What do you think?
Rate this book
Hellblazer #3
Hellblazer: The Fear Machine
In THE FEAR MACHINE, collecting HELLBLAZER #14-22, Constantine looks for a way to reconnect to humanity — but how can such a man ever find inner peace? Constantine finds himself encamped with a new-age pagan group that's tapping into their own psychic abilities — but a defense contractor is out to exploit their powers. Is the company's aim just political, or is it something much more sinister?
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
16 people are currently reading
477 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Delano
462 books349 followersJamie Delano aka A. William James began writing comics professionally in the early 1980s. Latterly he has been writing prose fiction with "BOOK THIRTEEN" published by his own LEPUS BOOKS imprint (http://www.lepusbooks.co.uk) in 2012, "Leepus | DIZZY" in April 2014, and "Leepus | THE RIVER" in 2017.
Jamie lives in semi-rural Northamptonshire with his partner, Sue. They have three adult children and a considerable distraction of grandchildren.
Jamie lives in semi-rural Northamptonshire with his partner, Sue. They have three adult children and a considerable distraction of grandchildren.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
July 18, 2012
The only thing I can really say to sum up my thoughts on this third collected Hellblazer volume is, WTF was that? Volume 1, Original Sins, was really great. Volume 2, The Devil You Know, finished up Original Sins' story line very well, but then got wobbly. That wobbliness continues for the next 9 issues here, and my mind is pretty much blown at how just ridiculous this was. It is overwritten, overwrought, and includes lines like, "Now it's time for FEMALENESS." The ending involves a threesome, after which one of the women immediately lays an egg (the other woman catches the egg, makes a sexyface and says, "Yes, oh yes"), and Constantine wants to watch the egg hatch because, as he says, "It's my egg, too."
Well, ALRIGHTY then. Okay. You go do that, Constantine. I'll just quickly make my way through the final two volumes of Jamie Delano's run and hope that he reverts to the excellence of Original Sins, because I'm stubborn and won't skip ahead to where Garth Ennis takes over.
Well, ALRIGHTY then. Okay. You go do that, Constantine. I'll just quickly make my way through the final two volumes of Jamie Delano's run and hope that he reverts to the excellence of Original Sins, because I'm stubborn and won't skip ahead to where Garth Ennis takes over.
June 9, 2015
Hellblazer Book 3: "The Fear Machine" collects Hellblazer issues #14-22. Other than the covers, there doesn't seem to be any big difference between the initial 2008 printing and the 2013 reprint.
Okay -- this is one of my favorite Hellblazer books of all time. This seems to be an unusual opinion, as many seem to really dislike it. Maybe it's because my first exposure to Hellblazer was Delano's issue #1 while most people seem to have gotten into Hellblazer either during Garth Ennis' run (#41-83) or Brian Azzarello's run (#146-167). Or maybe it's because I'm personally more of a pagan hippie type at heart than a hard-bitten smoke-dwelling city guy. Either way, while I love the standard John Constantine character and setting and I'm glad they went back to it, I love this little glimpse of another side of him, a look at one of his efforts at washing away the "bad craziness" and trying to have a good life. Good characters like Mercury, Marj, Errol, and Zed don't hurt, and neither does the rather sexy and ecstatic pagan magic John discovers as he explores a greener side of himself.
Again, as is typical for its time, the art here is a bit garish and not incredibly detailed, but as with the previous book, it improves a bit over its predecessor. The storyline deals with John running from the authorities after Nergal killed some people and left him with the blame; he meets up with a precocious and strangely empowered young girl named Mercury, and through her comes to join up with a group of roving hippie mystics -- not to mention stumbling across a secretive and powerful para-governmental group whose leaders take a disturbing interest in Mercury. The story deals with the balance of energies, the discrepancy between morality and authority in terms of power, destiny and powers beyond knowledge, and a secret society with fragmented aims and methods.
The only things I can think of that would improve this book are the following: First, if the "Bloody Saint" story from the Hellblazer Annual had been included here, instead of being included in the previous book (Hellblazer The Devil You Know). The tales of Constantine's ancestor, the cunning pagan king Constantyne, and his role in helping to unbalance the scales in favor of the God over the Goddess -- well, that's right in keeping with the story of The Fear Machine.
And second, the story seems to wander and get lost every now and then, and though this isn't terrible, it could perhaps have used a little more focus and drive at times.
Other than those little details, though, this is a great book!
Next: Book 4 (Hellblazer Family Man)
Okay -- this is one of my favorite Hellblazer books of all time. This seems to be an unusual opinion, as many seem to really dislike it. Maybe it's because my first exposure to Hellblazer was Delano's issue #1 while most people seem to have gotten into Hellblazer either during Garth Ennis' run (#41-83) or Brian Azzarello's run (#146-167). Or maybe it's because I'm personally more of a pagan hippie type at heart than a hard-bitten smoke-dwelling city guy. Either way, while I love the standard John Constantine character and setting and I'm glad they went back to it, I love this little glimpse of another side of him, a look at one of his efforts at washing away the "bad craziness" and trying to have a good life. Good characters like Mercury, Marj, Errol, and Zed don't hurt, and neither does the rather sexy and ecstatic pagan magic John discovers as he explores a greener side of himself.
Again, as is typical for its time, the art here is a bit garish and not incredibly detailed, but as with the previous book, it improves a bit over its predecessor. The storyline deals with John running from the authorities after Nergal killed some people and left him with the blame; he meets up with a precocious and strangely empowered young girl named Mercury, and through her comes to join up with a group of roving hippie mystics -- not to mention stumbling across a secretive and powerful para-governmental group whose leaders take a disturbing interest in Mercury. The story deals with the balance of energies, the discrepancy between morality and authority in terms of power, destiny and powers beyond knowledge, and a secret society with fragmented aims and methods.
The only things I can think of that would improve this book are the following: First, if the "Bloody Saint" story from the Hellblazer Annual had been included here, instead of being included in the previous book (Hellblazer The Devil You Know). The tales of Constantine's ancestor, the cunning pagan king Constantyne, and his role in helping to unbalance the scales in favor of the God over the Goddess -- well, that's right in keeping with the story of The Fear Machine.
