collection is a little uneven due to the switch in writer (I assume), but I've read other Ennis works and have faith in that he will hit his stride soon. ( )

A one shot story of Constantine. Enis was wondering what to do with Liverpudlien John Constantine who has been to hell and back. Literally. He fights demons and is a poor mans magician and con man who although he doesn’t do bad will not be going upstairs when he finally kicks the bucket. Unfortunately that day may not be too far away now.

Enis has the radical idea of killing Constantine. He has always been a chain smoker and after coughing up blood and bits of his lungs, he finally goes to see a doctor and is diagnosed with late stage, terminal lung cancer. He runs various scenarios in his head and visits the few “friends” (human and otherwise) he has left alive before coming to the conclusion that there is nothing he can do. Instead he devises a plan that just might work, a way to preserve his life and miss out on an eternity being tortured in hell. Problem is he has to die first.

The film with Keanu Reeves was based partially on this graphic novel so I knew portions of the story. This however was much more explicit, dark and dangerous. Very gripping but best not to read it right before bed like I did as it may give you nightmares! ( )