Hellblazer

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John Constantine, Hellblazer

John Constantine, Hellblazer is an American contemporary

Constantine, which returned the character to the mainstream DC Universe.[2] The original series was revived in November 2019 for twelve issues as part of The Sandman Universe line of comics, under the DC Black Label
brand. Well known for its extremely pessimistic tone and social/political commentary, the series has spawned a film adaptation, television show, novels, and multiple spin-offs and crossovers.

The series was the longest-running and one of the most successful titles of DC's Vertigo imprint, and was the stepping stone for many British writers. Notable writers who have contributed to the series include Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis, Eddie Campbell, Paul Jenkins, Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Brian Azzarello, Mike Carey, Denise Mina, Andy Diggle, and Peter Milligan. Hellblazer was one of the first modern occult detective fiction works and heavily influenced the genre to come.

Production history

After favorable reader reaction to John Constantine's appearances in the comic-book series Swamp Thing, where he had been introduced by writer Alan Moore, the character was given his own comic-book series in 1988.[3][4] The series was intended to bear the title Hellraiser, but this title was revised before publication due to the contemporaneous release of Clive Barker's unrelated film of the same name.[5] Initial writer Jamie Delano was, in his own words, "fairly ambivalent" about the change of title.[6]

The initial creative team was writer

John Ridgway, with Dave McKean supplying distinctive painted and collage covers. Delano introduced a political aspect to the character, about which he stated: "...generally I was interested in commenting on 1980s Britain. That was where I was living, it was shit, and I wanted to tell everybody."[4] The book, originally published as a regular DC Comics title, became a Vertigo title with the imprint's launch in March 1993 (issue #63 of the series). In October 2011, it was announced that this would join DC titles in being published digitally on the same day as its physical release, starting in January 2012.[7]

Creative personnel

Many writers had lengthy runs on the series, such as

Mike Carey, who respectively had the second- and third-longest runs on the book (only behind Peter Milligan). Other writers who wrote for the series include Paul Jenkins, Warren Ellis, Brian Azzarello, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Denise Mina, and Andy Diggle.[1][8]

Numerous artists worked on the series, as well, such as

Jock, David Lloyd, Leonardo Manco, and Sean Phillips. Cover artists included Dave McKean (who designed the first run of the series' covers), Tim Bradstreet (who designed the most), Glenn Fabry, Kent Williams, David Lloyd, and Sean Phillips.[1][8]

In the comics

Setting and protagonist

Hellblazer was set in a contemporary world, albeit a world of

Dream of the Endless, and the Swamp Thing
 – made appearances.

John Constantine, the main character of Hellblazer, was portrayed as a kind of

manipulative and a dangerous person to have as a friend, as the lives and souls of those around him became perilously involved in his misadventures. He took pains to protect himself from direct attacks, but his friends and relatives were often endangered in order to strike at him. The spirits of deceased friends haunted him, individually or as an entourage of ghosts.[1]

Constantine made appearances in other comic-book titles, such as

Firestorm and Captain Atom (who refers to Constantine as "an impertinent bumbler in England"). Grant Morrison created "Willoughby Kipling" for Doom Patrol after being refused Constantine by DC, changing his appearance to that of Richard E. Grant in Withnail and I, following which Phil Foglio was forced to create "Ambroise Bierce" in Stanley and His Monster, having been refused both Constantine and Willoughby Kipling.[6]

John Constantine was reintroduced into the DC Universe in 2011, initially in the

crossover event title Search for the Swamp Thing, and in the ongoing The New 52 title Justice League Dark.[11]

1988–1991

Jamie Delano (#1–24, #28–40, #84, #250)

Jamie Delano would often put his own political views in the comic, as seen here in the cover of Hellblazer #3 by Dave McKean. The artwork depicts John Constantine passing by a vandalized image of Margaret Thatcher and a sign that says, "Voting Tory can damage your health", both of which are the cause of London burning in the background.[9][12]

Having previously worked on

Houses of Parliament. He also had environmentalist issues crop up, especially in "The Fear Machine" (issues #15–22), where John fell in with a travelling community of environmental activists. Indeed, editor Karen Berger noted on Delano's departure the irony that his final issue was handed in the week that Thatcher was forced out of office.[13]

Five main storylines were in the run. The first, collected as "Original Sins",

Astra, from a demon in Newcastle
, an event that left him near insane and incarcerated in an asylum known as Ravenscar, and still haunted him to the comic's end. He eventually discovers that the demon responsible for this was Nergal, and uses a technological scheme to trap him, and lead him back to hell. It also contains a crossover with Swamp Thing, where Constantine loses his body while the Swamp Thing uses it to procreate.