And second, the story seems to wander and get lost every now and then, and though this isn't terrible, it could perhaps have used a little more focus and drive at times.
Other than those little details, though, this is a great book!
Next: Book 4 (Hellblazer Family Man)
February 14, 2016
An ambitious story that was really good but the ending was a little flat. Constantine hooks up with a group of traveling hippies to hide out because he's wanted by the authorities. He's being blamed for murders committed by demons from last volume. As it turns out, one of the hippies is a powerful psychic and is kidnapped by a secretive branch of the government who is basically attempting to bring back an "old god." Yes, think Cthulhu.
So of course Constantine finds himself in the middle of the conspiracy and it goes for there. This was a nine issue storyline, one of the longer storylines in the Hellblazer comic most likely.
I also had two things come to mind while reading this volume.
1. This comic was ahead of its time, as this type of deep storytelling in comics wasn't very prevalent back then. I mean in the more mature vein, as epic comic storylines had been around a while. It just felt unusual to read something this mature that was published then. I think the comic revolution of 1986 had something to do with spawning Hellblazer. (That was the year of Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, etc. and the year comics really did start to grow up.)
2. Hellblazer deserves credit as a series for surviving through some dark times for comics. In the early 90s writing took a big backseat to art and you ended up with a lot of pretty superhero comics with no story. Hellblazer managed to make it through that time period somewhat intact, so at least some comic readers still had appreciation for story.
Overall a good volume, but after such a long buildup I thought the ending could have been better. I'm still really enjoying the series.
So of course Constantine finds himself in the middle of the conspiracy and it goes for there. This was a nine issue storyline, one of the longer storylines in the Hellblazer comic most likely.
I also had two things come to mind while reading this volume.
1. This comic was ahead of its time, as this type of deep storytelling in comics wasn't very prevalent back then. I mean in the more mature vein, as epic comic storylines had been around a while. It just felt unusual to read something this mature that was published then. I think the comic revolution of 1986 had something to do with spawning Hellblazer. (That was the year of Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, etc. and the year comics really did start to grow up.)
2. Hellblazer deserves credit as a series for surviving through some dark times for comics. In the early 90s writing took a big backseat to art and you ended up with a lot of pretty superhero comics with no story. Hellblazer managed to make it through that time period somewhat intact, so at least some comic readers still had appreciation for story.
Overall a good volume, but after such a long buildup I thought the ending could have been better. I'm still really enjoying the series.
July 2, 2011
Borrowed from Karen.
I've got mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I'm thrilled that Vertigo finally got around to putting out a trade paperback with some of the early comics that (for whatever reason) they skipped when they first started collecting Hellblazer.
On the other hand, I really dislike the early art, and now that I've read Fear Machine, I kind of have a sense of why Vertigo didn't bother to publish this one previously. It's not that the story is bad; it's a horror comic, filled with spooky, grotesque imagery and willing to delve into unexplored and taboo topics.
But what I really want to read is a Constantine comic, which, although based in the setting of a horror comic, relies more on the reader's connection to the main character, rather than the details of the plot. When a character summons a demon or casts a spell, for instance, there's not much for me, as a reader, to connect with. When well-written, it can certainly be interesting, exciting, and entertaining, but no amount of writing can get past the simple fact that I have no fundamental empathy for the magical world. But when Constantine summons a demon or casts a spell, the emphasis is on the why of what he is doing rather than the how or what. I don't have the faintest idea of how to sell my soul to a demon, but I can appreciate the brilliance and wit that John demonstrates in selling his soul to three different demons as a way of forcing a perpetual stalemate amongst them.
That's probably neither fair to the horror genre as a whole, nor accurate about all Hellblazer comics, but it is the standard with which I typically approach them, and in this particular instance, Fear Machine fails to meet it. John is neither instigator or pawn in this story, merely an observer, even when he is called upon to participate. Despite the threat of danger to himself, his new friends, and the world, the story lacks the particular scent of desperation and inspiration that characterize the best Hellblazer stories.
I've got mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I'm thrilled that Vertigo finally got around to putting out a trade paperback with some of the early comics that (for whatever reason) they skipped when they first started collecting Hellblazer.
On the other hand, I really dislike the early art, and now that I've read Fear Machine, I kind of have a sense of why Vertigo didn't bother to publish this one previously. It's not that the story is bad; it's a horror comic, filled with spooky, grotesque imagery and willing to delve into unexplored and taboo topics.
But what I really want to read is a Constantine comic, which, although based in the setting of a horror comic, relies more on the reader's connection to the main character, rather than the details of the plot. When a character summons a demon or casts a spell, for instance, there's not much for me, as a reader, to connect with. When well-written, it can certainly be interesting, exciting, and entertaining, but no amount of writing can get past the simple fact that I have no fundamental empathy for the magical world. But when Constantine summons a demon or casts a spell, the emphasis is on the why of what he is doing rather than the how or what. I don't have the faintest idea of how to sell my soul to a demon, but I can appreciate the brilliance and wit that John demonstrates in selling his soul to three different demons as a way of forcing a perpetual stalemate amongst them.
That's probably neither fair to the horror genre as a whole, nor accurate about all Hellblazer comics, but it is the standard with which I typically approach them, and in this particular instance, Fear Machine fails to meet it. John is neither instigator or pawn in this story, merely an observer, even when he is called upon to participate. Despite the threat of danger to himself, his new friends, and the world, the story lacks the particular scent of desperation and inspiration that characterize the best Hellblazer stories.
September 13, 2022
If the author's name wasn't printed on this then I would have never believed it was written by the same person that wrote the previous (far better) two volumes.
So for the first few issues Constantine hangs out with a group of hippies. Then he kind of gets entangled into a conspiracy. I say kind of because Constantine doesn't really do much in this story; he's pretty much just an outside observer to everything that's happening. He doesn't even use any of his occult abilities. It's like reading a Batman comic where Batman doesn't suit up and just wanders around aimlessly while the story plods along around him.
So for the first few issues Constantine hangs out with a group of hippies. Then he kind of gets entangled into a conspiracy. I say kind of because Constantine doesn't really do much in this story; he's pretty much just an outside observer to everything that's happening. He doesn't even use any of his occult abilities. It's like reading a Batman comic where Batman doesn't suit up and just wanders around aimlessly while the story plods along around him.
