10 Comic Creators You May Not Have Realized Worked on John Constantine, Hellblazer
Below is an article I wrote and submitted to a few different comic book websites a while ago (as the miniseries mentioned is now finished), as a list article example and an example of writing about one of my favorite comics and characters. I hope you enjoy and I hope it is informative!
In celebration of the recently announced Hellblazer: Rise and Fall written by Tom Taylor (Injustice Gods Among Us, DCeased, Suicide Squad) and drawn by Darrick Robertson (The Boys, Transmetropolitan, Fury), this new series and creative team will give us a three issue Black Label prestige format series focusing once again on everyone’s favorite English magician, John Constantine. The miniseries will see John investigate the incident of a falling billionaire from the sky who is speared on a church spire. What makes it even weirder is the body also has angel wings, and it’s up to John to help his befuddled old childhood friend, Detective Aisha Bukhari.
If you have never read any Hellblazer or John Constantine before, this newest creative team is just one in a great line of collaborators who have worked on Mr. Constantine over the years. Through many title changes and years of guest appearances, so many creators have done so much good work with this character that this article can only boil it down to ten memorable teams, and will focus primarily on Saga of the Swamp Thing and the Vertigo series Hellblazer (which ran from 1988 to 2013, with over three hundred issues and specials). An entirely different list can and hopefully will be made from guest appearances of Mr. Constantine. If this is your first time learning about some of the history of Hellblazer or have been a die-hard fan from the beginning, grab a pint, and let’s take a look at some of the greatest minds that have worked on John Constantine and Hellblazer.
10. Jason Aaron/Sean Gordon Murphy (Hellblazer Issues #245-246)
Jason Aaron (Thor, Scalped, Wolverine and the X-Men) and Sean Gordon Murphy (Batman White Knight, Joe The Barbarian, Punk Rock Jesus)’s two issue storyline had John fending off punk rock documentarians, trying to find out the truth of John’s childhood band, Mucous Membrane. The series is short but as with both men’s work, the story is effective, dark and beautifully drawn and written.
9. Neil Gaiman/Dave McKean (Hellblazer issue #27)
Two of the creative pillars of Vertigo’s flagship title Sandman only worked on John one time (Gaiman also wrote John in issue #3 of Sandman). This one-shot deals with John searching London for a zombie homeless man, and with an awkward situation where McKean and Gaiman highlight someone trying to take advantage of John, all on the backdrop of homelessness. Fans of early Vertigo (and of course Sandman) would enjoy tracking this one down, and it is also one of the most sought-after issues of the run.
8. Andy Diggle/Leonardo Manco (Hellblazer issues #230-#242)
Andy Diggle (The Losers, Green Arrow: Year One, Thunderbolts) and Leonardo Manco (Hellraiser, Wacky Raceland, War Machine) were this writer’s first introduction to John and his dark world. This storyline finds religion and politics embroiled together through magic. The storytelling by both Diggle and Manco feels just like great 2000AD Comics while remaining, a really solid representation of John’s history as well.
7. Brian Azzarello/Marcelo Frusin (Hellblazer Issues #151-156, #158-161, #164-167, #170-174)
Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets, Loveless, Wonder Woman) and Marcelo Frusin (Loveless, X-Men Unlimited, Magnus Robot Fighter) take on John Constantine which, at the time of their run, caused a bit of controversy. Up until Azzarello took over the book, most of the creators who had worked on John were from the United Kingdom; Azzarello was the first American to take over the monthly writing duties. Azzarello’s story saw John cross the pond to America in order to handle con artists in the heartland, and even at one point go to jail. As anyone who has enjoyed the crime Vertigo hit series 100 Bullets can attest, Azzarello’s run is harsh and mean. Azzarello’s Constantine is portrayed as more of a slight of hand con man than a gritty and grimy wizard. Some of the fans at the time hated this take; however, this run may need a revisit now that many years and some of the controversies are gone.
6. Paul Jenkins/Sean Phillips (Hellblazer Issues #89-100, #102-107, #109-120)
Paul Jenkins (Inhumans, Origin, The Darkness) and Sean Phillips (Criminal, Marvel Zombies, Kill or Be Killed)’s time in John Constantine’s life brought back more of British politics and mythology that had been an underlying theme originally at the heart of the book. These stories show early work by a writer and an artist who are now two legends in the field. This run continues the trend of having Hellblazer stories that can go anywhere and talk about anything even if it means tackling dense details of British society.