This was followed by a lengthy nine-issue story arc, "The Fear Machine",

Thomas, frames this story. During this run on the title, Grant Morrison (issues #25 & 26) and Neil Gaiman
(issue #27) both filled in during a three-month break, with Morrison's story dealing with nuclear fear, and Neil Gaiman's being a ghost story about homelessness.

Delano's run ended with "

The Golden Child", where John is reunited with Marj and Mercury, who help him discover that he murdered his more perfect twin in the womb, culminating in an extended story, in which what would have occurred had the other twin survived in his place is revealed.[18] During his run, there was also a stand-alone issue, Hellblazer Annual #1, exploring Constantine's ancestry, and featuring the video to John's punk band, Mucous Membrane's song "Venus of the Hardsell"
.

Jamie Delano returned to the title on several occasions. Between the Garth Ennis and Paul Jenkins runs on Hellblazer, he finally told the story of why John's best friend Chas 'owes' him (issue #84), and he returned again for one of the five Christmas stories in issue #250. He also wrote the miniseries The Horrorist in 1995, and Bad Blood in 2000, both featuring John Constantine. A more substantial return was made in 2010 for a hardcover graphic novel Hellblazer: Pandemonium with artist Jock to commemorate the 25th anniversary of John Constantine's first appearance in Swamp Thing.[19]

1991–1995

Garth Ennis (#41–50, #52–83, #129–133)

The First of the Fallen, a principal antagonist in Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer, as drawn by William Simpson

Irish writer Garth Ennis then took over the title in 1991, again from 2000 AD, where he had been working on

Preacher, one of his most popular works. He also references the music of The Pogues and the poetry of Brendan Behan
, both of these being relevant to Ennis' Irish heritage.

His run started with "

King of the Vampires. One minor story in this arc (issue #51) was written by guest writer John Smith.[15][22]

The next major arc, "Fear and Loathing" (issues 62–67), covers a high point of John's personal life, with his relationship with Kit going well, and a 40th birthday party where his friends Ellie,

Papa Midnite, a Vodun shaman. He is accompanied by the spirit of JFK, who has to hold his brain in place from his infamous wound. He eventually learns how to escape, shortly before running into the First of the Fallen, in the guise of Abraham Lincoln. There then follows a small break where he meets the spirit of a dead friend in Dublin, offering some closure to his recent problems.[25] Ennis' run ends with "Rake at the Gates of Hell", a story which finally brings together the racism storyline, with riots in Mile End, echoing the real-life Brixton and Broadwater Farm riots in London, the revenge attempt of the First of the Fallen, started in "Dangerous Habits", and the end of John's relationship with Kit Ryan. John's eventual Pyrrhic victory leaves this run with closure, and a relatively clean slate for a new writer to take over.[26]

Ennis briefly returned to the title in 1998 with "Son of Man", filling the gaps between Paul Jenkins's and Warren Ellis's runs on the title. This more irreverent story is about the consequences of Constantine resurrecting the dead son of an East London gangster, using the spirit of a demon.[27] He also had two specials published during his run on the title, the Hellblazer Special and Heartland, which follows Kit Ryan's return to Ireland.

