Hellblazer: Fear and Loathing

Rating:
Summary: impact in ten seconds...
Review: Fear and Loathing was the first comicbook I read about John Constantine after I'd decided I'd take up collecting Hellblazer. And afterwards I sat on the sofa not knowing what had hit me. This bundel has such an impact I'd put it on the hazards list of heartpatients. Constantine's character is so human that it is very easy to identify yourself with him. Though I still think Ennis took all the bad things that can happen in life and made them happen to one person to see how long he'd be able to stretch such a persons life. Really great tradepaperback! We need more of these!

Rating:
Summary: impact in ten seconds...
Review: I'm surprised that there are no other reviews of this book, so I'll give one. It's actually a very simple chapter in John Constantine's life. It shows everything that Garth Ennis gave him, his humor, his horror, his ability to fight and be fought and to win out in the end. His roguish charm which takes him through so much, is shown not to be able to take him through everything that life throws at him. It is the perfect prelude book for Garth Ennis's run on the title.

Rating:
Summary: Some days in the life of humanity's hellbound protector
Review: I'm surprised that there are no other reviews of this book, so I'll give one. It's actually a very simple chapter in John Constantine's life. It shows everything that Garth Ennis gave him, his humor, his horror, his ability to fight and be fought and to win out in the end. His roguish charm which takes him through so much, is shown not to be able to take him through everything that life throws at him. It is the perfect prelude book for Garth Ennis's run on the title.

Rating:
Summary: Best Ennis Hellblazer collection
Review: John Constantine, the character this series is about, is a man who looks like any other man. Despite of his overconfidence, constant smoking and the trenchcoat he seems to be joined at the hip with. But Constantine practices magic and had words with about every demon in hell. He's an expert and he's cunning to boot, although alcohol seems to be more of his interest. This book collects #62-67 of the series, which isn't a standard "good vs. bad" title but deals with characters who all are somewhere in the middle. Along the way their private lives are not ignored neither.

The cover-story, which runs through 4 of the 6 issues, is about 'The Snob', formerly known as the archangel Gabriel. While John is very much in love with Kit, Gabriel is doubting his faith and the faith people have in him. His associates aren't happy with his behavior because of it and since it all leads back to something John once said, they're decided to make his life hell. Apart from that there are also stories about John trying to talk his niece out of getting into magic and about John's fortieth birthday (in the very first Vertigo Hellblazer issue).

Better than the earlier Ennis Hellblazer collection ("Dangerous Habits"), which wasn't bad either. The strength lies, next to interesting storytelling, in the fact that the story-arcs aren't out of the blue. They seem logical phases in Constantine's life and blend in with his everyday reality. Good and fluent Steve Dillon art in all the issues. Although it's before he realized his art doesn't need sketchy lines in it (as shown in 'Preacher'), it's close to what it is today. One of the best Hellblazer collections so far. Prior knowledge of the title is a pro, not a must.