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Hellblazer: New Editions
Hellblazer, Vol. 16: The Wild Card
After his epic journey through the American heartland, John Constantine is coming home to England. Believed to be dead, Constantine needs to set the record straight with the last surviving members of his family. Then, in "Red Sepulchre," John has walked into the middle of an ugly range war between rival groups of magicians. Like it or not, he's going to have to choose a side--and it would help if he knew which faction wants him dead. Later, after an ambiguous tip-off from a dead informant, John takes steps to protect himself against a demonic attack. But when the ambush comes from an unexpected direction, his magic defenses fail him, and the only thing he has to fall back on is his knowledge of darkest London.
Collecting: Hellblazer 175-188
Collecting: Hellblazer 175-188
328 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2017
17 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,261 books2,967 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 19, 2022
Mike Carey takes over Hellblazer and the book instantly feels back on track after a year and a half of Brian Azzarello just trying to shock you by making Constantine as depraved as possible. Carey has a plan, slowly doling it out over multiple shorter arcs. An ominous threat slowly arcs over the horizon throughout these stories building and building a sense of dread. The stories are great and so is the art. This is a great jumping on point and a great spot to hand to a friend who you think would enjoy Hellblazer.
August 18, 2021
John Constantine is back to his devilish blue-collar sorcerer ways in Volume 16 of Hellblazer, “The Wild Card”.
Writer Mike Carey takes over after Brian Azzarello’s run, in which Azzarello seriously toned down all the supernatural wizardy stuff in favor of more noir-ish crime drama, while making Constantine even scarier (something I didn’t know was possible).
In this volume: Constantine arrives back in England, where he finds out that his niece Gemma may have gotten in over her head with another sorcerer; he befriends an amateur magician named Angie Spatchcock, whose youth, idealism and innocence will be extremely useful for Constantine (who possesses none of those qualities); the afore-mentioned evil sorcerer is using Gemma to find a magic artifact called the Sepulchre, which he thinks Constantine might have; Constantine keeps getting weird messages of impending doom from supernatural sources (but what’s new?); Constantine has a near-death run-in with the Gironnved, Celtic Shepherds of the Dead; Constantine’s adventures lead him to the mythical Eden, which is located in western Iran; Swamp Thing makes a cameo (too brief for my liking); then it’s off to Australia for sun, surf, and genocidal ghosts of British soldiers tasked with killing off aborigines for eternity; and, finally, an island of vampire children.
While I enjoyed Azzarello’s run, it’s nice to see Constantine back to his old tricks.
Writer Mike Carey takes over after Brian Azzarello’s run, in which Azzarello seriously toned down all the supernatural wizardy stuff in favor of more noir-ish crime drama, while making Constantine even scarier (something I didn’t know was possible).
In this volume: Constantine arrives back in England, where he finds out that his niece Gemma may have gotten in over her head with another sorcerer; he befriends an amateur magician named Angie Spatchcock, whose youth, idealism and innocence will be extremely useful for Constantine (who possesses none of those qualities); the afore-mentioned evil sorcerer is using Gemma to find a magic artifact called the Sepulchre, which he thinks Constantine might have; Constantine keeps getting weird messages of impending doom from supernatural sources (but what’s new?); Constantine has a near-death run-in with the Gironnved, Celtic Shepherds of the Dead; Constantine’s adventures lead him to the mythical Eden, which is located in western Iran; Swamp Thing makes a cameo (too brief for my liking); then it’s off to Australia for sun, surf, and genocidal ghosts of British soldiers tasked with killing off aborigines for eternity; and, finally, an island of vampire children.
While I enjoyed Azzarello’s run, it’s nice to see Constantine back to his old tricks.
August 12, 2018
So awhile ago (a bit less than a year I think) I tried volume one of Hellblazer and didn’t care for it. Before that however I read a Hellblazer standalone graphic novel by Mike Carey and loved it. So I figured might as well try another Carey Hellblazer comic, I might like that!
What’s it about?
This is a collection of quick adventures of John Constantine. There were quite a few of them.
Pros:
The story, while not the most interesting horror story in comics by any means, is fun.
The narrative is very well written.
