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Dark Entries (Hellblazer)

by Ian Rankin, Werther Dell'Edera (Illustrator)

3.31 of 5 stars 3.31 · rating details · 565 ratings · 101 reviews

HELLBLAZER's John Constantine must become part of HAUNTED PALACE--a closed-set reality game show (think BIG BROTHER) in order to deal with a supernatural murder of one of the contestants. He enters as a 'surprise' contestant and meets the other participants, learning that they all have secrets and that one of them must be 'channeling' poltergeists and/or be the murderer. H...more

Paperback, 216 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Vertigo (first published August 25th 2009)

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May 15, 2012 Darian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1-to-3-stars, reviewed

Never read Rankin or Constantine before (though I did see the movie), so I went into this unburdened with any expectations whatsoever.

It starts off a bit slow, but the pace picks up halfway through and then proceeds to rush past the finish line in a blur. Finished it in 2 sittings, but I thought it warranted a second reading. Not because it was fun, but just to get a better perspective on things. (The second reading did help, a bit, but I gave up the attempt about one third through; might retur...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Constantine: Hellblazer is one of my all-time favorite characters. Before I discovered Hellblazer and The Sandman I was seriously considering quitting reading comics altogether... the superhero bit had just worn on me, and I was rapidly getting sick of all of the crossovers and continuity reboots. I got into Hellblazer just before Garth Ennis started his historic run on the series, and when he came on board (with Steve Dillon as artist... later they did The Preacher, which is hands-down one...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Marc Weidenbaum added it

Shelves: comic

[Yeah, spoilers. Boilerplate, polite version: I promise I don't "spoil" anything about this book that would have bothered me had I known about it in advance of reading this book. That said, I cannot think of anything I have read in my life that would have been spoiled had I known the plot-advancing facts. And this is not, I promise, a mini–Cliffs Notes–style detailed summary of the story. Perhaps the only real way to "spoil" a book is to detail any serious flaws in logic, to the extent that you...more [Yeah, spoilers. Boilerplate, polite version: I promise I don't "spoil" anything about this book that would have bothered me had I known about it in advance of reading this book. That said, I cannot think of anything I have read in my life that would have been spoiled had I known the plot-advancing facts. And this is not, I promise, a mini–Cliffs Notes–style detailed summary of the story. Perhaps the only real way to "spoil" a book is to detail any serious flaws in logic, to the extent that you then can't get them out of your head as you read the book. I can't promise that I don't to that -- but neither can anyone else.]

The mystery novelist Ian Rankin takes on his first graphic novel, focusing on the character John Constantine, of the ongoing monthly Vertigo/DC comic-book series Hellblazer. There was a movie based on Constantine starring Keanu Reeves, but the character in the comics is decidedly British. He was based on Sting back in the mid-1980s, when he was created -- the meaner-than-he-is-today Sting who once made sense in Dennis Potter's mind to play the devil.

Constantine, a supernatural P.I. with a bad habit of leaving damned loved ones in his wake, was created by Alan Moore of Watchmen fame during his pre-Watchmen run on the series Swamp Thing. In Rankin's standalone volume, Constantine joins the cast of a reality TV show, essentially a version of Big Brother. Ghost-busting ensues.

All in all, not fully satisfyingly. It is neat in how light the story is in tone, none of the straining-for-gravitas of much latter-day Hellblazer, but for all its fun with the architecture and entertainment of the underworld (Hell, not the mafia), it leaves open more loose ends than most serialized stories do, with less of a sense that anyone will ever tie them up. I most enjoy it for its format. It seems drawn (by Werther Dell'Edera, with whom I was not previously familiar) for the smaller page size, and works pretty well in that regard. And I like black and white comics, especially stark ones, which this is. Mine is a minority opinion, but I'd say that most color comics gain little from the color except a price bump.

