Constantine

** spoiler alert ** Issue 13 - “Spellbound” Little different art style, like it a little more? Mindscape thing is neat. Better, more interesting imagery and art and concepts. Interesting storytelling, using the present and the mindscape to tell the past. Something that they probably should have done earlier, to connect previous continuity with the presentness of a reboot. I thought he went to Hell at the end, though. Like the idea of the metamorphosis before, and how they’re bringing it back, now. Some self-awareness in this issue, but it feels a little false. Also what happened with Zatanna? Is she okay? A lot of this shit was unclear at the end of the last issue, and with how it’s being told thus far, I don’t know if he’s -still- in Hell, or if the comic just skipped ahead and said ‘fuck it’ because that’s what it’s been doing so far. I like how it’s almost a mind heist, and he’s delivering the message to himself, and the Spellbinder at once. Way cool. And something that John singularly succeeds at, the reveal of the magic trick. Sargon, changed for the 3rd time in 13 issues so far, still prefer the middle eastern look of the first one, but this one isn’t bad. Kind of a cool spread. Don’t like the look of John’s face in this one, though. 10 mins. 2.5 stars Issue 14 - “The Voice in the Fire” Yet another look, again. Constantine looks a little better, here, though. Kinda neat. Feels like the Thaumaton Project machines shit they just capitalized on, and it wasn’t there long enough for it to make that effect, even though it’s a cool idea. It feels like another writer jumping in, But it not, which crazy, because it’s the same writer. It’s like he just didn’t want to do the work. The art is significantly better in this one, but it’s not amazing. Appreciate the attempt at showing John’s backstory here in a modern comic, but it could be better. It’s alright, though. Was that supposed to be the girl he was with the whole time? That wasn’t super clear, I didn’t even think she had the same name? Felt kind of cheap. Kinda liking the knife / Mr. E, almost like a sidekick mystical weapon, could have had a cooler setup, but I like it here, now. Was able to picture most of the stuff, here, and I appreciated that. Not perfect, but okay. Pretty good covers here, too. 13 mins. with notes taken 3.25 stars, maybe Issue 15 - “Fortune’s Friend” Ah yes, ugly John again. Last issue he had to hold the knife with a rag, putting distance between him, now he can hold it freely? Like the description of feeling the furnace heat of the Qilin, made me feel it Ditto for the “gentle chimes sound and crimson silk banners ripple in the balmy, peony-scented air”. Engages the senses. Even though you can see it, it -adds- to it, makes you *feel* it. Cool spread. Like the warring concepts of how magic should be spent. Cool story, starting to get interesting. I want to -know-. Tannerak finally being cool. Retro, even. 80’s sensibilities, but in a cool way. Mortal Kombat and stuff. Still don’t really explain how places on earth have power, or why. I suppose it could just be sort of implied, but that seems weird, there’s a lot of new concepts here, (in Constantine as a whole), and even something as complicated as magic has a mostly simple explanation that it takes sacrifice, so I’d like to know how -places- get magically powerful. Lots of sacrifice, I suppose.. But luck and fortune, though? As measurable concepts, even having an economy of sorts. I’d like to know more. Okay ending. 14 mins. 3.5 stars Issue 16 - “The Gestalt” Ah, back to the other artist from the Firestarter one. Definitely, definitely though it was a girl at first, until the last two frames of that first page. Art kinda caca so far. Below average. What’s with this Zatanna spell on John, is this new? It seems new, but also maybe not, could explain this whole new series so far, but it wouldn’t, because he was a super asshole right until right now, and even then I’m not so sure.. and wound that fuck with his character? I’m not even sure.. maybe it’s time. Character development. I still like Hellblazer John more, though. Whaaaat the fuuuck are these guys? Feel super out of place and cheesy so far. Like the description of the effect it had on him to do the spell, the little cost. Some indigestion? Who knows. But a neat idea, and I’d like more in line with it. I like how he’s fighting with his old self and his new self / us. Kind of creative, but.. I want him to go for it. Just, maybe not with these guys. Because they suck. I have to ask.. why someone didn’t ‘curse’ John with this sooner? But maybe he only had his guard down around Zatanna, or she was the only one who cared enough to do it to him, and had the ability to, which is kinda sweet. They’re kinda great for each other. I like how he’s wood friendly, from the druid blood. Adds a little flavor to him. Kind of a neat trick, with the door. A xylomancer, all I’m thinking is that he can magically manipulate or turn other things into xylophones. John almost made me smile there, when he duped the brothers. Again, liking tbe descriptions. “Sweating like a pig, now. I need to /steady- myself.” Cool twist. Thought we were