John Constantine: Hellblazer #2 // Review
John Constantine is in the middle of it again. Between a magically connected gang, a police detective with mysterious motivations, a demon confined within a cell phone, and the works of William Blake, John Constantine is in a bit of a mess. Bad luck for John, good luck for the reader, as John Constantine: Hellblazer #2 is a solid comic.
This issue continues John’s search for the mysterious angels in trees in the park. It’s all complicated by the appearance of a police detective who has an interest in Noah, the young non-verbal gang member who’s helping John investigate. By the end of the issue, it looks like Constantine has found the source of the disturbance, but it’s not clear what he’s going to do about it.
Writer Simon Spurrier continues to craft a compelling tale, combining supernatural scares and modern crime in London. Spurrier has a great handle on Constantine’s voice, and it’s exciting seeing him put in new situations. The writing is unashamedly British, though, and some of the colloquialisms are difficult to understand for an American reader.
Aaron Campbell’s art is delightfully versatile. It goes from photorealism to phantasmagoria at the turn of a page, to significant effect. The colors by Jordie Bellaire make Campbell’s more gruesome imagery that much more vivid. The lettering by Aditya Bidikar is sharp as well.
The second issue of DC’s newest John Constantine title continues to be a success. It will be hard to judge the series more definitively until its first arc is over, but for now, it’s off to a great start.