Things about the comic that linger with me, and not in a positive way:

1. Constantine's TV is a portal to hell. That's a nifty concept, but the idea that throwing it out the window would break the spell doesn't fit -- certainly not in Constantine's story-world, in which de-demonizing objects and places (and people) is often the pretext for multi-issue story arcs. I just started re-reading the series from the start, so I'm especially sensitive to the way tiny objects linger in the storyline like houses with hidden mold carcinogen, waiting for an unsuspecting new tenant. In an actual Hellblazer storyline, that TV would end up in a Salvation Army, and its parts would then be reused by some unaware Internet start-up, which would then discover a demon is its most generous angel investor. And Constantine, at this stage, would foresee such an eventuality and work to avoid it.

2. If Hell's residents can tunnel so easily into Limbo, well, that's kind of a major mess of story that makes the plight of these few 20somethings seem kinda slight by comparison. And again, it's just left dangling.

3. As a friend noted, the main characters aren't particularly interesting. The mystery, which appears to really mean "puzzle" here, is what it's about. The characters are puzzle pieces, and it is neat to see how they fit together, and Rankin did a really good job of rationalizing all that into the Hellblazer mode (tying it to one character who is the fulcrum for it all). But, yeah, the characters have no development, aside from shifting from not knowing their fate to knowing it, and from us misinterpreting their dreams to being told flat-out what those dreams "symbolize" (a direct causality that is too clean-cut even for Freud, and utterly disinterested in the ambiguity inherent in the surreal). If anything, the characters change depending on what the story needs. At times, just in time for whatever the imminent joke needs.

4. And then there's the overarching issue, which isn't Rankin's fault. This is just the whole "how do the western underpinnings of Constantine's metaphysics reconcile themselves with non-western metaphysics." I really feel for the Japanese character, for example: not just because she was molested by salarymen on trains, and not just because the comic's editor let the artist let the reader ogle her (talk about adding insult to injury -- though I guess here it works, a little, because the panels mimic the reality-TV viewer's perspective), but mostly because she was raised in a non-western country yet finds herself, after dying, left to deal with an overlord who is, for all intents and purposes, the western conception of the devil. I mean, you can read as much Joseph Campbell as you want and assume all myths are just masks painted on the faces of shared myths, but for a self-consciously cynical comic, Hellblazer really is beholden to powers it is smart enough to, but too lazy to, wrestle with. (Again, this is an ongoing failure of Hellblazer, not just of Rankin's entry, though he does fail to even remotely explore it.)

5. A standalone story like this, based as it is on an ongoing series, runs the risk of turning a serial into a sitcom. And that happens here. When all is said and done, the events of this book seem to leave no mark on the character. He goes in and comes out the same person. Maybe that's a fun holiday, but for a series whose major tenet is the ongoing self-imposed degradation of its main character, it's a little out of character.(less)

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Mar 22, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, review

John Constantine, tempted by a fat wad of cash, agrees to troubleshoot the latest tv reality show, ratings phenomena 'Haunted Mansion'. Or so he's told. The contestants are isolated in a rambling mansion, filled with secret passages and tricked up fake paranormal effects. So far the show has wowed the viewers with a slew of strange happenings. The only problem is... none of the fake spooks and tricks have been triggered so far. So what are the contestants reacting too?
Lots of writers have writt...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, crime, graphic-novels, library-book, hardback

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I picked up Dark Entries as an Ian Rankin fan, with no knowledge of the John Constantine character. I was unaware of his existence beyond this book, and so the discovery that the cover lies completely - that this is a fantasy, not a crime novel - annoyed me utterly.

The premise as described in the blurb is that of an "occult detective" investigating strange goings-on in a Big Brother-style reality TV house. I count Ben Elton's Dead Famous as one of my favourite novels, so I was expecting somethi...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Larissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-by-recommendation, 2011, graphic-novels, crime-fiction

Another entry in my graphic novel education, this book was lent to me by a friend ages ago and I've just now read it. (Bad form!) Dark Entries is part of a series of graphic crime novels that are published by Vertigo, which in itself is a really good idea. I found this one particularly intriguing because it was written by Ian Rankin, whose Inspector Rebus novels have been on my to-read list for quite some time.