looking for one thing while looking for another, but we got the one we weren’t supposed to find. Oh wait, so he’s a good guy? I like that less. Cool, psychedelic tea. Or not, not where we’re going, okay. Wait, he’s trying to get rid of the spell so he can be a shittier person? I understand -why- he would want to do that, because he’s self-serving and he might get killed this way, but, it feels like it was too soon. Or, people should have the choice, including him.. Which is.. what they kinda just said. But less good. Wait, why did Tannarak and Sargon’s stances flip? He was trying to convince her more before, was he not? Why does he have an attachment to John? I don’t know why it even benefited him in the first place, unless he was planning on building him up and sucking him dry for his power all along… Ah.. sure. Less good. But sure. John’s head just exploded? That’s it? I know that’s not the end, so it’s like.. why even bother? That’s so anticlimactic, weirdly, even though it shouldn’t be. They kinda just really set that up in 2 pages, if that, minus the other little stuff in the other parts, but not really a strong enough connection, and not enough of a visual payout. 24 mins. 2.5 stars Issue 17 - “Bits and Pieces” Cool cover Also glad that they stopped repeating the (at the time bad) cover immediately after it in black and white (didn’t look better) after the color one. Okay, so. Not dead. As we suspected. Teleported and made to look like a death, a teleportation. Okay. WW1, now? Alright. Sure. Cool plan, wish it fucking happened over the course of the actual thing in real time, but I like it. Schemer, planner. Strategist. I like it. Ruthless, too. Wagering friends. Good, reason for him to get back (Julia not being able to take on Sargon without him. Clear goal established). Ah, mentor. Kinda losing me a little bit. And if they’re dead, and they’re fucking with time travel, I feel like he’s just about to undo it, so why even bother with this at all. But, this is Constantine, at least in name, so, maybe they are dead. But, I doubt it. And I feel like it should be a little more impactful if they were to die. Why waste a shock? But, they have already, several times in this new series so.. who knows. This is not how you subvert expectations, but I don’t think it’s particularly smart enough for that, here, so, we’re in the same boat we were, earlier. That it’s not ‘real’, essentially. Whatever. “A vibration in the Underverse.” You’ve got to be kidding me. Ah, yes. Demon robots. Of course. Ta-da. Kinda lame, honestly. That also seemed super short. Like, page-wise. 15 mins. 2 stars Issue 18? - “Weighing the Heart” Different art, again. Future jump. 5 years from -now-, which is not now, but 2019? Who’s he talking to, himself? The golden mask? Magic mystical helmet? Seems random Mary works at the library what, at night? And that’s when she gets her coffee break? Where is this library? Never in my life. Alright, so, magic helmet it is. Yeah, so just.. fuck whatever it is we were doing before, right? This seems totally relevant. Oh, the werewolf guy is there, in the picture with the little dudes, and he’s missing an arm? And dead? Wondered that, but it seemed to just “kill” Constantine, otherwise Papa Midnite just murdered a dude (not that he cared), -or- the magic took a sacrifice, like a death, or maybe an arm, but then, it begs the question; What if no one was around Constantine? (Or they knew he was going to the spellbreaker, implying that the Zatanna thing gets retconned, (or at least pushed back further?) and if it is, then why is he even there in the first place? -Or- it took Mr. Werewolf’s arm, (sacrifice) but why’s he in the dead people’s lineup? And where is everybody else? Or, so these are revived people? But again, where’s the arm? And wasn’t Chris and Mohawk girl doomed to death from the start anyway? Whatever. And now, Diablo Ex Machina, John’s blaming all of his problems ever on him? But wasn’t it just established that it was Tannerak? And way to just, say all this, instead of having an issue in-between that showed all of it. Y’know, -in a visual medium-. Strangling cowboy guy was bartender guy from before. Sure. I can’t believe he fell for that like such a chump. And with that face and expression. “No, my arms!” Cheesy. Next 3 frames are kind of cool, though. Oh, it’s Fate. Fate is a dude with a mask? I like the costume, though. Newer costume, though. Not so much. I liked the combination. I kinda like the idea of a mask or costume having a life of its own that you’re fighting against, and using it for. Like using a bad genie, almost. I like Constantine’s monologue, here. Pinning. Nabu “Fate”, okay, whatever. Who’s Khalid? I guess it’s implied, but still, To the internet we go! I like the transition with the card at the end, especially that it was real. Genie back in the bottle. Sort to speak. Wait, what? One down of -what-? I can tell, or at least I think I can tell tell, that this is a new thing, but what happened to the old one? What the FUCK is going on here? 27 mins. 2.75 stars Futures End # 1 (Issue 18?) - Finished it 95 mins. Still kind of averaging an 1 hour and a 1/2 per book. Even with notes.