Or – “What Happens When I Continue To Fall Behind On Everything?”
What’s the scraping noise? Looks like the raccoon done busted out the heavy weapons, which means it’s time for another look at some of the comics that were too esoteric, too weird, or too numerous to look at individually: RAPID FIRE REVIEWS! BRAKKA BRAKKA BRAKKA! Make sure that the release lever is elevated, and that the debris shield is down, put on your safety goggles and PREpare… to REview!
When Hellblazer arrives in stores on December 17th, it will hit two milestones. First the title hits the magic issue #250, which in itself is a great achievement, but the second is a little bit more important as it marks the longest running series for Vertigo.
To celebrate the company is giving readers a five for one deal.
If the idea of a holiday issue of HELLBLAZER strikes you as irreverent and a little perverse, well, that’s exactly why it works so well. Here, the holiday season of everyone’s favorite chain smoking, magical con-man, John Constantine, is disrupted by the darkest depths of humanity and the supernatural.
Take the jump for the list of contributors for the milestone issue.
Or – “I Think We Can Be Certain It’s Not Really Final…”
I started to try and write a big clever open, but y’know what?Â
RACCOON WITH A HEAVY MACHINE GUN!!!!!
How am I s’pose to top that?
Or – “The Seed From Which Everything Vertigo Will Eventually Grow…”
Back in 1985, the choices in terms of comics reading were much more limited in scope than they are now (at least the choices within bicycle range of my house in North Central Kansas.) Sure, Epic Illustrated and Heavy Metal were still around, but those books held the distinction of being:
A. Expensive
B. Marked 18 and up.
C. Distributed differently than the comics, making them harder to find in the drugstores and Pump ‘N Pantries I frequented.
When Alan Moore took over DC’s faltering super-hero/horror hybrid title, Swamp Thing, the very first issue was a complete deconstruction of the character, an example of how the “Everything You Know Is Wrong” syndrome can really galvanize a story. My love affair with the title, however, came a couple of years later, with issue #34, ‘Rites of Spring.’ It put Swamp Thing on my “must have” list, and when this issue came out, it was nothing less than a revelation, with a whole new status quo for the title character, and the debut of one who would prove to be among the most versatile and interesting characters in DC’s impressive arsenal… John Constantine.
Vertigo has announced plans to publish Hellblazer: Pandemonium, a new graphic novel by Jamie Delano and illustrated by Jock. Fans of Hellblazer know Delano’s name as the person who wrote the first 40 issues of the series.
DC Comics has sent us preview of some of the titles available this week. This week the company offers up Army of Love #1, Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #50, and Hellblazer #230. More After the Jump
This week DC has provided us with a look at titles shipping over the next couple of months. For fans of Nightwing, Annual #1 attempts to answer the question of what happened during the missing year and the Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson romance. Also sneaking its way in this week is Hellblazer #230 and Young Magician Vol. 7 from CMX.
The dangerous, supernatural world of John Constantine just landed its newest recruit – and it could mean trouble for everyone’s favorite mystical raconteur.