Comics
Review: ‘Hellblazer’ #300 – The Final Issue
A can’t miss event, Hellblazer #300 weaves together a fitting end to John Constantine’s journey. Never meant to fade away, the “Hellblazer” series heads to some interesting new places before its final pages. Readers are in for one last batch of revenge, black magic, and crooked deals.
WRITTEN BY: Peter Milligan
ART BY: Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini
PUBLISHER: Vertigo Comics
PRICE: $4.99
RELEASE: February 20th, 2013
After cheating death so many times before, is John Constantine really dead? Constantine’s wife, Epiphany, is certainly wondering that same as she mourns for her husband. Constantine, always the chain-smoking con man and magician, might actually be buried six feet under. But then, who is the person standing in front of Epiphany’s doorstep? Epiphany wants to believe Constantine found some way to come back from the dead. As one last trick is played, angels and demons battle for Constantine’s soul.
Peter Milligan keeps the heavily-driven plot running at full speed, adding so many plot twists, sudden re-appearances, and last-minute surprises. Just when you think you know where the story is going, Milligan pulls the rug out. This is the type of storytelling that has made the previous “Hellblazer” stories such fantastic reads.
Even though this is the final issue, Milligan isn’t steering for a tear-jerking finale. Yes, Milligan does bring back fan-favorites, but he doesn’t overstay their good-byes. This is about giving Constantine the proper bloody sendoff, the type this anti-hero deserves. Milligan closes up loose threads, while providing an ending that is questionable and fitting at the same time. I had to reread the ending twice, not because it was bad, but it was a surprising direction Milligan took.
Artists Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini make this an emotional roller-coaster for Epiphany. The theme about Epiphany’s growth is whether she can live a life without Constantine. Camuncoli and Landini focus on her emotional facial reactions, as she is always on the verge of tearing up. I found the scene between Epiphany and Constantine’s ghost very touching. Given a second chance to say good-bye, they are trying to share one last cigarette.
Camuncoli and Landini also pay special attention to the backgrounds, focusing on the rainy and cloudy atmosphere of the British locations. There is a lot of detail to the London Eye, the less-crowded streets at nighttime, and to some seedy nightclubs. In one of the backgrounds, Constantine arrives at a cemetery where a gravestone is shaped like a grand piano.
Readers will not be disappointed as “Hellblazer” #300 reaches its conclusion. I started reading “Hellblazer” when I picked up, “Dangerous Habits.” My personal favorites of “Hellblazer” are Warren Ellis’ “Haunted,” and Brian Azzarello’s “Hard Time,” which is an unforgettable tale of Constantine’s stint in prison. I am interested in seeing what writers Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes, and artist Renato Guedes will do with “Constantine” #1.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by Jorge Solis
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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