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Review: ‘Hellblazer’ #300 – The Final Issue

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11 years ago

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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

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‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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