October 22, 2012
I like this compilation a bit more than the previous two, Original Sins and Devil You Know.
It is a far more coherent story than either of those, and it builds on the character development that has already taken place.
The ending was a bit unexpected though, although I can hardly downgrade it for that.
Delano's Constantine possesses the sort of magic that you might associate with charlatans and palm readers, rather than wizards or sorcerers. And he finds himself in over his head at times, which leads to some considerable suffering on the part of those around him.
In this case, those around him are a troop of happy-go-lucky pagan hippies who are constantly on the prowl for a tidy place to park their caravan. That is, until Constantine shows up with some bad luck in tow in the form of a thuggish cabal of secret police.
Shortly thereafter, Constantine finds himself hot on the trail of an epic conspiracy meant to bring about the end of the world. Even though this is only the third major story arc in the series, it is still a fairly predictable string of themes, right?
So Delano spices things up a bit by tying some ancient folklore to some contemporary politics and social phenomena, and doses the whole thing with a hit of new age psychedelia and gender studies. He mixes Masonic power-brokers with lusty hippie women, mind-altering drugs and primeval deities.
Whether or not you are particularly sympathetic to those types of viewpoints, I don't think you can deny that Delano hits the mark squarely in terms of his characterizations.
It is a far more coherent story than either of those, and it builds on the character development that has already taken place.
The ending was a bit unexpected though, although I can hardly downgrade it for that.
Delano's Constantine possesses the sort of magic that you might associate with charlatans and palm readers, rather than wizards or sorcerers. And he finds himself in over his head at times, which leads to some considerable suffering on the part of those around him.
In this case, those around him are a troop of happy-go-lucky pagan hippies who are constantly on the prowl for a tidy place to park their caravan. That is, until Constantine shows up with some bad luck in tow in the form of a thuggish cabal of secret police.
Shortly thereafter, Constantine finds himself hot on the trail of an epic conspiracy meant to bring about the end of the world. Even though this is only the third major story arc in the series, it is still a fairly predictable string of themes, right?
So Delano spices things up a bit by tying some ancient folklore to some contemporary politics and social phenomena, and doses the whole thing with a hit of new age psychedelia and gender studies. He mixes Masonic power-brokers with lusty hippie women, mind-altering drugs and primeval deities.
Whether or not you are particularly sympathetic to those types of viewpoints, I don't think you can deny that Delano hits the mark squarely in terms of his characterizations.
Read
October 8, 2012This is the infamous book I borrowed from the Boston Public library approximately a year ago and never returned and now it is listed as missing and I owe them 20 dollars, essentially blacklisting me from the library forever. The reason I never returned it was out of laziness/torpor and also because I do not live in Boston and cannot afford/don't want to go up there as much as I used to, and also I got a new library card in Providence because this stupid librarian lady did it without telling me and I can't memorize my new library card number and the information that let me borrow books from Boston is not on the new card.
If I could have chosen a book to essentially "steal" from the public library, it would not have been this book. It's an okay Constantine story (it's been a year since I've read any) even though there's too much liberal posturing, chintzy language, and the artwork is terrible for the first part of the book. I re-read the book again today (I started it a year ago but never finished) and it's got some good ideas, though, as is common with a lot of Hellblazer comics, some juvenile macabre bits. I didn't much like the ending, though, which was a little too pat and left too many questions unanswered. Okay story, though certainly not worth the 20 bucks.
Any rate, I'm in Boston tonight and I'm thinking about swinging by the library tomorrow and returning the book, not that it'll matter this late in the game. Will I or won't I? The quest continues....
If I could have chosen a book to essentially "steal" from the public library, it would not have been this book. It's an okay Constantine story (it's been a year since I've read any) even though there's too much liberal posturing, chintzy language, and the artwork is terrible for the first part of the book. I re-read the book again today (I started it a year ago but never finished) and it's got some good ideas, though, as is common with a lot of Hellblazer comics, some juvenile macabre bits. I didn't much like the ending, though, which was a little too pat and left too many questions unanswered. Okay story, though certainly not worth the 20 bucks.
Any rate, I'm in Boston tonight and I'm thinking about swinging by the library tomorrow and returning the book, not that it'll matter this late in the game. Will I or won't I? The quest continues....
April 29, 2014
Captivating from start to finish, I just live for these types of stories! Mystery, occultism, anti-heroes, horror, political activism, and science fiction...The Fear Machine is something that everyone would enjoy. Jamie Delano is one of the medium's best. The part when Constantine drank the spiked tea was hilarious and terrifying at the same time...my goodness, many, many memorable scenes in this book...scenes that will stay with me forever. As a huge John Constantine fan, I can honestly say that this was my favorite Hellblazer book.
June 7, 2025
I’m done with series it was going nowhere
September 10, 2018
Original Sins
The Devil you Know
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
And so we have the next series in the Delano run of Hellblazer: The Fear Machine. Like before, I'll be looking at each issue individually, since that seems to be working so far. I'll add one issue I have with this arc overall and that's again the art by Rayner. Like in the previous volume, the art is that weird semi-photo realistic art with thick simple colours and uncanny valley faces. It's just kind of weird to look at. Buckingham's art meanwhile looks a lot cleaner, a lot more detailed and a lot less creepy looking.
Touching the Earth: John is suddenly on the run, having been accused by the Sun (Britain's daily dose of tabloid bullshit) of being a Satanist serial killer. In a scramble to get away from the cops, he falls in with a local pagan hippie commune living off the land. This feels like a bit of breather issue, to get readers nestled in after the massive climax of the previous arc. We're introduced to one of the main characters (Mercury) and the banter between her and John feels like genuine friendliness. The issue overall is dreamlike and relaxing and lighthearted enough that I enjoyed it overall. Can't speak for whether its accurate or not (hippies in late 1980's England?) so if someone knows, help me out here.
Shepherd's Warning: A nasty run-in with an government compound and a dose of hallucinogenics leads John down a road that involves ley lines and dark summonings. This one really benefits from the trippy artwork when John is roasted on Fly Agaric. It's a slow burn of an issue, popping little bits and bobs that will become relevant later. Overall a decent issue.
