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= = = Setting and protagonist = = =
Hellblazer was set in a contemporary world , albeit a world of magic and supernatural conflict behind the scenes . Although issue 14 made a passing reference to superheroes , the series since developed its own pocket universe in which the supernatural or paranormal did not play a large role in the lives of most ordinary people , and in Earth @-@ threatening circumstances no superhero interventions were shown or hinted at , suggesting that superheroes no longer existed there . However , some DC Comics characters — most notably the fringe supernatural characters such as Zatanna , The Phantom Stranger , Shade , The Changing Man , Dream of the Endless , and Swamp Thing made appearances .
John Constantine , the main character of Hellblazer , was portrayed as a kind of confidence man and occult detective who did morally questionable things , arguably for the greater good . He usually triumphed through guile , deceit , and misdirection , but often made more enemies in the process than he defeated . Indeed , it was a common theme in the book that Constantine was unable to effect any lasting change or enjoy unequivocal victories . While sometimes striving for the good of mankind , Constantine was often manipulative and a dangerous person to have as a friend , as the lives and souls of those around him became perilously involved in his misadventures . He took pains to protect himself from direct attacks , but his friends and relatives were often endangered in order to strike at him . The spirits of deceased friends haunted him , individually or as an entourage of ghosts .
Constantine made appearances in other comic book titles , such as Crisis on Infinite Earths , Infinite Crisis , Green Arrow , Green Lantern , The Sandman , Lucifer , and Shade , the Changing Man . He was a recurring supporting character in both Swamp Thing and The Books of Magic throughout their numerous incarnations . Some attempts to use the character in other superhero or family @-@ friendly comics were altered due to editorial mandate , such as " Gregori <unk> Rasputin " in Firestorm and Captain Atom ( who refers to Constantine as " an impertinent <unk> in England " ) . Grant Morrison created " Willoughby Kipling " for Doom Patrol after being refused Constantine by DC , changing his appearance to that of Richard E Grant in Withnail and I , following which Phil <unk> was forced to create " Ambroise Bierce " in Stanley and His Monster , having been refused both Constantine and Willoughby Kipling .
John Constantine was reintroduced into the DC Universe in 2011 , initially in the Brightest Day crossover event title Search for the Swamp Thing , and in the ongoing The New 52 title Justice League Dark .
= = = 1988 – 1991 : Jamie Delano ( # 1 – 40 , # 84 ) = = =
Having previously worked on D.R. & <unk> for 2000 AD , a title made popular by John Constantine 's creator Alan Moore , Delano was selected to start the character 's first run in his own comic by then editor Karen Berger in 1988 . Delano 's run was characterised by his political satire , taking on late 1980s and 1990s tropes such as with city financiers being literal demons , and Constantine meeting with Freemasons from the Houses of Parliament . He also had environmentalist issues crop up , especially in " The Fear Machine " ( issues # 15 @-@ 22 ) , where John fell in with a travelling community of environmental activists . Indeed , editor Karen Berger noted on Delano 's departure the irony that his final issue was handed in the week that Margaret Thatcher was forced out of office .
There were five main storylines in the run . The first , collected as " Original Sins " , deals with John travelling to America to exorcise a demon , <unk> , and investigate a strange cult known as Damnation 's Army , crossing paths with a demon called Nergal ( from whom he gains demon blood ) , and having to be responsible for killing an old friend , Gary Lester , and betraying another , called Zed , in the process . The following four issues , " The Devil You Know " finally explain John 's failure to save a young girl , Astra , from a demon in Newcastle , an event that left him near insane and incarcerated in an asylum known as <unk> , and still haunted him to the comic 's end . He eventually discovers that the demon responsible for this was Nergal , and uses a technological scheme to trap him , and lead him back to hell . It also contains a crossover with Swamp Thing , where Constantine loses his body while the Swamp Thing uses it to procreate .