1995-1999

Paul Jenkins (#89–128)

Following issue #84 by Jamie Delano and a brief interlude by From Hell artist Eddie Campbell (issues #85-88), the series' direction was taken over by Paul Jenkins in 1995. He had been the former editor of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Mirage Studios lines.[28] He had pitched to several comic houses, having tired of editing, and eventually managed to gain stewardship of Hellblazer, the first largely untested writer to achieve this.[29] Jenkins' run is more traditionally English in its themes, with Albion, Arthurian legend, and old English battles all featuring, and even an appearance by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and a speculative explanation of the writing of Kubla Khan, and what the interruption of the 'man from Porlock' may have been. He also returns to Jamie Delano's coverage of anarchist lifestyles, and the effects of the Criminal Justice Act of 1994, a controversial law which restricted the ability of the public to throw raves and large demonstrations.[30][31]

Major storylines in this run include "Critical Mass", where Constantine is forced to use magic to purge his darker side into another human body, to avoid being damned to Hell as part of a trade to save the possessed son of a friend, thus creating the antagonistic character,

Demon Constantine, with the assistance of Aleister Crowley.[32] The landmark hundredth issue gave more detail on John Constantine's father, and the abusive relationship that they had shared. However, it is unclear as to whether this is happening in reality, or in his mind as John convalesces in a coma.[33] "Last Man Standing" reveals that his friend Rich is the current descendant of King Arthur, and Merlin's attempt to discover God's secret, an act which would destroy England, using John's few remaining friends as bait.[34]

The 10th-anniversary issue breaks from the usual format, in breaking the

deus ex machina, in a campfire conversation with God.[9][36] However, at that time Rich and his family finally sever their friendship with John, and the latter ends the run alone.[37]

1999–2000

Warren Ellis (#134–143)

Helix Comics.[20] He was meant to become a full-time writer for several years, as Delano, Ennis and Jenkins before him, but left the title early after DC refused to publish the story "Shoot", about high school shootings, following the Columbine High School massacre, despite the fact it had been written and submitted prior to the event.[38] The story was finally published in 2010.[39]

His brief run began with "Haunted", a London-based story in which John investigates the brutal murder of a former girlfriend, Isabel by an Aleister Crowley style magician, Josh Wright. The story introduces, or reintroduces many characters who became an important part of the Hellblazer universe, including Inspector Watford (originally from Jamie Delano's run on the title), aging magician Clarice, and Map, a powerful magician who works on tube renovations in his part as custodian of London.[40] The remainder of Ellis' brief tenure was taken up with single issue stories, collected as "Setting Sun".[41]

2000-2002

Brian Azzarello (#146–174)

Following a brief interlude by Croatian writer

Neo Nazi group before finally dealing with the architect of his incarceration, Stanley W. Manor,[45] a thinly-veiled pastiche of Batman
. Brian Azzarello did return for one of the five stories in issue #250. This arc attracted minor controversy for its depiction of Constantine in a same-sex relationship.

2002–2006

Mike Carey (#175–215, #229)

Following Azzarello's run, writer

Liverpudlian to write the Liverpudlian character. His was the second longest run by any single author on the title up to that time, second only to Garth Ennis,[20]
until Peter Milligan's run.

The start of his run introduces Angie Spatchcock, a fellow magician, and reintroduces his niece, Gemma Constantine, who has also fallen into magic use, to her uncle's consternation. After ridding his sister's house of an evil spirit, and finding out Gemma has gone missing, John returns to London, to find his old colleagues and enemies are all taking sides in the hunt for a mythical item, known as the Red Sepulchre. John eventually locates the item, and finds Gemma, freeing her from his old enemy Josh Wright.[47] Following several forewarnings, Constantine then travels the world to set up a plan for a forthcoming tragedy, which will occur when "Three doors are opened", involving Swamp Thing and the Garden of Eden amongst others.[48]

John's preparations have no effect, however, as he is tricked into killing the guardian that had been preventing the tragedy, freeing a beast which can control the collective unconsciousness of mankind. John Constantine cuts his own wrists, in order to free himself from consciousness, and plays a confidence trick on the beast, allowing his friends time to use the collective consciousness to rebuild the guardian that had kept the beast trapped. However, in this process, Swamp Thing has his human soul removed, setting up the fourth run of the comic, relaunched shortly afterward. In the process John loses his memory, setting up the events leading up to the 200th issue.[49] Leading up to the landmark issue, John has little control over events, and is led along by a psychic serial killer, who threatens to kill Chas and his family, and a demon, Rosacarnis, who offers his memories back, at the cost of 24 hours in her service. John eventually gives into this offer, and the 200th issue shows how Rosacarnis manipulates his reality, making him raise three children with her, in the guise of Kit Ryan, from Garth Ennis's time on the title, Zed, from Jamie Delano's, and Angie, from the current run,[50] with three different artists, Steve Dillon, Marcelo Frusin and Leonardo Manco each drawing one story, as the past, present and future of the title.

