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HELLBLAZER #196
Story: Mike Carey
Art: Chris Brunner
It's
really a shame this was the conclusion to a two-parter.
There are not one but two points where even the most jaded
reader of this book has got to feel that clenched-throat
"what is he going to do NOW?" sensation.
The
first one concerns a bargain Constantine is offered by the
demoness Rosacarnis; the second a no-win dilemma imposed
by Peter Gill, the psychic serial killer. It's the second
one that's the gut-twister, involving Chas and his family
in about as dire straits as straits get.
Oh,
why be coy? They're in a hotel room with Gill, duct-taped
at the ankles, wrists, and mouth. It's not pretty, but Constantine's
solution is not at all out of (his pre-amnesiac) character.
What's
interesting is his response to Rosacarnis's proposal, an
explicit rejection of his old self. It's hard to tell whether
this is to be an ongoing conflict, or just a device to make
Constantine's eventual recovery of memory seem less inevitable
and desirable. Certainly the fact that the issue ends with
more blood on Constantine's hands suggests he is not on
track to a new life as a priest working in a soup kitchen.
Really,
this is the best issue of Mike Carey's run so far, and that's
saying a lot with his recent winning streak. You, too, might
find yourself rereading a few pages just to make sure you
saw what you thought you saw.
Unfortunately,
at some points you might be doing this because of Chris
Brunner's art. He's given Constantine a lantern jaw and
a mouth that nearly connects his ears, more like an English
boxer than the magician we recognize. During a crucial scene
you have to look closely to figure out who's who.
Rating:
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