Review: Hellblazer #11
By Andy Frisk
July 5, 2017 - 22:31
DC Comics
Writer(s): Simon Oliver
Penciller(s): Davide Fabbri
Inker(s): Jose Marzan Jr.
Colourist(s): Carrie Strachan
Letterer(s): Sal Cipriano
Cover Artist(s): Tula Iotay
Still chasing after a journal that is in unlikely hands and holds the key to stopping a destructive force...with plenty of destructive parties, both far and near to Constantine personally, closing in. It's classic Constantine...sort of.
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"The Smokeless Fire" started out with plenty of promise and resurrected that old Hellblazer slow burn, except it's been burning so slowly the last few issues that it's almost gone out. Constantine finally gets a clue and takes action that he probably could have a few issues ago to bring the mystical journal's current possessor to him. Granted, Constantine's round about way of getting things done has allowed writer Simon Oliver to slightly brush the surface of the story with some of that good ole' signature Hellblazer socio-political commentary, of the liberal sort, that is still more popular and relevant than the current forces attempting to overthrow the liberal western democracies would have you think. It appears DC Comics is pretty scared silly over getting political currently though, so we continue to have a pale incarnation of Constantine, and probably will for quite a while.
Davide Fabbri's artwork is great, but it would probably work better on another book. The supernatural violence in this issue looks cartoonish, as do pretty much all of the character's faces.
"The Smokeless Fire" promises to "Be Concluded" next issues. I'm anxious for it to be wrapped up. I'm also anxious to see where The Hellblazer goes next. It's not terrible now, but it can be better than the last few issues have been.
Rating: 7.5/10
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