Rough Justice: It all comes falling apart. The cops have raided the commune, kidnapped Mercury and John's had enough running. This is where the story starts to pick up and we also get a strong whiff of Delano's personal views. It's not deal breaking, but it should give you an idea of where the story is going to go if you know anything about Earth Magic and Ley Lines. Also, switching to Mercury's viewpoint was a nice touch. I actually quite like Mercury. She's flighty and quirky, but also a bit of an old soul in a young body.
Drrring, Drrring: On a train ride to London, John gets caught up in a psychic attack designated for one of the passengers. What follows is a spiral into the depths of fear. This one is a twofer. First we get out first glimpses of the titular Fear Machine (a sort of psychic amplifier that utilizes the country's ley lines). And secondly we get a glimpse of some of the best horror this arc has to offer. The suggestive writing, shadows and implications make for a really unsettling piece.
Hate Mail & Love Letters: John returns to London to find it full of police corruption, the Freemasons and heartbreaking suicides. Meanwhile the hippy commune have gone north to Scotland where the leader of another commune is a familiar face from John's past (It's Zed). And all through this, Mercury is learning the tricks of the trade with the Fear Machine and has got a few tricks up her sleeve. This issue is split three ways, presented in the form of written letters. Of the three, I'd say Mercury's is the strongest with the art being the most trippy and interesting. The commune's letter (written by Mercury's mum Marj) has some beautiful art but is bogged down by a plot that feels a bit flouncy, although it does tie in later. John's art is the most sombre and bare bones but also the saddest, that deals with some pretty heavy topics. Not a bad issue, but not a great issue. Sort of a breather after the train.
The Broken Man: John's found a lead, except that someone tried to kill him. And now's John's piecing things together, getting ready for a swing back. Meanwhile Mercury's stumbled onto something; something nasty and horrible. All those fears the Machine is accumulating....what's it creating? And the commune are trying out their own brand of magic. This is where I reckon the wheel's are getting a bit shaky on this story. John and Mercury are actually doing things. They're progressing the plot. The commune on the other hand have got their hands deep in Earth Mother, feminist hippy dippy magic. And while I can understand the intent, it just comes across as a little silly compared to the actual movers and shakers. It feels like Delano wants them to be taken seriously, but they have no agency in the overall arc.
Betrayal: Mercury's staged an escape, John's finally got the team together and the true enemy behind the Fear Machine have been revealed. Okay here's where those wheels are starting to look really shaky now. The plot's dragging to a bit of a crawl with all these different angles being explored and Delano's politics are on full display here. It doesn't bother me too much, since it ties in with the narrative but some of it might be a bit too heavy handed for some. In addition, the main villain of the story comes across as veeeeeeeeeery dated.
Are you ready for it?
Drumroll. Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........
It's the Freemasons.
.....Yeah. Fucking goofy.
The God of all Gods: Webster, an executioner of the Freemasons, has gone turncoat. He intends to use the Fear Machine to summon what has been hidden inside. John prods a Freemason for more info on the grand plan and John's team has been captured by Webster and his fascist goons. Those wheels are starting to look really shaky now. I don't know why John assembled a team together only for them to get captured. It felt like Delano either put them in either for the purpose of killing them off, or didn't know what to do with them once he'd used them for story purposes. Probably a little of both. The trippy magical setpieces look cool though. That and Mercury and John find each other so that was nice.
Balance: And so it comes to this. The Fear Machine is live. Webster plans to drown the world in terror for a new world order. And John and Zed and have to work together to stop it all from crashing down. Aaaaaaaaaaaand the wheel's fall off. Seriously this is probably the biggest issue I have with this arc overall. The ending is so.....goofy. It's just utterly goofy. It's impossible to take seriously for several reasons.
1. The plan to deal with the final villain of the arc is so convoluted and info-dumpy that it feels less like John and co planning and more like Delano spitting out everything he knows about Ley Lines and Earth magic.
2. Webster disappears off the face of the comic's last pages with nary a reference as to what happened to him.
3. Confusing prose and bizarre imagery. I love the surreal art but combined with stream of consciousness prose makes it a very confuzzling read. I had to re-read it a few times to get a sense of what was going on.
4. The plan to defeat the final villain....is a threesome. A threesome which births an egg that spawns a God. I am not fucking kidding.
5. "Now it's time for femaleness." THIS IS AN ACTUAL LINE IN A HELLBLAZER COMIC AND IT IS THE SILLIEST FUCKING THING I HAVE EVER READ. XD
6. An epilogue that all but abandons John to wherever the winds take him, leaving everyone behind.
And that's The Fear Machine. To be fair, there's still a lot to enjoy here. The art when its good, is surreal and creative. Delano's prose at its best is still poetic and beautiful. But at its worst, the plotline becomes goofy as fuck, the villains are hideously dated and the ideology come across as hilarious when compared to the threat they face. I would definitely rate it as the weaker of the two stories so far in Delano's run.
The Devil you Know
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
And so we have the next series in the Delano run of Hellblazer: The Fear Machine. Like before, I'll be looking at each issue individually, since that seems to be working so far. I'll add one issue I have with this arc overall and that's again the art by Rayner. Like in the previous volume, the art is that weird semi-photo realistic art with thick simple colours and uncanny valley faces. It's just kind of weird to look at. Buckingham's art meanwhile looks a lot cleaner, a lot more detailed and a lot less creepy looking.
Touching the Earth: John is suddenly on the run, having been accused by the Sun (Britain's daily dose of tabloid bullshit) of being a Satanist serial killer. In a scramble to get away from the cops, he falls in with a local pagan hippie commune living off the land. This feels like a bit of breather issue, to get readers nestled in after the massive climax of the previous arc. We're introduced to one of the main characters (Mercury) and the banter between her and John feels like genuine friendliness. The issue overall is dreamlike and relaxing and lighthearted enough that I enjoyed it overall. Can't speak for whether its accurate or not (hippies in late 1980's England?) so if someone knows, help me out here.
Shepherd's Warning: A nasty run-in with an government compound and a dose of hallucinogenics leads John down a road that involves ley lines and dark summonings. This one really benefits from the trippy artwork when John is roasted on Fly Agaric. It's a slow burn of an issue, popping little bits and bobs that will become relevant later. Overall a decent issue.
