I was so looking forward to getting more Hellblazer but this was disappointing. Ugly art, goofy dialogue, and somehow totally boring. John Constantine, Hellblazer, boring. How??

*I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**

I have never been interested in reading a John Constantine comic book before, but I thought I would give this volume a try in the spirit of Rebirth and all.

I will say I successfully made it through the end, but I was in no way tied to John Constantine as a character or really the plot. I really struggled with buy in for John’s character and didn’t find him to be too appealing.

Normally I include a plot summary but I’m not even going to attempt to summarize, because I would butcher it.

A major plot point of this series of issues does involve the Swamp Thing and I will say that was the more intriguing part of the story, but I did feel like there was a lot of information that I was missing from previous plot lines or just knowledge I would have had as a Swamp Thing or John Constantine reader.

I wanted to complete it in order to have an idea of who these characters are and I am interested in learning more about Swamp Thing, so maybe I will try a volume of that soon.

I really have no idea if this volume stayed true to John Constantine’s character for fans of him, but I would be interested to hear if there are better issues I could read that might be more enjoyable.

Writer Simon Oliver, with artists Moritat and Pia Guerra, offers a John Constantine book with Vertigo tendencies set in the heart of the DC Universe. There's a lot of talking, a lot of wandering about, and Constantine and the book's villain don't even come face-to-face before this volume ends. Hellblazer Vol. 1: The Poison Truth is something different, and that's pleasant enough to carry me over to the next volume.

Good Hellblazer reboot but maybe a little too bright, even with the subtle/implied darkness. And Constantine looks akin to Matt Ryan ... or maybe the other way around.

I've rated this on my husband's behalf, as I don't feel that I'm its target audience. I've read a few graphic novels in the past, although I prefer those with a greater literary like, such as adaptations of novels. This was a bit too 'graphic' in both its violence and language. However, my husband is a fan of this type of thing and really enjoyed it. Each to their own I guess!

Rebirth took Constantine back to London and because it’s Constantine you can be sure there will be someone wanting his head.

Our lovable rogue is back to doing what he does worse and screwing things up. I will say, Constantine needs to get with a gym and maybe a boxing coach …. I know he’s going up against magical creatures, but still be ready to run.

Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book Reviews

Netgalley ARC

Johnny C is back on the road and dealing with demons, he's got a trolley problem of 8 million lives versus taking on a demonic co-pilot, also he has to keep his semi-orphaned bastard daughter secret and safe while everything else hums along. 

Verdict: Get it. There are no bad Rebirth titles as far as I can tell, this one is strong re-launch in classic form for the character.

Another Rebirth title. Another 3 stars.
There are parts of this that really work (John and Swampy/Chas/Maps) and parts that really don't (Clarice & Marid sections drag appallingly) and this sums up Rebirth as a whole really.
An opening one-shot sets everything up for newer readers (or those who have lost track since New 52) and Constantine has lost none of his snark. The plot is well-conceived and flows nicely, although I did tire at the OTT 'Britishness' and political posturing. What worked under Moore, Gaiman and Morrison feels forced here, especially in the age of satire, and just comes across as someone doing a crap impression of Ben Elton (when it's not Ben Elton obviously).
Art is great and really stylish in parts, but doesn't really rise above the narrative.
JC should never have left Vertigo, and every time the odd 'naughty word' is masked by cutesy skulls that fact is drilled into my cranium.

Collects issue 1 - 6
I've not read any Constantine before, so this is my introduction to the character.
Not exactly what I as hoping for. For the most part the story was boring. And just as it started to get more interesting it finished. The magic was pretty much non-existent or so low key as to raise little more than a meh from me. There seemed to be a lot of talking and not a lot of action. Swamp Thing shared a lot of the page time. The author had much to say on the political climate, being anti-Trump, anti-Brexit, and anti-Tory but I found it laid on with a trowel and it just served to make me roll my eyes and pull me out of the story.