Carey's final run followed the attempts of John's three new children attempting to kill all of his family and friends, culminating in the death of his sister, Cheryl, at the hands of her possessed husband.[51] John then travels into Hell to try to rescue her soul, with the assistance of Rosacarnis's father, Nergal. The plan ultimately fails, and John returns broken, and intending to renounce magic.[52]

Mike Carey returned to the title for a single issue between Denise Mina and Andy Diggle's runs on the title, and also wrote the well-received[53] Hellblazer graphic novel All His Engines about a strange illness sweeping the globe.[54]

2006–2007

Denise Mina (#216–228)

England's loss is celebrated, saving the day, and proving there's no source of joy like Schadenfreude.[56]

2007–2009

Andy Diggle (#230–244, #247–249)

Lady Constantine, and Vertigo titles The Losers and Swamp Thing, took over the title in 2007,[57] another former writer for 2000 AD to have done this. He left the title in 2009 after accepting an exclusive contract with Marvel.[58]

The run starts by introducing two main antagonists, an aging politician, who is using a strange portal to enter other people's minds and commit crimes,[59] and Mako, a cannibalistic mage who devours other magicians in order to obtain their power. Constantine's attempt to play them off one another only succeeds in making them join forces in a further plot.[60] Constantine then traps them both with considerable ease, and questions how this has been so easy. It then becomes apparent that he has been manipulated by the 'Golden Child', his twin who did not survive childbirth, and has been manipulating events for the whole of the series, including his battle with cancer and many other events. He declines his twin's offer to merge souls, suspicious that his twin has been weakening his will in past years to make him accept this offer, choosing instead to take control of his own destiny.[61]

2009–2013

Peter Milligan (#250–300)

Peter Milligan, a veteran of the Vertigo line, having written both Shade, The Changing Man and Animal Man at the publisher's inception (and another former 2000 AD writer), then took over,[62] starting with a short story in the landmark 250th issue, and taking over full-time following this. His run implemented several major changes, including John Constantine's wedding and the loss of his thumb.

In a rare change, Milligan's run on the title starts with John living in domestic bliss with a nurse, Phoebe. Over the course of the first storyline, several new characters are introduced, including Epiphany Greaves, the alchemist daughter of a notorious London gangster, and Julian, a

Shade, The Changing Man, after chopping off his own thumb, seen Phoebe die at the hands of Julian,[64] and traveled to India to try to find a way of saving her.[65]
Following this, he realised that he was in love with Epiphany, and married her in the 275th issue. However, the events of this wedding turned Constantine's niece Gemma against him, due to the Demon Constantine sexually assaulting her in the restroom. The strain of this traumatic incident turned her against John, and she enlisted the help of a coven of witches to kill him, which later came to a head when John was forced to fight off a brutal Demon summoned by them using John's iconic trenchcoat to target him.

Afterwards, John's coat (which Gemma sold on eBay) began to manipulate its various new owners into murder, suicide, or other horrific acts until coming into the hands of a man from the U.S., who tried to kill John and Epiphany. During the time the coat was missing, John's magical abilities had begun to go out of control. John eventually resolves this, and he was re-united with his coat. Since this, Gemma and John have a very shaky relationship with one another, and she began a sexual relationship with Epiphany's crime-boss father Terry in order to "punish" John. When he confronted her about this relationship though, she told him that she would not stop unless he was able to retrieve her mother's soul from Hell. John agreed.[66] In order to get his sister to leave Hell, John agreed to track down her son, his adopted nephew, in Ireland.

