Hellblazer 256 Review
As most people know I’ve been a fan of Hellblazer for a long time now.
Peter Milligan took over the writing duties after a Phenomenal run from Andy Diggle. He has been writing up a storm and in the latest issue (256) which is the first of three parts of the Hooked storyline.
Here’s the Synopsis:
“John Constantine never knew what he had until it was taken away from him, and maybe he still doesn’t know. But that won’t stop him from selling his soul to get it back.”
The first thing you notice when you see the cover of this issue is that Simon Bisley has came over to grace it.
I’ve been a fan of Simon Bisley’s work for a long time. It started off with his work on Lobo and his Verotik work which first had me start to notice. Seeing what he was doing really made me take notice of different artists. I had never really paid attention to the art before hand.
The art is by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Stefano Landini and it has finally seemed to get to it’s potential as when Giuseppe and Stefano first came onto the book we had just finished being spoilt by Leonardo Manco’s long run on the book and it was such a difference that I personally didn’t like it. I don’t know if there were others that had the same reaction but it’s hitting it’s stride now.
At this point in John’s life he had met Phoebe McMahon who he has seemed to fall for and he doesn’t know why. For a bit of back story for those that haven’t been reading it, in an earlier story arc John and Phoebe had met, hit it off and, as always happens with John, it all turns upside down. This time it included John forming some bizarre scab which as it flaked off would form into people’s darkest secret and haunt them of sorts.
Phoebe was haunted by an aborted baby who was asking her why she got rid of it among other things. John did what he could to get rid of it but it was a strain of their relationship where she didn’t want to walk in John’s world.
This is where we start off issue 256 with John at an alchemist’s looking for a love potion. Which even tho he knows it’s wrong that’s not going to stop him as we see him putting some of the potion into a bottle of wine.
This brings in some moral questions for John and also has him show that he’s still the bastard he always was. We’re shown how he wants to reinspire his relationship with Pheobe, deal with an addition to a magic infused skin and even dealing with Babylonian gods.
John as always has a plan and is trying to keep his cool no matter how powerful the person he’s facing is.
Now I don’t want to ruin the rest of the story for anyone because as I’ve stated this is a great jumping on point for the book but Hellblazer is going from strength to strength now and Peter Milligan seems to know how John works and definitely has a plan for as long as he’s on the book.
I’m hoping we get to see a long run from him.
Rating: 6/7
The only reason it didn’t get a 7/7 is because I still miss Manco’s art!
2 Responses to “Hellblazer 256 Review”
Lord Shaper
I started buying Hellblzaer with issue 1. I still have those originals somewhere. Bloody great book. Havne’t read it for the last few years though. I’ve got the first half a dozen TPs and read those recently and they’re still as good!
I’ve finally finished getting every issue of it so even tho I had read the issues back in trades I had to chase them all down.
Now All I need is to get the Swamp Thing appearances and I should have most of the books he’s been in.