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    Review

    The Hellblazer #13 Review

    Matthew PetersonBy Matthew PetersonAugust 24, 20173 Mins Read

    Sure, it’s bad when you black out and wake up in a strange place.  It’s even worse when you wake up in a strange place and you might have magically murdered someone…  Your Major Spoilers review of The Hellblazer #13 awaits!

    THE HELLBLAZER #13

    Writer: Tim Seeley
    Artist: Jesus Merino
    Colorist: Carrie Strachan
    Letterer: Sal Cipriano
    Editor: Kristy Quinn
    Publisher: DC Comics
    Cover Price: $3.99

    Previously in The Hellblazer: John Constantine is a powerful mage, one who has made a lot of enemies over the years.  But would one of them have enough of a grudge to kill somebody to get even with him?

    Ooooooooof course they would…

    ONE HELL OF A HANGOVER

    This issue opens with an old-school Hellblazer bang, as John awakens in his hotel room, aware of nothing by the rumbling of the air system.  Stumbling to the vent, he opens it, only to be doused in blood and gore, the kind that usually involves some sort of grinding apparatus.  Cut to the police station, where Constantine is being interviewed about his strange experience, by a police inspector who also happens to be an old friend.  (There are a lot of those, and if previous patterns hold, she’s probably not long for the world.)  Slowly, he puts together the events of the boozy night before, realizing that one of his drinking friends has to have betrayed him.  At the same time, D.I. Margaret watches security footage that shows the snotty motel manager being dragged up to the roof by invisible forces and thrown into the circulating fan, a fate very similar to what John himself could have (and idly imagined) doing to get rid of the punk…

    MOLES AND TROLLS, MOLES AND TROLLS, MOLES AND TROLLS…

    The final two pages of this issue introduce an unexpected twist in the story (one that I won’t be spoiling here, but not only works but feels like something new and different in the long history of Hellblazer), really making me want to read next issue RIGHT NOW.  This issue is well-crafted, featuring lovely art by Jesus Merino, who actually makes the more disturbing sequences of the issue a little TOO vivid for my tastes.  Of course, given that the bulk of the issue is John flirting with a woman and two men, drinking his butt off in a pub, and it’s still exciting and visually dynamic is a testament to the strength of the art.  I especially like how the liquor (or is it mead?) looks shiny, velvety and somehow terrifying throughout the issue, something that must have taken a lot of effort on the part of the creative team.

    THE BOTTOM LINE: OMINOUSLY GOOD

    In short, this is a good issue. The Hellblazer #13 is lucky enough to pull off the beginning of a new arc with aplomb, providing skilled art and a really engaging story that doesn’t tread over territory already covered (and I’ve read every issue since 1988) earning an above-average 3 out of 5 stars overall.  I’m still a little shaken by the opening sequence, and will definitely be back next time…

    [taq_review]

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    Matthew Peterson
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    Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.

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