This was followed by a lengthy nine @-@ issue story arc , " The Fear Machine " , revolving around a masonic plot to collect people 's fears , in order to resurrect a <unk> god known as <unk> , and his efforts to prevent this with the help of environmentalists , including Mercury , a young psychic girl , and Marj , her mother , with whom he becomes romantically involved . The penultimate major run of Delano 's tenure was " The Family Man " , which differed from the main body of the series thus far in that Constantine 's nemesis is not supernatural ( beyond an opening metafictional encounter with a fictional fence ) , but a former policeman turned serial killer . John 's ethical quandary as to whether murder is ever acceptable , and his coping with the murder of his father , Thomas , frames this story . During this run on the title , Grant Morrison ( issues # 25 & 26 ) and Neil Gaiman ( issue # 27 ) both filled in during a three @-@ month break , Grant Morrison 's story dealing with nuclear fear , and Neil Gaiman 's being a simple romantic ghost story .
Delano 's run ended with " The Golden Child " , where John is reunited with Marj and Mercury , who help him discover that he murdered his more perfect twin in the womb , culminating in an extended story , in which we are shown what would have occurred had the other twin survived in his place . During his run , there was also a stand @-@ alone issue , the Hellblazer Annual # 1 , exploring Constantine 's ancestry , and featuring the video to John 's punk band , <unk> Membrane 's song " Venus of the <unk> " .
Jamie Delano returned to the title on several occasions . Between the Garth Ennis and Paul Jenkins runs on Hellblazer , he finally told the story of why John 's best friend Chas ' owes ' him , and he returned again for one of the five Christmas stories in issue # 250 . He also wrote the mini series The <unk> in 1995 , and Bad Blood in 2000 , both featuring John Constantine . A more substantial return was made in 2010 for a hardcover graphic novel Hellblazer : Pandemonium with artist Jock to commemorate the 25th anniversary of John Constantine 's first appearance in Swamp Thing .
= = = 1991 – 1999 : Garth Ennis ( # 41 – 83 , # 129 – 133 ) and Paul Jenkins ( # 89 – 128 ) = = =
Irish writer Garth Ennis then took over the title in 1991 , again from 2000 AD , where he had been working on Judge Dredd . He proceeded to write the longest run for any writer on the title . His take on the title was more personal than Jamie Delano 's , with John 's relationships coming to the fore . It also had a strong religious theme , with John 's dealings with the First of the Fallen , and some storylines , such as the relationship between an angel , Tali , and a succubus demon , Ellie , would go on to be used again as a major plot device in Preacher , one of his most popular works . He also references the music of The Pogues and the poetry of Brendan Behan , both of these being relevant to Ennis ' Irish heritage .
His run started with " Dangerous Habits " ( 41 @-@ 46 ) , which was the basis for the 2005 film Constantine , and dealt with John Constantine contracting lung cancer , and the desperate deal he makes with the First of the Fallen , and various other lords of Hell , to save himself . In the course of trying to save himself , he visits Ireland , where he becomes reacquainted with Kit Ryan , an old friend . The following few issues follow the early stages of his relationship with Kit , a plot to install a demon on the British throne in the plotline " Royal Blood " , and in the extended issue # 50 , his first meeting with the King of the Vampires . One minor story in this arc ( issue # 51 ) was written by guest writer John Smith .
The next major arc , " Fear and Loathing " ( issues 62 @-@ 67 ) covers a high point of John 's personal life , with his relationship with Kit going well , and a fortieth birthday party where his friends Ellie , Zatanna , and the Swamp Thing attend , and use their various abilities to create a large quantity of <unk> whiskey and marijuana . The story then takes him to his lowest point , through his dealings with the National Front , their threats towards Kit , and her leaving him to return to Ireland . Following this , John is defeated , and lives homeless on the streets , drinking to forget his life . This remains the case until the King of the Vampires hunts him out , and is poisoned by his demon blood , leaving him out in the sun at dawn , killing him . Following his recovery , the storyline " Damnation 's Flame " ( Issues # 72 – 77 ) follows a trip to the US , where Constantine is put into an alternative America by his old adversary Papa Midnite , a <unk> shaman . He is accompanied by the spirit of JFK , who has to hold his brain in place from his infamous wound . He eventually learns how to escape , shortly before running into the First of the Fallen , in the guise of Abraham Lincoln . There then follows a small break where he meets the spirit of a dead friend in Dublin , offering some closure to his recent problems . Ennis ' run ends with " Rake at the Gates of Hell " , a story which finally brings together the racism storyline , with riots in Mile End , echoing the real @-@ life Brixton and Broadwater Farm riots in London , the revenge attempt of the First of the Fallen , started in " Dangerous Habits " , and the end of John 's relationship with Kit Ryan . John 's eventual Pyrrhic victory leaves this run with closure , and a relatively clean slate for a new writer to take over .