The art is wonderful! Probably the highlight of this book. It’s insane how it manages to be colorful and cartoony art while still suiting a darker comic.
There’s a bit of exciting action though I did expect more.
John’s snark adds some humor.
The horror stuff is fairly well done.
This is pretty unpredictable.
Cons:
The characters... I didn’t find them interesting. John Constantine is usually interesting but in this book was just an asshole and not the entertaining type. Everyone else seemed kind of bland (and probably because I didn’t read some of the previous volumes, I had no idea who they are).
This book can be confusing at times.
The dialogue is poorly written. Many of the lines had me cringing.
Overall:
Not bad. It’s a fun book but did mess up in some areas, at least in my opinion. I will probably get around to reading more of Carey’s cool Constantine comics but it’s not a major priority I’d say.
3/5
What’s it about?
This is a collection of quick adventures of John Constantine. There were quite a few of them.
Pros:
The story, while not the most interesting horror story in comics by any means, is fun.
The narrative is very well written.
The art is wonderful! Probably the highlight of this book. It’s insane how it manages to be colorful and cartoony art while still suiting a darker comic.
There’s a bit of exciting action though I did expect more.
John’s snark adds some humor.
The horror stuff is fairly well done.
This is pretty unpredictable.
Cons:
The characters... I didn’t find them interesting. John Constantine is usually interesting but in this book was just an asshole and not the entertaining type. Everyone else seemed kind of bland (and probably because I didn’t read some of the previous volumes, I had no idea who they are).
This book can be confusing at times.
The dialogue is poorly written. Many of the lines had me cringing.
Overall:
Not bad. It’s a fun book but did mess up in some areas, at least in my opinion. I will probably get around to reading more of Carey’s cool Constantine comics but it’s not a major priority I’d say.
3/5
July 9, 2017
Mike Carey's run on Hellblazer is one of the most highly lauded, and the Vertigo collections have finally reached his issues, to great success.
The opening two-part story brings John back to Liverpool after his American adventures in the past two volumes and reunites him with his sister, only to find that there's a problem only he can solve which is really only the first taster of what's to come, as John's niece Gemma finds herself embroiled in the world of magic - and John will do anything to get her out. Steve Dillon draws these two issues, and I'm not sure if it's the different inker or colourist, but his work looks slightly softer than before.
John's journey to save her continues into the Red Sepulchre four part story which sees Carey using a lot of John's pre-existing supporting cast rather than introducing his own like previous writers have done to give us a look at the magical underworld that John thought he had left behind. The art here is by Marcelo Frusin who has been hanging around Hellblazer for a while now to great effect. His Constantine is still second to none, and he even gets to play with some demons in the latter half of the story which he doesn't get to do much.
There's a one-shot next with some early Jock art, which has Constantine fleeing from some demons with some inventive ways of getting out of mishaps, before we get a two issue story called Black Flowers that reunites John with Angie from an earlier Carey story as the pair try to break into an insane asylum to save Angie's brother, with art from Lee Bermejo (it's nothing like his current work, though). This one sheds a little more light on Angie as a character, and on the overarching plot that Carey is building, which leads us into the next arc, Third Worlds.
This is another globe-trotting arc, as John visits the Garden of Eden, as well as going to see Swamp Thing for a little chat as he gathers intelligence and possibly a way of defeating the threat that's looming on the horizon. Along the way we again get some more background on Angie, who's along for the ride, and one of the more formidable love interests John has dealt with. Marcelo Frusin draws this one, also.
And then finally there's a two issue arc that shifts the spotlight back onto Gemma as she tries to solve a magical crime involving some of Constantine's old foes as well as a succubus, a vampire, and a cursed island. This one's a little confusing since the internal monologue character changes quite a lot in a short space of time, but it's a clever little story that shows that Gemma's a Constantine, through and through, even if her parents would want her to be anything but. Some guest art here by Doug Alexander Gregory.
Mike Carey's run seems to be one big story so far, broken down into shorter arcs that all feed into each other. I think the longest story here is the Red Sepulchre at four issues, so this is a lot more digestible than past volumes have been.
