World Famous Comics: John Constantine, Hellblazer: Tainted Love
John Constantine, Hellblazer: Tainted Love
By: Garth Ennis Publisher: Vertigo Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Vertigo Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 176 Publication Date: July 01, 1998 Release Date: July 01, 1998
Lacks the coherence of earlier books in the series. Garth Ennis, John Constantine, Hellblazer: Tainted Love (Vertigo, 1998)
Another collection of five issues of John Constantine, Hellblazer. While it's collected under a title, and thus (one would expect) has a theme to it, the theme of the book (which is basically John and Kit pining for one another) is addressed at length in only the third issue found here ("Heartland," which features Kit visiting Dublin and seeing family and friends), and only touched on in the other four, which are short episodes of Constantine doing what Constantine does. Amusing, but without the thematic coherence of Dangerous Habits. More comic-like than graphic novel-like-- which, I admit, is sometimes a fine distinction. ***
It was very well done. I just didn't enjoy being there. The fact is, one of Hellblazer's real writing strengths is avoiding the easy out of escapism. John ----s up, John pays for it. John doesn't take care of himself, John pays for it. Usually other people pay for it too.
This volume is a meditation on that payback, the flip side of John's quicksilver "I can win anything" coin. It's grimly realistic about John's alcoholism, the reality of homelessness, the terror of being human and mortal and fallible. I found it deeply affecting, and very well-written.
On the other hand, I didn't really feel like being affected like that; I didn't really want to go there. If you dig homelessness and desperation more than I do, this is probably just your thing. It's brilliantly done. I'll just stay over here where it's slightly safer and warmer and less covered in vomit.
Garth's Stand-Alones are the Best I'm not sure why everyone's so disappointed with this collection. I think it ranks right up there with DANGEROUS HABITS, Ennis' first collection. The mutli-part epic Hellblazer stories are always good, but you cannot beat Garth Ennis for small, personal stories, which TAINTED LOVE has in spades.
"Down all the Days" and "Rough Trade" are from issues #68 and #69 and feature the King of the Vampires (first introduced in #50). Forget Buffy for a second, Garth's take on vampires is fantastic and truly original (as fans of PREACHER already know). The King is as great a vampiric character as any ever created.
"Tainted Love" was a short story from VERTIGO JAM #1. A great little horror story from John's past featuring a demonic adversary familiar to Constantine fans.
"Heartland" is from #70, and focuses on Kit's return to Ireland. It's a testament to Garth's writing that a story about the main character's girlfriend is every bit as good as any regular issue. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't read a comic about Spider-Man's wife.
"Finest Hour", from #71, is another all-time favorite story of mine. And again, John is barely in it (only a coincidence, it's not like I don't like him or something). John falls asleep near the grave of a fighter pilot and relives the last few moments of his life.
"Confessional" is from the one-shot HELLBLAZER SPECIAL. It features a teenage John, an insane pederast preacher, and the First of the Fallen, and leads into the story arc "Rake at the Gates of Hell" from #78-83 (never collected, unfortunately).
So yeah, John is drunk and homeless the entire time, there are no big demons or magic tricks, and no cons pulled. But these are still some damn good stories for fans of horror, drama, comedy and...well, just entertainment in general.
This is not Preacher It is worse. It tries to be Preacher, it tries to be Hellblazer... it is naught. Constantine is one of the coolest and most awful characters ever created. When the torch passed to Delano from Moore, there was no loss. Delano's run was just great very intelligent, and the violence vas never to show off or to be a bad boy, it was used when necessary, as a part of the story. But here we have vomit, urination, gore etc. Things a b movie or gore movie fan might find exciting, but which an intelligent reader finds boring. Yes, not a scandal or rebeliuos, just plain boring. It is a sad fact that Ennis, who wrote the amazing "Dangerous Habits" story, sunk so childishly low.
Sure it's depressing, but... ...but that's the whole point of it. And if you actually read it, instead of just looking for the most Preacheresque or horrific panel, there's a really touching story about the difficulties of fitting personal demons (not necessarily of the hoofed kind) and a sensible love story in the same life. Oh, and reading this book does make any subsequent cocky exploit of mr. Constantine even more exhilarating to read. Really.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