Rough Justice: It all comes falling apart. The cops have raided the commune, kidnapped Mercury and John's had enough running. This is where the story starts to pick up and we also get a strong whiff of Delano's personal views. It's not deal breaking, but it should give you an idea of where the story is going to go if you know anything about Earth Magic and Ley Lines. Also, switching to Mercury's viewpoint was a nice touch. I actually quite like Mercury. She's flighty and quirky, but also a bit of an old soul in a young body.
Drrring, Drrring: On a train ride to London, John gets caught up in a psychic attack designated for one of the passengers. What follows is a spiral into the depths of fear. This one is a twofer. First we get out first glimpses of the titular Fear Machine (a sort of psychic amplifier that utilizes the country's ley lines). And secondly we get a glimpse of some of the best horror this arc has to offer. The suggestive writing, shadows and implications make for a really unsettling piece.
Hate Mail & Love Letters: John returns to London to find it full of police corruption, the Freemasons and heartbreaking suicides. Meanwhile the hippy commune have gone north to Scotland where the leader of another commune is a familiar face from John's past (It's Zed). And all through this, Mercury is learning the tricks of the trade with the Fear Machine and has got a few tricks up her sleeve. This issue is split three ways, presented in the form of written letters. Of the three, I'd say Mercury's is the strongest with the art being the most trippy and interesting. The commune's letter (written by Mercury's mum Marj) has some beautiful art but is bogged down by a plot that feels a bit flouncy, although it does tie in later. John's art is the most sombre and bare bones but also the saddest, that deals with some pretty heavy topics. Not a bad issue, but not a great issue. Sort of a breather after the train.
The Broken Man: John's found a lead, except that someone tried to kill him. And now's John's piecing things together, getting ready for a swing back. Meanwhile Mercury's stumbled onto something; something nasty and horrible. All those fears the Machine is accumulating....what's it creating? And the commune are trying out their own brand of magic. This is where I reckon the wheel's are getting a bit shaky on this story. John and Mercury are actually doing things. They're progressing the plot. The commune on the other hand have got their hands deep in Earth Mother, feminist hippy dippy magic. And while I can understand the intent, it just comes across as a little silly compared to the actual movers and shakers. It feels like Delano wants them to be taken seriously, but they have no agency in the overall arc.
Betrayal: Mercury's staged an escape, John's finally got the team together and the true enemy behind the Fear Machine have been revealed. Okay here's where those wheels are starting to look really shaky now. The plot's dragging to a bit of a crawl with all these different angles being explored and Delano's politics are on full display here. It doesn't bother me too much, since it ties in with the narrative but some of it might be a bit too heavy handed for some. In addition, the main villain of the story comes across as veeeeeeeeeery dated.
Are you ready for it?
Drumroll. Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........
It's the Freemasons.
.....Yeah. Fucking goofy.
The God of all Gods: Webster, an executioner of the Freemasons, has gone turncoat. He intends to use the Fear Machine to summon what has been hidden inside. John prods a Freemason for more info on the grand plan and John's team has been captured by Webster and his fascist goons. Those wheels are starting to look really shaky now. I don't know why John assembled a team together only for them to get captured. It felt like Delano either put them in either for the purpose of killing them off, or didn't know what to do with them once he'd used them for story purposes. Probably a little of both. The trippy magical setpieces look cool though. That and Mercury and John find each other so that was nice.
Balance: And so it comes to this. The Fear Machine is live. Webster plans to drown the world in terror for a new world order. And John and Zed and have to work together to stop it all from crashing down. Aaaaaaaaaaaand the wheel's fall off. Seriously this is probably the biggest issue I have with this arc overall. The ending is so.....goofy. It's just utterly goofy. It's impossible to take seriously for several reasons.
1. The plan to deal with the final villain of the arc is so convoluted and info-dumpy that it feels less like John and co planning and more like Delano spitting out everything he knows about Ley Lines and Earth magic.
2. Webster disappears off the face of the comic's last pages with nary a reference as to what happened to him.
3. Confusing prose and bizarre imagery. I love the surreal art but combined with stream of consciousness prose makes it a very confuzzling read. I had to re-read it a few times to get a sense of what was going on.
4. The plan to defeat the final villain....is a threesome. A threesome which births an egg that spawns a God. I am not fucking kidding.
5. "Now it's time for femaleness." THIS IS AN ACTUAL LINE IN A HELLBLAZER COMIC AND IT IS THE SILLIEST FUCKING THING I HAVE EVER READ. XD
6. An epilogue that all but abandons John to wherever the winds take him, leaving everyone behind.
And that's The Fear Machine. To be fair, there's still a lot to enjoy here. The art when its good, is surreal and creative. Delano's prose at its best is still poetic and beautiful. But at its worst, the plotline becomes goofy as fuck, the villains are hideously dated and the ideology come across as hilarious when compared to the threat they face. I would definitely rate it as the weaker of the two stories so far in Delano's run.
September 24, 2016
The build up was not bad but what a stupid last issue. I laughed at the explanation and the last sequence just doesn't laje any sense...
April 13, 2019
I enjoy writing detailed reviews for the sake of it, but I can't write a detailed review for The Fear Machine because I kinda jumped through its second half rather than reading it. I am not going to go back there to recall what specifically sucked about this volume; that isn't really necessary because its entirety was a disaster.
Jamie Delano's bad narration as at its max in "The Fear Machine". I swear to God those boxes talk a lot but they don't say a damn thing. IT IS JUST NONSENSE! I have no idea how he manages to write so much text without forming a single meaningful sentence. Reading this volume hurt me, not only of boredom but it also hurt my brain.
This is only the 14th issue, Constantine was debuted only a few months ago and he was debuted as the asshole trickster he is today, suddenly Jamie decided to experiment with his creation, how about turning the self-confident demon trickster into a self-destructive nomad? if you want to learn how this idea turned out then you should definitely check out "The Fear Machine"! but I urge you not to.