John Constantine is a chain-smoking, hard-drinking foul-mouthed antihero. And yet all the swear words were censored (apart from one occasion when Swamp Thing referred to JC as a 'total wanker'). I didn't understand the need for this, it diluted the impact of everything else. This is not a child-friendly character, stick a 'parental guidance' statement on it and let the parents do their job.
Two different artists worked on this volume. The artist for issues 1-4 had a sketchy style with a darker tone and a more rugged, haggard JC. It probably suited the character better then the artist who pencilled 5 & 6. These had much cleaner lines and was more cartoony in nature. The colouring was brighter and JC seemed more clean cut.
With an unapologetic bisexual character I was hoping for something more diverse in my reading. Instead we get just one panel that implies his sexuality. And then it was a taunt by a racist, skinhead, bovver boy (cliche, anyone?). I'm hoping his bisexuality will get more positive treatment in future issues.

An okay read but nothing special. Overall a disappointing introduction to what should be a diverse and interesting character.

The first six issues plus the rebirth issue of Hellblazer are collected here. And no, it’s not the original, but it’s not all that bad.

John Constantine is back in London. His first order of business is to slay the demon that drove him away from his home. Wonder Woman and Shazam think about evicting him again, but Swamp Thing intercedes on Constantine’s behalf. Why is Wonder Woman in this volume? Oh yeah, movie promo. She’s everywhere.

The first issue doesn’t accomplish much of anything other than getting Constantine back in the game, with a little help from Mercury. The next issue connects Mercury to Swamp Thing but it’s really just a bridge to set up a couple of story arcs, one of which involves Swamp Thing’s quest to find Abby, who seems to have disappeared. Swamp Thing has become a bit too chatty compared to the original concept, but I guess that’s all swamp water under the bridge.

The other arc begins with two brothers who, in 1914, might be partially responsible for World War I (and thus World War II). In the present, they quarrel in Paris about their role as protector or ruler of humanity. But things get seriously entertaining in issue 4, back in modern England, where a hellacious racist wants Constantine to teach him how to pick horses. Great characters, great writing, great fun.

By issue five, the brothers Djinn are ready to make their move, either to help humanity or to destroy it, or perhaps both. Meanwhile, Mercury and Constantine are, if not learning to get along, at least cooperating with a view to finding out what the Djinn want with Abby. The story gives Constantine a chance to revisit his past and perhaps make amends, adding a bit more depth to a character that is already deeper than most.

The art isn’t perfectly consistent but some of it is excellent and overall it’s solid. The slow start hampers the volume, but once it gets moving, the storytelling is better than average.

Hellblazer is one of DC's premier books and with the advent of Rebirth it is still going strong. A terrific start to the new series!

As a die-hard fan of Hellblazer is nice to see DC going for a rebirth issue of the series. Let's be real, one need to be delusional to expected good old days Hellblazer, the past is in the past. I enjoyed this comic for what it is, they tried to bring sassy punk John back and it was close. The art...i'm not sure if i liked it at all, the colors aren't as vivid as your usual Hellblazer comic. My only disappointment is that the story didn't have much magickal action to put very dynamic panels on it, which is something Hellblazer rarely lacked.

Constantine has figured out how to end his banishment from London and it requires him to gamble on the lives of all Londoners to end it. The rebirth issue felt more like the Hellblazer of old.

In the main story, we find out Djinns used to be the dominant force on Earth before humans. When humans came along, Djinns were jealous and tried to corrupt humanity. At this point, they've mostly died out. However there are still 2 brothers around with differing opinions on how they should affect humanity. One of these 2 is trying bring London's magic community beneath him. It appears to be in order to control humanity but his true motives haven't been revealed yet. At the same time, the avatar of the Rot, Abby Arcane has gone missing and Swamp Thing is trying to find her. The story ends unresolved, so I guess there will be a volume 2.

It still feels like Hellblazer lite but it is closer than both Constantine series. Moritat and Pia Guera's art are both very solid and fit the series well.

John Constantine returns from America and gambles with the lives of the population of London.
Then follows Swamp Thing, djinn and betting on the horses.
Same old, same old.

The world of Hellblazer is grim but enjoyable.

I'm not much of a DC fan, but I do like Constantine. That being said, this collection of the first six issues of the Rebirth version is just ok. It had a bit of the feel of the tv series, which is good, but not enough of it. And the storyline has a lot of Swamp Thing in it, so fans of his will likely be happy with it. There's just not enough here to make me want to read more.

