John Constantine: Hellblazer #11: Descent into Madness

It hurt when I finished John Constantine: Hellblazer #11. I lingered on the last page that previewed the next issue, the last issue, to be exact. This is the series we need in 2020, so 2020 being 2020, it has been canceled. Issue #11 is a near-masterpiece. Simon Spurrier, Aaron Campbell, and Jordie Bellaire have created something special and equally horrifying. Spurrier is right on the nose by having a monster that feeds off of fear become a politician. Spurrier writes, “The election in ‘15 gave us a platform. The one in ‘19 gave us power.” Readers in the United States, like myself, can relate to this. He continues, “And all of it thanks to fear. Fear of the alternative. Fear of rocking the boat. Fear of them.”

Clem Thurso’s voicemail playing over John’s race to him is beautifully executed and illustrated. There is a real sense of urgency that rapidly turns into a frantic pursuit. Thurmo’s retelling of being brought down beneath the House of Commons paired with a Constantine frantically retracing his steps can be described as nothing short of a descent into madness. If Guillermo del Toro and David Lynch wanted to make an H.P. Lovecraft-inspired remake of Eyes Wide Shut. The curiosity of the unknown swiftly mutilates to fear and then straight to absolute horror. That is the only way to describe it.

Having a monster that feeds off of fear become a politician is already brilliant, but having a secret order of the elite literally f**king Great Britain is nothing short of genius. My theory is that Spurrier knows some of the magic he writes about because nobody else can write like this. No one else could write a book that feels like classic Hellblazer while making it feel like it couldn’t take place anywhere except now. While the themes of this run will always be relevant, it feels as if Spurrier, Campbell, and Bellaire are creating in real-time.