Synopsis: John has found the cause of the magical madness slaughtering gang members on Peckham Rye…and it’s just one guy! How hard can it be to stop him? Well, when the gangs get involved and the source of his power becomes clear, the answer turns out to be “Near impossible, actually!”
Review: The first story arc of the new Hellblazer comic finishes things off nicely.
The Story
Constantine has learned the cause of the magical madness that has been slaughtering the gang members of Pecham Rye and it all stems from the mad rantings of a homeless military veteran who has been channeling angry spirits with a series of William Blake quotes. Just how John will be able to stop this mad man is down to learning more about him and his past. Which is why it is pretty useful that he has befriended one of the local coppers.
The Artwork
Aaron Campbell continues to amaze with the artwork, which uses a color palette that very much suits the supernatural elements of the book. I really loved how the homeless guy and Constantine were in the middle of a reddish and orange type color wash when they were debating scripter and the writings of William Blake in the first half of the comic. It was really effective and quite a mesmerizing visual.
Overall
I really enjoyed this story arc. Although initially, I did find the gang leader’s way of speaking a little difficult to follow in the opening issue, but soon got used to it and caught on. I really appreciated how writer Simon Spurrier used the writings of William Blake as a means to creating a totally bonkers character and loved the commentary, which pretty much said that if William Blake were alive in this day and age he’d be considered to be mentally ill.
Overall. A fairly strong opening story arc. I look forward to seeing what else Spurrier can come up with.
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- Covers9.5
- Story9.3
- Artwork10
- Lettering9.5
- Colours10
