John Constantine: Hellblazer #10
Kevin Rossi
Recap
The specter of his older self (and the terrible bargain he made to get another chance at life) has been playing a cat-and-mouse game with John Constantine for months now - but now the game is over, and it's time to get down to business. Namely, the business of destroying absolutely everything that made that second lease on life worth living…
Review
John Constantine: Hellblazer #10 is a wild ride, like really wild. How Simon Spurrier continuously tops himself with each issue, I’ll never know, but I’m a lucky reader. This series may have the most solid creative team at the moment. This issue is stunning on every level. Matias Bergara and Jordie Bellaire shine in this issue. There isn’t a single page that isn’t gorgeous top to bottom. They somehow make things you don’t want to see worth seeing. Horrors can devour the page and you are still left trying to figure out how they made it so pretty.
John Constantine: Hellblazer #10 feels like a major turning point in the series. I can only hope that issues eleven and twelve offer even a smidge of closure to the series. The run so far has been master storytelling, and this issue was a signal that it was going to get even better. Spurrier’s absolute brilliance can be seen with this issue. Everything Constantine has done thus far was for a reason and all orchestrated by the older and potentially evil version of himself. Horrible things happen because of Constantine. Though some things are undone, the damage is still there and nothing can be the same. This issue feels masterfully executed without anything being shoehorned in. You can look back on previous issues and go, “oh yeah, I see what he did.” That is exactly what you want in a writer. Spurrier doesn’t let any issue feel like filler. Nothing seems insignificant, which makes this issue so powerful.
It feels like an absolute travesty to cancel this series. No, it is an absolute travesty to cancel this series. Spurrier has accomplished so much with John Constantine: Hellblazer without even nearing its potential. The bottom line is this isn’t a series you should read; its a series you need to read.
Final Thoughts
John Constantine: Hellblazer #10 is a stunning issue on every level. Constantine is faced with his greatest and most destructive challenge: his future self. After this issue, nothing can be the same. The bottom line is this isn’t a series you should read; it's a series you need to read.
John Constantine: Hellblazer #10: No, Johnny No!
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