ARC from Netgalley.
Constantine makes his Rebirth premiere with an amazing issue followed by a good couple of comics that jump around a bit and make the story a little hard to follow.
The first issue involves Constantine's return to London, only to have to deal with a death curse. He takes a huge gamble by casting a spell that seems to put the lives of everyone in London at risk of death, all so he can gain the true name of the demon who put the death curse on him to begin with. With the true name, he can reverse both death curses. Well thought out, great pacing, a really good start.
But then it went downhill....
Swamp Thing comes calling a favor: Abby Arcane, his woman and Avatar of the Rot, is missing. This plotline leads to the revelation that some of the Djinn (made before humankind) has survived hidden on Earth. Constantine's friend Mercury (daughter of one of John's former lovers... is Mercury his daughter??) gets brought in to help Swamp Thing, as well as him... but neither storyline gets resolved. Overall, while a compelling story enough to make me want to read Volume 2, I hope the author will focus a bit more on explanation and consistency.
Recommend, but with reservations.

Mostly blank pages cannot review an empty book.why or how do these briken copies get forwarded to reviewers?

Apart from the blatant lie that is the definite article in the book's title, there is not too much at fault with this volume, and it does actually work as a new story. John is suitably coarse, quipping and smoking his way around his world (and various others) on copious tasks; here a friend of Swamp Thing is missing and other things are afoot that he can only begin to tackle. Yes, this book is nothing like a full story, meaning this one will run and run – it's a shame they had to put this trade out when it's so incomplete. But when it is all readable and enjoyable, it might well stand on a par with what we knew and loved way back when. Some of the artwork is a little awkward at times, but from where I began, with the first two issues at time of first publication and a very sniffy attitude to what I was seeing, to here, I did go through a stage of getting just what I wanted. Except any conclusion.

John Constantine returns to London to make a hard choice. He can live as a cursed immortal, or shift the curse onto humanity, killing them all. I am so happy to see Hellblazer getting a spot in the DC Rebirth cycle. FYI, there is a special appearance by my favourite swamp dweller, Swamp Thing!!

The Hellblazer Vol. 1: The Poison Truth (Rebirth) by Simon Oliver

Star rating: ★★☆☆☆ 2/5

Format: ebook galley

Summary: John Constantine returns to England after being cursed and unable to stay in London, Swamp Thing is there and I guess Djinn are the bad guys?

Review: I received a free galley copy from NetGalley for review.

Alright so, I’ve never read DC before and I thought that hey I should try it at least once right? So I saw this available on NetGalley and I’d seen the short lived show on tv and liked it a lot so I thought it would be a good place to try to get into DC comics. I was wrong.

This comic was exceedingly boring, I had to force myself to finish it and it’s not even that long. I just couldn’t seem to get interested in any of the characters or care at all about what was happening. From what I know John Constantine practices magic but in this we only see him do so once (there is another time he pretends for show but he’s just messing around to buy time to escape).

Then there is a subplot with Swamp Thing like??? I don’t understand. We saw more of Swamp Thing than John Constantine in this comic and got a better idea about him as a character. I get Constantine is supposed to be ~mYsTeRiOuS~ but when the star character refuses to give the reader information about their emotions, thoughts, etc. it’s very hard to care about the story.

There doesn’t seem to be much going on, maybe it’s a slow build but I literally don’t see any threat or anything. Yeah, there are Djinn but there has only been one that’s shown up and he just whines about how God loves humans more and throws a dinner party? So like? Ok am I supposed to take him seriously? I just– why? There is no urgency for me. I’m just bored.

There is also weird chemistry between Constantine and this girl Mercury who seems to barely be an adult and he also knew her as a kid and banged her mom? So like if that develops into a thing gross. There’s a lot of bs of characters saying “ooh hanging around Constantine gets you hurt” and literally all I saw him do was smoke cigarettes naked so I don’t see it.

Yeah, I just can’t think of anything I liked, a character or otherwise. I wouldn’t read the rest of this series and I will be hard pressed to pick up another DC comic anytime soon too.

Recommendation: Can’t think of any reason to recommend this. Unless you like reading things that make you blow bored raspberries the whole time, i guess?