bicanthropus's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Stunning conclusion to the short run. There were some twists I saw coming, and others that caught me completely by surprise . Absolutely incredible reflection on John as a character and how while he’s a hero, darkness lingers around him.
Spoiler
such as Noah being his son
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Pedophilia
Minor: Abandonment and Xenophobia
eideticmoose's review against another edition
4.0
1. How dare you bait me into thinking they were dead?
duncan_mcguire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
betogzz's review against another edition
5.0
Lo mejor de Hellblazer en años, el clasico Constantine regresó y duro poco. Espero renueven esta serie con los mismos artistas.
kaumlaut's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
elturko64's review against another edition
5.0
This is possibly the greatest John Constantine story since Garth Ennis's run in the 90s. Spurrier truly knows Constantine. The mixture of social commentary with horror, wit, guilt and fear is what makes the Hellblazer and Constantine so special. And Spurrier does this with ease. Such a shame that this series was cancelled.
billyjepma's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I'm glad Spurrier could wrap up the narrative he started before the series ended, but it almost makes its cancellation that much more tragic. This book has so much rich, nasty potential that it's just as hard to put down as it is to keep reading. And I mean that in the most complimentary ways because a John Constantine story should make you feel a bit dirty. Spurrier's scripts are charged with a sharp, underlying political commentary that never overshadows the magical, horrific settings he's working in but gives them additional teeth. Whenever I thought the story was about to take the easy way out, it swerved some other way and found a creative way to make my skin crawl. It's inspired stuff, and it sucks that we couldn't see Spurrier continue to flex those muscles.
The series also thrives off of its artwork, which is so gleefully in line with the grime and scum of Spurrier's scripts that you can practically smell the pages as you read them. Campbell and Bergara's different art styles don't clash at all, so there's no dissonance between the arcs they draw. And, of course, Bellaire's coloring is as stellar as ever. So murky and moody that you can feel the smoke in the air, and the flashes of aggressive reds and oranges perfectly convey the violence they're often associated with.
Some of the reveals in the final issue felt sudden, and they didn't have enough time to pull off the guttural reaction they were aiming for. Still, it's hard to blame the book when Spurrier's overarching narrative had the rug pulled out from beneath it. Even on those unfortunate terms, it's impressive how complete this story feels. I hope Spurrier gets to come back to Constantine someday.
The series also thrives off of its artwork, which is so gleefully in line with the grime and scum of Spurrier's scripts that you can practically smell the pages as you read them. Campbell and Bergara's different art styles don't clash at all, so there's no dissonance between the arcs they draw. And, of course, Bellaire's coloring is as stellar as ever. So murky and moody that you can feel the smoke in the air, and the flashes of aggressive reds and oranges perfectly convey the violence they're often associated with.
Some of the reveals in the final issue felt sudden, and they didn't have enough time to pull off the guttural reaction they were aiming for. Still, it's hard to blame the book when Spurrier's overarching narrative had the rug pulled out from beneath it. Even on those unfortunate terms, it's impressive how complete this story feels. I hope Spurrier gets to come back to Constantine someday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, Pedophilia, Gore, Sexual content, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Mental illness
haddocks_eyes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
emeliaisreading's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5