John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #3
Kevin Rossi
Recap
John and crew find themselves traveling west and contending with some of the tall tales that permeate the American frontier. It’s here that John probes an ailing Clarice about her past run-ins with Dream’s power. The sands have caused quite a stir, but just how far have they lodged themselves in the heart of the American dream?
Review
Comics like this don’t come out often, especially from the Big Two. John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America continues to exceed expectations not only as a follow-up to its predecessor series from the same team but by also contributing to the Sandman Universe organically and in an incredibly engaging way. Every issue that comes out simply cements the notion that this creative team was born to make this book. Si Spurrier’s writing shines in this issue flawlessly juggling between the meditative thoughts of an American militia member, a Mexican woman, Clarice Sackville, and of course Constantine all along the Texas/Mexico border. Spurrier masterfully weaves Clarice’s autobiographical monologue with themes and references from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, arguably one of the greatest American works. This is all told within the backdrop of the militia member and the woman making her way to America for a better life, or at least that is her intention.
Spurrier’s powerful and precise imagery is only amplified by Aaron Campbell’s art. This issue might be his best work on this series yet. The use of the border wall is powerful, as seen on the fantastic cover, and plays an important role physically and symbolically, representing the thin veil between life and death. The visuals do so much heavy lifting and have so many distinct, bold ideas executed brilliantly thanks to Campbell’s panel layouts and of course Jordie Bellaire’s colors. Aditya Bidikar’s lettering in this issue is also marvelous and pairs so well with the art and Bellaire’s colors especially. Bidikar plays with the themes brilliantly and even includes the red, white, and blue motifs featured throughout their lettering in such a smart and appropriate way. This issue feels so precise while still saying it all. Between the incredible imagery of American tall tales and Mexican folklore, Spurrier, Campbell, Bellaire, and Bidikar have accomplished so much with this issue and absolutely nail the American dream and what it really is in 32 pages.
Final Thoughts
John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #3 is an absolute must-read issue whether it is digital or physical. This series is exactly what DC Black Label was started for. Spurrier masterfully weaves themes from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land with the storied mythology from the pages of Hellblazer and Sandman. The work the creative team is doing here is simultaneously timeless and more relevant and important than ever.
John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #3: A Heap of Broken Images
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10
