In Review: John Constantine: Hellblazer (2019-) #2

Synopsis: John’s return to London isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped…though it’s already been just as bloody as he could have expected! Enormous angels straight from the mind of William Blake are tearing people to ribbons in Peckham Rye Common, and the gang lord who’s pressed John into service is getting increasingly impatient about John’s inability to deal with them.

Review: The story begins to come together as Constantine gets a little unexpected help.

The Story

Having witnessed a group of massive Angels skinning people alive in the previous issue. Constantine is struggled to figure out the connection and the psychotic gang leader that hired him is beginning to get a little impatient. All is not lost as Constantine gets a useful tip from his newfound Bouncer friend at the Bar who suggested that the angels could have some connection with the poems of William Blake. Armed this new information Constantine’s investigation takes on a different tack as he finds the person that has been summoning the angels. An ex-soldier who lost his wife who was an academic and reader of English Literature. Constantine also runs into some trouble as he is told in no uncertain terms by a Sikh Police Officer to keep Noah the gang member that has been helping him safe.

The Artwork

Once again Aaron Campbell provides some stunning visuals in the urban setting of London. The sequence in the part where Constantine is talking to the homeless man and the two are quoting poetry by Blake are all nicely drawn. I loved the small details of the trees and the park bench, which was mostly in shadow and the close-ups where it was mostly Constantine and the old man in darkness with only the suggestion of the park that they are standing in.

I also loved the panel that we get of the man weeping by the side of a dead tiger when the old man tells Constantine the story about what happened during his service in the first Iraq war back in 1991.

Aaron Campbell’s art is once again helped immensely by a muted color palette, which uses a lot of dark shades and blues in the darker moments and a very fades color wash in the panels that are more conversational or in daylight. This colorwork really sells the supernatural element of the story. A special mention should go to colorist Jordie Bellaire matching her colors up so well with the mood of the story and Campell’s art.

Overall

I enjoyed this second issue more than the opening installment. I loved the references to William Blake and how that played into the location in which the angels were appearing. This has set things up wonderfully for the third issue.