Constantine General Discussion Thread

[Jason Kane]

Joblo writers can be a bit pretentious, but pretentious or not, from what Im reading elsewhere the review has valid points.

Except Adams forgets the fact that John's just a bleeding heart humanist rather than a complete dick and certified a-hole of the Brian Azzarello days

 

[Fallen Angel]

The thing is none of these reviewers have read a Hellblazer comic I'm guessing here but I get that feeling. Are they comparing this to that crappy film or something?

 

[Marvolo]

Except Adams forgets the fact that John's just a bleeding heart humanist rather than a complete dick and certified a-hole of the Brian Azzarello days

I was speaking about the over all quality of the whole affair. It seems to be meh.

Maybe the writer was referring to the character's cynicism and the way he can manipulates people. Who knows. I dont even know who Brian Azzarello is.

 

[Jason Kane]

The thing is none of these reviewers have read a Hellblazer comic I'm guessing here but I get that feeling. Are they comparing this to that crappy film or something?

Most likely. Those sort are no different from a tiny minority who thing the bisexuality throwaway line and a con is ten times important as his nationality and attire. The two things both parties have in common is that neither read the books, only read 2nd hand ifo from various sites or seen Keanustine.

*regarding the later group, their outrage is gotten toward #FireRickRemender or (the very recent #JanetVanCrime) territory

 

[Jason Kane]

I was speaking about the over all quality of the whole affair. It seems to be meh.

Maybe the writer was referring to the character's cynicism and the way he can manipulates people. Who knows. I dont even know who Brian Azzarello is.

Author of the New 52 Wonder Woman, Batman: Broken City, Joker, and co creator of Vertigo's critically acclaimed 100 Bullets

 

[Marvolo]

Author of the New 52 Wonder Woman, Batman: Broken City, Joker, and co creator of Vertigo's critically acclaimed 100 Bullets

Oh thats why Ive never heard of him. Im not much of a comic reader. Tho Ive recently been reading a few. I read The Long Halloween and The Killing Joke the other night and have now started on Hush. Might pick up Court of Owls when Im done with Hush.

I admit my Hellblazer knowledge is restricted to what Ive read about the comics here and what Ive read in other places on the web.

I intend to actually read Hellblazer eventually, but Ive been waiting for a sale on the Kindle marketplace so I can grab a few volumes at once.

 

[sdgrandia86]

Greetings. I'm very new to Constatine (I have not even watched the movie with Keneau Reeves) but I saw the trailer for this and it looks awesome! I'm interested in reading the comics. Where should I begin? Any specific arc? Storyline? Paperback for beginners that people recommend? I keep seeing people mentioning Hellblazer.

Thanks!

 

[Marvolo]

Hellblazer (1988-2013) is the name of the original Constantine comic run. It ran for 300 issues. It was ended last year and replaced by the New 52 series which is simply called Constantine. Start with the Hellblazer material. At 300 issues it will last you a while.

Sorry I cant be more help. I havent started the comics yet either.

 

[chamber-music]

Greetings. I'm very new to Constatine (I have not even watched the movie with Keneau Reeves) but I saw the trailer for this and it looks awesome! I'm interested in reading the comics. Where should I begin? Any specific arc? Storyline? Paperback for beginners that people recommend? I keep seeing people mentioning Hellblazer.

Thanks!

Read Hellblazer Original Sins trade which collects the first Constantine stories by Jamie Delano

 

[Fallen Angel]

Greetings. I'm very new to Constatine (I have not even watched the movie with Keneau Reeves) but I saw the trailer for this and it looks awesome! I'm interested in reading the comics. Where should I begin? Any specific arc? Storyline? Paperback for beginners that people recommend? I keep seeing people mentioning Hellblazer.

Thanks!

These are some of the trades you should read:

Original Sins (collects the first set of issues)

The Devil You Know

Dangerous Habits

The Fear Machine

 

[Jason Kane]

Greetings. I'm very new to Constatine (I have not even watched the movie with Keneau Reeves) but I saw the trailer for this and it looks awesome! I'm interested in reading the comics. Where should I begin? Any specific arc? Storyline? Paperback for beginners that people recommend? I keep seeing people mentioning Hellblazer.