The opening two-part story brings John back to Liverpool after his American adventures in the past two volumes and reunites him with his sister, only to find that there's a problem only he can solve which is really only the first taster of what's to come, as John's niece Gemma finds herself embroiled in the world of magic - and John will do anything to get her out. Steve Dillon draws these two issues, and I'm not sure if it's the different inker or colourist, but his work looks slightly softer than before.
John's journey to save her continues into the Red Sepulchre four part story which sees Carey using a lot of John's pre-existing supporting cast rather than introducing his own like previous writers have done to give us a look at the magical underworld that John thought he had left behind. The art here is by Marcelo Frusin who has been hanging around Hellblazer for a while now to great effect. His Constantine is still second to none, and he even gets to play with some demons in the latter half of the story which he doesn't get to do much.
There's a one-shot next with some early Jock art, which has Constantine fleeing from some demons with some inventive ways of getting out of mishaps, before we get a two issue story called Black Flowers that reunites John with Angie from an earlier Carey story as the pair try to break into an insane asylum to save Angie's brother, with art from Lee Bermejo (it's nothing like his current work, though). This one sheds a little more light on Angie as a character, and on the overarching plot that Carey is building, which leads us into the next arc, Third Worlds.
This is another globe-trotting arc, as John visits the Garden of Eden, as well as going to see Swamp Thing for a little chat as he gathers intelligence and possibly a way of defeating the threat that's looming on the horizon. Along the way we again get some more background on Angie, who's along for the ride, and one of the more formidable love interests John has dealt with. Marcelo Frusin draws this one, also.
And then finally there's a two issue arc that shifts the spotlight back onto Gemma as she tries to solve a magical crime involving some of Constantine's old foes as well as a succubus, a vampire, and a cursed island. This one's a little confusing since the internal monologue character changes quite a lot in a short space of time, but it's a clever little story that shows that Gemma's a Constantine, through and through, even if her parents would want her to be anything but. Some guest art here by Doug Alexander Gregory.
Mike Carey's run seems to be one big story so far, broken down into shorter arcs that all feed into each other. I think the longest story here is the Red Sepulchre at four issues, so this is a lot more digestible than past volumes have been.
July 21, 2017
High on Life 4.5
Red Sepulcher 4.0
The Game of Cat and Mouse 4
Black Flowers 3.5
Third Worlds 4.0
Bred in the Bone 3.5
Mike Carey's writing is superb, complex and well paced. The art is amazing too.
Constantine has taken on Angie as his apprentice and together they traipse the globe looking for clues on how to stop the Shadow Dog. An amazing foe if ever there was one. I loved The Swampthing's cameo appearance.
Can't wait to see how this pans out. . .
Red Sepulcher 4.0
The Game of Cat and Mouse 4
Black Flowers 3.5
Third Worlds 4.0
Bred in the Bone 3.5
Mike Carey's writing is superb, complex and well paced. The art is amazing too.
Constantine has taken on Angie as his apprentice and together they traipse the globe looking for clues on how to stop the Shadow Dog. An amazing foe if ever there was one. I loved The Swampthing's cameo appearance.
Can't wait to see how this pans out. . .
April 15, 2019
Carey kills here. Great art and awesome covers.
September 20, 2020
3.5 stars. The beginning of a beautifull friendship, this first Mike Carey Hellblazer is good !
March 9, 2019
actual rating: 2.5
I was hoping that Mike Carey might bring something fresh and new to this series but it's just the same old shit over and over again. I'm definitely running out of steam on this series, even with waiting a few months between volumes to try to give myself a break. Also it didn't help that I hated most of the artists for these issues.
One interaction did make me laugh though:
Although it's not like knowing he's a complete twat is going to stop her from screwing him shortly after [rolls eyes]
I was hoping that Mike Carey might bring something fresh and new to this series but it's just the same old shit over and over again. I'm definitely running out of steam on this series, even with waiting a few months between volumes to try to give myself a break. Also it didn't help that I hated most of the artists for these issues.
One interaction did make me laugh though:
Although it's not like knowing he's a complete twat is going to stop her from screwing him shortly after [rolls eyes]
October 14, 2019
This collected volume is a bridge between the previous, great one, and “the end of the world.”