On October 8, 2012, the series was announced as ending with issue 300, following which a new title,

Three Fates
, who tell him that he will finally meet his end in five days. Having lived a good and adventurous life, he happily accepts his fate rather than trying to fight it like he always does. When the last day came, Constantine was ambushed and shot in his own home right in front of a horrified Epiphany. After he died, Epiphany and Finn had an affair as a way to comfort each other. John's ghost saw them having sex in a graveyard and seemed to give his blessing, making the fates decide that John wasn't going to try to come back to life. Then, of course, he did. He contacted Epiphany and asked her to help resurrect him by making him cigarettes from his ashes, which, after he smoked them, made him corporeal again. Thinking to disappear and live happily ever after with Epiphany, they moved to a tiny house in Ireland, courtesy of Finn, that was totally off the grid and far removed from any apparent trouble, the last place anyone would think to look for John. That didn't last long, though, as John realized he can never run from his past.

So John left Epiphany in Ireland and returned to England to confront Gemma. He stole the last dart holding the concoction that killed his demon twin, but ultimately gave it back to Gemma and told her either she could kill him, and live her life without him, but be consumed with guilt for killing him or she could let him disappear from her life forever, without any guilt for murdering him. Gemma shot the dart at him, but John disappeared. The final panel of Hellblazer reveals John, looking shocked and much older than we'd previously seen him, standing in a bar appropriately called "A Long Journey's End" surrounded by people, in front of a shelf full of bottles with the names of the comic's staff over the years.[68]

Other writers

Guest writers were Grant Morrison (#25–26), Neil Gaiman (#27), John Smith (#51), Eddie Campbell (#85–88), Darko Macan (#144–145), and Jason Aaron (#245–246).[69]

Justice League Dark, Constantine and DC Rebirth

In 2011, it was announced that a younger John Constantine would feature in

Deadman and Madame Xanadu, known as Justice League Dark.[70] As part of the DC universe reboot in September 2011, Peter Milligan started the title which featured an alternate version of John Constantine as a prominent part of the team.[11] Milligan wrote eight issues of Justice League Dark, with writer Jeff Lemire
taking over on issue nine.

On November 8, 2012, DC announced that Hellblazer would be cancelled following its 300th issue, and would be replaced by

Relaunch (2019)

In July 2019, DC announced that Hellblazer would be relaunched as part of The Sandman Universe line of comics. The relaunched series, written by Simon Spurrier and illustrated by Aaron Campbell, begins after the events of the 1990 miniseries The Books of Magic. Hellblazer began with a one-shot on Halloween 2019, before becoming a regular series in November.[75] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series ended after 12 issues.[76] However, during New York Comic Con 2023, it was revealed that the series would getting a revival miniseries called John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America, with Spurrier and Campbell returning and publication set to begin in January 2024.[77]

Themes and style

"[Hellblazer] retains the occult connections, but what sets it apart from the sad, played out "dark fantasies" that you'll find on the shelf next to it is its clear knowledge that real horror is perpetrated not by eye-soiling pantomime monsters, or pale things in black with stupid names. Real horror comes from people. Just people. They're the scariest things in the world."

– In an introduction by Warren Ellis, he describes the comic and how it differs from others of the same genre.[78]

Hellblazer was first published during the early days of the

War on Terror.[82] This made John Constantine different from other comic book characters at that time, in that he fights the political and social injustice of Great Britain.[83]

When

punk ideology in the series, with the protagonist trying to reacquire his former punk self, while also characterizing the Conservative government as a demon infestation with the punk subculture fighting against this supposed subversion and abuse.[84] As such, much of Hellblazer's horror often comes in the crisis and controversies of its time.[12][81] Being set in the UK, many famous British personalities have appeared or made cameos such as Sid Vicious, Margaret Thatcher, Aleister Crowley and Alan Moore
.