Thanks!

Original Sin first then work up from there

 

[Lord]

What issues would some of you older fans consider to be the "toxic period" of the series? And after 300 issues did it feel like a cancelation or like a fitting end for those that had been following the series for so long?

Sorry for all the questions, but i gotta ask another one regarding if Alan Moore's run in Swamp Thing serves as a good prelude.

 

[Jason Kane]

What issues would some of you older fans consider to be the "toxic period" of the series? And after 300 issues did it feel like a cancelation or like a fitting end for those that had been following the series for so long?

Sorry for all the questions, but i gotta ask another one regarding if Alan Moore's run in Swamp Thing serves as a good prelude.

Peter Milligan's run. List of reasons why:

Spoiler

-John's niece Gemma was made in to the same scared little girl from her first appearance in Delano's run as opposed to being the tough knee cap smashing resourceful adult she was under Carey and Mina, had her get raped by Demon Constantine, steal proper John's coat* as part of a hex on him courtesy of some goth girls and #300 ends with her shooting her beloved uncle with a magic dart used to reduce him to a senile old fart at a pub wiping away his old self entirely.

-Epiphany ****ing Greaves! She's Milligan's own Carlie Cooper in a way
-John's talking trenchcoat
-#275. How he degraded Kit Ryan and made Angie Spatchcock a bitter fatty all to prop up the way Tim Drake and Cass Cain got crapped on all to prop up Damian in the Bat Books. It was awful there and it's awful here!!

-The long lost (and inserted) nephew Finn

-Shade the Changing Man hijacking the book by sending Epiphany to the past after she refused to be his substitute for Kathy George (you'll have to pick up Shade to understand what I mean)

Runner-up: Brian Azzarello's run because:

-John as a Joker facimile bastard who brings bad luck from town to town
-His dark and sexualized critique of the Batman Joker relationship with the Batman analogue that was the main antagonist SW Manor who wanted John imprisoned and killed for not loving him back (That's pretty much how it comes off in its entirety
-It was Hellblazer in the world of 100 Bullets


To answer the Swamp Thing question, yes.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Peter Milligan's run so basically the home stretch of the series was bad. I liked the odd issue but it was more miss than hit.

 

[Jason Kane]

Peter Milligan's run so basically the home stretch of the series was bad. I liked the odd issue but it was more miss than hit.

Scab and Suicide Bridge (the '12 annual) were the only two that were good. Everything after and in between was borderline amateur fanfic territory.

 

[chamber-music]

Peter Milligan's stale run on the title made it easier for it to be cancelled. As Jason Kane said Milligan's only good stories were Scab and the Suicide Bridge.

Epiphany was a bit of a mary sue character.

What Milligan did to Gemma was insulting. The clichéd sexual violence for shock value is over used and unnecessary.

Overall his run was dull and tedious. Other writers have written about the everyday domestic life of Constantine but they managed to make it interesting. Milligan just made boring that by the time the book was cancelled it almost felt like it was being put out of its misery.

Brian Azzarello's was hit and miss. I liked the prison arc.
I'm not a fan of Denise Mina run on Hellblazer either.

The Best Constantine runs for me were Jamie Delano and Garth Ennis. Those two probably defined the character and fleshed him out from his appearances in Swamp Thing. Mike Carey's run was also good. Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman's guest stories were also good.

 

[Sawyer]

A Little Inspiration

 

[O'Haire]

 

[Sawyer]

Goddammit, Jared, stop tweeting things that make me think you're an idiot.

 

[Great Mind(s)]

Who is that?

 

[Tanin]

Who is that?

One of the actors on Supernatural.

 

[roach]

I thought he was having a bit of fun since one of the characters on his show...Castiel...is based on Constantine...

 

[Tanin]

I dunno... Jared has said some pretty dumb stuff over the years.

 

[Sawyer]

This and him immediately crapping on Affleck when he was cast are the only times I've ever really rolled my eyes his way, and he craps on Justin Bieber's fanbase, so I'll let this one slide.

 

[HighFivingMF]

I don't watch the show but Jensen always seemed like the cool one.