The latest Hellblazer trade paperback from Vertigo collects issues #194 – 200 of the Hellblazer comic series and finds John Constantine at perhaps his most vulnerable. He’s suffered amnesia and doesn’t know who, or what he is and his enemies are gathering to take advantage of his weakness. A depraved serial killer, who has the psychic ability to virtually know everybody, is intrigued by Constantine when he finds him in a hospital psyche ward. He’s intrigued because for some reason he doesn’t know this strange man and that simply can’t be…Constantine wanders about the dark and dirty alleys and streets searing for his identity but only finds more trouble.
Constantine has also become the target of a Rosacarnis, a demon queen who is manipulating Constantine for her own evil intentions. John soon finds himself taken in and given comfort by a religious cult that is not so benevolent. The cult is being operated by one of Constantine’s rival sorcerers, Ghant. Ghant plans to use the captured Constantine as his own bargaining chip with hell to have himself released from the torments of a spell gone horribly wrong. Constantine will have to make a truly unholy deal to regain his memories but at what price?
Even while suffering amnesia, Constantine remains ever resourceful, even if it is by having to talk his way out of trouble, often his strongest ability. Writer Mike Carey displays with blood-thirsty zest, the desire for the demons of hell to claim Constantine as their own. As Ghant gathers the demons, each states their own case as to how they plan to make him suffer, with one torment after another. Carey comes up with some pretty unnerving ideas for ol’ John!
The Phantom Strange makes a brief cameo, threatening to intervene but then plays no other role and it does make me wonder why Carey chose to include him at all. The art team of Leonardo Manco, Chris Brunner, Marcelo Frustin and Steve Dillon is consistently strong throughout the whole story.
“Stations of the Cross” is a unique look at Constantine and Carey has delivered another outstanding story.
– Tim Janson
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
