Sophia’s Reviews > Hellblazer, Vol. 1: Original Sins > Status Update

The issue covers and a couple of pages that are just full text walls.

Swamp Thing #76 -
Swamp Thing's tired of John’s tricks & moves forward with his own plan. Which is to use the mage’s body to conceive with Abby…

Phantom Stranger really didn’t want that to happen, knowing about John’s tainted blood.
Etrigan knew it was an inevitability but assured the ancient(?) being there’s still a balance between good & evil.

Oh, and as revenge, Swamp Thing has John get a tattoo.

Issue #9 -
John’s not doing so well in Gotham, on his birthday.

He's haunted by his ghosts, literally.
Walking, terrified, up & down the same street, John’s chased by floating inanimate objects in human form.

Eventually, John’s subconscious tells him to stop feeling sorry for himself.

John cleans up & visits Zed. And betrays her.

Swamp Thing arrives, not happy but John thinks the being will like his plan.

Zed, now Mary, has completed her ‘indoctrination’...

Meanwhile, John has a nightmare about the time after the Newcastle incident. It did not look pleasant.

John wakes in the hospital and is visited by… Nergal!

Rigidly against helping the demon at first, John is soon swayed with some threats.
Tho, he throws in a few terms of his own.

Nergel uses his own blood to heal John, who knows he’ll never be the same again.

Issue #7 -
Kind of a disturbing beginning.

John asks old friend Ritchie to dig up more info on the Resurrection Crusaders.
Ritche has developed a computer that allows his subconscious to actually enter it!

Meanwhile, Zed is abducted while Ray is beaten by the same people.

Sadly, Ritchie makes a mistake and his physical body is destroyed.
John says goodbye to his friend, the last of the Newcastle crew…

Issue #6
John learns more about Damnation Army before saving Zed from being dragged back to a cult?

Anyway, Nergal the demon wants John not to help his enemies but to join his side...

I feel like this series is trying to make some societal commentary.
Unfortunately, I'm more interested in the one thing it is currently lacking, John using magic.

Barely read issue #5.

Seemed like all John did was follow around an ex-soldier who was hallucinating and doing terrible things.


Side note: If my page numbers seem weird, it's because the 'in book' page number and the Kindle 'location' number do not match up.

Issue #4 -
Gemma, John’s niece, meets three girls who convince her to follow them home.

John also met Zed and brings her along once he learns Gemma’s missing.

Seems like Zed has some supernatural abilities as she’s able to draw the very house Gemma’s in.

The pair find Gemma and save her from her would-be killer.

John knows Zed is lying about something… but he’s excited to find out.

Issue #3 -
I felt there was meant to be a LOT of political messaging within this issue.

I didn’t really understand all the narration and whether the writer was for or against the election winner (who was the longest serving UK Prime Minister -according to Fandom).

Anyway, we meet Blathoxi, the Lord of Flatulence.
Who John offers his soul to.

Blathoxi has been tricked by John before… and is again!

Issue #2 -
Kinda exactly what I expected, besides John not using any actual magic.

John sacrifices his childhood friend as bait and containment for the hunger spirit, Mnemoth.

I really like how we saw that John will do what he feels he must but he’s also just a person with ties and emotions.
Something Papa Midnite says a magician should be without…