Frankly, even though the artwork is almost gorgeous at times, the writing is just going through the motions. The collection has its moments -there are several worse Hellblazer editions- but they are few and far between. It’s mostly slow, repetitive, and inconclusive. Two highlights are a terribly short cameo in two “chapters” by an old friend of John’s; and seeing Gemma start her own trickster-magician carreer.
I suppose this was worth it but it came after a high point with Constantine’s US tour in Highwater. And is quite possibly going to be a bridge to what one hopes is a more exciting collection in vol 17.
Frankly, even though the artwork is almost gorgeous at times, the writing is just going through the motions. The collection has its moments -there are several worse Hellblazer editions- but they are few and far between. It’s mostly slow, repetitive, and inconclusive. Two highlights are a terribly short cameo in two “chapters” by an old friend of John’s; and seeing Gemma start her own trickster-magician carreer.
I suppose this was worth it but it came after a high point with Constantine’s US tour in Highwater. And is quite possibly going to be a bridge to what one hopes is a more exciting collection in vol 17.
January 10, 2021
Mike Careys run on Hellblazer is excellent
Loved Mike Careys run on Hellblazer, sets up the quality writing full of the dark and mystical goings on that his later Lucifer series raises to new heights. So many great ideas, interesting characters and the mixing of myth and magic from different cultures. Check out the references to Hindu Mythology in Red Sephulchre. Smart dialogue with wry wit with John Constantine at the centre, Mike Carey is one of my favourite graphic novel authors.
Loved Mike Careys run on Hellblazer, sets up the quality writing full of the dark and mystical goings on that his later Lucifer series raises to new heights. So many great ideas, interesting characters and the mixing of myth and magic from different cultures. Check out the references to Hindu Mythology in Red Sephulchre. Smart dialogue with wry wit with John Constantine at the centre, Mike Carey is one of my favourite graphic novel authors.
June 11, 2017
John still is a magnificent bastard... can't go wrong with Hellblazer unless you're DC.
September 23, 2020
After a couple of underwhelming collections written by Brian Azzarello, who seemed to have a very poor understanding of the main character and tone of the series, along comes Mike Carey to save the day. For fans of Hellblazer, the Carey run hits all the right notes, and, in my opinion, actually improves upon it somewhat.
JC's characterisation is on point, he knows his history, and connects his stories to past events of the series, not only referencing them, but also building upon it, adding high risk changes of his own that actually pay off.
Altough the tone and characterisation are well captured, he does, nonetheless, make his run on Hellblazer different from all others in one aspect: the supernatural in this is ever more present than ever and less subdued than in some other runs; however, he mixes it in with some grounded characters and a great representation of London's seedier side.
Marcelo Frusin's art is great during this collection, and fill in issues feature the artistical talents of Jock and Lee Bermejo, so its very well ilustrated for the most part.
In all honesty, when I first heard of Hellblazer, I imagined it to be exactly as Carey has written it. Its good to have my expectations so entrely met in what is, in my opinion, one of the best Hellblazer runs ever written.
JC's characterisation is on point, he knows his history, and connects his stories to past events of the series, not only referencing them, but also building upon it, adding high risk changes of his own that actually pay off.
Altough the tone and characterisation are well captured, he does, nonetheless, make his run on Hellblazer different from all others in one aspect: the supernatural in this is ever more present than ever and less subdued than in some other runs; however, he mixes it in with some grounded characters and a great representation of London's seedier side.
Marcelo Frusin's art is great during this collection, and fill in issues feature the artistical talents of Jock and Lee Bermejo, so its very well ilustrated for the most part.
In all honesty, when I first heard of Hellblazer, I imagined it to be exactly as Carey has written it. Its good to have my expectations so entrely met in what is, in my opinion, one of the best Hellblazer runs ever written.