SPOILERS from what I could recall about the Fear Machine:
Constantine was for some reason walking alone in the countryside and he was picked up by a telepathic girl. The girl takes him to her group of travelers and Constantine (the man who wanted nothing but to be left alone in his house back at issue #1) is now a traveler with some people he never met before. Sometime later, the telepathic girl is kidnapped by some assholes who want to use her telepathic abilities to build the FEAR MACHINE (in big bold red letters like a classic horror film). Now, without using a single magical trick or talking to a single demon or doing anything you expect from Constantine, the story is resolved. Yep, that is all I can tell you about THE FEAR MACHINE. Actually, I can also tell you that the girl freed herself at the end. Constantine didn't even contribute to that.. unless crying himself in pity counts as something.
Jamie Delano's bad narration as at its max in "The Fear Machine". I swear to God those boxes talk a lot but they don't say a damn thing. IT IS JUST NONSENSE! I have no idea how he manages to write so much text without forming a single meaningful sentence. Reading this volume hurt me, not only of boredom but it also hurt my brain.
This is only the 14th issue, Constantine was debuted only a few months ago and he was debuted as the asshole trickster he is today, suddenly Jamie decided to experiment with his creation, how about turning the self-confident demon trickster into a self-destructive nomad? if you want to learn how this idea turned out then you should definitely check out "The Fear Machine"! but I urge you not to.
SPOILERS from what I could recall about the Fear Machine:
Constantine was for some reason walking alone in the countryside and he was picked up by a telepathic girl. The girl takes him to her group of travelers and Constantine (the man who wanted nothing but to be left alone in his house back at issue #1) is now a traveler with some people he never met before. Sometime later, the telepathic girl is kidnapped by some assholes who want to use her telepathic abilities to build the FEAR MACHINE (in big bold red letters like a classic horror film). Now, without using a single magical trick or talking to a single demon or doing anything you expect from Constantine, the story is resolved. Yep, that is all I can tell you about THE FEAR MACHINE. Actually, I can also tell you that the girl freed herself at the end. Constantine didn't even contribute to that.. unless crying himself in pity counts as something.
December 5, 2014
Hellblazer: The Fear Machine - Did anybody find any horror in this?
I am huge fan of John Constantine's legacy: comics, stories, graphic novels, TV series - everything. But this was really disappointing. Fear Machine starts in its own manner without following the usual John which was ok but then it completely lost its way. I really love the mindf***ing narration of Hellblazer and other comics like The Invisibles, Vol. 1: Say You Want a Revolution or Preacher, Volume 1: Gone to Texas but this went wrong, really wrong. John appearance also was discontinuous and story really scrambled. The art has its moments but with out proper story line it felt less appealing.
I am huge fan of John Constantine's legacy: comics, stories, graphic novels, TV series - everything. But this was really disappointing. Fear Machine starts in its own manner without following the usual John which was ok but then it completely lost its way. I really love the mindf***ing narration of Hellblazer and other comics like The Invisibles, Vol. 1: Say You Want a Revolution or Preacher, Volume 1: Gone to Texas but this went wrong, really wrong. John appearance also was discontinuous and story really scrambled. The art has its moments but with out proper story line it felt less appealing.
March 23, 2018
It is good to go back and read topical comics. Sometimes they remind you that times have always been turbulent. There is always a possible problem in the world. There is a lot of small brutality here. You think of comic baddies who want to change the world or destroy something and think that can never happen.
The touchstones of the real world in these books remind you of people who have tried to change the world. I read this the same time as reading Elie Wiesel on the concentration camps that he survived and brought the threat of evil into a real place. Sure, this is just a comic book. But it is delving deep into some dark corners of humanity. Real places.
The touchstones of the real world in these books remind you of people who have tried to change the world. I read this the same time as reading Elie Wiesel on the concentration camps that he survived and brought the threat of evil into a real place. Sure, this is just a comic book. But it is delving deep into some dark corners of humanity. Real places.
July 19, 2009
Terrible ending. Awful. I'm seriously annoyed and disappointed. I'm skipping the rest of Delano's run. 1 1/2 stars.
Later...I guess I will give Delano's others a try since I already have them and I am waiting on others from the library. After all, I did rate Original Sins 5 stars so maybe Delano will redeem himself. And even though the next skips Gaiman's single issue #27, I plan on reading it anyways. I really dislike reading anything out of order or skipping anything that may be mentioned later. Whoever decided on how to arrange these collections sucks.
Later...I guess I will give Delano's others a try since I already have them and I am waiting on others from the library. After all, I did rate Original Sins 5 stars so maybe Delano will redeem himself. And even though the next skips Gaiman's single issue #27, I plan on reading it anyways. I really dislike reading anything out of order or skipping anything that may be mentioned later. Whoever decided on how to arrange these collections sucks.
April 10, 2009
Old school JCH. Dated visuals, but the story's very strong. Read this at night almost in one sitting. Quite unsettling. Material is dark, like almost everything JCH is, but the old school - did I mention that already? - has the undiluted quality of you made me jump out of my skin scary.
Left off reading JCH for half a year, and this makes a great first read. Don't dip your foot to see if the water's fine, jump right in. The Fear Machine will not disappoint you.
Left off reading JCH for half a year, and this makes a great first read. Don't dip your foot to see if the water's fine, jump right in. The Fear Machine will not disappoint you.
February 10, 2011
If you are a fan of Hellblazer, you gotta respect Delano. If Alan Moore is the Jesus of Constantine writers, then Delano has got to be the St. Paul.
Moore brings the "Bad News", Delano interprets it and revels in it.
Moore brings the "Bad News", Delano interprets it and revels in it.
September 7, 2008
bad art, bad writing. This was terrible. Whenever it would pick up, it would just get worse. Delano started Hellblazer well, but this stories look terrible now. Go ahead and skip it.
September 18, 2020
Hellblazer: The Fear Machine - 3.5/5
An awright epic from Jamie Delano's run on Hellblazer. The storie tak John Constantine awa from his usual surroundis of built-up England after been acussed iv murder sae does a runner tae the wild coontryside to hide oot wae a buncha hippies and Pagan goodness ensues.
Delano cotinues tae o'erwrite almaist every enternal monologue wae uneeded similes, metaphors, alliteration, adjectives, adverbs and mair; a canny figure oot why either. Half ah them didnae even mak sense, try tis yin on fir size "Constructing crazed geometries of terror in which to grow implaccable shiny-eyed beast of death and derangement". Wit? I unnerstan tha he's gittin hit wae a physic blast aw fear, bit the metaphors still hive tae be unnerstable. Sae long as he's no scribblin internal monologue hooever he's no half bad as a writer.
