John Constantine, Hellblazer

Set the clock back to 1988, when the illustrated fiction was as bad as the music. Odd color schemes, overwrought narration, and almost comically bad artwork-that's what you get from this volume, which collects the first nine issues of Hellblazer. Main character John Constantine, who presumably can be called a protagonist of sorts, finds himself wrapped up in an increasingly complex web of arcane transatlantic puzzles, the solutions to which invariably involve some sort of grave sacrifice or pyrrhic victory. Series creators Delano and Ridgway try desperately to sell this nonsense as a sophisticated mix of the supernatural and good old-fashioned hard-boiled detective fiction, but they fail. Verdict Perhaps the only redeeming quality in this poorly conceived and executed sanctimonious mess is the oft-overlooked artwork of Tom Mandrake, whose overall aesthetic works well with Constantine's pained and hardened exterior. Only hard-core fans of the series need apply, as this book is unlikely to attract, let alone maintain, a new readership.-Robin Searles, Environmental Data Resources, Milford, CT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.