John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #5: This is America

John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #5 treats readers with an anthology issue. The issue is bookended by “Prologue” and “Epilogue,” from the usual creative team of writer Simon Spurrier, artist Aaron Campbell, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Aditya Bidikar. Both parts show John and company riding along Route 66 and are narrated by three mysterious voices, though readers will learn that it is The Kindly Ones. Their narration sets up the theme of the issue, which also aligns with the theme of this series: American stories. However, these stories aren’t strictly from the United States and explore beyond the borders of land and time.

The first story introduced is titled “Shí Naashá,” which is the title of a Navajo song about the Long Walk of the Navajo, where the Navajo people, or the Diné, were forced by the American government to walk from their land to internment camps. The story was written by Spurrier with Kelsey Ramsay on art, Francesco Segala on colors, and Steve Wands providing lettering. The story begins with the Nat approaching a Diné man walking on the side of the road. Readers learn that he is walking to bring his daughter’s umbilical cord to a resting place to honor her and the old ways. Spurrier’s writing is top-of-the-line here and does a wonderful job of exploring Diné history and identity through this man. Kelsey Ramsay and Francesco Segala are wonderful additions to the story and do a great job illustrating the tale. 

“One-Way Ticket” is a touching story about someone trying to go home. In a surprise switch, the story is written by the incredible Aaron Campbell, making this the only story in the issue not written by Spurrier. John Pearson lends his talents as an artist and colorist with Aditya Bidikar providing the lettering. “One-Way Ticket” packs an emotional punch as it covers some sad realities of living in America with a focus on unhoused folk, substance dependency, and police brutality. Campbell’s writing is impressive and doesn’t feel like a departure from the tone and voice that Spurrier has established. Pearson’s art style is similar to Cambell’s own style that readers are used to in the sense that it does a great job capturing emotion in faces with spectacular detail. Still, Pearson leans more into light and color, moving away from ink-heavy pages. The story follows Mateo as he searches for his bus ticket home. No one seems to notice him except John and Noah, and when John senses that something is wrong, he agrees to help. The punch in the gut is that Mateo is already dead, though he hasn’t realized it. 

“Suckers” is the third and final story in John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America #5 before the issue concludes with “Epilogue.” The story is written by Spurrier and lettered by Bidikar with art by John McCrea and colors by Mike Spicer. This story is probably the most fun of the issue, and certainly the goriest. John and company come across a man on the side of the road in a lizard costume carrying a cooler holding proof of the chupacabra. They eventually end up at a cryptid convention where the man sets up a presentation with presumed skeptics on the bus after the con. In the end, it appears that the man was the chupacabra, or some other type of blood-sucking cryptid, leaving a bus full of dead skeptics. John McCrea art is a great fit for this story and provides great linework and fun detail. Mike Spicer is also an excellent addition to this story, his colors are a lot of fun and capture the mood McCrea is going for both in the beginning and the more lighthearted part of the issue and the gory parts in the end.