However, although the storyline is inventive (paranormal detective John Constantine i...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Shawn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-horror-and-supernatural, read-comics

Well, this was okay. I'll try not to be spoilerish. I was reading Alan Moore's SWAMP THING off the spinner racks back when J.C. first showed up (I still remember when he was so mysterious that there were theories he was meant to be Jesus Christ!) and kept reading his book, HELLBLAZER, up until shortly after Garth Ennis left (I stuck around for Eddie Campbell's short run but was unimpressed by Ennis' return). It is the nature of monthly comics that at some point, no matter how flexible the charac...more Well, this was okay. I'll try not to be spoilerish. I was reading Alan Moore's SWAMP THING off the spinner racks back when J.C. first showed up (I still remember when he was so mysterious that there were theories he was meant to be Jesus Christ!) and kept reading his book, HELLBLAZER, up until shortly after Garth Ennis left (I stuck around for Eddie Campbell's short run but was unimpressed by Ennis' return). It is the nature of monthly comics that at some point, no matter how flexible the character is, the reader reaches burnout from repetition. In superhero comics, that used to correspond to adolescence or the late teenage years, but with adult comics for adults, well, you just end up stepping away at some point.

Because, yeah, Constantine is a great character - a mid-80's reinvention of the occult detective as working class con-man sorceror and slick operator, grizzled and cynical, he's a misanthrope who's repeatedly forced to save a world he's not sure deserves saving. Also, he's not above sacrificing the occasional confederate in service of his larger plans, so to know Constantine is to usually end up dead. He's a bit of a tarnished knight noir character, good at what he does, who moves among all social classes, which means there's lots of directions stories can go - demonic plots, quiet ghost stories, political conspiracies, sordid crime tales.

A good friend bought me this and I buzzed through it in one evening. Ian Rankin seems to be a name writer or something, but hey, I can't read everything and I tend to lose track of current popular writers. He has a solid take on Constantine's voice: wryly acerbic and always needling the powerful, yet compassionate (if blunt) with those in need, he doesn't suffer fools gladly. The rough, sketchy, black and white art by Werther Dell'Edera is effective - at times starkly atmospheric, occasionally too vague or lazy, generally servicable (he reminds of a less shadowy, vaguely manga-inspired version of Keith Giffen's style when he was ripping off José Muñoz, crossed with Clive Barker's, uhhh, "sketchwork" - the visual conception of the Cannibal Killer in particular looked very "Barker-ish"). The basic idea is that Constantine is hired to be injected into a popular, horror-themed BIG BROTHER type show because the contestants are suffering horrifying visions unrelated to the actual contest. Constantine disadains television in general, and hates reality tv in particular (just like me), so things go as one might expect until...

To tell you the truth, I liked the set-up until the big plot twist at the halfway point (which is ruined by the GOODREADS synopsis - perhaps I'll talk to them about that). Even after the rather goofy and illogical (if not unprecedented - this story does resonate with the tone of some older, if less auspicious, HELLBLAZER scenarios) twist, I was willing to play along and the read is not unenjoyable, it just sacrifices the chance for real-world scares on the altar of tricky plots, modern pulpy dark fantasy concepts and an unfortunate character revelation rather late in the game that screams "comic booky" (HELLBLAZER and the related spin off are comic books - I'm not a big fan of the term graphic novel and like "comic book" because it keeps the form humble - but they are supposed to be written for adults, and yet the modern age seems to be willing to accept more and more adolescent conceptions in their adult genre fictions).

In the end, a quick read that, at least in the character moments, feels like a visit with an old friend who hasn't changed much - which is just fine, familiar and predictable being sides of the same coin. I'd be interested in knowing what someone felt for whom this is their first introduction to Constantine.(less)

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Aug 28, 2010 Marcus Gipps rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It strikes me that I’ve never really read much Ian Rankin. I think I read one years ago that was named after a Cure song - Hanging Garden, maybe? – but beyond that, nothing. I do read the Hellblazer comic, though (I even like the film, don’t tell anybody) and it seemed like such a good idea for DC to get a seriously big-name author involved. I’m sure they could have sold bucketloads of this book to the general punter, although it seemed to me that distribution issues may have reduced the impact...more

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Nov 22, 2009 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, graphic-novels

John Constantine's never been my favourite character. I like him enough in small doses (like in his roles in Moore's Swamp Thing and brief appearances in Gaiman's Sandman and Books of Magic series), but I've never found him interesting enough to be a protagonist.

