John Constantine, Hellblazer: Fear and Loathing [Paperback]

Garth Ennis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1997

From the writer and artist of PREACHER, John Constantine is a cynical, hard drinking chain smoking Brit who's been around the block a few times and occasionally saved the world with his magical savvy. In this volume, Constantine must prevent his young niece from following in his mystic footsteps, cope with his own 40th birthday, attended by Swamp Thing and other mystical guests, and engineer the fall from heaven.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Garth Ennis brings a fresh, in-your-face attitude to the character of John Constantine, a part-time occultist who gets into more trouble than he prevents. If you like sneaky, underhanded deals that often go awry, check out this second collection of comics stories by Ennis. This tale is from the same creative force behind the Preacher series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563892022
• ISBN-13: 978-1563892028
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Ennis Hellblazer collection, November 21, 2001

By 

Ron Tothleben ([e-mail]) (Tilburg, Netherlands, Europe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Constantine, Hellblazer: Fear and Loathing (Paperback)

John Constantine, the character this series is about, is a man who looks like any other man. Despite of his overconfidence, constant smoking and the trenchcoat he seems to be joined at the hip with. But Constantine practices magic and had words with about every demon in hell. He's an expert and he's cunning to boot, although alcohol seems to be more of his interest. This book collects #62-67 of the series, which isn't a standard "good vs. bad" title but deals with characters who all are somewhere in the middle. Along the way their private lives are not ignored neither.

The cover-story, which runs through 4 of the 6 issues, is about `The Snob', formerly known as the archangel Gabriel. While John is very much in love with Kit, Gabriel is doubting his faith and the faith people have in him. His associates aren't happy with his behavior because of it and since it all leads back to something John once said, they're decided to make his life hell. Apart from that there are also stories about John trying to talk his niece out of getting into magic and about John's fortieth birthday (in the very first Vertigo Hellblazer issue).

Better than the earlier Ennis Hellblazer collection ("Dangerous Habits"), which wasn't bad either. The strength lies, next to interesting storytelling, in the fact that the story-arcs aren't out of the blue. They seem logical phases in Constantine's life and blend in with his everyday reality. Good and fluent Steve Dillon art in all the issues. Although it's before he realized his art doesn't need sketchy lines in it (as shown in `Preacher'), it's close to what it is today. One of the best Hellblazer collections so far. Prior knowledge of the title is a pro, not a must.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some days in the life of humanity's hellbound protector, August 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Hamtramck, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Constantine, Hellblazer: Fear and Loathing (Paperback)

I'm surprised that there are no other reviews of this book, so I'll give one. It's actually a very simple chapter in John Constantine's life. It shows everything that Garth Ennis gave him, his humor, his horror, his ability to fight and be fought and to win out in the end. His roguish charm which takes him through so much, is shown not to be able to take him through everything that life throws at him. It is the perfect prelude book for Garth Ennis's run on the title.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Loses coherence, but still, it's Ennis and Constantine., June 7, 2006

By 

Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" (Lakewood, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: John Constantine, Hellblazer: Fear and Loathing (Paperback)

Garth Ennis, John Constantine, Hellblazer: Fear and Loathing (Vertigo, 1997)

John Constantine and Garth Ennis seem made for one another, in some evil parallel universe. Ennis, of course, is the man behind the psyhchotically brilliant Preacher, and Constantine is, well, Constantine, the chainsmoking archwizard whose entire purpose in saving the world is so he has something to play with. It's not surprising when Constantine interacts with the supernatural, but it does get fun once in a while. Here, for example.

This episode in the incredibly long-running series focuses on Gabriel. Yes, that Gabriel, he of the trumpet, Christopher Walken, blah blah. Gabe and John had words some time ago, and here we find out that angels hold grudges for a long, long time. Gabe wants his revenge, and is willing to risk everything to get it. John, oblivious, is trying to keep things together with Kit while facing the worst demon he's ever had cross his path-- his own fortieth birthday, which is celebrated in the most interesting of fashions.

Like a number of Hellblazer collections, this one doesn't quite stay glued together for its whole length, with the fortieth birthday thing just kind of popping itself down in the middle and making the storyline wait until it's done. (This is the sort of thing Brian Azzarello is so good at avoiding, both on Hellblazer and 100 Bullets, and it's one of the reasons he's one of the best in the business today.) That said, it's not a bad volume. If you're a Hellblazer fan and/or an Ennis fan, you're likely to enjoy it. It just derails now and again. *** ½