This review contains no spoilers.
Writer: Simon Oliver
Artists: Moritat and Andre Szymanowicz
Summary
John Constantine has to outwit a demon in order to save London from a plague.
Positives
My biggest positive with this book is that it is a self contained story. It isn’t part one of a giant event. It’s simply a story to establish who John is and how he operates. It feels like a deliberate attempt to create a jumping on point for new readers who were fans of the show and want to see more of the show.
I like that John uses his intelligence to stop the demon. His plan is to outsmart him to save the day. That is a very Constantine thing to do. He also is the direct cause of the situation in the first place which is also very Constantine.
The art is really cool. I like the design of the demon quite a bit. Besides that, everything has an eerie and otherworldly quality to it that I think works well. It’s a cool looking book.
Negatives
While I think it is well drawn, the cover doesn’t do much for me. It’s kind of a boring image. Nothing about it stands out or is memorable.
While I think this does serve as good for new readers, some of it is a little tedious to someone who has read Constantine. Certain beats and ideas just feel somewhat flat because I’ve seen them a lot.
There are major DC cameos in this that are ultimately pointless. Maybe they were being set up for something in the future but I found their presence superfluous.
Verdict
Overall, I think this is great for new readers. If you’ve never read a Constantine comic but loved the show, this is a solid place to start. However, if you’re more familiar with the character, this feels like a lot of other stuff. It’s well written and the art is cool but I would recommend waiting for the trade on this one.