I do have a fondness for haunted house stories, though, especially when elements of reality TV are thrown in the mix (van Belkom's Scream Queen, the Halloween: Resurrection film), and this one seemed to have some shades of Whedon's Dollh...more

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Oct 03, 2009 Hood rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hard Print

http://theleadmiamibeach.com/2009/091...

Scenes of Graphic Violence
Vertigo Crime Smashes Onto the Racks

By John Hood

First off, I dig it when things come in a series, especially violent things. Because that tends to place some semblance of order on a very disordered portion of our wild world. For instance, I dug it when the Black Lizard collection of Noir novel reprints became the hard-boiled Vintage Crime. And I continue to dig the monthly pocket-sized offerings of fast fiction alluring...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Zachary Rawlins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wish I could give it a three and a half - it doesn't quite merit a four, but it was better than a three. This is the second of Vertigo's ambitious hardback illustrated crime novels that I have had a chance to read, and the first to concern an existing character, Hell's Rake himself, John Constantine. Ian Rankin is a more than passable modern crime writer, and I have enjoyed a few of his books in the past, though his reoccurring detective character is not my fav.

This was a double-treat - a Consta...more

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Apr 28, 2010 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, graphic_novel

I can’t remember the last time I read a graphic novel, but I’m pretty sure it’s been about 10 years. It definitely won’t be another 10, because I really enjoyed this and plan to find some more graphic novels to read soon. You may be familiar with the main character, John Constantine, from the comic Hellblazer or the movie based on it, Constantine. Constantine is a magician, though not the type you’re used to. And he tends to use his magic to keep those trying to get out of hell in their place. I...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Graziano rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: edmonton-library, graphic-novel

John Constantine becomes part of a reality show (Big Brother) in order to investigate the supernatural events that happen in this haunted house.
The first impression of Constantine: ‘Maybe we all screwed up our lives somewhere and this is the punishment. The punishment ... or the cure.’ (p. 106) Could it be so easy? No, the border of the drawings changes color: from white to black, so Evil tells the truth of the story.

The black and white drawings by Werther Dell’Edera follow the narration and co...more

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Feb 20, 2011 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: popular_fiction, series

I didn't realize this was a graphic novel when I ordered it from the library, but I decided to try it because I like Ian Rankin's work. It was an OK fast read, but I won't be reading any more. The premise is OK: the investigator John Constantine is asked to join a 'Big Brother'-style reality show as a contestant in order to investigate seemingly paranormal events. I won't spoil the thin plot for others, but most readers can probably figure out the 'problem' in the first few pages. Rankin's stren...more

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Oct 27, 2009 Ryne Barber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Think of Dark Entries as a cross between House on Haunted Hill and film noir. If that sounds like your kind of comic series, then this graphic novel is absolutely for you.

John Constantine, cool, gruff, and collected paranormal investigator, has been commissioned to join a reality TV show where contestants are kept in a house and subjected to their fears. The house, however, has been conjuring up its own nightmares for the housemates, and it seems to be bugging the director, Keene. So John joins...more Think of Dark Entries as a cross between House on Haunted Hill and film noir. If that sounds like your kind of comic series, then this graphic novel is absolutely for you.

John Constantine, cool, gruff, and collected paranormal investigator, has been commissioned to join a reality TV show where contestants are kept in a house and subjected to their fears. The house, however, has been conjuring up its own nightmares for the housemates, and it seems to be bugging the director, Keene. So John joins the show to get some info from the contestants, only to find out that they are all dead and the show is actually being broadcast to the inhabitants of Hell. This makes the house a sort of limbo for all of the dead, and John has to break the news to the contestants plus make it out of the house and back into his own life without being killed by the demons he put in the underworld.