February 11, 2025
3.8 biblio
August 22, 2018
Back to Liverpool
Aight so after Azzarello’s trip across America, Constantine returns to London. Mike Carey is said to be the best or one of the best writers for Hellblazer, writing the second longest run. Now here’s the thing. I didn’t give this book 2 stars because I’m biased against Carey or anything like that. Yes, I have read Delano’s, Ennis’s, and Ellis’s stuff and mostly love it. Mostly. But that will not come into account for this review. I find Mike Carey’s style of writing to be too subtle. I’m not saying that I don’t like a book that makes you think, but I was utterly confused throughout this entire book. I was stressing out because I’d be one of the only people who didn’t enjoy this first book. The first 2 issues are very strong. And I think they do a great job as an intro for what is to come. Plus Steve Dillon’s artwork is always a major major plus. But the next story The Red Sepulchre, couldn’t stand it. I found this to be a cluttered overpopulated mess. NOW I GET IT. Some of you are probably reading this review thinking “What a dumbass.” And I get that. But I’m sorry I just couldn’t bring my self to enjoy this story that seemed to never end. The Game of Cat and Mouse is fine but not much substance. Black Flowers is my favourite story in this collection because it actually made sense to me. I was actually surprised to see that Lee Bermejo drew these 2 issues. Third Worlds was pretty entertaining all except the last issue which reminded me of Damnation’s Flame from Ennis’s run. A giant acid trip that I just couldn’t wrap my brain around. And finally Bred in Bone focuses on Gemma and a couple of other character’s from John’s past. I actually was enjoying and understanding the story until the end and then I lost it. One thing I like that this book does is put a lot of emphasis on magic. Because to be completely honest I always felt there to be a lack of magic throughout all the Hellblazer I’ve read.
Besides Steve Dillon’s art, Marcelo Frusin’s work is used the most in this book and in Azzarello’s run I believe. I am fine with the style, I think it’s serviceable. But I always found there to be a lack of detail or texture. Bermejo’s stuff is very good I think, but just a little too scratchy. Jock’s work is very hit or miss for me. In terms of stuff like his Batman art, I love it. But if you asked me if I liked his work in Superman American Alien or this, I’d say no. And finally Doug Alexander Gregory I think just does a poor job here. Barely any texture, flat unfinished panels ect. This is all subjective of course, but you ask me I didn’t like the style at all.
LOOK! In the end, I can’t help but be disappointed by this book. Maybe that’s because Mike Carey’s writing is not for me. I liked the All his Engines storyline but with this, I was confused and angry with myself for not understanding a lot of things so I can’t say I enjoyed the reading experience that much. Sorry. I will be continuing the run so I am reeeeally hoping the next volume is more enjoyable. Letter Grade: (C+)
January 30, 2022
Having been gradually working my way through the entirety of Hellblazer, I've been very much looking forward to finally getting to Mike Carey's storied run on the character. I loved Carey's writing on Lucifer, and based on everything I'd heard, his Hellblazer run is supposed to rival even Ennis's in terms of its scope, intelligence and character. But after one (very long) first volume, I'm a bit baffled by this seemingly universal opinion.
The biggest problem here is the obfuscated dialogue. Everyone seems to talk in riddles or corny-adjacent Noir Speak, never actually expressing what they want, or what their goals are, or what the Magical MacGuffin they're all searching for is supposed to do. Everything is hidden under 15 layers of coyness and misdirection, like everyone's talking about an erotic thriller in front of a child. Just say what you mean! At least once.
Writing that is as withholding and opaque as this just never works for me. It seems built to make a certain type of person feel smarter, like they've solved a puzzle that isn't there, when in fact there is no evidence that a story has really happened at all. Things happen, confusingly, and then those things end, and Constantine wins, but then he says something like "Things are about to get a lot worse" and now we have a cliffhanger. But I don't know what the cliff is! What are we hanging from? Truly I dare someone to explain in literal terms what the hell is going on in half of these stories.
I think it all really sank in to me in the final, two-issue story, "Bred in the Bone." The first issue is made up of the same hazy, unclear happenings. Just a bunch of people we've never met before talking vaguely about things that happened in the past, complete with flashbacks that don't actually explain what's happening in them. I wanted to rip my hair out. But then, all of a sudden, in the second issue-- Carey explains everything. Not in some grand twist reveal or anything, he just finally starts, with no fanfare, explaining what the hell is going on. And it's interesting! I perked up in this final issue, felt like I'd just had a revelation, and finally understood who all the characters were and what they were doing. And let me tell you, it was bliss. And it really proved to me what I'd been feeling all along-- it wasn't my fault that I couldn't understand any of this. There was nothing to understand!
