Constantine vs. Hellblazer
Mar. 17th, 2005 02:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hmpfWell. So I went and watched 'ConstantEEN', and it was rather a waste of time. Tilda Swinton as Gabriel was utterly perfect, and the devil chewed the scenery but did so in an entertaining way, and the special effects were nice (*nice* angel's wings!), and Keanu Reeves wasn't even that bad... but nothing could save this movie from being... just blah.
And it's such a frelling, bleeding shame. I've read most of the comic series now, and I can honestly say that it could easily be turned into a whole series of seriously great movies. There's characters in there that live and breathe, and stories both intimate and epic, take your pick. So what went wrong? Where did Vertigo drop the ball? Or who did drop the ball, if perhaps it wasn't Vertigo? Why did this movie get written by comittee; why didn't this movie get a really good director; how could they hire Keanu Reeves to play John Constantine, and why couldn't they even pronounce his name right? I mean, the last item on the list really says it all, doesn't it? If nobody involved could be bothered even to take the source material seriously enough to check how the (anti)hero's name is pronounced, it bodes ill for a production, methinks.
So let's leave the depressing movie behind for a moment and talk about the comic instead.
The comic, Hellblazer, is the bee's knees, of course, and everybody should be reading it. Yes, that's my informed opinion.
It's not a landmark like Sandman. It's not as mind-bogglingly original as Finder. It makes up for lack of extreme, consistent intellectual brilliance and originality by having a thoroughly fascinating protagonist, though. Fascinating enough to keep me reading for around 140 issues now.
So who is John Constantine? Ah, where do I begin? Ah, yes: he's an asshole. Or make that a bastard; that seems to be the word he prefers. He really is an unsavoury character, make no mistake about it. He has a disturbing tendency to sell people out, sometimes for some higher purpose, sometimes to save his life, and sometimes, it seems, just for thrills. He's an adrenaline junkie; the fact that he doesn't always seem to be all that aware of his own motivations doesn't really make it any better.
He's also a magician. Mind you, not the Harry Potter kind. His magic is the kind that usually involves pentagrams on the floor, candles, and blood. The comics aren't very clear about what he actually can do, except for summoning, binding and exorcising demons, and occasionally reading minds. Sometimes, very rarely, they have him performing amazing feats, like creating a copy of himself from mud and demon blood and a stolen soul, but more often than not you get the impression that Constantine's magic is at least fifty percent scam. It's no accident that some of his remaining friends have nicknamed him 'Conjob'.
What lies at the heart of John Constantine's character is, perhaps, a rebelliousness born from his poor working class origins. John grew up in fairly dire circumstances – his mother dead, his father blaming him for it, and drowning his sorrows in alcohol, unable to find a job or keep it. Witnessing his father's failures in life he early on decides never to become like him. In the 60s, as a teenager, he becomes a bit of a hippie, rebelling against his father. In the 70s, he becomes a punk, taking his rebellion a notch higher – he's angry at society as a whole now. And finally – although that really started in the 60s, too – he rebels against the higher Powers That Be by becoming a magician. In the decades that follow, he threatens and makes deals with both God and the devil, ultimately respecting neither's authority.
Somewhere deep inside, John Constantine wants to be a hero, the champion of the oppressed or some such thing. He never quite manages, though. His addictions and his instinct for self-preservation get in the way. Or perhaps that's his instinct for self-destruction, it's kind of hard to tell. Ultimately, almost anything and anybody is fair game to him when he's looking for a fix. Adrenaline, power, magic – those are the things he can't seem to do without. He's prone to addictions in general, smoking a prodigious amount of cigarettes per day, and being a borderline (and sometimes more than borderline) alcoholic.
Socially, he's something of a loner, though perhaps more by attrition than by choice. Actually, the impression I get is that he really enjoys having groups of friends around; it's just that with his tendency of getting them killed, and his tendency of being an utter bastard, that state never really lasts. Either they die, or he drives them away, more or less inadvertently. There's something tragic about it – and something frelling annoying that makes you want to smack him, hard.
The same situation applies to his girlfriends, of course. They die, or they leave him. Which is a clever move, really, if they want to stay alive.