Following a brief interlude by From Hell artist Eddie Campbell , the series ' direction was taken over by Paul Jenkins in 1995 . He had been former editor of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Mirage Studios lines . He had pitched to several comic houses , having tired of editing , and eventually managed to gain stewardship of Hellblazer , the first largely untested writer to achieve this . His four @-@ year run is the longest run to remain uncollected . Jenkins ' run is more traditionally English in its themes , with Albion , Arthurian legend , and old English battles all featuring , and even an appearance by Samuel Taylor Coleridge , and a speculative explanation of the writing of Kubla Khan , and what the interruption of the ' man from Porlock ' may have been . He also returns to Jamie Delano 's coverage of anarchist lifestyles , and the effects of the Criminal Justice Act of 1994 , a controversial law which restricted the ability of the public to throw raves and large demonstrations .
Major storylines in this run include " Critical Mass " , where Constantine is forced to use magic to purge his darker side into another human body , in order to avoid being damned to Hell as part of a trade to save the possessed son of a friend , thus creating the antagonistic character , Demon Constantine , with the assistance of Aleister Crowley . The landmark hundredth issue gave more detail on John Constantine 's father , and the abusive relationship that they had shared . However , it is unclear as to whether this is happening in reality , or in his mind as John <unk> in a coma . " Last Man Standing " reveals that his friend Rich is the current descendant of King Arthur , and Merlin 's attempt to discover God 's secret , an act which would destroy England , using John 's few remaining friends as bait .
The tenth anniversary issue breaks from the usual format , in breaking the fourth wall , and addressing the reader as if they are in a pub with Constantine for a monthly get together to hear his stories . Over the course of the issue , most of the characters from Constantine 's history appear , along with Death of the Endless from Sandman . There are also appearances by writers and artists , including series creator Alan Moore , Garth Ennis , and Jenkins himself . Jenkins ' run then draws to a close with two storylines , " Up the Down Staircase " and " How to Play With Fire " , which relate the First of the Fallen 's new plan , to essentially let mankind ruin itself through television and consumerism , and Ellie 's plot to leave Constantine friendless and alone . John eventually saves himself , through a literal deus ex machina , in a campfire conversation with God . However , at that time Rich and his family finally sever their friendship with John , and the latter ends the run alone . Paul Jenkins later returned for one of the five stories in issue # 250 .
Ennis briefly returned to the title in 1998 with " Son of Man " , filling the gaps between Paul Jenkins ' and Warren Ellis ' runs on the title . This more irreverent story is about the consequences of Constantine resurrecting the dead son of an East London gangster , using the spirit of a demon . He also had two specials published during his run on the title , the Hellblazer Special and Heartland , which follows Kit Ryan 's return to Ireland .
= = = 1999 – 2002 = = =
= = = = Warren Ellis ( # 134 – 143 ) = = = =
Warren Ellis took over the title in 1999 , after his work on Transmetropolitan which had moved to the Vertigo imprint , following the closure of Helix Comics . He was meant to become a full @-@ time writer for several years , as Delano , Ennis and Jenkins before him , but left the title early after DC refused to publish the story " Shoot " , about high school shootings , following the Columbine High School massacre , despite the fact it had been written and submitted prior to the event . The story was finally published in 2010 .
His brief run began with " Haunted " , a London @-@ based story in which John investigates the brutal murder of a former girlfriend , Isabel by an Aleister Crowley style magician , Josh Wright . The story introduces , or reintroduces many characters who became an important part of the Hellblazer universe , including Inspector Watford ( originally from Jamie Delano 's run on the title ) , aging magician Clarice , and Map , a powerful magician who works on tube renovations in his part as custodian of London . The remainder of Ellis ' brief tenure was taken up with single issue stories , collected as " Setting Sun " .
