kenworld
Hellblazer: Original Sins


Hellblazer: Original Sins
By: Jamie Delano
Published: 2011
Reviewed: 4/5/2015



     "Original Sins" is the first of a collection of trade paperbacks for the comic series "Hellblazer". I became aware of it through a couple of levels of indirection. The TV show "Constantine" was based on a comic series by the same name which is a reboot of sorts of an earlier series "Hellblazer". All feature the anti-hero John Constantine. He fights evil and demons on earth using cunning and magic, but isn't exactly good himself, or down with the almighty. I describe him as "the kind of guy who might use you as a human shield if he didn't owe you a favor at the time". But still he is fighting evil, and seems to work to a kind of code, and the story lines are compelling. The material is definitely dark, and not for children. It is not overtly sexual or super-violent, but you really need to be an adult to understand all of the material. I enjoyed the book and will continue with the series. I think I am going to stick to trade paperbacks like this one, collecting 10-15 original issues. You might miss a few pages for consistency, but a full collection of all 300 Hellblazer issues takes up a lot of space, and runs about $800 on Ebay.