Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Hellblazer Rebirth #1

By Kevin Scott
July 24, 2016 - 23:48

John Constantine was introduced to the world in Alan Moore’s seminal run on Swamp Thing, back in the 1980’s. This is when DC’s Vertigo line was proudly declaring comics weren’t just for kids. Now it’s time a new beginning with Hellblazer: Rebirth #1.

This isn’t the first time Constantine's had a DC proper book, as he transitioned over as part of the ‘New 52’. This though is meant to be a new take, more akin to the heady ’Hellblazer’ days of Vertigo. Which straight away you can see Oliver trying to establish. The story isn’t bad and it is clearly establishing Constantine as a different type of character. The story is about ethics and how far Constantine will go, to get what he wants. Oliver does get a bit heavy handed though and tries to force certain points. Like the inclusion of Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing and Shazam, seemed rather pointless, other than for them to tell us Constantine is a dubious character. There also was a lot of ‘look, he smokes!’ that means he’s not your everyday hero.

Moritat art on this book is tricky, as some of it is really enjoyable and some, for me, is a hard fit. A part of the problem could be the heavy ink line work. However, the way he depicts Constantine is great, I really like that. He captures the sneer and cockiness well. Some of his stuff does seem out of proportion and wooden. His rendition of Wonder Woman is an example of this, as she really fails to come to life. What is also a bit worrying is the fact that in this issue, he doesn’t seem to be able to capture the sinister elements. His Swamp Thing and Nybbas are more comical than anything else. Which is a concern, as a big part of this book going forwards would be a sinister, supernatural element, you’d think.

The thing is though, this is the first issue, the reintroduction. It is great to have a John Constantine that comes across more akin to the golden years. Add on that, he’s back in England, so we get to see some of his classic supporting cast, like Chas. So yes there are stumbles, but there is also promise.

Koncise an out :)

Rating: 5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12