= = = = Brian Azzarello ( # 146 – 174 ) = = = =
Following a brief interlude by Croatian writer Darko Macan , the series was then taken over by Brian Azzarello , once again hired on the strength of his own series for Vertigo , 100 Bullets . Azzarello 's run is one large meta @-@ story , that follows John Constantine on a trip across America , starting with his incarceration in prison , then variously uncovering a pornography ring , catching a serial killer , taking on a Neo Nazi group before finally dealing with the architect of his incarceration , Stanley W. Manor , a thinly @-@ veiled pastiche of Batman . Brian Azzarello did return for one of the five stories in issue # 250 .
= = = 2002 – 2006 : Mike Carey ( # 175 – 215 , # 229 ) = = =
Following Azzarello 's run , writer Mike Carey took over the title , following his Eisner award @-@ winning title Lucifer , set in the Sandman universe . Carey 's run attempted to return John Constantine to his roots , with the title largely set back in London , and featuring many characters from former runs on the title . Mike Carey also has the honour of being the first Liverpudlian to write the Liverpudlian character . His was the second longest run by any single author on the title , second only to Garth Ennis .
The start of his run introduces Angie <unk> , a fellow magician , and reintroduces his niece , Gemma Constantine , who has also fallen into magic use , to her uncle 's consternation . After ridding his sister 's house of an evil spirit , and finding out Gemma has gone missing , John returns to London , to find his old colleagues and enemies are all taking sides in the hunt for a mythical item , known as the Red Sepulchre . John eventually locates the item , and finds Gemma , freeing her from his old enemy Josh Wright . Following several <unk> , Constantine then travels the world to set up a plan for a forthcoming tragedy , which will occur when " Three doors are opened " , involving Swamp Thing and the Garden of Eden amongst others .
John 's preparations have no effect , however , as he is tricked into killing the guardian that had been preventing the tragedy , freeing a beast which can control the collective unconsciousness of mankind . John Constantine cuts his own wrists , in order to free himself from consciousness , and plays a confidence trick on the beast , allowing his friends time to use the collective consciousness to rebuild the guardian that had kept the beast trapped . However , in this process , Swamp Thing has his human soul removed , setting up the fourth run of the comic , relaunched shortly afterward . In the process John loses his memory , setting up the events leading up to the 200th issue . Leading up to the landmark issue , John has little control over events , and is led along by a psychic serial killer , who threatens to kill Chas and his family , and a demon , Rosacarnis , who offers his memories back , at the cost of 24 hours in her service . John eventually gives into this offer , and the 200th issue shows how Rosacarnis manipulates his reality , making him raise three children with her , in the guise of Kit Ryan , from Garth Ennis ' time on the title , Zed , from Jamie Delano 's , and Angie , from the current run , with three different artists , Steve Dillon , Marcelo <unk> and Leonardo Manco each drawing one story , as the past , present and future of the title .
Carey 's final run followed the attempts of John 's three new children attempting to kill all of his family and friends , culminating in the death of his sister , Cheryl , at the hands of her possessed husband . John then travels into Hell to try to rescue her soul , with the assistance of Rosacarnis ' father , Nergal . The plan ultimately fails , and John returns broken , and intending to renounce magic .
Mike Carey returned to the title for a single issue between Denise Mina and Andy Diggle 's runs on the title , and also wrote the well @-@ received Hellblazer graphic novel All His Engines about a strange illness sweeping the globe .
= = = 2006 – 2013 = = =
= = = = Denise Mina ( # 216 – 228 ) = = = =
Denise Mina had not written for comics when she took over the title in 2006 , but had three acclaimed crime novels to her name , the <unk> trilogy , the first of which won the CWA award for best debut crime novel . Her run on the title took John to Scotland , to attempt to stop a plot to make everybody empathise with each other . However , John fails to stop this , and , overwhelmed by the grief and horror they 're forced to <unk> share , suicides abound through the people of Glasgow . With help from Gemma Constantine , Angie <unk> and Chas Chandler , a plan to reverse the problem is made , as tension builds among the soldiers now surrounding the city . The soldiers keenly listen to a World Cup match between England and Portugal on the radio . When England loses the match , it seems all is lost , but the expected psychic riot fails to materialize . The soldiers are Scottish , so England 's loss is celebrated , saving the day , and proving there 's no source of joy like <unk> .