In any case, I'm really not looking forward to two more volumes of squinting into the distance trying to make out the plot. I'm hoping this final story is teeing up a better, more approachable Constantine in future volumes, but my hopes are not exactly sky high.
The biggest problem here is the obfuscated dialogue. Everyone seems to talk in riddles or corny-adjacent Noir Speak, never actually expressing what they want, or what their goals are, or what the Magical MacGuffin they're all searching for is supposed to do. Everything is hidden under 15 layers of coyness and misdirection, like everyone's talking about an erotic thriller in front of a child. Just say what you mean! At least once.
Writing that is as withholding and opaque as this just never works for me. It seems built to make a certain type of person feel smarter, like they've solved a puzzle that isn't there, when in fact there is no evidence that a story has really happened at all. Things happen, confusingly, and then those things end, and Constantine wins, but then he says something like "Things are about to get a lot worse" and now we have a cliffhanger. But I don't know what the cliff is! What are we hanging from? Truly I dare someone to explain in literal terms what the hell is going on in half of these stories.
I think it all really sank in to me in the final, two-issue story, "Bred in the Bone." The first issue is made up of the same hazy, unclear happenings. Just a bunch of people we've never met before talking vaguely about things that happened in the past, complete with flashbacks that don't actually explain what's happening in them. I wanted to rip my hair out. But then, all of a sudden, in the second issue-- Carey explains everything. Not in some grand twist reveal or anything, he just finally starts, with no fanfare, explaining what the hell is going on. And it's interesting! I perked up in this final issue, felt like I'd just had a revelation, and finally understood who all the characters were and what they were doing. And let me tell you, it was bliss. And it really proved to me what I'd been feeling all along-- it wasn't my fault that I couldn't understand any of this. There was nothing to understand!
In any case, I'm really not looking forward to two more volumes of squinting into the distance trying to make out the plot. I'm hoping this final story is teeing up a better, more approachable Constantine in future volumes, but my hopes are not exactly sky high.
August 12, 2024
Note: This is for all of Carey's run collected in Hellblazer vol. 16: Wild Card, vol. 17: Out of Season, and vol. 18: The Gift.
You might be wondering why review three volumes in one? Well, Carey's run is essentially two larger stories which I will call: "Three Doors Down" and "Family Matters." Three Doors Down starts in vol. 16 with the climax being the very beginning of vol. 17, which then seamlessly flows into Family Matters, which is finished up in vol. 18. So... let's go over these two stories.
Three Doors Down: John finally returns home to Liverpool, finding a plucky sidekick as he investigates mysterious dark energies centered around his sister's apartment. He then discovers a mage war has been brewing in London, with his niece being drawn into one side as a pawn to lure him into the game. Constantine enters the war, playing both sides against each other with some cleaver tricks and begins investigating the "doors" the war was centered around. Three doors are being unlocked to unleash the apocalypse... This story was pretty good. It was fun seeing John take up the reluctant mentor role and plenty of old faces return to the stage (including Swampy). I also enjoyed the intensity of the climax. Very dark, but well done. I really liked how this arc had a variety of stories in it, with a multitude of threats building up the big bad. It felt like the original Swamp Thing Arc that introduced Constantine, but this time John was the main character, which was awesome.
Family Matters: Coming directly out of the last arc, John finds himself in a very tight spot after [spoilers]. A mysterious demon decides to take advantage of this to [spoilers], which leads to some "Holy Crap!" moments and somehow ups the intensity from the last arc as she is hitting Constantine directly in the heart. Plenty of good character moments, building on the last arc, while some very familiar characters return to the scene, whom I can't say without spoilers. Let us just say it gets really good. Additionally, we are treated to an epilogue where Constantine reflects on all he has lost and gives a great monologue to the mage's guild, telling them to not follow in his footsteps. This actually ended up being a great send off to the character.
In short, two great stories that, while not the "peak" of the character, are easily some of his best stories and a solid finale to Constantine's arc... but wait. There's more?
