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Original Sins (Hellblazer, Book 1)

Original Sins (Hellblazer, Book 1)

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $13.97
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nothing special, but it sets up the series...
Review: A first-time HELLBLAZER reader might finish ORIGINAL SINS, which collects the first 9 issues of the series, and wonder why there is such a fuss made over John Constantine. They wouldn't be in the wrong: unfortunately, these stories aren't nearly as good as the original JC appearances written by Alan Moore for SWAMP THING, and they get this series off to a shaky start, at best. While Jamie Delano does introduce some elements that have major effects in later issues, his stories are not all that interesting, and his narrative is a horribly overdone and laughable attempt to capture a noir mood. John Ridgeway's art is barely sufficient to keep the reader's interest, and it takes the later addition of Alfredo Alcala on inks to finally give it some depth and form. Still, you should start here, keeping in mind that the payoff comes with the pairing of writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon in later volumes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Constantine and Creatures
Review: Excellent excellent read. I came across it while plumbing through the DC/Vertigo titles and have greatly enjoyed the entire series.

This is a THICK book and full of the old stories that were printed years ago. But if you're a graphic novel fan (as opposed to comic books), you proably haven't seen these. The one about "Yuppie Soul Brokers From Hell" is especially fun.

Between this and the Sandman series, I've been very impressed by the quality of the genre.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Greatest EVer
Review: I loved it. Every word. It is moving and exciting., Dramatic yet dark. perfect

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A facinating character.
Review: I recently started reading the Hellblazer monthly comic book, and I just had to start collecting the TPBs. John Constantine is a fascinating character that I want to know more about. The only difficulty this collection (Issues 1-9) presents is some crossings with the Swamp Thing. I probably should try to get some Swamp Thing as well for the full picture. I like the horrific tone of this collection, plus the supernatural edge it has.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A facinating character.
Review: I recently started reading the Hellblazer monthly comic book, and I just had to start collecting the TPBs. John Constantine is a fascinating character that I want to know more about. The only difficulty this collection (Issues 1-9) presents is some crossings with the Swamp Thing. I probably should try to get some Swamp Thing as well for the full picture. I like the horrific tone of this collection, plus the supernatural edge it has.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Uh. it's hellfire, what do you expect?
Review: I've read... 3 hellblazers, this is the best. Guess I'm not much of a fan of Garth, prolly I knew a Gareth once and he hated being called Garth. So, what's to say. John faces demons, fights demons, foils plots left and right, kills off people. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it doesn't rely on shock tactics nearly as much as later volumes. Also he spectacularly fails to evince any powers, save only one. I guess that's sposed to show how skilled he is. Good stuff, don't get later ones. By the by, it's a good deal darker than the John Constantine in the Sandman volumes.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Caught Between Heaven and Hell
Review: John Constantine made his mark in these stories from the first 9 issues of HELLBLAZER. Beginning with "Hunger," where Constantine has to "bottle up" a demon before it consumes a whole city, the reader is introduced to a man who doesn't fight for heaven or hell, but rather to save mankind from getting caught in between. Using whatever means necessary, including the lives of anyone who is too close to him, Constantine rages against the unfairness of it all. Fueled by Jamie Delano's rage of Britain's and America's system of government and economy, Constantine battles yuppie demons and stands against both the Resurrection Crusaders and the Damnation Army in his hope that man will be allowed to make their own mistakes. However, the art doesn't help tell the story. Ridgeway's work is extremely "scratchy" and only the addition of Alcala's inks at the end of the collection make things This collection is a bit dated, with its Thatcher references and a connection to the Swamp-Thing series that hampers understanding of all the references, but it is a solid beginning. And it does make you wonder...What exactly did happen at Newcastle?"

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: staring at my hands
Review: OK is the first description that comes to mind. Its nothing special I expect that the next few that are written by Garth Ennis are much better, myself being a fan of his Preacher series. If you are looking to buy this comic I would recomend Lucifer over Hellblazer. Lucifer is dark fantasy while hellblazer is more thriller seems to be in the comic style vain of Se7en. Anyways Lucifer is more intresting definitly a charismatic charicter, I really don't like Constantine I am halfway through this comic I just can't identify with his character.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: staring at my hands
Review: OK is the first description that comes to mind. Its nothing special I expect that the next few that are written by Garth Ennis are much better, myself being a fan of his Preacher series. If you are looking to buy this comic I would recomend Lucifer over Hellblazer. Lucifer is dark fantasy while hellblazer is more thriller seems to be in the comic style vain of Se7en. Anyways Lucifer is more intresting definitly a charismatic charicter, I really don't like Constantine I am halfway through this comic I just can't identify with his character.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Meet John Constantine
Review: Originally a supporting character brought to life by visionary comic scribe Alan Moore in his legendary run on Swamp Thing, the hard drinking, hard smoking, bad luck magic mage named John Constantine got his own series with Hellblazer. Collecting the first nine issues of the series written by Jamie Delano and drawn by John Ridgeway, Original Sins is really nothing special compared to the following volumes helmed by various creators. Delano's story is sufficient enough, albeit sometimes incoherent, while Ridgeway's art is nothing more than average at best. However, Original Sins is a nice starting point for newer Hellblazer readers (of which there possibly will be more with the upcoming release of the feature film entitled Constantine with Keanu Reeves in the starring role) and it only gets better from this point forward. Future volumes which feature work by future Preacher creators Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Transmetropolitan creator Warren Ellis, 100 Bullets scribe Brian Azzarello, and current writer Mike Carey, are much better and amazing comic work, and are more than worth your time.


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