= = = = Andy Diggle ( # 230 – 249 ) = = = =
Andy Diggle , having previously written the Hellblazer special , Lady Constantine , and Vertigo titles The Losers and Swamp Thing , took over the title in 2007 , another former writer for 2000 AD to have done this . He left the title in 2009 after accepting an exclusive contract with Marvel .
The run starts by introducing two main antagonists , an aging politician , who is using a strange portal to enter other people 's minds and commit crimes , and Mako , a cannibalistic mage who devours other magicians in order to obtain their power . Constantine 's attempt to play them off one another only succeeds in making them join forces in a further plot . Constantine then traps them both with considerable ease , and questions how this has been so easy . It then becomes apparent that he has been manipulated by the ' Golden Child ' , his twin who did not survive childbirth , and has been manipulating events for the whole of the series , including his battle with cancer and many other events . He declines his twin 's offer to merge souls , suspicious that his twin has been weakening his will in past years to make him accept this offer , choosing instead to take control of his own destiny .
= = = = Peter Milligan ( # 250 – 300 ) = = = =
Peter Milligan , a veteran of the Vertigo line , having written both Shade , The Changing Man and Animal Man at the publisher 's inception , then took over , starting with a short story in the landmark 250th issue , and taking over full @-@ time following this . His run implemented several major changes , including John Constantine 's wedding and the loss of his thumb .
In a rare change , Milligan 's run on the title starts with John living in domestic bliss with a nurse , Phoebe . Over the course of the first storyline , several new characters are introduced , including Epiphany Greaves , the alchemist daughter of a notorious London gangster , and Julian , a Babylonian demon . Over the course of the run , John dealt with a demon taking revenge on people involved in the Liverpool dockers ' strike gone insane and sought help from Shade , The Changing Man , after chopping off his own thumb , seen Phoebe die at the hands of Julian , and traveled to India to try to find a way of saving her . Following this , he realised that he was in love with Epiphany , and married her in the 275th issue . However , the events of this wedding turned Constantine 's niece Gemma against him , due to the Demon Constantine sexually assaulting her in the restroom . The strain of this traumatic incident turned her against John , and she enlisted the help of a coven of witches to kill him , which later came to a head when John was forced to fight off a brutal Demon summoned by them using John 's iconic trenchcoat to target him .
Afterwards , John 's coat ( which Gemma sold on eBay ) began to manipulate its various new owners into murder , suicide , or other horrific acts until coming into the hands of a man from the U.S. , who tried to kill John and Epiphany . During the time the coat was missing , John 's magical abilities had begun to go out of control . John eventually resolves this , and he was re @-@ united with his coat . Since this , Gemma and John have a very shaky relationship with one another , and she began a sexual relationship with Epiphany 's crime @-@ boss father Terry in order to " punish " John . When he confronted her about this relationship though , she told him that she would not stop unless he was able to retrieve her mother 's soul from Hell . John agreed . In order to get his sister to leave Hell , John agreed to track down her son , his adopted nephew , in Ireland .
On October 8 , 2012 , the series was announced as ending with issue 300 , following which a new title , Constantine started at the main imprint of DC comics . By 2013 , Constantine was contacted by the Three Fates , who tell him that he will finally meet his end in five days . Having lived a good and adventurous life , he happily accepts his fate rather than trying to fight it like he always does . When the last day came , Constantine was ambushed and shot in his own home right in front of a horrified Epiphany . After he died , Epiphany and Finn had an affair as a way to comfort each other . John 's ghost saw them having sex in a graveyard and seemed to give his blessing , making the fates decide that John wasn 't going to try to come back to life . Then , of course , he did . He contacted Epiphany and asked her to help resurrect him by making him cigarettes from his ashes , which , after he smoked them , made him corporeal again . Thinking to disappear and live happily ever after with Epiphany , they moved to a tiny house in Ireland , courtesy of Finn , that was totally off the grid and far removed from any apparent trouble , the last place anyone would think to look for John . That didn 't last long , though , as John realized he can never run from his past .
