I’m sorry, I’ve been on this huge Hellblazer kick lately and I’m really liking it. It’s like when I was a kid and discovered the X-Men for the first time, I just had to get my hands on as much as I could. It’s been really weird for me because I’ve been reading the current stuff and working my way through the old trades. John Constantine is just an awesome character and Peter Milligan’s run has been really interesting.

In Milligan’s run, the biggest impact he’s had on the character is having Constantine get married. A lot of fans may be having a hard time with this, but John’s niece, Gemma has been having a much worse time with it, which John doesn’t quite understand. He thinks his niece just doesn’t like the idea of him marrying a girl that’s almost as young as her, but what’s bothering Gemma is the fact that during the reception she was raped by a demonic impersonator of Constantine. So, Gemma thinks that her beloved uncle that has always been there for her, has done the worst thing possible to her. Meanwhile, Constantine has no idea about what happened. Suffice it to say, Constantine is a bit confused as to why Gemma would summon a demon to kill him.

Honestly, I wasn’t too impressed with most of the comic books that came out this week, but Hellblazer was really good. And as awful as the subject matter is in this issue, this was a great read that had me on the edge of my seat. When Gemma has the flashback with the demon Constantine, I wanted to throw the book down, but I couldn’t. The day before I read this issue, I had read one of the earliest Hallblazer story-lines where Gemma is kidnapped as a young girl. So, for me it was really weird to see this sweet little girl and then read this issue where she’s about twenty years older and her one-time hero has become the greatest monster in her life.

If you’ve never read an issue of Hellblazer, this issue would be a great opportunity to jump on to the series. Even though this story has been building up for months, you are given all the information you need to understand what’s going on. Milligan did a great job of showing you how close John and his niece have been through the past and just how tragic the loss of their relationship is. At one point, Gemma is trying to control the demon she summoned and even though this demon is there to kill her uncle for her, she’s still using his advice when facing the creature. I think that shows how much she has depended on Constantine in the past.

This issue features guest artist, Gael Bertrand instead of regular artist, Giuseppe Camuncoli. I’ve been a big fan of Camuncoli on this book and Bertrand’s style is very different. When I first picked up this issue, I didn’t really care for Bertrand’s pencils, but by the time I got to the end, it really started to grow on me. I think since this issue has focused more on Gemma’s side of things instead of Constantine’s, the art really works for this book.

Hellblazer is such an underrated book and now is the perfect time to start reading. If you have ever thought about reading this book, I urge you to pick up issue #280!

Ken Zeider
Ken@ComicImpact.com