As stated by Warren Ellis, Hellblazer's major themes were

breaking of the fourth wall.[12][78] In many story arcs every victory Constantine makes has a negative side effect and often leads to tragedy. His friends, family, and others would be sacrificed or be caught in the crossfire, many of them are dead or have left him. John tries his best to make something good in his life, but most of it leading to failure.[1][8]

Reception

A John Constantine cosplay. The character itself has become a British icon in popular culture.[81][85]

Over the two decades that it had been published, Hellblazer had normally been quite well received. While not attaining the sales of 'mainstream' comics, it had sustained healthy figures, consistently being one of the top selling Vertigo titles, and was sustained by healthy sales of

trade paperbacks.[86] Hillary Goldstein of IGN described it as, "Sometimes surreal, often provocative and almost always entertaining, the adventures of the Hellblazer are among the best Vertigo has to offer."[87] Well-known comic book writer Warren Ellis also praised the series as his favorite, calling it as "among the very best horror works of the 1990s."[78] Andre Borges from DNA India listed it in the "15 Must Read Graphic Novels", describing it as "one of the first of its kind", and that its "writing and art work have been praised throughout its run."[88] Robert Tutton of Paste listed the series at #4 in its "13 Terrifying Modern Horror Comics", stating that "Constantine’s most frightening encounters have hewn close enough to that kernel of truth to remind readers that real life can be as terrifying as any succubus or demon spawn."[89]

Jamie Delano's original run on the title is looked on fondly, with journalist Helen Braithwaite stating, "His take on the character of John Constantine has never been equalled. Delano's Original Sins graphic novel should be in every comic book fan's collection." She added that, "His writing evokes an incredible sense of dread and terror in a reader."[90] IGN listed the title as one of the 25 Best Vertigo Books, calling John Constantine as "one of Vertigo's best characters."[91]

Garth Ennis' run is also much loved, particularly

Eisner Award for "Best Cover Artist" in 1995.[95]

The creator of the protagonist, Alan Moore, praised Jamie Delano's portrayal of the character, commenting "[Delano] demonstrates brilliantly that English horror didn't vanish with the fog and gas lit cobblestones at the end of the Victorian era."[96] Moore also liked Brian Azzarello's run on the series, commenting that Azzarello and Corben captured the character "down, cold and to the life."[97]

The character received positive critical reception while starring in the series. Empire ranked Constantine third in their 50 Greatest Comic Characters of All Time,[94] while IGN ranked him #29 in their Top 100 Comic Book Heroes,[98] and the character ranked #10 in Wizard Magazine's Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time.[99]

Legacy

"I think Hellblazer is quite unique. In a comic world dominated by American characters (nothing wrong with that per se) Constantine was unashamedly British. A certain kind of miserablist British"

– Peter Milligan in an interview with Comic Book Resources[81]

The comic book's initial cancellation, and the introduction of the character to DC led to many negative feedback and reception. I, Vampire writer

Dan Didio issued a statement defending this decision, stating that, "Hellblazer's had a long and incredibly successful run and that's a tip of the hat to all the great creators that have worked on the book over the years. The new Constantine series will return him back to his roots in the DCU and hopefully be the start of another incredible run."[100] Comic Alliance described Hellblazer's cancellation as marking "the end of an era for Vertigo" while adding it to be "one of a handful of comics from the late eighties that helped comic books and their readers grow up."[101]

Hellblazer boosted the popularity and image of the

Criminal Macabre, Gravel, Planetary, and others.[104] Its elements and style have been used countless of times in other works and many analogues of the cynical John Constantine have appeared.[105]