So John left Epiphany in Ireland and returned to England to confront Gemma . He stole the last dart holding the concoction that killed his demon twin , but ultimately gave it back to Gemma and told her either she could kill him , and live her life without him in but consumed with guilt for killing him , or she could let him disappear from her life forever , without any guilt for murdering him . Gemma shot the dart at him , but John disappeared . The final panel of Hellblazer reveals John , looking shocked and much older than we 'd previously seen him , standing in a bar appropriately called " A Long Journey 's End " surrounded by people , in front of a shelf full of bottles with the names of the comic 's staff over the years .
= = Justice League Dark , Constantine and cancellation = =
In 2011 , it was announced that a younger John Constantine would feature in Justice League Dark , one of the new titles launched as part of September 2011 's DC Universe reboot . He was to be part of a team including Shade , The Changing Man , Deadman and Madame Xanadu , known as Justice League Dark . As part of the DC universe reboot in September 2011 , Peter Milligan started the title which featured an alternate version of John Constantine as a prominent part of the team . Milligan wrote eight issues of Justice League Dark , with writer Jeff Lemire taking over on issue nine .
On November 8 , 2012 , DC announced that Hellblazer would be cancelled following its 300th issue , and would be replaced by Constantine written by Robert Venditti and drawn by Renato Guedes starring the younger New 52 John Constantine , rather than the version from Hellblazer , depicted as being in his late 50s . The Constantine series finally ended its run on its 23rd issue in May 1 , 2015 . Nonetheless , the character would again star in another solo series entitled Constantine : The Hellblazer , written by Ming Doyle and art by Riley Rossmo , and released in June 10 , 2015 . Writer Ming Doyle expressed excitement in her chance to write Constantine , stating that the reason of putting the term Hellblazer back to the character 's title was to " take Constantine back to what he was at the start . "
= = Themes and style = =
Hellblazer was first published during the early days of the Modern Age of Comics , and so its themes were dark , edgy , politically and morally complex as its contemporaries . Hellblazer mixes supernatural and real life horror , akin to contemporary gothic , with noire , surrealism and occult detective fiction elements . Unlike other comic books , Hellblazer is unique as it follows real time in its span of 20 years , with its protagonist John Constantine aging in every publication . Because of this , writers of the series often places their era 's culture and social commentary in their run . When Jamie Delano first wrote the series in the late 1980s and early 1990s , his issues were heavily inspired by the era such as punk rock and the British economy . Delano would be the first to put his political views in the series , an element never before seen in mainstream comics , such as his negative views of Thatcher 's regime and by 2005 includes the War on Terror . This made John Constantine different from other comic book characters at that time , in that he fights the political and social injustice of Great Britain .
When Garth Ennis took over writing , he included his trademark representation of racism and religious fanaticism , as well his depictions of the Falklands War . The most controversial writer , Brian Azzarello , tackled issues such as Neo @-@ Nazism , prison rape and homosexuality . During Warren Ellis ' run , he included American school shootings in a one @-@ shot issue which led to a major controversy . In his run , Peter Milligan managed to put punk ideology in the series , with the protagonist trying to reacquire his former punk self , while also characterizing the Conservative government as a demon infestation with the punk subculture fighting against this supposed subversion and abuse . As such , much of Hellblazer 's horror often comes in the crisis and controversies of its time . Being set in the UK , many famous British personalities have appeared or made cameos such as Sid Vicious , Margaret Thatcher , Aleister Crowley and Alan Moore .
As stated by Warren Ellis , Hellblazer 's major themes were cynicism , nihilism and " sudden violence " , with the protagonist oftentimes narrating the story in dark <unk> with occasional breaking of the fourth wall . In many story arcs every victory Constantine makes has a negative side effect and often leads to tragedy . His friends , family , and others would be sacrificed or be caught in the crossfire , many of them dead or have left him . John tries his best to make something good in his life , but most of it leading to failure .
