John Constantine Hellblazer: Scab [Paperback]

Peter Milligan (Author), Giuseppe Cammuncoli (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: John Constantine, Hellblazer | Publication Date: November 10, 2009

John Constantine is an unconcerned, somewhat amoral occultist with a British working-class background. He's a hero, of sorts, who manages to come out on top through a combination of luck, trickery, and genuine magical skill.

In this latest volume in the graphic novel series, Peter Milligan (BATMAN, HUMAN TARGET, X-Statix), one of Vertigo's most popular and prolific scribes writes the adventures of Constantine for the first time. John digs his fingers deep into his bumpy past and discovers that old wounds and new loves are both best left untouched. 12 years ago in Liverpool, there was a bloody dockers' strike. Things fell apart when a union leader caved-in to the bosses. Today, John Constantine has a new girlfriend and an extraordinary, horrible new skin complaint: A weeping, dark, knobby scab covers part of his body. And it's growing. What's the
bizarre link between this skin fungus and a largely forgotten chapter of British Trade Union history?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Milligan assumes scripting the exploits of London-based sorcerer John Constantine with two story arcs. In one, the magician’s body is enveloped by a horrifying scabby growth that has its origins in a decade-old scandal. In the other, Constantine confronts ghosts buried beneath the construction site of the Olympic Village. Concurrently, he’s trying to come clean with a new girlfriend about the pitfalls of a relationship with a disaster-prone, lone-wolf warlock. Milligan captures Constantine’s sardonic nature but has yet to invest his contributions with the quirkiness that has distinguished his work elsewhere. Giuseppe Camuncoli and Goran Sudzuka’s art is similarly serviceable but unremarkable. --Gordon Flagg

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (November 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401225012
• ISBN-13: 978-1401225018
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.3 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 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: #640,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome aboard, Peter, November 10, 2009

By 

Jon Repesh (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John Constantine Hellblazer: Scab (Paperback)

There is always a tinge of excitement, especially considering its' lofty and star studded pedigree, whenever a new writer comes on board the legendary Hellblazer series, and this latest trade is no exception as it heralds the arrival of Peter Milligan's tenure on the title. Every writer thankfully brings their own distinct and nuanced style to the character, thus being a key to its' impressive longevity, so what better time to explore a slightly different direction with our favorite cynical misanthrope then by placing him squarely in the middle of a decidedly unmisanthropic convention, a standard love relationship, with John the one unconventionally bitten hard by the love bug. In his mystical and macabre milieu, this can possess a particularly nasty sting with some serious sinister side effects. Throw in two more love interests, one a sassy young alchemist who also happens to be the local Don's daughter, and the other a bizarre unisexual Babylonian imp, and things begin to really get interesting, all within the context of a unique and horrific perspective on labor relations as only Hellblazer can. Milligan's methodical design is to scatter smaller subplots throughout while simultaneously weaving everything into one larger tapestry, therefore leaving the reader anxious for more. What follows next time will tell, but for now he has deftly laid the foundation for what will assuredly be another superb run on this superlative book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Peter Milligan's Run Begins Well, December 20, 2011

By 

Adam Holmberg (Pontiac, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: John Constantine Hellblazer: Scab (Paperback)

This volume collects the first issues of Peter Milligan's work on the long-running Hellblazer title from DC's Vertigo imprint. I have been a fan of the character many years, and the only run that I've not read any issues from are the Mike Carey and Paul Jenkins runs. Like the various James Bond actors, each new writer brings their own perspective and - often - their own baggage to the character, resulting in a prism of work that explores many facets of one of comics' most fascinating characters.

The past works of Milligan's I've read was often quirky - not as off-center as that of Grant Morrison, but still Peter showed himself to be a storyteller not interested in the mere prosaic repetition of familiar tropes. I wondered what sensibility he would bring to Constantine and he does not disappoint, introducing such instantly memorable characters as Constantine's new flame Phoebe - a strong woman who almost manages to knock John off balance - and Julian, a Babylonian ekkumu who ranks (to me) as one of John's most disturbing and memorable supporting characters.

This trade paperback covers Milligan's two initial stories. The first, the title story, concerns the growth of a large "scab" across Constantine's chest and the development of his relationship with Phoebe, a medical doctor who is one of Constantine's most normal girlfriends. Milligan's take on the Constantine character as is perfect - he seems to understand that while John can be capable of doing good things, he's more often pulled astray by the need to feed his demons and fulfill his own desires (contrast this by some who seem to see John as some kind of antihero), with the good that comes from his actions more incidentally. The second story involves John being haunted by a vision of a plague "doctor", and flashbacks reveal to him (and us) a crime that occurred during this dark time in London's history.

The art on the first story is handed by Giusieppe Cammuncoli, who had pencilled the book with a different inker during the Azzarello run; Cammuncoli's work here is sketchy and earthy, which suits the story and the tone of the book and character well, save for a few facial shots where the characters seem to be biting their lips (in a distractingly unlifelike manner). However, his work on the ekkumu Julian is memorable and scary. The second story is illustrated by Goran Sudzuka in a clean but unremarkable style.

All in all, a strong promise of what might be a great run on this classic character. Definitely worth checking out for Hellblazer fans, as well as those interested in a starting place to enjoy the character.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars John looks over his regrets, March 26, 2011

By 

C. C. Gullo "heycomics" (Rochester NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: John Constantine Hellblazer: Scab (Paperback)

John Constantine has a lot of baggage. Most people carry their regrets will "crow's feet" or putting on a few extra pounds. JC does it originally, with a giant skin ailment. Just as JC suffered before, his lungs didn't get cancer from smoking but a "soul cancer" (very early JC:H issues). He shared a blood transfusion w/ a DEMON! Now his problem worries him and sees a doctor who she takes a shine to him. That's a bit of the plot of Peter Milligan's (Shade : TCM -1990's, other Marvel books) new story arc, "SCAB".
I love Peter's work and he's great here. The art, who I should be used to, I don't care for. Ohterwise, a slightly flawed collected book.