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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hellblazer: Pandemonium, February 16, 2010
This review is from: John Constantine, Hellblazer: Pandemonium (Hardcover)
Everyone loves a little bit of John Constantine and we would be hard pressed to resist the appeal of this brand-new graphic novel featuring the charming occult detective from London. Add in the fact that it is written by acclaimed Vertigo luminary, Jamie Delano, and illustrated by fan favorite artist, Jock, ignoring this graphic novel becomes all the more harder. The cover looks shiny and sleek with a dirty depiction of Constantine on it, sneering with a cigarette in his lips. It's all you need to get an idea of what to expect in this rip-roaring and wickedly original story. In an interview on Comic Book Resources, Jamie said that "in a moment of weakness," he agreed to writing PANDEMONIUM. When a writer says that, you know it implies a deep love for a character and that can be seen in how Jamie portrays Constantine. In other words, you can expect the John Constantine you have always loved, the chain-smoking, profanity-talking bastard with a warped moral compass. Every act of goodwill he does never comes from a deep motivation to do well by anyone, but stems from an effort to reduce the inward debt to his personal demons. He shows goodwill to a woman named Aseera, a Muslim woman with a deep-cut past. They find themselves go through all manner of activity and we see how John, the bastard he is, goes through hell with her, both in a figurative (Iraqi warzone) and literal (hell itself) sense. Jamie keeps it all tight and intriguing. You can never be sure how John arrives at his conclusions but you are aware of his inherent intellect and, in the book's final moments, his wickedness running the full course. Again, it's the Constantine you love; the mage with a capacity for terrible justice in his own twisted standards. Jamie did well by making that the driving force in this book, as should be, and the poetic words on the pages help bring the message across. Every line feels like something out of a Shakespearean play, never dull and always rife with flavor. One can never deny how tender every caption box or dialogue balloon reads. But Jamie's style may be difficult for first-time Hellblazer readers to digest as he writes with such discontinuity. However, as it stands, the story does run along well enough to get a sizable feel of what's going on. PANDEMONIUM is a book about war, not just against our adversaries but also against malignant forces within us and perhaps, below us. It would be fair to describe PANDEMONIUM as a love letter to Hellblazer fans, with John Constantine's dysfunctions and traits on full display, but new readers would do better by hunting down Jamie's run on the main Hellblazer book, if only just to get a feel for his complex style.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good, sinister and fun, April 10, 2010
This review is from: John Constantine, Hellblazer: Pandemonium (Hardcover)
As Hellblazer and Constantine go this is a good book. Written as a single story for some kind of annivesary, the story is well written. The humour is black and the build up is good. Our hero has travelled to Hell but here he enters a different hell, modern day Iraq to battle demons and spirits that thrive on the suffering of War. The book fed my appitite and left me well satisfied. Recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A home run for Delano and Jock!, August 29, 2011
This review is from: John Constantine, Hellblazer: Pandemonium (Hardcover)
The uninhibited juggernaut of a character that is John Constantine gets to shine brightly in this politically and philosophically fueled, sinfully enjoyable romp full of magic, mythology, horror, and dark humor. Delano makes a triumphant return to the Vertigo stalwart he was responsible for launching decades ago. I feel this is the best writing he's ever done on the "Hellblazer" title that revolves around the irreverent con-man and blue-collar mage known as John Constantine. Though created by Alan Moore in the pages of "Swamp Thing", the character's 'true' beginnings were the brain-child of Jamie Delano. He breathed life into the character by giving him his own title for fans to follow. And followed we have. "John Constantine: Hellblazer" has been a successful series for what seems like an eternity(and I've only been reading the title since the late 90s!). I have read the majority of "JC: Hellblazer" trade paperbacks, starting with volume one, "Original Sins"(which was written by Delano). I have also read the fantastic "Hellblazer" graphic novel, "All His Engines"(which is a review for another time). But if I hadn't read "Original Sins", I wouldn't have gotten hooked on the character, and thereby would have deprived myself of some of the best comic book stories I've ever read. Delano's "Original Sins" was, just like "Pandemonium", heavy in its political and philosophical tone. This book, however, is a more entertaining read than is his first run on the character. I really liked "Original Sins", but "Pandemonium" surpasses it in every way. The story, in my opinion, is more cohesive and tightly woven. Delano is and has always been an amazing wordsmith. But here, he is better than ever; the dialogue is snappy, and his use of description is far and away some of the strongest I've ever come across. In words, he sees more than just a way to advance the plot. Each turned phrase is ripe with a poetic-like delivery that would turn even the most boring of stories into an assault on the senses. He's that good. Then there's the way he handles the main character. Delano writes Constantine with the sarcastic and fiendishly politically incorrect sense of humor, endearingly opportunistic selfishness, and sneering devil-may-care attitude that makes him fun to read. Add to that the fact that aside from all the posturing, once you scratch the surface and look a little deeper, you see that he really has a good heart. All of these things have made him possibly the coolest character in the pantheon of cool comic book characters. And the political satire that Delano is so brilliant at, is seething with brutal honesty. And the philosophical elements that he provides make you think(which I feel more graphic novels should endeavor to do). This original graphic novel shows all of these aspects while tossing in a really interesting plot stacked with all the outer-dressings that make for a real page-turner. All I can say about the artwork of Jock is that his craggy style fits perfectly with the atmosphere of a "Hellblazer" book. I've loved Jock's work since first seeing it in "The Losers". I then treated myself to his magnificent stylings in "Green Arrow: Year One". His stuff is very original and unique. No one else's art could be mistaken for Jock's. His triple-threat abilities of pencils, inks, and colors are on full display here. He nails the tone of the story. 'Nuff said. Bottom line: Buy this book. If you've read Constantine before, you'll love it. If you haven't, you'll become a new fan. Either way, you win!
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