= = Reception = =
Over the two decades that it had been published , Hellblazer had normally been quite well received . While not attaining the sales of ' mainstream ' comics , it had sustained healthy figures , consistently being one of the top selling Vertigo titles , and was sustained by healthy sales of trade paperbacks . Hillary Goldstein of IGN described it as , " Sometimes surreal , often provocative and almost always entertaining , the adventures of the Hellblazer are among the best Vertigo has to offer . " Well @-@ known comic book writer Warren Ellis also praised the series as his favorite , calling it as " among the very best horror works of the 1990 's . " Andre Borges from DNA India listed it in the " 15 Must Read Graphic Novels " , describing it as " one of the first of its kind " , and that its " writing and art work have been praised throughout its run . " Robert Tutton of Paste Magazine listed the series at # 4 in its " 13 Terrifying Modern Horror Comics " , stating that " Constantine ’ s most frightening encounters have hewn close enough to that kernel of truth to remind readers that real life can be as terrifying as any succubus or demon spawn . "
Jamie Delano 's original run on the title is looked on fondly , with journalist Helen Braithwaite stating , " His take on the character of John Constantine has never been equalled . Delano 's Original Sins graphic novel should be in every comic book fan 's collection . " She added that , " His writing evokes an incredible sense of dread and terror in a reader . " IGN listed the title as one of the 25 Best Vertigo Books , calling John Constantine as " one of Vertigo 's best characters . "
Garth Ennis ' run is also much loved , particularly Dangerous Habits , which was voted the best Garth Ennis story on Comic Book Resources , ahead of his work on Preacher , The Boys and The Punisher . In the same article Brian Cronin describes John 's one time love , Kit Ryan , as one of the series ' most memorable characters . The popularity of Ennis and Dillon 's run on Hellblazer is also credited for Vertigo agreeing to publish their seminal series Preacher . Empire Magazine called Dangerous Habits storyline as " rightly one of the most celebrated in comic book history . " Glenn Fabry who was the cover artist during Ennis ' run , won an Eisner Ward for " Best Cover Artist " in 1995 .
The creator of the protagonist , Alan Moore , praised Jamie Delano 's portrayal of the character , commenting " [ Delano ] demonstrates brilliantly that English horror didn 't vanish with the fog and gas lit cobblestones at the end of the Victorian era . " Moore also liked Brian Azzarello 's run on the series , commenting that Azzarello and Corben captured the character " down , cold and to the life . "
The character received positive critical reception while starring in the series . Empire Magazine ranked Constantine third in their 50 Greatest Comic Characters of All Time , while IGN ranked him # 29 in their Top 100 Comic Book Heroes , and the character ranked # 10 in Wizard Magazine 's Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time .
= = = Legacy = = =
The comic book 's initial cancellation , and the introduction of the character to DC led to many negative feedback and reception . I , Vampire writer Joshua Hale Fialkov expressed sadness he would never get to write " the ' real ' John Constantine " , noted crime author and former Hellblazer writer Ian Rankin stated that Constantine was the only comic book character he ever wanted to write for , and Alan Moore 's daughter , Leah Moore expressing doubt that Constantine could replace Hellblazer , among others . As a result , DC co @-@ publisher Dan <unk> issued a statement defending this decision , stating that , " Hellblazer 's had a long and incredibly successful run and that 's a tip of the hat to all the great creators that have worked on the book over the years . The new Constantine series will return him back to his roots in the DCU and hopefully be the start of another incredible run . " Comic Alliance described Hellblazer 's cancellation as marking " the end of an era for Vertigo " while adding it to be " one of a handful of comics from the late eighties that helped comic books and their readers grow up . "
Hellblazer boosted the popularity and image of the occult detective fiction genre and shaped it to its modern form . Many modern examples of the genre such as Hellboy , Supernatural , Grimm , The Originals , and The Dresden Files have been influenced by it , and many imitators of both the series and its character flourished such as Criminal Macabre , Gravel , Planetary , and others . Its elements and style have been used countless of times in other works and many analogues of the cynical John Constantine have appeared .
= = Publications = =
= = Collected editions = =
= = = Trade paperbacks = = =