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Rating: 
Summary: A Rake at the Gates of Hell
Review: Brilliant crime-author Brian Azzarello has done the unthinkable. He's taken John Constantine past where even Garth Ennis had darred. Azzarrello, once attacked for being and American on what was a very English book, showed us that of all the demons and monsters that a magic man like John Constantine has to face, the scarriest buggers out there are still just humans. In prison for murder, on his own, haunted by the ghosts of his past, John must work his way through the 'system' at place, and in pure Constantine fashion, bring it all down around his head. The art could be better, but the writing is some of the best graphic-fiction to come out in years.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, but cliched
Review: I started collecting Hellblazer TPB's mostly to complete my Garth Ennis collection, but the character of John Constantine got me hooked. Unfortunately I missed some of the arcs by past writers, but I slipped into the current Azzarello run pretty easily with this paperback."Hard Time" is a pretty fun story. The whole prison motif intrigued me when I first heard about it, and I really enjoyed seeing the hardcore Constantine deal with it. Azzarello handles the story pretty well, and although it's far too early to judge his handling of the main character, "Hard Time" remains a good read. Some of the story elements, though, seemed a tad cliched. The whole story seemed like an episode of Oz. I wasn't sure if he was paying homage or blatantly stealing. Those who're already fans of the series and missed this arc should pick it up, but if you're new to Hellblazer, start off with "Original Sins". It's a great way to be introduced to the series.
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