5. Peter Milligan/Giuseppe Camuncoli (Hellblazer Issues #251-253, #256-258, #261-264, #267-300)
Peter Milligan (Shade the Changing Man, X-Force, Human Target) and Giuseppe Camuncoli (Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, Superior Spider-Man)’s run brought the first volume of Hellblazer, and the last of the original launch Vertigo comics from the 90’s, to a close. This run also created controversy in finally dealing with some long-term problems and questions in John’s life. DC brought in one of the writers of Shade the Changing Man in Peter Milligan to bring answers to those questions. Camuncoli was a brand-new artist in comics and lends a super sketchy and fun feel that lock steps with some of the crazy stuff Milligan writes. John even finds a kind of twisted love in this last stories. Like it or not, enjoyed the answers or not, their run was always a ride, issue to issue.
4. Denis Mina/Leonardo Manco (Hellblazer issues #216-222, #224-228)
Denis Mina (Scottish crime novelist of the Garnethill trilogy) and Leonardo Manco (previously mentioned)’s run, while another short run, took John to Scotland to stop a plot where the forces of evil try and make the emotion of the Scottish people overload. Included in this story is also a fun sublot involving soldiers and the World Cup. Mina brought in her talents as a crime writer, and Manco’s gritty art matches the feel of the story perfectly.
3. Mike Carey/Marcelo Frusin (Hellblazer issues #177-180, #184-186, #189-193, #197-200)
Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten, The Girl with all the Gifts) and Marcelo Frusin (mentioned in #7)’s run is highly regarded by fans as a return to form for John Constantine and the title, Hellblazer. Carey introduced and reintroduced many character’s stories, and history that had been left out by other writers, while also adding more fuel to the fire of John’s personal life. Carey brought back John’s niece Gemma, and had all different sorts of magic users and creatures hunting for a powerful artifact. Carey never left up on taking John to dark places, and after gaining notoriety for his long run on the spin off Sandman title Lucifer, breathed new life into the lungs of Hellblazer.
2. Garth Ennis/Steve Dillion (Hellblazer issues #49, #57-58, #62-76, #78-83)
Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, Punisher) and Steve Dillion (Preacher, Punisher, Wolverine: Origins)’s run was the precursor to their hit Vertigo comic, Preacher. Many of the same themes and storytelling that were used later in Preacher are on display here. Famously, Ennis has wrote the storyline in which John’s smoking comes back to haunt him. This storyline is frequently cited as one of the best Hellblazer stories and has even been adapted into other media. While not as fluid or connected as Preacher, fans of Ennis and Dillon’s work will feel right at home here.
1. Alan Moore/Rick Veitch and John Totleben (Saga of The Swamp Thing Issues #37, Saga of the Swamp Thing #38+)
Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Batman: The Killing Joke), Rick Veitch (Brat Pack, Army@Love), and John Totleben (Miracleman, 1963) created John Constantine in the pages of Saga of The Swamp Thing. In these stories, many times John is seen as a supporting or guest player, but proved so popular that the green light was given to launch the first volume of Hellblazer. Basing the likeness for John off of the musician Sting, and including great banter with old Swampy from the start, the foundation for everything John Constantine is here.
There you have it! From the dark alleys of London to a grimy jail cell in America, to be haunted by mistakes and ghosts from his past, John Constantine’s legacy in comics is unmatched. From the grit and grim of the eighties, through the decadence and craziness of the nineties’ comic bubble, through to today’s versions in new comics, television and movies, John Constantine has endured. Title changes from Vertigo to main DC continuity and back have not affected the popularity and fans of John. Many great comic creators have wanted (and still) want to work on Hellblazer. If you have never read any of John’s adventures, pick up any story and from page one, you will see how much of an interesting character and world surrounds John Constantine. Since the ending of the first volume the character has jumped into different guest appearances and different titled books like Constantine and Justice League Dark. Currently, DC Comics has begun publication of a new Hellblazer ongoing series under the Sandman Universe banner as John Constantine: Hellblazer. This new series is being written by Simon Spurrier and drawn by Aaron Campbell and has already gotten critical acclaim. With the launch of DC’s new Black Label initiative, John will have another Rated R Vertigo style story when the creative minds of Tom Taylor and Darrick Robertson take over for Hellblazer: Rise and Fall, coming September 2020 from DC Comics as a prestige format 3 issue Black Label miniseries, available wherever you get your comics.