Speaking of girlfriends... we kind of know that there must have been boyfriends, as well – John said so in issue #51 - but either that was just a phase of experimentation in his youth, or Vertigo is just too chickenshit to show us. Possibly, though, John Constantine's sporadic and largely invisible bisexuality is just another example of a slightly annoying feature of the Hellblazer series: since the series has been running for 17 years now and during that time has changed authors many times, there are certain inconsistencies in John's characterisation and the general tone of the series. While most of those are ultimately easily reconciled, there are a few departures from the beaten path that are a bit more disconcerting. Most of the Azzarello run being one of them. The tendency of some authors, and Delano most of all, to infuse John with far too many of their own beliefs (some of which really don't sit too comfortably with the rest of his characterisation) being another. Still, John Constantine being the mysterious bastard that he is, it's not that difficult to accept him behaving a bit 'out of character' occasionally. It hasn't hampered my enjoyment of the series much so far, anyway.
Now for the really annoying stuff. As I already mentioned, Hellblazer is an awfully long series by now – it's at issue 205 now, with 206 out next week or so. And less than half of those are collected in trade paperbacks. Most of the missing ones will never be collected, apparently. (That's mostly the Paul Jenkins run, and large parts of the Delano run – a shame about both, there's some really great stuff there.) So, you can either live with huge holes in John's biography, or you can hunt down back issues on e-bay and elsewhere, which is pretty expensive, not to mention a lot of work, or you can try to find scans of the missing issues. Yes, I know, kind of illegal (though how illegal is it if the issues in question aren't available anymore? Anyone?) - but it may be the only way to close the holes. As for the trades... well, even if many issues aren't collected, there still are quite a few trades out already – enough for a newbie to get confused. I'd recommend you start either with Garth Ennis' 'Dangerous Habits', or the collection of standalone issues by various authors, 'Rare Cuts'. Mike Carey's recent original graphic novel 'All His Engines' may also be a good starting point, as it's supposed to be pretty low on backstory, ergo accessible to newbies. Haven't read it yet – I'm waiting for the softcover edition – but what I've heard of it sounds good. Plus, it has a great artist (although his Constantine *does* look a bit too young). But, really, 'Dangerous Habits' and 'Rare Cuts' are probably your best bet for a first taste of Hellblazer.
(I'm using my Methos icon because John Constantine's morals are sometimes rather Methosian.)
And it's such a frelling, bleeding shame. I've read most of the comic series now, and I can honestly say that it could easily be turned into a whole series of seriously great movies. There's characters in there that live and breathe, and stories both intimate and epic, take your pick. So what went wrong? Where did Vertigo drop the ball? Or who did drop the ball, if perhaps it wasn't Vertigo? Why did this movie get written by comittee; why didn't this movie get a really good director; how could they hire Keanu Reeves to play John Constantine, and why couldn't they even pronounce his name right? I mean, the last item on the list really says it all, doesn't it? If nobody involved could be bothered even to take the source material seriously enough to check how the (anti)hero's name is pronounced, it bodes ill for a production, methinks.
So let's leave the depressing movie behind for a moment and talk about the comic instead.
The comic, Hellblazer, is the bee's knees, of course, and everybody should be reading it. Yes, that's my informed opinion.
It's not a landmark like Sandman. It's not as mind-bogglingly original as Finder. It makes up for lack of extreme, consistent intellectual brilliance and originality by having a thoroughly fascinating protagonist, though. Fascinating enough to keep me reading for around 140 issues now.
So who is John Constantine? Ah, where do I begin? Ah, yes: he's an asshole. Or make that a bastard; that seems to be the word he prefers. He really is an unsavoury character, make no mistake about it. He has a disturbing tendency to sell people out, sometimes for some higher purpose, sometimes to save his life, and sometimes, it seems, just for thrills. He's an adrenaline junkie; the fact that he doesn't always seem to be all that aware of his own motivations doesn't really make it any better.
He's also a magician. Mind you, not the Harry Potter kind. His magic is the kind that usually involves pentagrams on the floor, candles, and blood. The comics aren't very clear about what he actually can do, except for summoning, binding and exorcising demons, and occasionally reading minds. Sometimes, very rarely, they have him performing amazing feats, like creating a copy of himself from mud and demon blood and a stolen soul, but more often than not you get the impression that Constantine's magic is at least fifty percent scam. It's no accident that some of his remaining friends have nicknamed him 'Conjob'.