You might be wondering why review three volumes in one? Well, Carey's run is essentially two larger stories which I will call: "Three Doors Down" and "Family Matters." Three Doors Down starts in vol. 16 with the climax being the very beginning of vol. 17, which then seamlessly flows into Family Matters, which is finished up in vol. 18. So... let's go over these two stories.
Three Doors Down: John finally returns home to Liverpool, finding a plucky sidekick as he investigates mysterious dark energies centered around his sister's apartment. He then discovers a mage war has been brewing in London, with his niece being drawn into one side as a pawn to lure him into the game. Constantine enters the war, playing both sides against each other with some cleaver tricks and begins investigating the "doors" the war was centered around. Three doors are being unlocked to unleash the apocalypse... This story was pretty good. It was fun seeing John take up the reluctant mentor role and plenty of old faces return to the stage (including Swampy). I also enjoyed the intensity of the climax. Very dark, but well done. I really liked how this arc had a variety of stories in it, with a multitude of threats building up the big bad. It felt like the original Swamp Thing Arc that introduced Constantine, but this time John was the main character, which was awesome.
Family Matters: Coming directly out of the last arc, John finds himself in a very tight spot after [spoilers]. A mysterious demon decides to take advantage of this to [spoilers], which leads to some "Holy Crap!" moments and somehow ups the intensity from the last arc as she is hitting Constantine directly in the heart. Plenty of good character moments, building on the last arc, while some very familiar characters return to the scene, whom I can't say without spoilers. Let us just say it gets really good. Additionally, we are treated to an epilogue where Constantine reflects on all he has lost and gives a great monologue to the mage's guild, telling them to not follow in his footsteps. This actually ended up being a great send off to the character.
In short, two great stories that, while not the "peak" of the character, are easily some of his best stories and a solid finale to Constantine's arc... but wait. There's more?
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February 4, 2021Following two runs I didn’t love (Ellis and Azzarello) comes Mike Carey. Right off the bat, he injects the supernatural back into the series, and sets up a larger story with very high stakes. So far his run consists of shorter arcs that build upon one another, which I love from a storytelling standpoint. And Carey is such a good writer. His writing is complex but readable, and he really knows how to pace a story. This is entertaining but thought-provoking stuff.
Carey’s Constantine is totally in character. He certainly knows his Hellblazer history, using plot points from past runs while also creating new characters and relationships like all new Hellblazer writers do. Gemma plays a large role in this one and Angie is a great new addition. I also like the new magicians here, but with each new character and past relationship established, I have to suspend disbelief that John truly knows all these people. I guess that’s the nature of serialized storytelling with rotating creators.
This run is more pure fantasy than previous ones, which makes sense given Carey’s other work. It doesn’t really have political commentary. But I love this direction. This feels like what Hellblazer should be, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Carey’s Constantine is totally in character. He certainly knows his Hellblazer history, using plot points from past runs while also creating new characters and relationships like all new Hellblazer writers do. Gemma plays a large role in this one and Angie is a great new addition. I also like the new magicians here, but with each new character and past relationship established, I have to suspend disbelief that John truly knows all these people. I guess that’s the nature of serialized storytelling with rotating creators.
This run is more pure fantasy than previous ones, which makes sense given Carey’s other work. It doesn’t really have political commentary. But I love this direction. This feels like what Hellblazer should be, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
July 8, 2017
Mike Carey's Hellblazer run is different from other runs in that it is much more focused on the actual magic side of Constantine, which causes it to neglect the political commentary. My issue with this take on Constantine is that the actual magic is less interesting than seeing John solve problems by being a con artist or focusing on his relationships.
As a whole, this run is actually excellent and Carey has a really great grasp of how to write Constantine and his family and the new characters fit really well into the world of Hellblazer. This book has a couple excellent storylines, like the Gemma two parter at the end and the Red Sepulchre, but it also includes some good, but not great stuff, like the first two parter and black flowers.
If I remember correctly, I enjoyed this run more and more as it went on, so while this isn't my favorite Hellblazer trade, I do think Carey is easily one of the top five Hellblazer writers.
