JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER 300 – A FAREWELL
I read the first story with John Constantine way back when in Swamp Thing when Alan Moore was changing comics. Swamp Thing eventually became a Vertigo book part of a new line for adults. It wasn’t too long before our favorite smoking conman magician ex punk rocker got his own book.
The series has always had great writing and the list of people who have worked on it is pretty much a must read list for comics fans. Each author put their twist on it and added to the legacy. Peter Milligan is the one who is seeing it out the door (before it’s relaunch as Constantine ).
I’ve read them all, and in fact recently I’ve reread them all. Delano
was amazing, Warren Ellis had his fun, Azzarello brought him to the US. It was on this title that I fell in love with the art of Glen Fabry and Steve Dillon. The real draw of course was always John. The Englishman playing angles, getting drawn into one chaotic mess after another and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. I’ve always enjoyed the supernatural part of DC Comics and John C walked through all of it and hung out with all the players. I lived vicariously as he flipped the bird to everyone and everything.
In issue 300 we see a final farewell, and without giving spoilers John doesn’t really leave any unfinished business. We say goodbye to Chas and Gemma, and he has one final up yours for a special someone. Millgan does a nice job of seeing John Constantine off and while I’m not a huge fan of art of late I did really enjoy a panel set in a bar with all the previous creators names on the bottles. Nice touch. The last couple runs have been ok but I really do miss the early days when John interacted with the other magic folk and when he was more of a rambunctious young man. So while Milligan did a nice job it does feel that this series has run it’s course.
There is a phrase that comes up in the type of movies and shows I watch, “a good death”. For the run of this series, this is a good death. Made easier of course because we know the character is coming back in a new series and he is in Justice League Dark.
Cheers John.
And thank you to Karen Berger and all the folks behind the scenes.
And thanks to all the writers and artists who made the book so much fun
to read.
Jon Jordan
