A review by crowyhead
Hellblazer, Vol. 7: Tainted Love by Garth Ennis
4.0
Found myself surprisingly a bit more sympathetic to John this go-round than I was the last time I read the series. I'd always rather felt that Kit was the best thing John ever had, so of COURSE he cocked it up. Which is absolutely true -- but in re-reading, it also becomes clear that the cock-up wasn't one-sided. Kit loved John, but she never loved ALL of John, never wanted to know about the dark stuff. And ultimately, when she gets dragged in, and it's the last straw, and she leaves (which is probably a wise move, given what tends to happen to his associates)… well, it's not really John's fault. Except that he has a wonderful knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
At any rate, bless Ennis for giving us a complex couple of characters who love each other and discover that is not enough and probably never will be. It's better than a Tom Waits song.
John really takes the Tom Waits dive, then; he's forty, he's just lost the woman he actually almost managed to say "I love you" to, and he's been a complete ass to his friends. So then what does one do, except go on a complete bender and try to drink oneself to death? Of course, it's never that simple. What's brilliant is that when Ennis is writing Hellblazer, NOTHING is ever that simple. Love this guy's stuff.
At any rate, bless Ennis for giving us a complex couple of characters who love each other and discover that is not enough and probably never will be. It's better than a Tom Waits song.
John really takes the Tom Waits dive, then; he's forty, he's just lost the woman he actually almost managed to say "I love you" to, and he's been a complete ass to his friends. So then what does one do, except go on a complete bender and try to drink oneself to death? Of course, it's never that simple. What's brilliant is that when Ennis is writing Hellblazer, NOTHING is ever that simple. Love this guy's stuff.