Rankin's story starts out like a haunted house story; we meet John and the contestants individually, experiencing their fears with a great use of backstory. Each character is connected to another in some way; they form a chain of events which led them to the game show. Along the way, John and company are terrorized by Keene, who had tricked John all along. With awesome plot developments and a truly compelling scary story, Rankin could have stopped right there and had a successful Constantine story.

But he goes further, adding Hell into the mix. This throws a whole new element into the plot, where a person from John's past comes to kill him in the house. Rankin knows how to fully absorb the reader; there are no chapter stops, which insists that the reader keep moving with the plot - and we fully comply! The novel is so hard to put down, mostly because of Rankin's characters and their motivations. We have an amalgam of a cast, and there's great intensity when they clash. John is also a marvelous protagonist; he's hardened, mostly emotionless, and allows for a leadership character that, when affected by the events around him, makes everything seem that much more serious.

The story moves quite fast, and Rankin's use of show-not-tell allows the reader to participate rather than just sitting back and enjoying the art. Every element comes together quite smoothly, transitioning well from regular TV show to purgatory with a decisive use of black pages when we are in Hell. Dell'edera's art meshes amazingly with the gritty feel of the plot. It is a sketchy, black-and-white drawing style which enunciates the film noir feel. The demons are intriguing; they are bit more grotesquely deformed than we are used to seeing, and the denizens of Hell have a nice assortment of physical maladies.

Rankin's novel pulled me in; with a strong story, an enjoyable cast of characters, and elements of horror that I really love, I was hooked right after I heard there were people locked in a scary house. All of the other parts of the plot were just added greatness. John Constantine battles Hell in Dark Entries - but it's no battle to read. (less)

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May 18, 2010 Robo Pete rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, crime, supernatural

Whoever thought of paring Constantine with Ian Rankin deserves a medal of some sort because this was genius! I was always going to read this from the moment I knew about it and that was even before I discovered that the plot is a fabulous mechanism to subvert that most loathesome of TV genres: reality programming.

Ranking spins a grippin yarn with some great twists as well as hitting Constantine's gruff, hard-boiled but troubled, smartarse personality right on the head. Some of the dialogue is si...more

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May 18, 2011 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My friend gave this to me on "Comic Book Day." Excellent read if you like graphic novels. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the art & ink, but that's because I feel compelled to compare it to that of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Really, it's very good, and it doesn't detract form the story... I just didn't exclaim, "wow!" as I did with Dave McKean's Sandman covers. John Constantine is the perfect subject for Rankin, a tough, gritty lone wolf who doesn't always follow the rules...more

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Oct 28, 2009 Loyd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels

Dark Entries starts with an interesting premise: what if there was a "Big Brother" reality TV series where unexplainable supernatural events began to happen? Would they shut it down? Or would the producers exploit the macabre occurrences for higher ratings, perhaps even encouraging or manufacturing them?

Ian Rankin's entry into the hardback comic noir field features the character John Constantine, star of Vertigo Comic's Hellblazer series, who is a supernatural detective, and the book plays off C...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Hoyland rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not really a graphic novel person and just read the odd one here and there. I read this one because I found it in the library and I like Ian Rankin. I definitely could have done with knowing a bit more of Constantine's backstory (though I assumed this would be the case going in). I had some trouble telling the characters apart in the artwork, which made parts of the story hard to follow. I knew what was going on, but I couldn't really understand why it was happening. I think some of the char...more

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Oct 23, 2009 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Constantine, a detective who deals with occult matters, is hired to be a mole on the hottest new tv reality show, "Haunted mansion". Strange uncontrolled instances are haunting the contestants. John is sent un to figure out the source of what is taking place only to realize he is just a pawn in the bigger scheme of things. John must figure out who is in control before a deadly person from his past destroys him and the others, canceling them for eternity.