The storie itsel is pretty guid although it gits awfy... abstract it the end and leaves alot hangin tae be picked up later. Ah alsa didnae no if John's wanted fir murder anymair after then end aw the tale, it wis never made clear if that hid been dropped or naw.
The art be Mark Buckingham, Richard Piers Rayner and Alfredo Alcala wisnae tha guid, although am feein a sorta attraction tae it from sum sorta nostalgia. The art be guest artist fir pirt four, Mike Hoffman, wis beeter fir sure.
O'erall, a fine read, if tae much use aw the flowery language in waes tha didnae mak sense, wae sum dodgy art and a strange endin.
An awright epic from Jamie Delano's run on Hellblazer. The storie tak John Constantine awa from his usual surroundis of built-up England after been acussed iv murder sae does a runner tae the wild coontryside to hide oot wae a buncha hippies and Pagan goodness ensues.
Delano cotinues tae o'erwrite almaist every enternal monologue wae uneeded similes, metaphors, alliteration, adjectives, adverbs and mair; a canny figure oot why either. Half ah them didnae even mak sense, try tis yin on fir size "Constructing crazed geometries of terror in which to grow implaccable shiny-eyed beast of death and derangement". Wit? I unnerstan tha he's gittin hit wae a physic blast aw fear, bit the metaphors still hive tae be unnerstable. Sae long as he's no scribblin internal monologue hooever he's no half bad as a writer.
The storie itsel is pretty guid although it gits awfy... abstract it the end and leaves alot hangin tae be picked up later. Ah alsa didnae no if John's wanted fir murder anymair after then end aw the tale, it wis never made clear if that hid been dropped or naw.
The art be Mark Buckingham, Richard Piers Rayner and Alfredo Alcala wisnae tha guid, although am feein a sorta attraction tae it from sum sorta nostalgia. The art be guest artist fir pirt four, Mike Hoffman, wis beeter fir sure.
O'erall, a fine read, if tae much use aw the flowery language in waes tha didnae mak sense, wae sum dodgy art and a strange endin.
Read
July 12, 2021Not surprisingly, the follow-up volume to "The Devil You Know" is also (and far more) "unratable". It is definitely a study of what is possible in this medium, as well as part of its history, lying somewhere between modern comics and occult pulps.
Though the comic tells a story, the story largely doesn't matter, it cuts corners whenever it feels like it and at best it's a pretext. As I said in my review of the previous volume, this is about Thatcherian England, a very real police dystopia, which is heavily reflected in the "black squad" of the comic.
Other than that, it seems to draw upon every possible conspiracy theory of the time and weave it into a connected whole, although Constantine himself raves against that meta-narrative, saying you can never make heads or tails of conspiracies.
Essentially, this comic is about fear-mongering used as a tool by governments, except in this case it's a very real supernatural threat that is countered by "the female principle" in its triatic expression.
I am assuming that someone who lived in the UK during the '70s and '80s will recognize many more codified messages about the era, but as it stands, you know about 90% of it is pure symbolism. As relates to the comics angle, these early John Constantine stories are not only surprisingly dark and non-redemptive, they would also be impossible in today's mire of political correctness.
An undoubtedly intriguing read, but I cannot tell you whether I liked it purely as a comic, or if I am merely fascinated by its value as an artefact. Regardless, the art is simply stellar.
Though the comic tells a story, the story largely doesn't matter, it cuts corners whenever it feels like it and at best it's a pretext. As I said in my review of the previous volume, this is about Thatcherian England, a very real police dystopia, which is heavily reflected in the "black squad" of the comic.
Other than that, it seems to draw upon every possible conspiracy theory of the time and weave it into a connected whole, although Constantine himself raves against that meta-narrative, saying you can never make heads or tails of conspiracies.
Essentially, this comic is about fear-mongering used as a tool by governments, except in this case it's a very real supernatural threat that is countered by "the female principle" in its triatic expression.
I am assuming that someone who lived in the UK during the '70s and '80s will recognize many more codified messages about the era, but as it stands, you know about 90% of it is pure symbolism. As relates to the comics angle, these early John Constantine stories are not only surprisingly dark and non-redemptive, they would also be impossible in today's mire of political correctness.
An undoubtedly intriguing read, but I cannot tell you whether I liked it purely as a comic, or if I am merely fascinated by its value as an artefact. Regardless, the art is simply stellar.
February 25, 2023
Demasiado texto y poca magia, no parece que Jamie Delano escribiera esto.
The fear machine nos cuenta otra aventura de John Constantine donde se ve involucrado con un grupo de hippies y una chica con poderes psíquicos, la chica llama la atención de los mazones que buscan utilizarla para amplificar una maquina que permite crear potentes ilusiones para provocar suicidios. John Constantine deberá rescatar a esta chica y de paso llegar al fondo de toda la conspiración en la que el gobierno esta fuertemente involucrado.
Pues la verdad estan muy pesados estos 9 números, y aunque la primicia es interesante y podemos ver la transicion de John de ser alguien totalmente amoral a genuinamente interesarse por los demás y combatir estas fuerzas que estan más allá de su comprensión, creo que hay mucho relleno, mucha explicación de pseudociencia sin sentido y demasiados personajes secundarios que al final terminan por desplazar al propio John Constantine de su historia, tiene cosas muy buenas como el arte, unos cameos, la investigación que John realiza sobre los cultistas y tambien las intereracciones que el tiene con este nuevo elenco de secundarios porque recordemos, antes en los volumenes pasados, todos eran carne de cañon para John, hasta sus seres queridos asi que para variar es bueno verlo con ganas de luchar por algo.
The fear machine no me cumplió del todo, creo que esto daba para solo unos 5 o 6 números pero se sobre extendió demasiado y ya no terminó de amarrar sus ideas, si lo recomiendo si te gustan estas tramas de conspiraciones y sociedades secretas pero tampoco es de lo mejor que he leído de Hellblazer.