Publications

Title Issues Year Writer(s) Artist(s)
Hellblazer #1–300 1988–2013 Jamie Delano, Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Dick Foreman, Garth Ennis, John Smith, Eddie Campbell, Paul Jenkins, Warren Ellis, Darko Macan, Brian Azzarello, Mike Carey, Denise Mina, Andy Diggle, Jason Aaron, Dave Gibbons, China Miéville and Peter Milligan John Ridgway, Lee Bermejo, Simon Bisley, Mark Buckingham, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Richard Corben, Guy Davis, Steve Dillon, Marcelo Frusin, Doug Alexander Gregory, John Higgins, Mike Hoffman, Jock, David Lloyd, Leonardo Manco, Dave McKean, Sean Phillips, Steve Pugh, Richard Piers Rayner, William Simpson, Cameron Stewart, Bryan Talbot, Dave McKean, Tim Bradstreet, Glenn Fabry, Kent Williams, David Lloyd, and Sean Phillips.[1]
Hellblazer Annual #1 1988 Jamie Delano Bryan Talbot
Vertigo Jam #1: Tainted Love #1 1993 Garth Ennis Steve Dillon
Hellblazer Special #1 1994
The Horrorist #1–2 1995 Jamie Delano David Lloyd
Heartland #1 1997 Garth Ennis Steve Dillon
Hellblazer: The Books of Magic #1-2 1997 Paul Jenkins, John Ney Rieber Paul Lee
The Trenchcoat Brigade #1–4 1999 John Ney Rieber John Ridgway
Sandman Presents: Love Street #1–3 1999 Peter Hogan Michael Zulli, Vince Locke
Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood #1–4 2000 Jamie Delano Philip Bond
Hellblazer Vertigo Secret Files and Origins #1 2000 Jamie Delano, Michael Bonner, Brian Azzarello Tim Bradsheet, David Lloyd, John Ridgway, John Totleben, Will Simpson, John Higgins, Steve Dillon, Steve Pugh, Dave Taylor, Paul Gulacy, Glenn Fabry, Peter Snejbjerg, Sean Philips
Hellblazer Special: Lady Constantine #1–4 2004 Andy Diggle Goran Sudžuka
Hellblazer Special: Papa Midnite #1–5 2005 Mat Johnson
All His Engines OGN 2005 Mike Carey Leonardo Manco
Hellblazer Presents: Chas – The Knowledge #1–5 2008 Simon Oliver Goran Sudžuka
Hellblazer: Pandemonium OGN 2010 Jamie Delano Jock
Dark Entries OGN 2010 Ian Rankin Werther Dell'Edera
Hellblazer: City of Demons #1–5 2011 Si Spencer Sean Murphy
Hellblazer Annual 2011 #1 2011 Peter Milligan Simon Bisley
The Sandman Universe Presents: Hellblazer #1 2019 Simon Spurrier Marcio Takara
John Constantine, Hellblazer #1–12 2019–2020 Aaron Campbell, Matías Bergara
Hellblazer: Rise and Fall #1–3 2020–2021 Tom Taylor Darick Robertson
John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #1– 2024 Simon Spurrier Aaron Campbell

Collected editions

Trade paperbacks

Original series

Title Collected material Published date ISBN
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 01: Original Sins Hellblazer #1–9, Swamp Thing #76–77 4 Mar 2011 978-1401230067
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 02: The Devil You Know Hellblazer #10–13, The Horrorist #1–2, Annual #1 30 Dec 2011 978-1401233020
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 03: The Fear Machine Hellblazer #14–22 22 Jun 2012 978-1401235192
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 04: The Family Man Hellblazer #23–33, Hellblazer Vertigo Secret Files and Origins #1 29 Nov 2012 978-1401236908
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 05: Dangerous Habits Hellblazer #34–46 23 May 2013 978-1401238025
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 06: Bloodlines Hellblazer #47–61 12 Sep 2013 978-1401240431
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 07: Tainted Love Hellblazer #62–71, Hellblazer Special #1, Vertigo Jam #1 15 Jan 2014 978-1401243036
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 08: Rake at the Gates of Hell Hellblazer #72–83, Heartland #1 19 Jun 2014 978-1401247492
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 09: Critical Mass Hellblazer #84–96 30 Oct 2014 978-1401250720
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 10: In the Line of Fire Hellblazer #97–107 26 Feb 2015 978-1401251376
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 11: Last Man Standing Hellblazer #108–120 27 Aug 2015 978-1401255299
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 12: How to Play with Fire Hellblazer #121–133 13 Jan 2016 978-1401258108
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 13: Haunted Hellblazer #134–145, Vertigo Resurrected #1, Vertigo: Winter's Edge #1–3 17 May 2016 978-1401261412
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 14: Good Intentions Hellblazer #146–161, Hellblazer Vertigo Secret Files and Origins #1 23 Aug 2016 978-1401263737
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 15: Highwater Hellblazer #162–174 17 Jan 2017 978-1401265793
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 16: The Wild Card Hellblazer #175–188 30 May 2017 978-1401269098
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 17: Out of Season[106] Hellblazer #189–201 19 Sep 2017 978-1401273668
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 18: The Gift[107] Hellblazer #202–215 30 Jan 2018 978-1401275389
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 19: Red Right Hand[108] Hellblazer #216–229 10 Jul 2018 978-1401280802
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 20: Systems of Control[109] Hellblazer #230–238, Hellblazer: All His Engines 15 Jan 2019 978-1401285692
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 21: The Laughing Magician[110] Hellblazer #239–249, Hellblazer Special: Lady Constantine #1-4 30 Jul 2019 978-1401292126
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 22: Regeneration[111] Hellblazer #250–260, Hellblazer Special: Chas - The Knowledge #1-5 21 Jan 2020 978-1401295684
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 23: No Future[112] Hellblazer #261–266, Hellblazer Special: Papa Midnite #1-5, Hellblazer: Pandemonium 1 Sep 2020 978-1779503053
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 24: Sectioned[113] Hellblazer #267–275, Hellblazer: City of Demons #1-5 16 Feb 2021 978-1779509529
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 25: Another Season[114] Hellblazer #276–291; "Exposed" from 9-11 (vol. 2) 10 Aug 2021 978-1779510297
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 26: The Curse of the Constantines Hellblazer #292-300, Hellblazer: Bad Blood #1-4, Hellblazer Annual #1 15 Mar 2022 978-1779514981

