tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post1001892630234774174..comments2024-03-27T21:12:28.287-05:00Comments on Collected Editions: Review: Constantine Vol. 1: The Spark and the Flame trade paperback (DC Comics)collectededitionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-61499621903602998992014-07-02T08:54:55.261-05:002014-07-02T08:54:55.261-05:00On the other hand, there is a kind of stylized ech...On the other hand, there is a kind of stylized echo of Constantine's animosity towards high level consumption and wealth in a very recent issue of the comic, number 15, where he meets a kind of secret monarch of Hong Kong whom he accuses of leeching from the urban poor! So, I definitely think it's unfair to simply dismiss this comic book as being 'not like' Hellblazer, although 'not as good as' is still a moot point!Some guy from Londonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-18900323101488946042014-07-02T08:01:18.290-05:002014-07-02T08:01:18.290-05:00Hello, I enjoyed your review! I have read one or ...Hello, I enjoyed your review! I have read one or two recent editions of Constantine and thought they were okay, so I look forward to reading this volume at some point.<br /><br />I have to admit I don't know what Trinity War is as I tried to get into DC comics around the New 52 relaunch, but on the whole just got a bit pissed off with it and stuck my head back in 2000AD instead. But I think there is a lot to be said for this translation of John Constantine here.<br /><br />I noticed that the Comic Book Resources crowd completely dismissed this new version, being unfair to their argument they basically said "it's not as good as Hellblazer".<br /><br />The big problem for me comparing this to Hellblazer is simply that in the Vertigo stories, if you read the issues from the 80s and early 90s it is clear that John Constantine is partly an unpleasant person, because he is kind of a socialist who feels badly let down by the British and American governments, especially Thatcher and Reagan. What happens subsequently is that he sort of becomes dismissive of people and more and more cynical as the years roll on. That is my slant on this, I'm no expert on Hellblazer but I find him a compelling and believable character because of his history. He was originally based on a cross between Sting from The Police and Johnny Rotten! In the new DC comics version, there is a big problem that he may not have an analogous back story, meaning he's basically just a bit of a glib character.<br /><br />To give you an idea of where I stand on this kind of thing, I completely hated the new versions of Swamp Thing and Animal Man for the same kind of reasons, it just seemed like a pointless fight between a bunch of colours rather than a story which actually meant anything!Some guy from Londonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-9273925144772551262014-04-22T12:20:04.698-05:002014-04-22T12:20:04.698-05:00Jordan, I was being maybe a little too flip there,...Jordan, I was being maybe a little too flip there, and you rightly called me on it. I think probably some allowances have to be made for the "translation" of Constantine from Vertigo to DC, namely heroic poses, etc., but in all I take your point and yours is a good reply. I'll get to Hellblazer some time.collectededitionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-31567124079256461612014-04-22T07:52:02.207-05:002014-04-22T07:52:02.207-05:00I've been becoming a big fan of Hellblazer, as...I've been becoming a big fan of Hellblazer, as the new editions come out. <br /><br />While I haven't read the NEW 52 Constantine, hell, I could tell from the cover of this trade that everything is just wrong.<br /><br />This statement from the review is a bit shortsighted: "but my bar is only as high as whether writers Ray Fawkes and Jeff Lemire are telling a good story and not which four-letter words Constantine is allowed to use under what imprint. "<br /><br />I'm not sure why you think people love Hellblazer (or Vertigo as a whole), but it isn't because you can curse. It's a sophistication (or at least, a striving for sophistication), and an atmosphere that is unlike any other comic. Hellblazer is great because it isn't so much plot based as it is character. A lot of issues are just Constantine walking around, smoking and having an inner monologue about how miserable life is. It sometimes gets genuinely scary. Sometimes it is hilarious (check out the issue about Constantine's birthday, where he gets drunk and pisses on Phantom Stranger's shoes.) But it always feels outside of the DC Universe, and even comments on that directly.<br /><br />Just looking at the cover for this book, I mean...that is not Constantine. He doesn't do heroic poses. He doesn't use his powers in cool action ways. His real power is his cunning and ability to screw people over and then hate himself for years. <br /><br />I like Jeff Lemire, but I just can't give this a shot. It just does not look like the Constanine that I've grown to love. <br /><br />Please read Hellblazer. Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13858465228077926840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-24694177771357926402014-04-21T10:49:13.801-05:002014-04-21T10:49:13.801-05:00I also enjoyed this book, and the whole dark area ...I also enjoyed this book, and the whole dark area of the DCU. Fawkes and Lemire did a good job introducing me to this character with issue one being a very strong opener for the New 52. However, like CE, I've never read any of the Vertigo Constantine so I would be interested to hear from anyone who read both to see how it stacks up?Wilson1989https://www.blogger.com/profile/17767850173122572195noreply@blogger.com