The fear machine nos cuenta otra aventura de John Constantine donde se ve involucrado con un grupo de hippies y una chica con poderes psíquicos, la chica llama la atención de los mazones que buscan utilizarla para amplificar una maquina que permite crear potentes ilusiones para provocar suicidios. John Constantine deberá rescatar a esta chica y de paso llegar al fondo de toda la conspiración en la que el gobierno esta fuertemente involucrado.
Pues la verdad estan muy pesados estos 9 números, y aunque la primicia es interesante y podemos ver la transicion de John de ser alguien totalmente amoral a genuinamente interesarse por los demás y combatir estas fuerzas que estan más allá de su comprensión, creo que hay mucho relleno, mucha explicación de pseudociencia sin sentido y demasiados personajes secundarios que al final terminan por desplazar al propio John Constantine de su historia, tiene cosas muy buenas como el arte, unos cameos, la investigación que John realiza sobre los cultistas y tambien las intereracciones que el tiene con este nuevo elenco de secundarios porque recordemos, antes en los volumenes pasados, todos eran carne de cañon para John, hasta sus seres queridos asi que para variar es bueno verlo con ganas de luchar por algo.
The fear machine no me cumplió del todo, creo que esto daba para solo unos 5 o 6 números pero se sobre extendió demasiado y ya no terminó de amarrar sus ideas, si lo recomiendo si te gustan estas tramas de conspiraciones y sociedades secretas pero tampoco es de lo mejor que he leído de Hellblazer.
July 27, 2022
Zeszyty 14-22 ze starszego tomu (tom 1 wydany przez Egmont) zbiorczego są już Briana Azaarello, który rysuje mniej mroczną wersję Johna. Fabuła dotyczy Johna uciekającego przed władzami po tym, jak Nergal zabił kilka osób, o co obwiniono, a jakże, Johna. Constantine spotyka się z grupą podróżujących hipisów, aby się ukryć, ponieważ jest poszukiwany przez władze. Jest obwiniany o morderstwa popełnione przez demony z ostatniego tomu. Jak się okazuje, jeden z hippisów jest potężnym medium i zostaje porwany przez tajny oddział rządu, który zasadniczo próbuje przywrócić „starego boga” (och, czy ktoś mówił może o Cthulhu?). Historia opowiada o równowadze energii, rozbieżności między moralnością a autorytetem. Constantine jest tu bardziej pogański niż w poprzednich częściach, bardziej nonszalancki i opiekuńczy jednocześnie. I taki nawet bardziej mi się podoba, niż zblazowany Anglik. Jest to o wiele bardziej spójna według mnie historia niż którakolwiek z wcześniejszych i opiera się na rozwoju postaci, który już miał miejsce.
Więcej na: https://www.monime.pl/hellblazer-wg-b...
Więcej na: https://www.monime.pl/hellblazer-wg-b...
August 18, 2022
Didn't enjoy it quite as much as the previous volume, The Devil You Know. I felt The Fear Machine dragged in the middle a bit with Constantine aimlessly wandering just a touch too much (and I know he was shooting to maintain a low-profile but still). Delano injects even more political commentary here and if you like your punk sensibilities in Hellblazer then Delano is your guy. The story emanates '**** thatcher' energy. The last 1/3 or so of this arc steamrolls right through though and we get some incredible imagery including the 'scardies' leftover fear that Mercury accidently unleashed or freemasons sacrificing the lower classes in a bloody, brutal ritual.
November 16, 2024
Clearly intended as an event story, this multi chapter arc feels like an attempt by Jamie Delano to introduce John Constantine to new settings and classical mythology, the imagery and dynamics of Catholicism and the Christian faith perhaps being seen as going stale by this point in the series' run. While it's still an entertaining read, a lot of it doesn't really work, at least not for me. Constantine feels very out of place amidst Norse and Pagan backdrops and rarely makes use of his own skills or abilities to advance the plot. The trademark Hellblazer malevolence perks up again in the last two or three chapters, but it's a case of too little, too late.
July 29, 2018
I thought this was one of the better stories. Some may disagree, but this is one that really took me in and got me into the series. It has everything a Hellblazer/John Constantine fan would want; sex, conspiracies, demonology, and even politics! I realize it tackles some subjects that may offend those with a differing point of view, but Delano was always just as political as John Constantine's creator, Alan Moore. I find the art has a certain charm to it, even if that particular aspect hasn't aged as well. Recommended!
February 20, 2019
I read this story arc many years ago as they came out. Back then this was pretty much part of those comics I collected that were very very different. The stories were darker and less to no superheroes.
Reading this again in compiled form however does show that while the story is still great, the execution was not so fantastic. The story seems a little fractured and the art sometimes did not stand out. Characters would get lost if not for the fact that you were reading the book in out compiled tome.
As a book this would be great for Hellblazer completists but not so for the new reader
Reading this again in compiled form however does show that while the story is still great, the execution was not so fantastic. The story seems a little fractured and the art sometimes did not stand out. Characters would get lost if not for the fact that you were reading the book in out compiled tome.
As a book this would be great for Hellblazer completists but not so for the new reader
January 9, 2019
Hey, the world is ending again, and this time, much like all the previous ones, it's the real deal. I loved to see Zed again and was fond of the themes of fear and politics in this storyline. Really it's just another affirmation of the myths around binary gender, but for whatever reason I find it more fascinating than unpleasant in the context of occultic theorising.
August 21, 2024
this whole arc was like seismic waves....
damn gave me such a headache and a heartache at the same time, but there is something about women realizing their potential and turning into I guess DRAGONS...
highlights:
screamed when Harold and co ACCUSED John.. what gives MAN!
mercury was so amazing and the way she tapped into her powers...
damn gave me such a headache and a heartache at the same time, but there is something about women realizing their potential and turning into I guess DRAGONS...
highlights:
screamed when Harold and co ACCUSED John.. what gives MAN!
mercury was so amazing and the way she tapped into her powers...
May 3, 2018
I just couldn't get into this. the plot had no idea where it was going, the characters were forgettable and the art style was nothing memorable
such a pity because I've heard such good things about Hellblazer
such a pity because I've heard such good things about Hellblazer
March 31, 2024
Very mixed bag, first two issues incredibly sluggish but until the end its pretty enjoyable and gets back to delanos best weapon which is his horror and political writing. It's just that the hippie crap is so eh and even the last issue with the weird sex stuff is still decent for sire
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews