Geeky Girl Post: Farewell Hellblazer John Constantine

[ladymidath]

Okay guys, this is going to be long so I am putting it under a WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.

So this is farewell to Hellblazer John Constantine. I have just picked up issue 300, the final issue of the longest running Vertigo title. I have been reading Hellblazer for so many years now. I started with the very first trade paperback, then went looking for the Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing that introduced John Constantine to the DC/Vertigo universe.

Since then I have been a regular collector of the Hellblazer series including The Horrorist and The Hellblazer Books Of Magic crossover. Now the series is finished and DC is reintroducing him as a younger version of himself.

I know that this was coming when DC announced that it was going to reincorporate Constantine into the DC line. I have been collecting Justice League Dark, an excellent series so I knew this was going to happen but when I actually had the final issue in my hand it made me feel sad.

It was to me like the end of an era. I had watched the character go from a young and good looking man filled with a cocky attitude and arrogance to spare to a burnt out middle aged man who had more than his fair share of battle scars. Unlike many comic book characters, John actually aged as the series progressed. You could see him becoming more and more cynical as life and magic continued to hammer him.

Yet no matter what life and *demons* threw at him, he always managed to survive. Yes most of his friends would end up dying, but he would always manage to find a way to come through to the other side, often bloody, but definitely unbowed.

Even though DC will launch a new title Constantine, and it does promise to be very good, with a younger unscarred version, I wonder what it will be like. Will it be as hard edged as Hellblazer? Will the stories be as brilliant? I hope so. If it is anything like JLD then it gives me hope. But as for the end of Hellblazer, it will be a series that I will truly miss.

Farewell Hellblazer, you will always have a place in this aging geek's heart.


One good thing though, the final issue is a very good one. It gave John a worthy send off, something t
hat he deserved.

Also posted to my lj

Comments

[spankingfemme]

I haven't been reading comics for the past few months... been collecting still of course, just haven't had time for them. I didn't know they were planning on ending the series. I have every issue from #1 on up as well as a few minis. I don't think I'll collect the newer version since I've pretty much done with DC. Hellblazer I still considered Vertigo even if DC owns it :/

[ladymidath]

I will collect the new Constantine but I am really going to miss the Vertigo Constantine. I just hope that they stay true to the character. Justice League Dark is pretty much doing a good job.
May I ask, why are you done with DC?

[spankingfemme]

DC's new 52 has erased a lot of the characters I really liked and brought them back as a hallow shell of who I knew them to be. Saying they brought them back at all. I spent years loving those characters, and they shit on that universe, so I'm just done with them.

[ladymidath]

Yeah, I don't know why they have to keep dicking around with these characters. For instance, I love The Phantom Stranger and I do like that he has been given the back story of being Judas rather than an angel that didn't take sides during the war in heaven. But they have also given him a family. Phantom Stranger with a family? That is so wrong, he was always alone, that was a huge part of his character. What are they going to do next? Give Mr E a girlfriend?

That was part of the reason I didn't like Marvel's Ultimates very much because they changed the characters too much, especially Captain America. IO could never accept him kicking someone in the face, he was just too decent to do something like that.

The trouble is, comic sales have been doing down so they keep finding ways to sell comics, but they need to concentrate and good stories and art rather than constantly rebooting the universes.

One thing though, nice to see Morbius The Living Vampire back. :-)

[spankingfemme]

Ultimates V1 & V2 I enjoyed, but I took it as an alt universe. At least it was just an off-shoot verse a total trashing of the characters. When Loeb took over though, I absolutely hated it! Cap wasn't as bad in those volumes, but they did make him a bit more 'soldier' than he was in the regular series. I was okay with that though since they were trying to go for a more modern realistic look at comics, and the writing was damn good.

I think comic sales are going down because #1 unfortunately, people just don't read as much as they used to. #2 Most of the rebooting just gives fans that were following the book the option to say naw, I think I've got enough of this story that I don't want to have to see it morph in to something else. They think they are bringing in new fans, but mostly they are just alienating previous fans. The newer fans they worked so hard to get rarely even stay, so it's a lose lose situation. #3 You are absolutely right! WTF? When did the stories and the art get so lame? It feels like reading bad fanfic for reals! :/

[ladymidath]

That is true, at least they had it in a different universe and didn't trash the characters.
It is a shame because they are alienating old fans. I think it would be better to try to introduce new storylines rather than constant reboots.

The worst thing is that I grew with these characters. Some of my best childhood memories are of curling up with a comic.

I guess I just hate to see them keep morphing into these completely different characters. Or maybe I have just gotten to old for change. :-)

There were some good stories supposed to be coming out but they seemed to get sidelined. For instance, I was really looking forward to reading Batman Europa, especially after all the hype over it but no, instead they did another 52 instead. :-(

Still, I have been turning more to the independents lately. That and the old school DC and Marvels. ;-)

[spankingfemme]

*nods* Yeah, that's about the skinny of it for me as well. Maybe it is we are getting too old, but I don't think that's it more so terrible story line ruining the love of a character. Also, what ever happened to the self centric book where the story didn't have to have some great climactic battle or event? Remember those a day in the life type comic stories where we got a bit of angst or character peek that made the reader go Ohhhh! That's coolly to know! :/

Independents are definitely a hell of a lot more appealing to me these days, which is sad because I feel like a small part of my heart has died for the superhero world.

[ladymidath]

LOL, they all seem to be huge events these days. I loved the stories where you would get a peek into a character's life or something would happen that would give the character a new insight etc. One of the best was World's Finest when Batman was going through some crap so Superman decided to take him to his parents farm in Smallville.

Also another good one was I believe a Grant Morrison story about Joker descent into even deeper madness.

There was also love the Marvel story where everything is seen from the point of view of the people, particularly one man. I thought that was really well done and the art was gorgeous.

I have to admit I am coming back to the superheroes after a while away. I was reading comics like, Sandman, Books Of Magic, Transmetropolitan, Lucifer, V For Vendetta, Watchmen, Hellblazer and Preacher just to name a few. I am planning on starting on Fables quite soon though. :-)

But yeah, it is sad to see our favourite supers being treated like this. Oh btw, one good thing, I have been collecting the Before Watchmen series. Some very good stuff there. :-)

[spankingfemme]

I'm a big fan of Watchmen! =D I've been collecting the new sets as well, but I've not read any of them yet. Want to wait until I have them all, and then I'll partake. I heard Fables was really good. I want to read that at some point. What about Walking Dead? Have you checked that series out, or Y the Last Man? I have the Sandman series as well as Lucifer. I still need to read them though. Funny how when it takes so long to collect them and a hell of a lot longer to getting around to reading them ;) I've been enjoying Unwritten and American Vampire, have you read those by chance?

[ladymidath]

I am going to start reading Walking Dead, I have heard really good things about it. I have been collecting Unwritten and I have a couple of I, Vampire's because it's been crossing over with Justice League Dark. I want to start getting Y The Last Man as well, trouble is, my budget won't stretch. :-)
I need to win Lotto or Powerball. LOL
There are some excellent comics out there. I have been getting the Marvel classic series through a mail order company. I am up to volume 18 Secret War
and the DC Chess set.
I managed to buy the first two trades of The Stuff Of Legend today. It is a brilliant series, you should try to give it a look if you get a chance, the art work is stunning. :-)
BTW, Disney is going to turn it into a movie. Not sure how that is going to go as TSOL is not a story that I would read to a young child. There are some very creepy scenes in it and there is also a lot of violence. There are huge battle scenes and some of the characters die pretty gruesome deaths. also the Boogeyman is downright frightening.
It would be okay for older teens who are able to read books like The Hunger Games and Twilight, but I have a feeling that Disney is going to try and aim TSOL for younger kids and I can't see how they can do that without either frightening their audience half to death or watering the story down.
Well I guess I'll have to wait and see. :-)

[spankingfemme]

Hopefully Disney will realize the content and plan accordingly. They have been picking up a lot of companies like Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm... trying to obtain Hasbro... *eye roll* Freaking Monopoly :/ Anyway, I think they realize that taking these companies they need to stick to the points that make them great over trying to change them.

I'd love to take a peek at the art, but honestly, I months behind and literally over a thousand deep that I've yet to read to try anything new :/ That's really sad right? I've actually contemplated quitting comics for the simple reason that I feel stretched to thin, but then I think of how much I enjoy reading them when I get time. I'm looking forward to getting my degree :) Hopefully then my time will free up

[ladymidath]

They are after Hasbro? Good grief. I know what it's like having no time to do anything, even reading. It's only now that the kids have left home that I get any time at all to myself now. But that is changing because I am looking after the grandkids more and more.

Hopefully your time will free up and you can go back to a little you time again. I know how precious it was for me to be able to read a book without someone yelling 'Mum' or the phone ringing or someone turning up at the door.

It never seems to end. :-)

As for Disney, I hope you are right. :-)
I already had Constantine ruined for me. Nothing against Keeanu Reeves but he really wasn't my idea of John Constantine.

[spankingfemme]

Keeanu *eye roll* He never had a chance ;)

And yes! Can you believe they are just buying up the world it seems :/

Time is always precious; I had a mini vacation by taking Friday and this Monday off :) Playing a spot of D&D now =D I want to try and do a bit of drawing ... having trouble pumping out promised art because all I want to seem to draw lately is Turbo LOL! *eye roll* My sanity needs saving :P

It's been pretty nice though, went to Donny's for his birthday, finished all my homework, and just relaxing. Had a lot of good times with the baby. He's such a sweetie! :)