Ebook Download Hellblazer: the Devil You Know Volume 2

HELLBLAZER: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW VOLUME 2 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

It doesn't feel as expressive or creative as it was the first time through. There's a lot of empty space and rough linework. It feels sloppy and bland to look at. The writing is good though and the conclusion feels appropriate and suitable, tying all relevant loose ends, allowing John to move on to new pastures. On the Beach: John's having a bit of a walk along the beach, all while a group of protestors stand against a nuclear power plant built in their town. And then the power plant explodes. This one feels like an odd duck in the volume. You could take John out of the equation and replace him with some other character and it would hardly skip a beat. You can clearly see Delano's personal politics on full display here and while its not a bad story, its a little too on the nose to be anything but a distribe, albeit a beautifully poetic one. The Bloody Saint: Set back when John was still in and out of Ravenscar Asylum, the story tells of John's struggling to deal with a changing world, his place in it and his connection to one of his ancestors, colourfully dubbed The Bloody Saint. This story is an interesting little piece. A bit of Arthurian legend here, a slap of dark fantasy there, Delano's trademark poetic writing and what do you get? An interesting if a little disjointed story about how sometimes the apple doesn't fall far. If I can say anything specific, it's that sometimes the art style looks a little too detailed. It ends up looking grotty. The story ends with a little glimpse into what Mucous Membrane John's former band were like and honestly, I didn't care much for it. The art was decent but it just felt like song lyrics in the vein of the Sex Pistols, something I don't have a lot of interest in. Chalk this one up to personal taste. The Horrorist: Something bad has come into the world. Something that embodies all the hatred, violence and cruelty of the world. Every war, every conflict, every rape and pillaging. It's turning the world upside down. And John has to find it. This is a separate issue that was bunched in with this volume and it's probably one of the best pieces I've read. The horror is on point, building the tension to sudden horrifying events that the artwork captures beautifully. Delano's prose is on point, haunting and cruel and beautiful all at the same time. So that's it. Nothing spectacular. Nothing horrendous. The Horrorist was the best of the bunch. On the Beach was probably the weak link. See ya soon for The Fear Machine. Jul 25, Steven Werber rated it it was ok. Apr 11, Kelly W. Things I Liked 1. Politics: Like the last volume, this one brings up a lot of politics in ways that were fairly evident and mind-bending. I really like a John Constantine who is embedded with the concerns of his day. In others, things seemed to be wrapped up too cleanly and too quickly. I also wanted to get back to reading about Constantine himself, not just him in a past life. Jun 11, Wombo Combo rated it liked it. This one is really kind of a mixed bag. Issues 10 and 12 are fine. The John stuff is really great, but This one is really kind of a mixed bag. The John stuff is really great, but the ancestor stuff is pretty stupid. This trade ends with a miniseries, The Horrorist, that was written years after the rest of this collection. I really love how John is written as numb and completely unlike his normal self, but the second half of the series doesn't have John in it enough and just ends up being depressing, even though it's meant to end on a hopeful note. The art in this collection isn't very good. Issues have kinda of dorky, but not completely horrible art, the annual looks very gritty and isn't very good, and the Horrorist's art is nice, but it's difficult to make out what's going on in a couple of scenes, though it's pleasant for the most part. This collection is fairly weak as a whole. After the excellent stories of Original Sins, this collection is a rather big disappointment. I wouldn't be surprised if there were boatloads of people who gave up on this series after reading this; after all, this is the second volume in the series. Oct 10, Rena Sherwood rated it it was amazing Shelves: five-star-fiction , otherworldly , art-of-some-sort. In late August of , my beloved old dog had her first seizure. Right there and then, I knew the clock was ticking and whatever she had would eventually kill her, which it did a year and four days later. During the time before her death, I went on a wild eBay and Amazon shopping spree. Because when you're miserable, John Constatine makes for good company. Honestly, when you're greiveing or d In late August of , my beloved old dog had her first seizure. Honestly, when you're greiveing or dealing with really bad news, don't some books just seem too damn happy? You can't help but hope that a sudden terrorist attack hits these yokels that author any random self-help book. You don't have to worry about Constantine or any other character getting too happy here. Here we have demons, crazy fundamentalists are there any other kind, really? All in vintage DC Vertigo style. This is a key graphic novel in the series, explaining why among other things Constantinte never seems to age, so if you're wondering what the Hellblazer backstory is, go here. This is the cover of the reprint edition, which is easier to get than the original edition. Dec 09, Mari rated it liked it. Fragmented, a little confusing and somewhat boring. Didn't really find myself wanting to read this at all unlike the previous collection, which I devoured. The actual Hellblazer issues were quite alright, but nothing too special. I had much bigger expectations for Newcastle. The whole abused girl trope is just so old, I'd love to see someone come up with a new story for once. I hated The Bloody Saints, it was just all around ugly, uninteresting and repulsive to me. As for the Horrorist issues, I Fragmented, a little confusing and somewhat boring. As for the Horrorist issues, I can't really decide yet whether I liked the story, it didn't really manage to suck me in emotionally and atmospherically as it was supposed to in order to work but maybe I was still annoyed in the aftermath of The Bloody Saints and the fault might therefore be in me. I did enjoy the ambient art with amazing colour choices though. Feb 13, Quentin Wallace rated it really liked it. In this volume we get to see a conclusion to the storyline started in the first volume with the two "cults" on Earth. More importantly, we get a flashback explaining the ghosts that haunt Constantine. Theres an annual reprinted in this volume that I didn't care much for. As usual, art fits the story very well. Overall another enjoyable volume. Dec 07, William Thomas rated it did not like it. Nov 25, Sierra Dean rated it really liked it Shelves: ebook , comics , noir. That fever dream on the beach, yo I love this series something fierce. The art is pretty terrible okay, not terrible, but very of an era and I don't love it. But I love Delano's writing so very much. Sep 30, Robert rated it it was amazing Shelves: comics-graphics , xseason. Good collections of short run issue story arcs, not needlessly complicated by an overarching narrative. Mar 13, Adam Stone rated it liked it Shelves: non-superhero-comics , sandman-swamp-thing-hellblazer. After a promising start, wherein we see the Newcastle incident mentioned repeatedly in volume one, this volume gets caught up in trying to use mythology and dream imagery to tell fairly mundane stories. Delano is a great writer but using a Dream Sequence for most of an issue is pretty lazy, especially when it's too make a very generalized point about environmentalism. I know this is Early Days in comics trying to send this sort of message, but Delano was fully capable of using demons to make his After a promising start, wherein we see the Newcastle incident mentioned repeatedly in volume one, this volume gets caught up in trying to use mythology and dream imagery to tell fairly mundane stories. I know this is Early Days in comics trying to send this sort of message, but Delano was fully capable of using demons to make his point, or just, you know, showing a rain of birds, or the actual effects of radioactivity, rather than having Constantine dream of bad things happening in the environment. The annual, in which we see the Constantine of Merlin's time was excruciating. Too long a tale with no payoff. The Horrorist storyline at the end was beautifully rendered by David Lloyd but didn't have the crust storytelling if they previous volume. This is still with picking up if you're a John Constantine fan or just a devotee of early Vertigo, but it's not as vital and intriguing as its predecessor. Feb 03, Robert Hudder rated it liked it. You know, I am going to be reading this series for a bit. It is funny on how to do these things. I don't want to give away any plot points and so I guess I am left with pointing out highlights and lowlights. In this volume, there is an issue that takes place inside a computer network that I loved. Maybe not the story so much but the way it was done. It tickled me a little bit. Also, there is a story that is from the horrorist that I liked quite a bit. There is a bit about waking up from a dream t You know, I am going to be reading this series for a bit. There is a bit about waking up from a dream that I disliked because sometimes that trope just bothers me. Jun 12, Mouse rated it did not like it. I'm sort a fan of Constantine and I think I like him more and more over the years, but I think I like him better when he's in the main DC continuity and not the Vertigo stuff. I couldn't get through this crapfest of a book cause none of it makes any sense whatsoever! It's a total clusterfrik of a book and there's just nothing redeeming about it-not the dialogue, the writing, or the art! It's all over the place! It's really just a shame actually. Mar 14, Jim rated it really liked it. I love the character, but as the book went on, the stories got slightly more strange and although I like strange, I was having trouble following at times. It made for a weird experience. Oct 14, Chris W rated it liked it. It's ok. Definitely far from stellar but average. It subverts much of what you come to expect from comics and has an unrelenting bleak tone that's infects every page. Constantine is a depressing mess and so is everyone around him, things get fucked up, people make bad decisions as he basically watches them all burn. I can't help but feel that this has more potential than what Jamie Delano ended up doing with the characters and storylines. Apr 15, Christian rated it really liked it. They read like gutter punk poetry, often literally in rhyme or songs. They also touch on issues that are really personal to me, like loneliness, mental illness, and being in a shitty punk band. May 24, Haitham Khot rated it it was amazing. When I first read Original Sins I wasn't that much educated about the story of Constantine but his charachter pulled me to read the next one,great way to produce the explanation of Newcastle's events now I think Original Sins could be easier to read,kudos for John. Jul 09, Jim Kiester rated it liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The story dealing with Vesper and his "great mistake" is a must read for Constantine fans, since it shapes his character as much as the murder of the Waynes shaped Batman. However, the rest of the book is a babbling mess. Luckily, you can read it for free if you belong to Comixology Unlimited. May 10, Riley Barnitz rated it really liked it. I've had a problem with the beggining art style that made it hard to get into. But when it switched near the end I started to. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Readers also enjoyed. Graphic Novels Comics. About Jamie Delano. Jamie Delano. Jamie Delano aka A. William James began writing comics professionally in the early s. Jamie lives in semi-rural Northamptonshire with his partner, Sue. They have three adult children and Jamie Delano aka A. They have three adult children and a considerable distraction of grandchildren. Other books in the series. Hellblazer 1 - 10 of 44 books. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. Home 1 Books 2. Add to Wishlist. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Explore Now. Buy As Gift. Overview In "Warped Notions" written by Eddie Campbell, Constantine is drawn into a web of time travel and terror when he's accosted by the ghost of Sir Francis Dashwood, the founder of the Hellfire Club. Dashwood needs Constantine's help to avert a disaster that could threaten the very fabric of reality. John Constantine plunges deep into an arcane landscape where a powerful entity known as the Rainbow Serpent intends to punish man's treatment of the environment by clearing the earth of all animal life. Mike Richardson. Bloodborne Vol. Mike Mignola. The World of The Orville. Rivers Of London Vol. Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch. Archie Goodwin. Hell on Earth Volume 1. Mike Mignola and John Arcudi. The Seven Deadly Sins Nakaba Suzuki. Vampire Dance. Sergio Bleda. Wonder Woman Vol. Willow Wilson. Hidden Society. Rafael Scavone. Black Orchid. Hajime Isayama. Alter Nation. Koshchei the Deathless. American Vampire Vol. The Devil You Know | John Constantine Hellblazer Wiki | Fandom

Hellblazer Annual 1 A look at the music video produced for Constantine's old punk band, Mucous Membrane. The Horrorist Wearied and worn, Constantine finds himself on the trail of a mysterious orphan girl whose trip across America brings the horror of the third world in its wake. Although this book follows on directly from the cliffhanger at the end of Original Sins , it wasn't printed until Poor sales of Original Sins meant that Vertigo weren't prepared to reprint the book until 's Constantine movie increased demand. Despite containing only Jamie Delano-written issues, the cover of this book is taken from the Garth Ennis -written issue This wiki. This wiki All wikis. Sign In Don't have an account? Start a Wiki. The Devil You Know. Volume number. Publisher s. Cover artist. Glenn Fabry. Jamie Delano. Add to Cart. Also available from:. Paperback —. About John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. Also by Jamie Delano. About Jamie Delano Born in , Jamie Delano has made a diverse, cross-genre contribution to the comic book medium, scripting—over some 25 years—both… More about Jamie Delano. About David Lloyd David Lloyd has been working in comics since Product Details. Inspired by Your Browsing History. Buy other books like John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. Takaya Kagami. Hellboy and the B. Chris Roberson and Mike Mignola. Nichijou, 4. Keiichi Arawi. Mike Mignola , Various and Chris Roberson. The Sandman Omnibus Vol. The Michael Moorcock Library Vol. Roy Thomas and Michael T. Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Volume 5. Hiroaki Samura. Children of the Grave. Gordon Mclean. Mark Buckingham and Neil Gaiman. Joe Death. Benjamin Schipper. Mike Richardson. Bloodborne Vol. Mike Mignola. The World of The Orville. Rivers Of London Vol. Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch. Archie Goodwin. Hellblazer: The Devil You Know #1 - Vol. 2 (Issue)

That's the sort of stuff I love in Delano's writing, where it hits exactly the right notes to be powerfully evocative and poetic, every word doing something, but it's not overdoing it either. Another panel I particularly liked was where it looks as if somebody else Delano? I did, but I don't think I've read it since I was a kid, partly because I don't want to spoil it, partly because I don't want the embarrassment. Delano loves metaphysical and dreamlike connections, so as Constantine is still processing his return to Newcastle and his flawed, destructive resolution of what happened there, the character falls asleep and dreams about a verbal echo: that common s nightmare of the nuclear dystopia: blighted ruination, humans hoping to acquire gills, doomed isolates trying to find hope in reproduction and producing only death and mutants. The works. The Cold War may have just ended, but the nightmare idea remains in late , in the presence of a nuclear power station across the bay. For me, there's something that works very well about reading the now thoroughly-processed collective anxieties of 30 years ago, whether they are similar to the present, or things now mostly out of mind whilst trying to hear as little as possible about those of Some reviewers have said these comics aren't funny, which I can't fathom. The bleakness - the right sort of bleakness for me - is punctuated every few pages by some pithy self- aware line or stupid pun that makes me hoot with laughter, these things being all the funnier in contrast to what is before and likely after. I can almost feel the dopamine surging when these things are at the right frequency. In the annual, 'The Bloody Saint' Part One presents a rationale for Delano's writing style, which is a nice touch, to explain how this prose is attached to this character, whom others might have given a more hard- boiled style to go with his trenchcoat. He's psychologically more fragile, and more of a hippie, than would be assumed from his clothes. And it must be intentional because Alan Moore, who originally created Constantine in Swamp Thing , nominated Delano to write the first Hellblazer comics. But how can you make sense of the senseless or contain the seething universe? A couple of pages later, he's accepted it: "writing it down does channel the emotional rip-tides and provide a few calm eddies for thought. There's magic in the use of words. On top of that, Konstantyn was a pagan Romano-British warlord and sorceror holding out against Christianity, and Delano pays better attention to the history of the period than plenty of authors who - and Good Omens , I'm looking at you here - seem to think it's not possible to make semi-humorous fantasy out of this era without dressing it up like the High Medieval when Mallory wrote Morte d'Arthur, a la Python. It's appropriately brutal and grubby and gnarled thanks to Bryan Talbot's art, and despite being written 30 years ago, fits well with current historical thinking on how conversion to Christianity was a political expedient for quite a lot of early medieval rulers. Likewise, Delano has noticed how some early medieval saints were merely those who were first and royal, and far from good. The way Konstantyn holds out against the new religion and eventually, strategically, decides to take it up, was reminiscent of the Christianisation of Lithuania in the 14th century. However , despite certain visual absurdities and some of the connections with mythical characters that may or may not have been satirical this section needed more overt verbal humour. That's essential in anything of this sort after Douglas Adams' paragraphs in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy about the petty local council bureaucrat who was a direct male line descendant of Genghis Khan, never mind Blackadder. As much of the history was better than I'd have expected, odd blunders like mentioning the direwolf - a North American creature - and arguably the spelling of the ancestor's name, stood out. I wasn't sure whether I would read The Horrorist yet, as it's a story from , and I've already confused myself a bit with parallel reading of Constantine's adventures in Swamp Thing and Hellblazer. The visual nature of comics, and the relative similarity of the art seems to make it harder to solidify a sense of what goes where, as I don't usually have a problem separating prose-only content written at different times but read close together. But I wanted to finish the volume, and the art was different enough that I thought I could hold on to the idea of it as separate. My review of The Horrorist is posted under the standalone comic for space reasons. This is another good thing I've just realised about comics collections. You can't do that if you say too much about a novel to fit in a GR review space. Following on from paragraph about hard-nosed masculine stories, Martin Amis and The Horrorist. There are common motifs from those times that appear throughout this collection and which may only jump out as such if you remember then, or have read and watched a lot from it. Sometimes they are tiny mundane details, like the panel where a bystander has a carrier bag from Presto a long-defunct UK supermarket and is near a sign for a West London yoga centre. For me, absurdly mindblowing: two unconnected things twenty years and hundreds of miles apart in my own life suddenly shown in the same place. On a more fantastical level, Merlin's disembodied talking head is reminiscent of similar devices elsewhere like in The Man With Two Brains - as well as drawing on the Norse tale of Mimir and Odin Odin of course a trickster type like, in their own ways Constantine and his ancestor - and some extremely silly psychedelic sperm imagery of the opening sequence to Look Who's Talking And the cover to this collection with the artist's signature dated : my favourite of all the covers I've looked at so far in the old and new collections, because of my taste for edgy, irreverent religious imagery that was probably sparked by the media furore about Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' video in early which itself started a wider pop-culture trend. I am hoping that as I read more of the series I will have less to say each time. It's supposed to be one of the reasons I'm reading comics, because it's quicker. Even if the idea of character development over many instalments and a long period of time isn't something I'd previously reckoned on being so interesting as someone who usually reads standalone novels. View all 6 comments. Wakizashi I've really enjoyed reading your deep and fascinating reviews of the first two collections of Delano's run on this title. I'm a huge fan of the charac I've really enjoyed reading your deep and fascinating reviews of the first two collections of Delano's run on this title. I'm a huge fan of the character and Delano's Constantine is my favourite. I think this is partly down to him being the writer when I started reading it around issue 30 back in July That was the issue in which John attends his father's funeral after the Family Man story-arc. I've never forgotten that issue. I remember it initially scaring me, but I later came to love it. After buying that issue, I went on to seek out as many of the earlier issues as I could. This involved a number of trips to the old UK Comic Marts, as well as the scouring of back-issue boxes in the comic shops of Manchester. I also continued to collect the comic until the middle of Azzarello's run. It kind of blows my mind that I kept buying it for over ten years. In hindsight, I wish I'd been able to keep buying it until its initial run ended with issue Apologies for waffling on, but I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your take on Delano's run. I've never found him too wordy. I love his descriptions and his use of language. I always felt there was something deeper and more mystical to Delano's Constantine than Ennis' version. I enjoyed a lot of Ennis's run but Delano is the King, for me. Antonomasia Thanks very much! And please don't apologise for "waffling on" to me of all people who finds it difficult to write reviews under words. There is Thanks very much! There is very little in-depth writing about Hellblazer out there, apart from that one recent book of essays, which from the sample, isn't quite what I hoped. As I said in the review of The Family Man, back in the 00s I was familiar with the Barbelith forum - and therefore aware of academic takes on comics like Will Brooker's, even though I read few comics myself. I had expected there to be similar stuff about HB. I don't have the level of expertise from various areas that I'd like to see brought to analyses of these comics, but I have been having a go at writing something like I would want to read. Mar 04, Nathan rated it really liked it Shelves: graphic-novels , fun-entertaining , fantastic , dark , quick-reads. Overall, this is a solid collection -- if for no other reason than it's great they're finally making an effort at collecting the earlier issues in a mostly complete way. It's only four issues, but it's a fairly important and interesting four issues, and it's padded with some good Hellblazer miscellany. The writing and storyline is good, and improves slightly from Book 1 Hellblazer Original Sins. The art is still somewhat garishly colored typical for the late 80s , but the art itself is improved as well. The storyline mostly deals with Newcastle and its aftermath, as well as John's current troubles with the demon Nergal; this is the first three issues, 10, 11, and The "Bloody Saint" annual is entirely about John's distant ancestor, the ruthless and cunning priest-king Con-Stan-Tyne, set probably in the 7th century or so, and it establishes a relationship with both Ravenscar and the Dragon. Finally the story of The Horrorist is the tale of a frigid winter and John's tracking of a destructively empowered African girl who recreates atrocities wherever she goes. Honestly, though I'm glad it's out, it could have been pieced together a little better. First of all, the inclusion of the Bloody Saint annual isn't terribly unfitting, but it would do better as a prelude to the next trade, Book 3 Hellblazer The Fear Machine I assume it was put here instead to act as padding for the mere four issues. Secondly, the story of The Horrorist doesn't fit here, and should go somewhere else it's been suggested it fits between issues 83 and I assume it was just added as padding as well, but padding really isn't necessary -- other elements could have been added in. For example: Since the Nergal storyline is the main focus, I think they should have included part of Brian Azzarello's "The First Time" story from "Hellblazer Secret Files", the bit where an 8-year-old John meets Nergal while watching them dredge a dead body from the river. Make it the first part of the book and then go into the issues, or put it after, either way. Also, with the nuclear omens theme in issue 13, Grant Morrison 's issues 25 and 26 could be included here, since they aren't part of the TPB for Book 4 Hellblazer Family Man. This would be a bit of a stretch, since they were written more than ten issues later, but it's less a stretch than the inclusion of The Horrorist, and it makes more sense. Plus the storyline of those two issues is deliberately vague in terms of timeline and continuity with the rest of the series, since it was a guest-writer spot. Finally, putting the story about John's old heroine-addict girlfriend who gets addicted to Morpheus' sand Sandman 3 might have been a nice inclusion for the end of the book, though there is some debate about when that storyline occurred within the Hellblazer timeline. Any of these could have been included more sensibly, and filled the book out enough to keep it from being a skinny one. The Morrison issues and the Gaiman Sandman cameo issue may have legal or financial complications that would prevent inclusion, but the Azzarello "Secret Files" story is a no-brainer and definitely should have been included. However, aside from these niggling concerns about how the book could have been filled out more fittingly, it's still a really good book overall. The "Bloody Saint" story from the Hellblazer Annual is really pretty hard to find, so it's great to have it included, and as I said it's wonderful that they're finally going back and trying to put Jamie Delano 's series-originating work into TPBs. Sep 16, Malum rated it it was amazing Shelves: graphic-novels , vertigo , john-constantine. After reading volume 1 of Hellblazer , I decided to read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run before going any further because it fills in some of the blanks from Constantine's past that are otherwise a little confusing such as why he has a group of ghosts following him around everywhere and how his girlfriend was killed. Doing this also had another benefit, however, because I got to directly compare the two books back-to-back. While Moore's book was pretty trippy and revolutionary, it doesn't hold a ca After reading volume 1 of Hellblazer , I decided to read Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run before going any further because it fills in some of the blanks from Constantine's past that are otherwise a little confusing such as why he has a group of ghosts following him around everywhere and how his girlfriend was killed. While Moore's book was pretty trippy and revolutionary, it doesn't hold a candle to how Hellblazer screws with your head and subverts the traditional superhero comic. The highlight of this volume is the two part Horrorist story. It is totally bonkers in the best ways. Just imagine Hellblazer mixed with Marvel's adult MAX imprint and you will have a good idea of the kind of story they are going for here. Mar 03, MkB rated it liked it. Dear Vertigo: comics have little numbers on them. You'll note that they start at 1 continue on up to two hundred and something. When collecting them into graphic novels, start with number one, and go in sequential order. In terms of content, this is a solid four or five stars. I've always had as much fondness for Delano's Constantine as for the more heralded Ennis and Ellis stories. But oh lordy does this get deducted for continuing Vertigo's incredibly asinine decision to collect the Hellblazer Dear Vertigo: comics have little numbers on them. But oh lordy does this get deducted for continuing Vertigo's incredibly asinine decision to collect the Hellblazer back catalogue three random issues at a time which, in all fairness, was made a long time ago, and they seem to have been trying to rectify since then. In this collection, we get issues , finally completing the storyline from Original Sins collected FIVE years before this volume. Then there's Annual 1, which makes sense in that it was from the same time. And then there's the recent miniseries The Horrorist, published six years after the rest of the material in the book. Even this incredibly goofy decision would be somewhat defensible if I'd ever seen a copy of Rake at the Gates of Hell for sale in an actual comic shop. But apparently, reprinting one of the most popular Hellblazer storylines ever is low priority. View 2 comments. Mar 02, Brooke rated it liked it Shelves: graphic-novels-read. This 2nd Hellblazer collection is all over the place. The first three issues wrap up the story started in Original Sins quite well. The next two are just puzzling and completely lost my interest. Then it wraps up with a 2-parter that has beautiful art, but the story feels like a cliche. View 1 comment. Sep 18, Printable Tire rated it liked it. This collection contains three flavors of nihilism for your self-hating pleasure, three tones of world-weary disgust for your cynical, comic-book reading mind. The first selection is my least favorite. Even though it seems like forever since I finished the previous Hellblazer collection, the conclusion of the carrying-over storyline still seems abrupt. What really bothers me about this selection though is the art. It seems Richard Piers Rayner is hell-bent on depicting every stupid, awkward, obno This collection contains three flavors of nihilism for your self-hating pleasure, three tones of world-weary disgust for your cynical, comic-book reading mind. It seems Richard Piers Rayner is hell-bent on depicting every stupid, awkward, obnoxious and just plain dumb facial expression the human body is capable of. It's gross and embarrassing in a way undeserving of the gross tastes of Hellblazer. Bryan Talbot's art, however, which serves to illustrate the first Hellblazer Annual, is always satisfying in its putrid grotesqueness, and fits the rich coloring and accompanying story like a severed head to rusty pike. This is also, not coincidentally, my favorite story of the lot: though it is ugly and as mean-spirited as the others, there was something interesting in its portrayal of the fall of magic and rise of man. Also, the framing story involves 's British politics, which I had no interest in whatsoever before reading Hellblazer gave me an entertaining perspective on the various injustices and events. The final piece to this triptych of a comic book collection is the first two issues of The Horrorist, a limited series on Constantine illustrated beautifully by David Lloyd, and my first introduction to John Constantine long, long before I knew who he was. The story here is an ugly one, essentially the ultimate white guilt fable, and even though it is self-reverentially one it is no less bleakly self-righteous or unappealing. Somewhere around the middle of the Hororist I thought to myself, "Why am I reading this? This is gross and mean-spirited and boring. I am not enjoying myself. Why not throw in a joke issue every now and then? Even the darkest melancholic has mediocre days every once in a while. It's such a grim book it's grim to the point of devoiding and devaluing all other possible perspectives. It is a book geared to put you in the ugliest frame of mind, with no chance of recovery. It is proselytizing on obvious uglies and evils of the world, things most of us move beyond because there are other things out there, but it does not show those other things. It even adds made-up carnage to stack the deck in its negative- nelly view further. In that way it is maudlin meaningless, and not worth my time. I know I complain about smugness a lot on here, but smugness in literature is one thing I can't stand. Unless it is an obvious pulp story, I hate to see broadly defined characters that are good and evil, or opinions that are good or evil, especially when the story in question represents itself to be held up to a higher standard than pulp. This doesn't mean that I only like wishy-washy literature: but when a story has bad people, I like it to be at least admitted that these people or opinions are bad only because of the limited scope of the protagonist, who are quite reasonably indebted to their own views, and not the limited scope of the actual author's mind. Hellblazer is relentlessly smug. Everybody's a nitwit or a mother-fucker or a hypocrite or a devil or a racist or a sniveling angel. Everybody is guilty of something. And Constantine is like Socrates, calling everybody else out while admitting he's the worst one of all. It's a cheap way to gain the reader's sympathy but it works, until the constant purple-prosed droning on the way life sucks and is shit becomes a pill. And like a pill, or a smart friend who is fun for a while until all his harping becomes a nagging annoyance, I think Hellblazer is a novelty only good in small doses. Jul 19, Simon rated it really liked it Shelves: reviewed , britain-and-ireland , crime-fiction , fantasy , horror , s , antiheroes. Boy howdy is this trippy and certainly different from the more down-to-earth take that Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis brought to "Hellblazer". One of the stories here has been reprinted in the "Rare Cuts" anthology featuring stories through the comic's entire run: The one detailing the Newcastle Incident, which ended up traumatising John Constantine psychologically for the rest of his life to the point of still being brought up in new stories to this day. It's also by far the most conventional sto Boy howdy is this trippy and certainly different from the more down-to-earth take that Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis brought to "Hellblazer". It's also by far the most conventional story found here, whatever that means by the standards of later "Hellblazer" comics. In that one, the genre shifts completely to Robert E. Howard style heroic fantasy and is as a matter of fact a very competent entry in the genre. As you can imagine, the content of this paperback is extremely s almost reaching the same acute levels of "I can't believe it's not a parody" as early editions of "Warhammer". I already mentioned the storyline that put an occult fantasy spin on the virtual realities described in Wm. This very much comes across as the kind of comics that Carl MacCoy and Jaz Coleman probably read in their spare time back then. Come to think of it, even the arc about the Iron Age warlord fits into how heroic fantasy was a quite popular genre during the s, see also the films "Conan the Barbarian" and "Excalibur". This has a real "everything and the kitchen sink" feel that's often absent from newer Constantine comics I've read, and also way weirder: I didn't quite know what to make of the "Horrorist" arc which is probably the longest myself as it features by far the most experimental writing, but it has some amazingly eerie high-contrast artwork. Not all of the stories here really clicked for me, but you can't accuse Jamie Delano for lacking in audacity! Aug 23, Shannon Appelcline rated it really liked it Shelves: comics-indy , comics , comics-dc. These three issues really form the conclusion of the major arc from volume 1, and so should have gone there, especially the Swamp Thing related issue. Ah well. There's a bit too much philosophical wankery in issue 10, of the sort that sometimes spoils Delano's writing. However in the end it offers some nice closure, and 12 does so even moreso. On the other hand Newcastle is superb, not just for its revelation of Constantine's past, but also for the way that it shows the past of Constantine's crew, carefully lifted from both Swamp Thing and Delano's own initial issues. The story has a great kick to it and remains one of the landmark Constantine tales. On the Beach This is Delano's first full-length story that puts imagery and philosophy ahead of any type of story. To my surprise I like it and always have. The Bloody Saint Annual 1. This is a slow story, but it's an intriguing first look at the Constantine legacy, and also a nice translation of Constantine's own desires and goals into a different milieu. The Horrorist. This story is all evocation. On the downside, it's badly placed in this volume of Hellblazer as it's clearly about an older, more world- weary Constantine. Overall, this is another very good volume of Delano's Hellblazer -- though I find his monthly issues better than his longer form work, which tends to get a bit slow and talky Pity that DC couldn't have gotten this all arranged better when they redid the Hellblazer collections. Jun 29, Kinan Diraneyya rated it liked it Shelves: comic-books. One review I read about Jamie Delano described how he talks and talks but it feels like he is never getting to the point, or perhaps there isn't a point to begin with. This writing style existed since the first issue, but it continued to grow worse and worse. The second volume is still bearable, but it definitely is harder to read than the first. The stories of the second volume are generally just fine, zed's story concludes in the first issue, followed by 3 one-shots. The only story that really One review I read about Jamie Delano described how he talks and talks but it feels like he is never getting to the point, or perhaps there isn't a point to begin with. The only story that really matters is Newcastle issue 11 , a canon issue to Constantine's background, and generally one of the best issues. Then there is one issue that goes back to Ritchie who is still trapped in the computer where Constantine left him. That one is kinda fun. Finally, there is a disastrous hallucination issue that offers nothing but nonsense. I never really understood the way the original Hellblazer was collected, but since the Horrorist was also collected in this volume, I went on and read it. It was boring and unnecessarily made into two issues instead of one, but its ending gave me a certain satisfaction; the kind of satisfaction you expect from Constantine. I recommend this volume mainly because of Newcastle and Zed's conclusion, but Jamie Delano's bad writing begins to shine here and its light becomes blinding soon after! Jul 09, Ma'Belle rated it it was amazing Shelves: comics-graphic-novels. The varied stories and breathtaking art in this collection of Hellblazer were far more intense than I was prepared for. It's hard for me to digest the density and weight of each story found in a picture book just over a half inch thick, but it has confirmed my growing opinion that Jamie Delano's entire run of Hellblazer was the best, even considering my love and respect for Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, and Garth Ennis. When I can afford to start collecting the trade paperbacks of my favourite comic The varied stories and breathtaking art in this collection of Hellblazer were far more intense than I was prepared for. When I can afford to start collecting the trade paperbacks of my favourite comics, this will surely be one of the top volumes I'll pull out when I want to read aloud to somebody and make their jaws drop and their eyes water. Jun 09, LemontreeLime rated it it was ok Shelves: art-art-art-art- art. I didn't read these when they originally came out, mostly backtracking right now. What if a mostly immoral con man became a magician and suddenly had to deal with demons and giant celestial issues? The comic itself refer to him as the 'laughing magician', but his humor isn't that funny. Its more about cynicism and mockery. So why the hell am I reading these when I'm not very happy with them or the main character? I'm not sure. I'll I didn't read these when they originally came out, mostly backtracking right now. I'll read a few more. Sep 06, Steven rated it liked it Shelves: comics , horror , urban-fantasy. Original Sins So we pick up from where Original Sins left off and come to an end of Jamie Delano's first major storyline in the Hellblazer series. So let's go Now if only John can avoid the fallout. This is the first comic we see where there is a massive shift in the art styl Original Sins So we pick up from where Original Sins left off and come to an end of Jamie Delano's first major storyline in the Hellblazer series. This is the first comic we see where there is a massive shift in the art style and personally, I'm on the fence about it. In some ways, it's expressive and varied but it skirts the uncanny valley so much it's kind of weird. That being said, the artwork for the Astral Plane and Delano's dreamlike writing make up for it. Newcastle: The Crusade done and the Army routed, Nergal's lingering threats make John remember Newcastle and where all this crazy shit in his life first started. This is an interesting one for me, because before this we never really understood John's life before Hunger. Seeing how his early years turned him into such a bastard and the lingering guilt hanging over his head especially considering the ghosts of his past made him what he is, was definitely a good idea. The Devil you Know: Nergal's fucking with John, making the demon blood in his veins tear him up from the inside out. John's running out of time, except Ritchie Simpson is back in the picture, giving John an ace up his sleeve. So we have a return to proto- cyberspace and honestly I have to say the artwork really let me down here. It doesn't feel as expressive or creative as it was the first time through. There's a lot of empty space and rough linework. It feels sloppy and bland to look at. The writing is good though and the conclusion feels appropriate and suitable, tying all relevant loose ends, allowing John to move on to new pastures. On the Beach: John's having a bit of a walk along the beach, all while a group of protestors stand against a nuclear power plant built in their town. It spawned a motion picture, a short-lived TV series, and is still currently extant in a slightly different manifestation in the new DC universe. Something about it resonates, clearly. The closest I can come to an explanation is that cynicism and fatalistic world-views tend to resonate better with audiences than cheeriness and upbeat. At least, for a lot of people. The guy is a poster-boy for clinical depressive anti-establishment self- destructive assholes everywhere. But he is, after all, merely a product of his times. I remember the Reagan Era, the unspoken fears of the Evil Communist Empire, nuclear proliferation, the constant threat of nuclear armageddon, AIDS, Satanic cults kidnapping children and doing unspeakable things, pedophiles driving around in white vans waiting to snatch you up as you walked to school. I remember the disconnect between people outwardly saying that they trust their government and privately believing that their government is out to get them. I remember seeing homeless people and being told that they were a blight, that their homelessness was their own damn fault. I remember being told that morality was fungible, never mind what the major world religions were saying. I remember believing a lot of this bullshit. I was still playing with G. Joe and reading comic books involving guys wearing tights. I was years away from my long, dark 20s. I was decades away from clinical depression, panic attacks, constant anxiety. I was a world away from being married, having a kid, learning about real adult fears like not having enough to pay monthly bills, mortgages, putting food on the table. It took me 47 years to understand what real horror is. Besides being cool as hell, it also speaks to my cynicism and mistrust and depression and overall disgust for nearly everything outside of my small circle of loved ones. A huge part of this volume is spent floating through other dimensions, the pacing wasn't even. The Newcastle evens are revealed and they are horrible and brutal. This first part of the volume is good The middle of this volume, though, is not. On The Beach moves on to his musings on what humanity does to this world. There is a lot of late '80s British politics. The Bloody Saint is about previous Constantine's life. It even features Merlin, a dragon and whatever you expect of an Arthurian story. The art is kind of crowded there. The volume ends with Constantine following a girl who causes people face their worst sins The Horrorist. It is beautifully illustrated. Overall, if it weren't for the middle of the volume that dragged it down, it would be better. May 30, Arnis rated it liked it. Unlike the first collected edition which was composed of nine issues, this second volume has only five issues and Annual 1. The Devil You Know didn't have the same atmosphere as its predecessor volume did but that's most probably due to the length of the collection itself which was shorter and did not have that much action-oriented content. As I write this overall review, I look back at my individual analysis of each issue starting from 10 and I realized that the only two issues that Unlike the first collected edition which was composed of nine issues, this second volume has only five issues and Annual 1. As I write this overall review, I look back at my individual analysis of each issue starting from 10 and I realized that the only two issues that stood out for me were 11 where the game-changing events of Newcastle were revealed and the dream-sequence narrative of 13 which got an impressive perfect scoring for me due to my personal bias towards dream-sequence narratives in general here in comics which I don't normally come across and in film. I did have a soft spot for the Annual issue which had fifty-three pages of interesting backstory and exposition about John Constantine's lineage that is strongly linked to mysticism and magic. Other than that, this second volume was serviceable, supposedly collecting issues that have the thematic resonance of what the volume's title implies. I would like to point out, however, why issues could not be included. Their content could still fit with The Devil You Know. I just finished reading them and they were not at all included in any volume of the Hellblazer trade paperbacks. Weirdly enough, the next volume of the series Rare Cuts is composed of issues that are not in chronological order at all reprint of 11 and then , 35, 56, What is up with that? This worries me. I suppose this only means that I won't be reviewing any collected editions after this and strictly do individual reviews then. Somehow, I'm just puzzled as to why the trade paperbacks for Hellblazer did not collect the issues chronologically, which meant that if I ever want to buy hard copies, I'm going to have to look for old individual issues that were excluded and where the hell would I find those these days? But fuck it, I digress. Back to the review. This was a rather short volume with limited stories but the content particularly 11, 13 and the Annual are fascinating and thrilling, providing us yet again with searing characterizations and disturbing imagery and epiphanies about the life and times of our anti-hero John Constantine and his paranormal misadventures. At this point you don't need to force yourself to like John as a character or even as a person of complex desires and selfish motivations. It would not at all deter from your overall enjoyment of Hellblazer stories. Personally, I love him and dislike him in several occasions but nothing that truly makes me outright hate him. I maintain that he's still my favorite thing about the series that and because I'm beginning to feel certain feelings of affection and attachment towards him, but that's my issue. Y'all should know by now that I dig the damaged ones! Jan 18, Sara rated it really liked it Shelves: graphic-novels , horror-supernatural. This is a re-read from me. Re-visiting John Constantine from way back in the early 90's. I originally read the comics, not the TPB, but they were borrowed from a friend so, except for the Horrorist which I own , I no longer have copies. The 4 stars would be how I felt about the stories back in the day. Now, I might be inclined to give these stories a 3 star rating, but I'm not sure that's entirely fair. I was hooked on Hellblazer, and it had to be pretty good for me to keep reading. Constantine i This is a re-read from me. Constantine is great; the stories, not always up to the level of Constantine himself. It was good to re-visit Newcastle, what with all the mentions of it in the TV show. I'm trying to explain it to my husband and what happens on TV didn't always happen in the original storyline. I'm not sure that's a bad thing, though. I liked some of the stories better than others. The artwork varies. It's great on the Horrorist. I'll try to continue on my journey of old school Hellblazer, but that will depend on the availability of the old comics and TPBs and my budget if I find I have to purchase copies. View 2 comments. Jul 25, Michael Nash rated it liked it. I think that I like the idea of Hellblazer more than I actually like Hellblazer. Somewhere between the 80s-tastic artwork and the meandering storylines that don't accomplish anything, reading this became more work than fun, which is a huge no-no for comics. The weird sequencing didn't help either; this volume collects Hellblazer , which wraps up the story from the previous volume, but it had been so long since I read that that I had no memory of what was going on. The resolution was pretty I think that I like the idea of Hellblazer more than I actually like Hellblazer. The resolution was pretty good, using the thing that makes Hellblazer work; Constantine defeats the demon Nergal through his own cleverness and sheer treachery. However this victory is marred by the weird 80s-ness of his method; he somehow traps the Demon's soul in the internet. The volume also includes "The Bloody Saint," which is apparently the first annual of the series. Its an okay story with fairly atrocious art. In both cases the decision to include them in this volume is completely inexplicable as they are obviously out of sequence and thematically unconnected. I'm going to keep reading the new volumes in the hopes that it gets better, however. After all, I read "Dangerous Habits" once upon a time, and that was very good. Sep 17, Andrew rated it liked it. And so on to the next collected edition of the John Constantine Hellblazer series and as you would expect it pulls no punches. If anything it feels like it has settled in to its stride which is rather surprising since the first book contained quite a long run of the comics in one. The social commentary which is such a strong theme through the book is still there and yes as a result does date it The Falklands war The artwork too also evolves - considering the book starts with stories collected from the late 80s you can see how things more away from the psychedelic and more to the visceral - I guess though like all long running comic stories the art along with the characters and even the storyline evolve and I have to say I am intrigued as to where it is all going after all this is the late 80s and there are still over 20 more volumes to go Jan 04, Sesana rated it it was ok Shelves: comics , horror. I'll be honest, I just didn't like this one much. Delano is a talented enough writer, true. But it's simply not to my taste. It's far too unrelentingly dark and visceral, with characters that dance on the line between merely unlikeable and entirely obnoxious. Yes, even Constantine. I wonder if I like the idea of him better than I like the actual character? I was also surprised to discover how deeply rooted the book is in late 80s British politics, about which I have limited knowledge and interes I'll be honest, I just didn't like this one much. I was also surprised to discover how deeply rooted the book is in late 80s British politics, about which I have limited knowledge and interest. The most memorable story was the surreal and grotesque nuclear meltdown nightmare sequence. I won't forget that anytime soon, but it was too strange and detached to work for me. It took me a long time to get through this book, because I had to keep forcing myself back to it. Jan 25, Chris Lemmerman rated it liked it Shelves: comics-and-manga-read. This second volume of the original Hellblazer stories starts strong, with John tackling Nergal and wrapping up the overarching plot from the first nine issues of the series. Then it begins to lose its way a bit, with a surreal issue about nuclear holocaust, and an annual that makes no sense whatsoever. However, the final third is strong once again as the two-part "The Horrorist" mini-series wraps the trade up with a maniacal storyline that redeems the collection after it meanders in the middle. Jam This second volume of the original Hellblazer stories starts strong, with John tackling Nergal and wrapping up the overarching plot from the first nine issues of the series. Jamie Delano brings sick and twisted ideas to Constantine's world, but this trade shows that when he is good, he is very good, but when he is off his game, nothing makes sense. Oct 11, Ola G rated it it was ok Shelves: graphic-novels , horror , dc. I've only got one question to this comic: what was Delano taking when he was writing it all? Some kind of a powerful downer, that's for sure. There are some pretty good parts, like the Nergal showdown, nicely concluding the mystery of Newcastle and the events of the previous omnibus. But The Bloody Saint or The Horrorist are just so unbelievably self-indulgent, beset by a diarrhea of verbosity, a penchant for lengthy, rarely used words Delano should really check out the meaning of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia and so over-the-top that reading them is simply a waste of time. The readers at least this reader are left scratching their heads in confusion and are having a sneaky premonition that they've just been made. Instead of a coherent story they got a long-winded diatribe on the world's cruelty with some ideas lifted from Moore's Watchmen , of all things. As a side note, Thatcher seems to have been immortalized by Delano in the early Hellblazer comics, along with the 80's horrible haircuts - not sure if this was the result he was aiming for. All in all, a disappointment. Hopefully the next one's better. Jun 05, Max's Comic Reviews and Lists rated it did not like it Shelves: one-stars-bad- stuff , hellblazer-john-constantine , vertigo. What's in that tea? It sets up the character and the character's world really well and it was just really damn entertaining. But I really wasn't too big of a fan of this volume. I liked one issue a lot. And for those of you who read this book, I think you know which one. It feels like as the reader you are on an acid trip and trying to read a book. Okay, that sounds a little harsh but its What's in that tea? Okay, that sounds a little harsh but its true. This book is all over the place and there is a lot of stuff that just didn't fucking make sense or was just outright boring. The first was the only one I really didn't understand at all. Maybe that style of Hellblazer just isn't for me but I found it a bit of a chore to get through because John is basically bouncing around in the astral plane and it just didn't feel like a coherent narrative. New Castle a Taste of Things to Come was really good. In fact, I think the word I would use to describe it best is intense. I loved seeing all the ghosts from Volume 1 alive and taking part in this tragedy. I guess it would have been more impactful if I had read Alan Moore's Saga of the Swamp Thing series first, but either way, seeing this team of friends interacting other than haunting John was great. I had always envisioned New Castle differently. Like it was some entire city invasion but since this was really one of the only things I enjoyed about this book I won't complain. Issue 12 was ehhhhh. I didn't love this one too much. Even though 2 very important things happen in it, I just disliked how they handled the entire plotline. Everything just seemed quick and convenient. And 13 was nooot good. It's another political statement that Jamie Delano so desperately needed to preach about in his writing. It's kind of like issue 3 of Volume 1. But that issue was entertaining as hell and didn't make me feel like I was reading the word count equivalent of the frickin Bible. I had to read the Bible in elementary school. Trust me it was wordy. I am fluent in English but I couldn't help but zone out a lot when reading this neverending narration. In the end, I can't help but be disappointed by the main issues in this second volume. The art really improved and is actually pretty stellar. It's really clean but doesn't use a lot of colour. All the penciling is top notch. But the story is too lackluster and just wasn't easy to read most of the time. The Newcastle issue is great. If you are wondering about what happens in Newcastle because of how frequently it is brought up, just read that issue on its own. I do not recommend anything else in this volume. And I feel bad for saying that but c'est la vie. Letter Grade: C Oct 11, Shannon Appelcline rated it really liked it Shelves: comics-dc , comics , comics-indy. These three issues really form the conclusion of the major arc from volume 1, and so should have gone there, especially the Swamp Thing related issue. Ah well. There's a bit too much philosophical wankery in issue 10, of the sort that sometimes spoils Delano's writing. However in the end it offers some nice closure, and 12 does so even moreso. On the other hand Newcastle is superb, not just for its revelation of Constantine's past, but also for the way that it shows the past of Constantine's crew, carefully lifted from both Swamp Thing and Delano's own initial issues. The story has a great kick to it and remains one of the landmark Constantine tales. On the Beach This is Delano's first full-length story that puts imagery and philosophy ahead of any type of story. To my surprise I like it and always have. The Bloody Saint Annual 1. This is a slow story, but it's an intriguing first look at the Constantine legacy, and also a nice translation of Constantine's own desires and goals into a different milieu. The Horrorist. This story is all evocation. On the downside, it's badly placed in this volume of Hellblazer as it's clearly about an older, more world-weary Constantine. Overall, this is another very good volume of Delano's Hellblazer -- though I find his monthly issues better than his longer form work, which tends to get a bit slow and talky Pity that DC couldn't have gotten this all arranged better when they redid the Hellblazer collections. Oct 24, Wing Kee rated it it was ok. A lot more introspective, high concept, but what happens with there's just too much? I like John as a character, his internal dialog is distinct and vivid and creative, he literally goes through hell and back, he is a very relatable character, so why do I feel a bit disoriented and disconnected from him this arc? World: The art is still very 80s art, I liked it when I was younger but now, I can barely stomach it. The line work is fine and the paneling is creative in parts, but it's the art style t A lot more introspective, high concept, but what happens with there's just too much? The line work is fine and the paneling is creative in parts, but it's the art style that is pulling me away from the story. The world building here this time around is sporadic, there is the wonderful Newcastle, and the Horrorist world building sections and then there are the wildly creative but disorienting dreams sequences, I say dreams cause there are so many of them. Yeah this arc we spend a lot of time in John's head. Story: Well, you can say that a lot happened while at the same time not a lot happened this arc. Certain stories moved the narrative forward a great deal Newcastle and Horrorist comes to mind and some stories were there to deal with John's mindset post Newcastle and Nerghal. I did enjoy the story overall, but I found that the large, huge, gigantic chunks of dream sequences and introspection, as cool as creative and deep as they are were just too overwhelming in it's focus. It is great character development and study, but man it leaves the story on the floor. I had to slog through this read. Character: As I've said above, I like John as a character and the plight he goes through is interesting, his voice is distinct and his internal dialog is deep and revealing. However, the issue with this arc is that there was just way too much of it, he broods, he fucking loves to brood and that's pretty much all he does in this arc. It's good as I said if you want just character development, but at some point, it would have been better to balance it out with other stories. Not as good as the first arc due to the huge focus inward for John and the insane vision dream sequences that were littered quite liberally throughout. I am ready for John to step out of his mind and get cracking. Onward to the next book! Nov 05, Devann rated it it was ok Shelves: sg-magic , c- dl , g-fantasy-urban , cr-angels-and-demons , t-graphic-novel , cr-morally-gray , a-adult , star. I originally gave this 3 stars but after thinking about it overnight I'm lowering it to 2. I think part of the problem is that this volume is all over the place. First you've got issues , and while are a coherent storyline [which I do have some issues with, mostly Anne-Marie's entire character and also the pedophilia for shock value edgy crap all these style comics seem to love] but I have NO IDEA what is supposed to be going on with issue 13 and John's dream about his weird two-heade I originally gave this 3 stars but after thinking about it overnight I'm lowering it to 2. First you've got issues , and while are a coherent storyline [which I do have some issues with, mostly Anne-Marie's entire character and also the pedophilia for shock value edgy crap all these style comics seem to love] but I have NO IDEA what is supposed to be going on with issue 13 and John's dream about his weird two-headed seal baby [seriously. Then you've got the Bloody Saints from Annual 1 and while it's an interesting enough story I guess, it's also giving me flashbacks to all those filler issues of Sandman that I hated so much. Probably the best thing about this entire volume is the 6 page illustrated version of Venus of the Hardsell that comes next [so make of that what you will]. I think I kind of shot myself in the foot here when I decided to watch the TV show first. I figured 'well the other Vertigo shows [Preacher and Lucifer] are fairly bad and downright unwatchable [respectively] and Constantine got cancelled so it's probably worse. I'd better just get it out of the way. I think I'm going to start reading a few volumes of the newer reboot stuff then coming back to this. Also I am both excited for and dreading coming up on Ennis' run [I firmly believe that he only manages to write good storylines despite himself so he's very hit or miss for me] but whatever Delano is doing is obviously not working for me so I guess at least it would be something familiar. Unfortunately this early stuff just seems like something I have to slog through to get to the good bits later on. Mar 06, C. Varn rated it liked it. Jaime Delano's arcs are visceral and depressing and steeped in the s. Yet the battles with Nergal are far too much in the astral plane and while some key figures for the Vertigo line are established and explored here many of the denizens of hell are here that also show up in Sandman , but it's a little hard to follow and the trippy, 80s pastel coloring is distracting here. The backstory for Constantine given here is just a little dull: the almost obligatory Arthurian references made edgier are slightly distracting. The Horrorist is artistically stunning although some of the paintings do make hard to follow the characters and the plot is bleak, but one must admire the artistic acumen involved. The premise, Constantine following a girl who causes people to face their worst sins, leads to something about as amusing as it sounds like it would. Delano does a lot of character building for Constantine here, but actual plots are just not consistent enough to hold it together. Oct 27, John rated it liked it Shelves: graphic-novels. This volume is much more of a mixed bag of stories than the other collections I've read which are Volumes 1, 4, 5 , but still worth the effort. It contains the conclusion of the Swamp Thing arc, a massively dull backstory about Constantine's heritage, and a beautifully illustrated and highly depressing two-parter called "The Horrorist. Not too exciting but I'm so fascinated by Constantine hi This volume is much more of a mixed bag of stories than the other collections I've read which are Volumes 1, 4, 5 , but still worth the effort. Not too exciting but I'm so fascinated by Constantine himself, I will continue to read more. May 03, Amy rated it really liked it. It's so good to re- read the old Hellblazers. None of the warm fuzzy abomination that the many series in "The New 52" have turned him into. Just drunken, ratty, poxy, mean, stunted old John Constantine. Dec 10, Ronald rated it liked it Shelves: comics , dc-comics. The stories in this collection are good. But they are not all Hallblazer John Constantine stories. Most of the tales told here are not even with Constantine appearing or well interesting. I was kind of disappointed. Sep 23, Darth rated it it was amazing. Jesus Christ, I love Constantine.

Hellblazer: The Devil You Know by Jamie Delano

Some kind of a powerful downer, that's for sure. There are some pretty good parts, like the Nergal showdown, nicely concluding the mystery of Newcastle and the events of the previous omnibus. But The Bloody Saint or The Horrorist are just so unbelievably self-indulgent, beset by a diarrhea of verbosity, a penchant for lengthy, rarely used words Delano should really check out the meaning of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia and so over-the-top that reading them is simply a waste of time. The readers at least this reader are left scratching their heads in confusion and are having a sneaky premonition that they've just been made. Instead of a coherent story they got a long- winded diatribe on the world's cruelty with some ideas lifted from Moore's Watchmen , of all things. As a side note, Thatcher seems to have been immortalized by Delano in the early Hellblazer comics, along with the 80's horrible haircuts - not sure if this was the result he was aiming for. All in all, a disappointment. Hopefully the next one's better. Jun 05, Max's Comic Reviews and Lists rated it did not like it Shelves: one-stars-bad-stuff , hellblazer-john-constantine , vertigo. What's in that tea? It sets up the character and the character's world really well and it was just really damn entertaining. But I really wasn't too big of a fan of this volume. I liked one issue a lot. And for those of you who read this book, I think you know which one. It feels like as the reader you are on an acid trip and trying to read a book. Okay, that sounds a little harsh but its What's in that tea? Okay, that sounds a little harsh but its true. This book is all over the place and there is a lot of stuff that just didn't fucking make sense or was just outright boring. The first was the only one I really didn't understand at all. Maybe that style of Hellblazer just isn't for me but I found it a bit of a chore to get through because John is basically bouncing around in the astral plane and it just didn't feel like a coherent narrative. New Castle a Taste of Things to Come was really good. In fact, I think the word I would use to describe it best is intense. I loved seeing all the ghosts from Volume 1 alive and taking part in this tragedy. I guess it would have been more impactful if I had read Alan Moore's Saga of the Swamp Thing series first, but either way, seeing this team of friends interacting other than haunting John was great. I had always envisioned New Castle differently. Like it was some entire city invasion but since this was really one of the only things I enjoyed about this book I won't complain. Issue 12 was ehhhhh. I didn't love this one too much. Even though 2 very important things happen in it, I just disliked how they handled the entire plotline. Everything just seemed quick and convenient. And 13 was nooot good. It's another political statement that Jamie Delano so desperately needed to preach about in his writing. It's kind of like issue 3 of Volume 1. But that issue was entertaining as hell and didn't make me feel like I was reading the word count equivalent of the frickin Bible. I had to read the Bible in elementary school. Trust me it was wordy. I am fluent in English but I couldn't help but zone out a lot when reading this neverending narration. In the end, I can't help but be disappointed by the main issues in this second volume. The art really improved and is actually pretty stellar. It's really clean but doesn't use a lot of colour. All the penciling is top notch. But the story is too lackluster and just wasn't easy to read most of the time. The Newcastle issue is great. If you are wondering about what happens in Newcastle because of how frequently it is brought up, just read that issue on its own. I do not recommend anything else in this volume. And I feel bad for saying that but c'est la vie. Letter Grade: C Oct 11, Shannon Appelcline rated it really liked it Shelves: comics-dc , comics , comics-indy. These three issues really form the conclusion of the major arc from volume 1, and so should have gone there, especially the Swamp Thing related issue. Ah well. There's a bit too much philosophical wankery in issue 10, of the sort that sometimes spoils Delano's writing. However in the end it offers some nice closure, and 12 does so even moreso. On the other hand Newcastle is superb, not just for its revelation of Constantine's past, but also for the way that it shows the past of Constantine's crew, carefully lifted from both Swamp Thing and Delano's own initial issues. The story has a great kick to it and remains one of the landmark Constantine tales. On the Beach This is Delano's first full-length story that puts imagery and philosophy ahead of any type of story. To my surprise I like it and always have. The Bloody Saint Annual 1. This is a slow story, but it's an intriguing first look at the Constantine legacy, and also a nice translation of Constantine's own desires and goals into a different milieu. The Horrorist. This story is all evocation. On the downside, it's badly placed in this volume of Hellblazer as it's clearly about an older, more world-weary Constantine. Overall, this is another very good volume of Delano's Hellblazer -- though I find his monthly issues better than his longer form work, which tends to get a bit slow and talky Pity that DC couldn't have gotten this all arranged better when they redid the Hellblazer collections. Oct 24, Wing Kee rated it it was ok. A lot more introspective, high concept, but what happens with there's just too much? I like John as a character, his internal dialog is distinct and vivid and creative, he literally goes through hell and back, he is a very relatable character, so why do I feel a bit disoriented and disconnected from him this arc? World: The art is still very 80s art, I liked it when I was younger but now, I can barely stomach it. The line work is fine and the paneling is creative in parts, but it's the art style t A lot more introspective, high concept, but what happens with there's just too much? The line work is fine and the paneling is creative in parts, but it's the art style that is pulling me away from the story. The world building here this time around is sporadic, there is the wonderful Newcastle, and the Horrorist world building sections and then there are the wildly creative but disorienting dreams sequences, I say dreams cause there are so many of them. Yeah this arc we spend a lot of time in John's head. Story: Well, you can say that a lot happened while at the same time not a lot happened this arc. Certain stories moved the narrative forward a great deal Newcastle and Horrorist comes to mind and some stories were there to deal with John's mindset post Newcastle and Nerghal. I did enjoy the story overall, but I found that the large, huge, gigantic chunks of dream sequences and introspection, as cool as creative and deep as they are were just too overwhelming in it's focus. It is great character development and study, but man it leaves the story on the floor. I had to slog through this read. Character: As I've said above, I like John as a character and the plight he goes through is interesting, his voice is distinct and his internal dialog is deep and revealing. However, the issue with this arc is that there was just way too much of it, he broods, he fucking loves to brood and that's pretty much all he does in this arc. It's good as I said if you want just character development, but at some point, it would have been better to balance it out with other stories. Not as good as the first arc due to the huge focus inward for John and the insane vision dream sequences that were littered quite liberally throughout. I am ready for John to step out of his mind and get cracking. Onward to the next book! Nov 05, Devann rated it it was ok Shelves: sg-magic , c-dl , g-fantasy-urban , cr-angels-and-demons , t-graphic-novel , cr-morally-gray , a-adult , star. I originally gave this 3 stars but after thinking about it overnight I'm lowering it to 2. I think part of the problem is that this volume is all over the place. First you've got issues , and while are a coherent storyline [which I do have some issues with, mostly Anne-Marie's entire character and also the pedophilia for shock value edgy crap all these style comics seem to love] but I have NO IDEA what is supposed to be going on with issue 13 and John's dream about his weird two-heade I originally gave this 3 stars but after thinking about it overnight I'm lowering it to 2. First you've got issues , and while are a coherent storyline [which I do have some issues with, mostly Anne-Marie's entire character and also the pedophilia for shock value edgy crap all these style comics seem to love] but I have NO IDEA what is supposed to be going on with issue 13 and John's dream about his weird two-headed seal baby [seriously. Then you've got the Bloody Saints from Annual 1 and while it's an interesting enough story I guess, it's also giving me flashbacks to all those filler issues of Sandman that I hated so much. Probably the best thing about this entire volume is the 6 page illustrated version of Venus of the Hardsell that comes next [so make of that what you will]. I think I kind of shot myself in the foot here when I decided to watch the TV show first. I figured 'well the other Vertigo shows [Preacher and Lucifer] are fairly bad and downright unwatchable [respectively] and Constantine got cancelled so it's probably worse. I'd better just get it out of the way. I think I'm going to start reading a few volumes of the newer reboot stuff then coming back to this. Also I am both excited for and dreading coming up on Ennis' run [I firmly believe that he only manages to write good storylines despite himself so he's very hit or miss for me] but whatever Delano is doing is obviously not working for me so I guess at least it would be something familiar. Unfortunately this early stuff just seems like something I have to slog through to get to the good bits later on. Mar 06, C. Varn rated it liked it. Jaime Delano's arcs are visceral and depressing and steeped in the s. Yet the battles with Nergal are far too much in the astral plane and while some key figures for the Vertigo line are established and explored here many of the denizens of hell are here that also show up in Sandman , but it's a little hard to follow and the trippy, 80s pastel coloring is distracting here. The backstory for Constantine given here is just a little dull: the almost obligatory Arthurian references made edgier are slightly distracting. The Horrorist is artistically stunning although some of the paintings do make hard to follow the characters and the plot is bleak, but one must admire the artistic acumen involved. The premise, Constantine following a girl who causes people to face their worst sins, leads to something about as amusing as it sounds like it would. Delano does a lot of character building for Constantine here, but actual plots are just not consistent enough to hold it together. Oct 27, John rated it liked it Shelves: graphic-novels. This volume is much more of a mixed bag of stories than the other collections I've read which are Volumes 1, 4, 5 , but still worth the effort. It contains the conclusion of the Swamp Thing arc, a massively dull backstory about Constantine's heritage, and a beautifully illustrated and highly depressing two-parter called "The Horrorist. Not too exciting but I'm so fascinated by Constantine hi This volume is much more of a mixed bag of stories than the other collections I've read which are Volumes 1, 4, 5 , but still worth the effort. Not too exciting but I'm so fascinated by Constantine himself, I will continue to read more. May 03, Amy rated it really liked it. It's so good to re-read the old Hellblazers. None of the warm fuzzy abomination that the many series in "The New 52" have turned him into. Just drunken, ratty, poxy, mean, stunted old John Constantine. Dec 10, Ronald rated it liked it Shelves: comics , dc-comics. The stories in this collection are good. But they are not all Hallblazer John Constantine stories. Most of the tales told here are not even with Constantine appearing or well interesting. I was kind of disappointed. Sep 23, Darth rated it it was amazing. Jesus Christ, I love Constantine. He's such a smarmy, nihilistic smartass with a secret heart of gold. And I love and miss comics like these. The art, the writing, the tone, the typography, the layouts, all of it. Sep 12, Irene rated it liked it Shelves: angels-and-demons , my-graphic-library , sequential-art. Sex and Death Sex and Death wrapped up the Resurrection Crusaders arc, but it still left many questions unanswered and left the readers feeling unfulfilled. The issue on itself felt rushed and awkward. I can't help but feel that the issue's only purpose was to act as a stepping stone for the next issue: Newcastle. Despite Delano's characteristic writing-style which I usually enjoy, Sex and Death was overly dramatized. Newcastle Finally, the readers are about to find out what really happened Sex and Death Sex and Death wrapped up the Resurrection Crusaders arc, but it still left many questions unanswered and left the readers feeling unfulfilled. Newcastle Finally, the readers are about to find out what really happened in Newcastle. And honestly, I was disappointed. As a story on itself, Newcastle was great but considering all the build-up, Newcastle was a huge let-down. What happened was terrible, but it's hardly the kind of thing John Constantine would go mad for. I like the nostalgic atmosphere Delano took on, but the rest was sloppy. The characters felt more complete in previous stories despite only appearing as ghosts and Norfulthing was just uninspired. The whole story felt as if Delano just thought it up at the last second. The Devil You Know This is probably the issue where Delano finally got the feel of things and started writing some solid plot. The pacing was great, the writing was engaging and the art was a big improvement over previous issues. The way the Nergal-arc ended was not the best, but it served its purpose. It was believable and wasn't over the top. Nergal had always been a bland, cliche character to me, so maybe that's why I never quite appreciated any story he's in. Agony and Ecstasy. Beautifully designed and just plainly interesting. I hope we'll see more of them. On the Beach A story which could've been so much more than it had become. As always, Delano delivers with very charismatic and descriptive writing. His writing combined with the idea of the story had so much potential, but all it became was a sloppy mess. I like the idea of seeing a part of Constantine before he became the cynic, chain-smoker that he is. It's bittersweet. On the Beach started out great, with Constantine visiting a beach he frequented in his childhood. But then it quickly got weird, and I mean even Hellblazer weird weird. Everything that happened after the nuclear blast served no purpose but just to disturb the readers unnecessarily. Disturbing does not always mean good, not even in Hellblazer comics. The Bloody Saints I liked the first part of the story. It's back to Constantine surviving in the urbanized London. I was actually interested in who the Goddess woman could be. The second part just ruined everything. It was loosely written. And I never really knew what was going on. I'm not sure whether Constantine was dreaming or if the story really happened. Either way, the story with Merlin and Kon-Sten-Tyn was bad to put simply. Venus of the Hardsell Despite its irrelevance, I enjoyed this. If Constantine is a bastard now, then as a teen he was one very hardcore and angsty rebel. The Horrorist Now this was certainly different. Probably the best Hellblazer story I have read so far. I realize that Rayner's and also Ridgway's style is what labels these issues as something from the 80's, but Lloyd's art was just perfect. It matches Hellblazer so well, I can't figure out why they haven't used his art from the very beginning. The grimy black-and-white color scheme, and the occasional red for blood and fire yes! The story was also among the best so far probably only rivaled by Hunger in Hellblazer It might be a little plain and cliche, but I thought it was still very good in its simplicity. For once, the supporting characters were developed and compelling. The ending was confusing, but I suppose it should do. The Hellblazer universe and the cynical Constantine could make for very good stories. I'm holding out hope that the following stories would continue improving Aug 06, Hugo Emanuel rated it really liked it Shelves: owned. I usually write my reviews in Goodreads in Portuguese, my native tongue, in order to more effectively reach out to the goodreads users in my country. However, since the "Hellblazer" series seems to be largely untranslated into Portuguese and is somewhat unknown by the portuguese public, I will write my two cents on these Hellblazer tradepaperbacks in the english language. It also finally relates the events that haunt John Constantine since issue one and that had remained only marginally explained: the Newcastle debacle in which the botched attempt of exorcising a demon resulted in the eternal damnation to Hell of a little girl's soul. It's as brutal as one would expect and even more disturbing than I had antecipated. Delano pulls no punches in this story and the Newcastle episode alone screamingly justifies the Mature rating the Hellblazer comic boasts. These issuesd are as great as anything in Volume One and are some of Delano's finest works. Sadly, after such a strong start, Volume 2 takes a turn for the mediocre in it's middle section. Issue 13 titled "On The Beach" relates a nuclear holocast in a trippy and surreal fashion. It's not an awfull issue but it's mediocre at best. The penciller work on all three is done by Richarfd Pyers Rayner, who expertly replaces John Ridgeway who had previously drawn the Hellblazer issues. As far as I am concerned, this is the low point in this collection and almost wholly justifies the 3 stars rating I opted for. It relates a previous incarnation of Constantine, namely Kon-Stan-Tyne or something like that from the Arthurian times and it's as silly as it sounds. It boasts Constantine in armour, a giant dragon, bloodthirsty priests and Merlin and it still manages to be dull beyond imagination. The artwork doesn' help, as it's as mediocre as the story. After the bumps in the road that are issue 13 and the Hellblazer Annual, the collection regains the high quality it opens with with "The Horrorist",a two-part miniseries written by Jamie Delano and with artwork by the excellent David Lloyd. It's a later work by Delano and it clearly doesn't belong to the collection chronologically, but I don't mind that at all, as it's a stand-alone story. Delano explores the mystic and supernatural consequences that ensue following a well meaning relocation to suburbia by a missionary couple of a woman of african origin who has been subjected to third world violence and starvation. The deep seeded anger that she carries in her heart is so intense and powerfull that it manifestates physically and psychologically in the lives of everyone she comes across. The story is strong, as is the artwork. It's a great close to the collection. I hesitated between three and four stars, but ultimately decided on 4 stars because altough the middle section in the collection is pretty mediocre and a bit of a chore to get through the early issues and the final mini-serie are gold and essecial reading for any Hellblazer fan. So the rating is more like a 3. May 01, Michael Benavidez rated it really liked it. This time around the lack of one star is less to do with the lack of special content, and more to do with the story. The good, the arc from the last book is finished up beautifully, even giving us a seamless connection to the next mini-arc Constantine's battle with the demon and his past. The art is great, the panels flowing with zooming action, and then exploding into a beautifully fantasy but still reality centered style art in the past third of the book. The writing is great, poetic, and fu This time around the lack of one star is less to do with the lack of special content, and more to do with the story. The writing is great, poetic, and funny, and just as great as the last book. The bad: the stories in between arcs are kinda hit and miss. Not bad, but by no means great. They just feel odd and out of place after such an epic first arc. Constantine is still the troubled soul, he's got nothing to do or fear and he's wandering, but he just defeated his literal demon. The accomplishment just seemed forgotten. For a while I thought these were supposed to be in between one offs, just put after the full arc so as no not spoil that flow. Then the final arc, and it's not til then that we see what was happening in his head. And it becomes such a huge payoff, understanding just how fucked up Constantine is, that those issues in between Just seem like filler. They kinda helped build up to it, but not really. All in all it was a great read, the writing was top notch the final art style was gorgeous and exhilarating. The first third was amazing. The middle was rather slow. Jul 07, Pam rated it really liked it Shelves: comics. The Devil You Know asks the question on how do you save something from itself? Instead of three ghosts leading Ebineezer about, Delano's redemption tale moves in and out of emotional moments in John's life: starting with his biggest failure; Newcastle, at one of his biggest victory, at the end of life as we know it, at the very beginning of John's family tree and finally, when he himself is completely, emotionally spent and done - pushing him against someone far worse off than he. Delano's pen a The Devil You Know asks the question on how do you save something from itself? Delano's pen always asking, can John save himself? And more troubling; does he deserve to be saved? And what form does that salvation take? Make no mistake, John is a right bastard. But while you watch him in glory as well as in despair, you bare witness to how much this man hurts and how much he needs to be numb in order to function. Another commenter mentioned that there isn't any hope at all in these tales of demonic possession and end of days narrative. But hope is the very essence of the story. Sign in. The Biggest Books of the Month. John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. Jan 03, ISBN Add to Cart. Also available from:. Paperback —. About John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. Also by Jamie Delano. About Jamie Delano Born in , Jamie Delano has made a diverse, cross-genre contribution to the comic book medium, scripting—over some 25 years—both… More about Jamie Delano. About David Lloyd David Lloyd has been working in comics since Product Details. Inspired by Your Browsing History. Buy other books like John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. Takaya Kagami. Hellboy and the B. Chris Roberson and Mike Mignola. Nichijou, 4. Keiichi Arawi. Mike Mignola , Various and Chris Roberson. The Sandman Omnibus Vol. The Michael Moorcock Library Vol. Roy Thomas and Michael T. Blade of the Immortal Omnibus Volume 5. Hiroaki Samura. Children of the Grave. Gordon Mclean. Mark Buckingham and Neil Gaiman. Joe Death. Benjamin Schipper. Mike Richardson. Bloodborne Vol. Mike Mignola. https://files8.webydo.com/9590498/UploadedFiles/B694A5C6-AFAD-1536-86B5-31379D3CC65F.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9590980/UploadedFiles/68A1EDA0-8C15-1F0E-E7D8-2C9FAC25AAF0.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4645633/normal_60202a9ea077a.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9587363/UploadedFiles/38C45AFD-E35E-EB74-46B2-F736ED577EC2.pdf