What lies at the heart of John Constantine's character is, perhaps, a rebelliousness born from his poor working class origins. John grew up in fairly dire circumstances – his mother dead, his father blaming him for it, and drowning his sorrows in alcohol, unable to find a job or keep it. Witnessing his father's failures in life he early on decides never to become like him. In the 60s, as a teenager, he becomes a bit of a hippie, rebelling against his father. In the 70s, he becomes a punk, taking his rebellion a notch higher – he's angry at society as a whole now. And finally – although that really started in the 60s, too – he rebels against the higher Powers That Be by becoming a magician. In the decades that follow, he threatens and makes deals with both God and the devil, ultimately respecting neither's authority.
Somewhere deep inside, John Constantine wants to be a hero, the champion of the oppressed or some such thing. He never quite manages, though. His addictions and his instinct for self-preservation get in the way. Or perhaps that's his instinct for self-destruction, it's kind of hard to tell. Ultimately, almost anything and anybody is fair game to him when he's looking for a fix. Adrenaline, power, magic – those are the things he can't seem to do without. He's prone to addictions in general, smoking a prodigious amount of cigarettes per day, and being a borderline (and sometimes more than borderline) alcoholic.
Socially, he's something of a loner, though perhaps more by attrition than by choice. Actually, the impression I get is that he really enjoys having groups of friends around; it's just that with his tendency of getting them killed, and his tendency of being an utter bastard, that state never really lasts. Either they die, or he drives them away, more or less inadvertently. There's something tragic about it – and something frelling annoying that makes you want to smack him, hard.
The same situation applies to his girlfriends, of course. They die, or they leave him. Which is a clever move, really, if they want to stay alive.
Speaking of girlfriends... we kind of know that there must have been boyfriends, as well – John said so in issue #51 - but either that was just a phase of experimentation in his youth, or Vertigo is just too chickenshit to show us. Possibly, though, John Constantine's sporadic and largely invisible bisexuality is just another example of a slightly annoying feature of the Hellblazer series: since the series has been running for 17 years now and during that time has changed authors many times, there are certain inconsistencies in John's characterisation and the general tone of the series. While most of those are ultimately easily reconciled, there are a few departures from the beaten path that are a bit more disconcerting. Most of the Azzarello run being one of them. The tendency of some authors, and Delano most of all, to infuse John with far too many of their own beliefs (some of which really don't sit too comfortably with the rest of his characterisation) being another. Still, John Constantine being the mysterious bastard that he is, it's not that difficult to accept him behaving a bit 'out of character' occasionally. It hasn't hampered my enjoyment of the series much so far, anyway.
Now for the really annoying stuff. As I already mentioned, Hellblazer is an awfully long series by now – it's at issue 205 now, with 206 out next week or so. And less than half of those are collected in trade paperbacks. Most of the missing ones will never be collected, apparently. (That's mostly the Paul Jenkins run, and large parts of the Delano run – a shame about both, there's some really great stuff there.) So, you can either live with huge holes in John's biography, or you can hunt down back issues on e-bay and elsewhere, which is pretty expensive, not to mention a lot of work, or you can try to find scans of the missing issues. Yes, I know, kind of illegal (though how illegal is it if the issues in question aren't available anymore? Anyone?) - but it may be the only way to close the holes. As for the trades... well, even if many issues aren't collected, there still are quite a few trades out already – enough for a newbie to get confused. I'd recommend you start either with Garth Ennis' 'Dangerous Habits', or the collection of standalone issues by various authors, 'Rare Cuts'. Mike Carey's recent original graphic novel 'All His Engines' may also be a good starting point, as it's supposed to be pretty low on backstory, ergo accessible to newbies. Haven't read it yet – I'm waiting for the softcover edition – but what I've heard of it sounds good. Plus, it has a great artist (although his Constantine *does* look a bit too young). But, really, 'Dangerous Habits' and 'Rare Cuts' are probably your best bet for a first taste of Hellblazer.
(I'm using my Methos icon because John Constantine's morals are sometimes rather Methosian.)
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no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 05:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 08:21 am (UTC)From Scapekid
Date: 2005-03-17 10:05 am (UTC)Things that irritated me: The tendency for minor characters to die tragically just as they discovered something big. But then again, this does seem to be a trait of Mr. Constantine (so how *do* you pronounce it then?) but in the film it comes off as a device.
Chaz disappearing for most of the middle section only to miraculously appear from who knows where in a storyline that smacked of deleted scenes. And then die just as he was coming into his own. For no good reason. Which might work in a comic where dying for no good reason is a theme, but it didn't feel like a thought-out theme in the book.
