Oddly just like the movie, and the art in the first comic reflected that. Then it swapped artists and constantine went blonde. A bit disconcerting, that. I think I want to read more of these, but they're a bit gritty for my taste. ( )

In this one off adventure, John Constantine goes up against one of the biggest demons besides Nergal - and who might actually be more powerful due to his franchise of Hell-on-Earth. It’s kind of an odd concept, since clearly life on Earth is already Hell for a lot of people, but having a physical manifestation kind of preps people for the expectation of the coming Hell. Or warns them away in some cases I assume. This kind of metaphysical theology is typical of Mike Carey, since he is clearly incapable of having a story that is as simple as “there’s a bunch of people falling into sleep-comas.” He manages to wrap this storyline up a little more simply than usual (thankfully), with the introduction of a god native to North America, who’s followers take precedence over Western ideologies that define Heaven and Hell. It’s surprising how easily this god allies himself with Constantine, but the gods of the New World are a lot more complex than their Christian counterparts; instead of being good or evil, they’re willing to do fight for their own people even if they are after souls in the long term as well, so there’s a much more complex dichotomy. ( )

Clean art, solid story. Not a revelation, but a very decent book with some memorable bits. ( )

This book in the Hellblazer series is mostly centered on an old Aztec death god, so expect Constantine to settle his score with a disturbingly hell-ish foe. As usual, his deals are like a double-edged sword: it doesn't do to mess up with him or his friends. The graphics are great, the warm colours are also evocative of Latin America, and the suggested time-travelling sub-narrative adds a little sci-fi to the story. Great hardback, with dustjacket, with a great chiaroscuro cover, I wouldn't have it any other way for this issue of Hellblazer. ( )

Dark. Very dark, ( )