My first venture into the world of gr...more

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Jul 05, 2012 David Gallin-Parisi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reality television meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Also very similar to the recent Cabin in the Woods movie, Joss Whedon's recent horror movie. Everything is not as it seems in the newest television trend of people trapped in a house full of their fears. If you like horror stories with a strange twist, definitely check this out. The art at the end of the book seems sort of 1950s Bela Lugosi with secret passageways and shadowy halls, but that space is an improvement from the beginning claustropho...more

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Nov 13, 2009 matt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-books

The artwork: Excellent. I loved the loose brushwork, loved the use of black, it was really nice and very fitting with the tone of the book. The artist did seem a little out of his element when trying to depict some of the supernatural settings that are in the latter part of the novel.
The Story: This was disappointing. The book starts out with a classic mystery premise involving a hard boiled detective, slimy TV producer, a haunted house, and unexplained paranormal activity; but then switches gea...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, I didn't really enjoy this one. Maybe because I read and like Ian Rankin I had incorrect expectations going in. This book did not meet them. The art fit the story very well and I had no issues with it. It was the story I didn't really like. Even upon reflection (trying to move away from those expectations) I didn't really think the story was that great. The linking aspect for the characters in the house was interesting, if a bit contrived, but that was the only thing that really grabbed me...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Tibbi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Synopsis: In the book Dark Entries Constantine gets persuaded to go onto a game show that has been having some strange things happening and it's his job to figure out these strange miss-happenings. But as this constant study of things makes the ratings skyrocket Constantine will discover something that no one wanted to know.

Classification:

Audience- Male Teens
Purpose- Entertainment
Medium- Graphic Novel
Genre of Setting- Sci-Fi
Genre of Style- Idealism
Genre of Plot- Action

Criticism: The book Dark E...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Brandi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels-and-manga

Started off strong, but got a little too weird about halfway through. I'm not opposed to weird, but it wasn't quite what I expected from Ian Rankin (though not being familiar with Hellblazer is my own fault; I randomly pick up library books without bothering to look into them). Plus, explanations always kill the creepy-factor... (view spoiler)...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Hannah Goraya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Ian Rankin fans; Dead Set fans

Read it in two days, would probably have managed it in one if I hadn't have been stealing it from my husband's desk whenever he put it down :-)

Nice pace, nice twist, weak ending.

I've given it a 4/5 because I think it does a couple of things well:

- It was good to see an author trying a new medium and I think he managed it well.
- I'm not a frequent graphic novel reader, it was the author who drew my interest and made me want to buy it. That was worth doing and has encouraged me to read another gr...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Jason McNamara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Awesome self contained John Constantine graphic novel. Pitch perfect haunted house meets reality television morality tale with a harrowing conclusion. Can't say much more without spoiling the plot.

My only complaint is the cover / marketing. I passed the book for weeks in the shop before I realized it was a Constantine / Hellblazer story. Who do they want to buy this book if not the already built in Hellblazer fan base? Possibly there trying to expand his base by marketing to a wider audience bu...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Sam Quixote rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Big Brother type house and it's contestants are being haunted by ghosts so the show's producer gets Constantine in to investigate. Things become stranger as none of the contestants can remember how they came on the show or much about their past. Then about the halfway point things get very Hellblazer and the story takes off.

I've never read Ian Rankin or a John Constantine: Hellblazer book so this was something of a gamble. Fortunately Rankin keeps the pace ticking over very nicely and the sto...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Chas

Shelves: 2011-goal-list, cuy-co-pub-lib, finished

Ian Rankin, Dark Entries (Vertigo, 2009)

Okay, first off, the very concept of this book should make you wet your pants. Five words that you never thought you would hear together: “Ian Rankin does John Constantine.” That's a pretty good equivalent of “Sex in a Jar”, right there. I grant you, some writers do John Constantine a whole lot better than other writers (and trying to rank them is liable to earn you enemies in the world of the geek. But come on, guys, Brian Azzarello rocked so hard on Good...more Ian Rankin, Dark Entries (Vertigo, 2009)