As a whole, this run is actually excellent and Carey has a really great grasp of how to write Constantine and his family and the new characters fit really well into the world of Hellblazer. This book has a couple excellent storylines, like the Gemma two parter at the end and the Red Sepulchre, but it also includes some good, but not great stuff, like the first two parter and black flowers.
If I remember correctly, I enjoyed this run more and more as it went on, so while this isn't my favorite Hellblazer trade, I do think Carey is easily one of the top five Hellblazer writers.
November 11, 2019
After a disappointing run by Brian Azarello, Mike Carey picks the series back up in London where John Constantine is again John Constantine doing John Constantine things. Thank the comic books gods. This is much more my speed and the content has been fantastic, with stories Red Sepulchre and Third Worlds leading the way. Throw in some art from Steve Dillon and an appearance from Swamp Thing an I'm alllll the way back in for more Hellblazer.
March 9, 2024
This was excellent. I can see why lots of people like Mike Carey writing the character of John Constantine, he got the dialogue spot on. It was like I had known this character for years.
The reason I love Constantine so much is because he’s not a super hero with all these crazy powers, he’s a con man who knows a few magic tricks and usually talks his way out of situations. I’m straight onto the next volume.
The reason I love Constantine so much is because he’s not a super hero with all these crazy powers, he’s a con man who knows a few magic tricks and usually talks his way out of situations. I’m straight onto the next volume.
April 22, 2025
John Constantine is back in the UK and the series is back on track in this first collection of Mike Carey’s run on the title. After the previous author’s unpleasant detour through the underbelly of America, the return to more character focused urban fantasy/horror is more than welcome - Carey’s writing along with a fine collection of artists definitely brings us the strongest instalment in quite a while.
August 17, 2018
I would add one star on top just out of sheer relief that Azzarello's run is over but thankfully, Carey's Constantine is excellent by itself. The only issue I have is that the overarching plot is somewhat slow-moving and is not concluded in this book. On the other hand, this has my interest piqued for its continuation.
September 16, 2018
Long arc. I have a soft spot for Carey. There is a continued movement towards less words in this series. Or maybe it was just that some of the previous writers used a lot more words. Along came the intricate plots and driven stories.
Also, a lot more magickal words and rituals. Not sure how I feel about it.
Also, a lot more magickal words and rituals. Not sure how I feel about it.
May 18, 2019
This is a 3.5⭐️ book that I’ve rounded down to 3⭐️, due to some poor artwork.
Mike Carey’s Constantine is not so much of a lone ranger - his niece, Gemma, is part of these stories, as well as a new female companion called Angie Spatchcock. I wanna scream at Angie to get the fuck out as it never goes well for the women who love John Constantine.
It’s nice to have JC back in GB.
Mike Carey’s Constantine is not so much of a lone ranger - his niece, Gemma, is part of these stories, as well as a new female companion called Angie Spatchcock. I wanna scream at Angie to get the fuck out as it never goes well for the women who love John Constantine.
It’s nice to have JC back in GB.
March 9, 2022
A crazy bloody mess with some old friends in the longer stories and a few neat bits in the short ones. But more of Angela and Gemma.
A rather solid volume.
Full review:
https://blog.jverkamp.com/2022/03/05/...
A rather solid volume.
Full review:
https://blog.jverkamp.com/2022/03/05/...
September 4, 2023
Pretty good stories here…
I like what I see here. The artwork is a little flat sometimes but it’s generally good.
My only complaint is that cliffhanger of an ending; anyway,get this one.
I like what I see here. The artwork is a little flat sometimes but it’s generally good.
My only complaint is that cliffhanger of an ending; anyway,get this one.
December 29, 2023
A welcome relief after some lesser writing in the series. Another reviewer complained about not understanding it. I found myself turning back pages to pick up cross references, which is a big old plus in my book.
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December 15, 2025“He says every time he comes back they’ve pulled something else down and he’s got a few less memories.”
So happy to be back reading Hellblazer, and Carey feels like the most fitting successor to Delano yet!
So happy to be back reading Hellblazer, and Carey feels like the most fitting successor to Delano yet!
January 31, 2018
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