Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Caught Between Heaven and Hell, January 20, 2004
John Constantine made his mark in these stories from the first 9 issues of HELLBLAZER. Beginning with "Hunger," where Constantine has to "bottle up" a demon before it consumes a whole city, the reader is introduced to a man who doesn't fight for heaven or hell, but rather to save mankind from getting caught in between. Using whatever means necessary, including the lives of anyone who is too close to him, Constantine rages against the unfairness of it all. Fueled by Jamie Delano's rage of Britain's and America's system of government and economy, Constantine battles yuppie demons and stands against both the Resurrection Crusaders and the Damnation Army in his hope that man will be allowed to make their own mistakes. However, the art doesn't help tell the story. Ridgeway's work is extremely "scratchy" and only the addition of Alcala's inks at the end of the collection make things This collection is a bit dated, with its Thatcher references and a connection to the Swamp-Thing series that hampers understanding of all the references, but it is a solid beginning. And it does make you wonder...What exactly did happen at Newcastle?"
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Meet John Constantine, October 30, 2004
Originally a supporting character brought to life by visionary comic scribe Alan Moore in his legendary run on Swamp Thing, the hard drinking, hard smoking, bad luck magic mage named John Constantine got his own series with Hellblazer. Collecting the first nine issues of the series written by Jamie Delano and drawn by John Ridgeway, Original Sins is really nothing special compared to the following volumes helmed by various creators. Delano's story is sufficient enough, albeit sometimes incoherent, while Ridgeway's art is nothing more than average at best. However, Original Sins is a nice starting point for newer Hellblazer readers (of which there possibly will be more with the upcoming release of the feature film entitled Constantine with Keanu Reeves in the starring role) and it only gets better from this point forward. Future volumes which feature work by future Preacher creators Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Transmetropolitan creator Warren Ellis, 100 Bullets scribe Brian Azzarello, and current writer Mike Carey, are much better and amazing comic work, and are more than worth your time.
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17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Politically aware horror comic, February 3, 2005
With the new film soon out I thought that I should defend this comic book. I fear that the film will remove everything that is good, which is not unusual for Hollywood anyway! First of all I have serious doubts about Keanu Reeves as Constantine. Why not Jude Law?
John Constantine, is a punk-gothic anti-hero. He has a conscience, but it is hidden behind too much cynicism, alcohol, and tobacco. He has seen too much. His world is not the cosy world of nine-to-five jobs, or simple cause and effect. He is a mage, albeit a minor one. In the comics he is first and foremost a facilitator. He is one of the few that can move freely in both 'normal' and supernatural society. Of course, that leaves a twisted mind.
What really made this comic stand how it delivered its political message. All stories in this collection are very political, but they deliver their message in a very allegorical form. They chill me out because they capture so well the atmosphere of the 1980s, or the 2000s for that matter! The portray a spiritual poverty that opens up doors for forces both from heaven and hell to enter and exploit.
Some stories deal with the people that are just out to make money, other, more frightening stories, deal with the forces of hell and heaven that are trying to take over our daily lives. Yuppies are created by demons from hell and satan worshippers sacrifice runaway children. By far the most dangerous threat is posed by the well-organised and fanatical christian fundamentalists. Try the truly shocking story "When Johnny comes marching home" which deals with the scars left by the Vietnam war on the US. This is my favourite since it really transcends the classical horror genre and creates something truly new. It is not rotting corpses coming back - it is something so much worse that comes back...
The drawings can be very evocative, capturing extremely well the grime and filth of industrial England. Sometimes they are bland, but sometimes they are extremely evocative and powerful.
I just want to add that this review is for the first book only; the other ones are not half as good.
John Constantine is also a minor character in the comics Swamp Thing, Books of Magic, and Sandman.
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