The Sandman Universe

Title Collected material Published date ISBN
John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 1: Marks of Woe The Sandman Universe Presents: Hellblazer #1, John Constantine: Hellblazer #1-6, Books of Magic #14 9 Sep 2020 978-1779502896
John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 2: The Best Version of You John Constantine: Hellblazer #7-12 30 Mar 2021 978-1779509536

Adaptations

Film

The first filmed adaptation of Hellblazer is one of the scenes in the documentary feature film The Mindscape of Alan Moore, which was shot in early 2002. The dramatization consists of the John Constantine character wandering through London and, in the film ending, experiencing a mystical epiphany of sorts.[115]

In 2005, Constantine was released, a feature film that did not use the same title as the comic book, in order to avoid confusion with the Hellraiser horror franchise. The only links to the character of John Constantine were the name and a plotline loosely based on the "Dangerous Habits" story arc (Hellblazer #41–46).[116] DC Comics announced a sequel to the 2005 Constantine film was in the works, with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura linked to the project. He stated: "I'd love to do it... We want to do a hard, R-rated version of it. We're going to scale back the size of the movie to try and persuade the studio to go ahead and make a tough version of it."[117] In late 2012, director Guillermo del Toro discussed the notion of creating a film that would star John Constantine alongside other DC/Vertigo characters such as Zatanna, Swamp Thing, and more.[118]

Constantine appears in the animated films Justice League Dark and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, with Matt Ryan reprising his role from the Arrowverse.[119][120]

Television

In January 2014 it was announced that

David Goyer and Daniel Cerone were developing a TV series based on Hellblazer to air on NBC. Neil Marshall directed the pilot episode. The series follows Constantine in defending humanity against dark forces from beyond.[121][122] On February, 21 it was announced that Welsh actor Matt Ryan was cast as the titular Constantine.[123] The show ran for 13 episodes in Fall 2014, and on May 8, 2015, NBC cancelled Constantine midway through its first season.[124]

Ryan reprised his role as John Constantine in the fourth season of The CW's

Constantine appears in Justice League Action, voiced by Damian O'Hare[129]

Others

point of view, including a lyrical reference to 'the Newcastle incident'.[131][132] The song "Venus of the Hardsell", which first appeared in Hellblazer Annual #1 and written by Jamie Delano, was adapted by the rock group Spiderlegs.[133]

Fantasy fiction author

alternate universe, [who] has black hair and lives most of his life in Los Angeles" whilst giving a brief summary of the film's plot.[134]

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External links