Finally, Gabriel being the bad-guy (girl?). Because I've seen that done too many times. It could have been, and almost was, fabulously redeemed when Gabriel dares John to kill her and then shouts that he's doing so well. I wanted to see Gabriel at the end as still completely selfless, seeing herown downfall as a fair price because it set a single soul on the path to redemption which would also have the interesting and self-*absorbed* side effect of meaning she felt absolutely no guilt either. I suppose I can choose to view the ending as meaning that. But I can't shake the feeling that it's just *my* interpretation, not really something that was meant by the film-makers.
Things I liked: The atmosphere. The effects. The fact that John Constantine ACTUALLY GOT LUNG CANCER! (Rabid anti-smoker here.) I thought Keanu Reeves did a reasonably good job of stopping Constantine from turning into a too-cool-irritating-never-speaking-git like Blade in Blade 2. I liked the world, which, I think, is really why I thought the movie was okay. I got submersed in a world I didn't really understand but believed in, because clearly *someone* had thought about all this. And the plot wasn't too bad either. Okay, too many people dying for no reason, but many films do that. And I wasn't too pleased with the twist. Mainly because I kept thinking, this *could* have been an excellent and provocative movie. Why wasn't it? Oh well, at least it was two hours of my life I'm not demanding back.
And that is my review.
Oh, also, have things ready to post to you. But I can't promise to remember before I go to the States next week because I'm disorganised like that. :)
SPOILER
Date: 2005-03-17 10:48 am (UTC)Chas is completely different in the comic. I'll white out the rest so if you don't mind seeing, highlight the page below.
He's older, married, has a kid and grandkid and he's not John's apprentice. He's more of a mate that drives him places sometimes. The biggest thing is that he's not even there when John confronts the ruler of hell and he doesn't die. I can only assume he's off somewhere with his family or having a pint to mourn John's passing.
In his own words:
Date: 2005-03-17 11:58 am (UTC)That's how you pronounce it. *g*
Oh, and if you liked the lung cancer plot, read Dangerous Habits. That's entirely about the lung cancer.
In fact, he's not even John's sidekick.
Date: 2005-03-17 12:00 pm (UTC)Ah, damn...
Date: 2005-03-17 12:01 pm (UTC)Ah, yes.
Date: 2005-03-17 12:01 pm (UTC)What a stupid practice.
BTW, I got stuff to send you, too.
Date: 2005-03-17 12:18 pm (UTC)Re: Ah, damn...
Date: 2005-03-17 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-17 11:45 pm (UTC)Obsession...
Date: 2005-03-18 01:19 am (UTC);-)
Re: From Scapekid
Date: 2005-03-18 05:29 am (UTC)Yeah, it was a nice film and a nice evening at the cinema. Quite ok. But, we knew nothing about Hellblazer, and while watching the film I recognized some scenes that reminded me of comics.
Hey, btw -
Date: 2005-03-19 09:16 am (UTC)Yeah, I suppose I'm not entirely unbiased here.
Date: 2005-03-19 09:21 am (UTC)Lately, reality seems to be commenting on my reading: yesterday at work I had to put all kinds of magic-related books back on the shelves, including a reprint of an actual medieval magic book, and a study about the role of the magus in western society/history. Odd that someone should be researching magic here just when I'm reading Hellblazer... but kinda fitting. ;-)
Took a short look at the contents of the magic book. Reminded me a lot of HB. Loads of stuff about summoning and binding spirits and stuff like that. Seems like the magic depicted in HB is quite 'authentic', i.e. the authors seem to know a bit about European magic traditions.
BTW, sis, we really need to get our act together and find some time for a sisters evening!!!
Re: Yeah, I suppose I'm not entirely unbiased here.
Date: 2005-03-19 05:28 pm (UTC)Yeah, we do. And I'd still prefer a date around the Easter days.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-19 10:25 pm (UTC)You know, I'm gonna do my own Constantine post, but on a different(ish) tangent. Can I link to this one, too? Cause you obviously know more than me, and you also write in a more coherent manner than I do.
This post is great :) If I didn't already read Hellblazer, I'd start now.
I'm not gonna see the film. I don't wanna. Although I'm glad you didn't find it *that* sucky.
:)
no subject
Date: 2005-03-20 03:11 am (UTC)I, too, am very bummed that ALL DC comic adaptations are subject to the whims of WB executives. This is why they keep contemplating things like... I dunno, Halle Berry in a ripped-up Catwoman costume with Sharon Stone as a supervillainess. Fortunately nobody at Warner Brothers would be clueless enough to make a movie like that.