Okay, first off, the very concept of this book should make you wet your pants. Five words that you never thought you would hear together: “Ian Rankin does John Constantine.” That's a pretty good equivalent of “Sex in a Jar”, right there. I grant you, some writers do John Constantine a whole lot better than other writers (and trying to rank them is liable to earn you enemies in the world of the geek. But come on, guys, Brian Azzarello rocked so hard on Good Intentions...), but this is Ian Rankin we're talking about. He's like a British version of... well, off the top of my head, I can't think of an American mystery author who combines “slow and sedate” (think Sara Paretsky) with “unreasonably gruesome” (think early-nineties Joe Lansdale or Brian Hodge) quite as well as does Rankin; Robert Crais, perhaps. Imagine him doing a Constantine book. And for the love of god, get Keanu Reeves out of your head. (And here I earn the enmity of even more geeks: if ever there were a role custom-made for Rik Mayall....)

And now I'm going to hit you with the other prong of this troika: Ian Rankin does John Constantine doing reality TV. And from page one of this beauty you know, deep in your heart of hearts, that Rankin watched Dead Set every evening before sitting down and penning this storyline. It's got that same black, black combination of horror and humor, though it approaches the subject matter from a much more Constantinian angle, of course. And if you're familiar with Hellblazer, you'll recognize the arc the story follows; there's a supernatural mystery afoot, but it's not the one anyone involved thinks it is. Constantine cracks wise, gets annoyed by most of the contestants in the “haunted house”, and tries to figure out just what the hell's going on until he realizes that “hell” is, quite literally, involved, as it always as.

Publishers' Weekly's review says no previous knowledge of Constantine and Hellblazer is necessary, but I've seen a pretty sharp divide in the reviews, and those of us familiar with Hellblazer liked this a lot more. (And some more geeks will crucify me for this, no doubt, but to prepare yourself, start off with Garth Ennis' run, then skip Warren Ellis' and go straight for the Azzarello books.) And for those of us who recognized as much Hellblazer as we did, yeah, those reviews that say there ain't nothin' new in town were absolutely right. I'm not disputing that. But here we're getting into a slight difference in the way one reads a graphic novel and the way one reads a regular novel, I think. It's a difference I've bent to my own uses at times, but never really recognized all that much. The graphic novel world tends to think in series, while the regular-novel world thinks in terms of authors. Hellblazer is an excellent example; lord knows how many authors have written for Hellblazer over the years (I've already mentioned three, and Jamie Delano also comes off the top of my head), but there's still at least a semi-coherent story that runs through the works of the multiple authors. Writers get replaced on series all the time in graphic novels, and no one thinks much of it. Now imagine someone other than MaryJanice Davidson trying to write a Queen Betsy novel. When there aren't pictures to go with the words, we call that fanfic. Most of the time, I apply the regular-novel thinking to graphic novels. I'll follow anywhere Brian K. Vaughan leads me, for example. Garth Ennis and Brian Azzarello, as well, which is one of the reasons I'm so fond of John Constantine. And so when I look at Dark Entries, I'm not necessarily thinking “this is a Hellblazer book”, I'm thinking “this is an illustrated Ian Rankin novel that happens to include John Constantine”. And so Rankin's fumbling around in a genre he's not entirely used to bothers me a lot less than it seems to have bothered some reviewers, because what appeals to me here, just as it appeals to me in the Rebus books, is the way Rankin approaches a story, the way he frames it. Yes, you've seen the climax before. But the journey is often more important than the destination. I've read a few of these new Vertigo Crime novels now (including one by Azzarello), and this is my favorite of the bunch so far. ****
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Jan 10, 2010 Timothy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-literature, fiction

As a fan of both Rankin and Constantine, I went into this book with a bit of trepidation: Was this simply an attempt to toss a marquee name on a comic book property, or something more?

In the end, I'd go with something more. I'm not sure if Rankin is a longtime Hellblazer fan or simply read through a bunch of the back catalog, but he managed to tell a "real" John Constantine story, one that not only fits with the character's backstory (and draws upon it), but one that has an authentic grip on th...more

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About Ian Rankin

AKA Jack Harvey.

Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first Rebus novel was published in 1987, and the Rebus books are now translated into twenty-two languages and are bestsellers on several continents.

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