Sure, link away.
Date: 2005-03-20 10:21 am (UTC)Yeah, I guess it wasn't that bad a movie.
Date: 2005-03-20 10:24 am (UTC)From Scapekid Again!
Date: 2005-03-20 08:39 pm (UTC)Can't really think of anything I'd like on a CD actually. Wow, that's depressing... I think I'm just afraid of getting into new TV shows, BSG has too much of my attention already. And I may have to cash in some favours this summer during season two if I haven't got internet access.
Oh and yes, I did send your package.
Oh and yes, I do know about the Red Star series, Kev's got the Superman one and says it's quite good. I'll keep an eye out for it, although I'm not really going to be going into the city this time as I have to go house-hunting with my mother in New England and then down to Philly and then...well, all over. But I'll look around Barnes & Noble for you. They usually have a good selection of comics and graphic novels.
Have a nice evening. I have to spend it packing...
Re: From Scapekid Again!
Date: 2005-03-20 09:08 pm (UTC)Heh. See, the comic is kind of... well, weirdly realistic for a comic that deals with demons and crap - loads of British (and sometimes American) social commentary and urban squalor and stuff. So... I dunno, the HB movie of my dreams should feel like a Ken Loach film crossed with The Twilight Zone or something. ;-)
>Can't really think of anything I'd like on a CD actually. Wow, that's depressing... I think I'm just afraid of getting into new TV shows, BSG has too much of my attention already. And I may have to cash in some favours this summer during season two if I haven't got internet access.
Hmm, okay. Well, I could send you some German music. ;-)
>Oh and yes, I did send your package.
Cool!
>Oh and yes, I do know about the Red Star series, Kev's got the Superman one and says it's quite good.
Uhm... Superman?
http://www.archangel-studios.com/comics/redstar/frame.htm
>I'll keep an eye out for it, although I'm not really going to be going into the city this time as I have to go house-hunting with my mother in New England and then down to Philly and then...well, all over.
Whoah. House hunting??? And all over the U.S.???? What's happening?!?
>But I'll look around Barnes & Noble for you. They usually have a good selection of comics and graphic novels.
I think it one some awards, too, and is fairly popular for an independent book.
Beware, though: there are various versions of trades for it. There's three hardcover volumes (don't buy those), and three oversized separate softcover ones (don't buy those, either), and one regular size trade of the *whole* series so far that costs around 25$. The latter is the one I'm looking for.
>Have a nice evening. I have to spend it packing...
Oh, I wish PackingWoman could come to help you... ;-) Well, fly safe, and say hi to your parents from me! I'm having all kinds of England yearnings right now, mainly due to the overwhelming Englishness of most of the Hellblazer series. ;-)
Typo correction.
Date: 2005-03-20 09:10 pm (UTC)'one' should have been 'won', obviously.
Should I ever bother *getting* an LJ account?
Date: 2005-03-20 10:30 pm (UTC)Sorry for the misunderstanding. I thought you meant this:
http://theages.superman.ws/History/redson/
I was a little surprised you'd be into it, but since it's such an alternative look at superheroes, I figured maybe. Will keep an eye out for the *correct* series now. ;)
And don't worry, I'm not moving to the states. Just my parents. Maybe. In a bunch of years. She inherited some money when my grandmother died and is looking into putting a downpayment on a house over there and renting it until she ups sticks. So nothing scary. Well, I find the idea of having two houses kinda scary, but I guess they aren't really *mine*. Anyway, sorry to scare ya.
The only moving I'm going to be doing any time soon is down to Plymouth this summer / autumn.
And I wish PackingWoman could help me too. But I'm nearly through now. Look forward to seeing you this summer if you can still make it *fingers crossed*.
From,
The Prussian. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Perhaps this should be my new nick if I ever change from Scapekid?
Re: Yeah, I guess it wasn't that bad a movie.
Date: 2005-03-20 11:10 pm (UTC)Other directors in mind who also might've done greater justice to HB(sorry for the convoluted English): Sam R., Guillermo del Toro, the guy who did Trainspotting/28 Days Later. I had a couple of others, but now I'm blanking. Fie!
But I'll stop quibbling for now, since I wasn't dissatisfied. Yes, I admit I'll be getting the DVD. Oh, I was wondering about that "Gadget" fellow who lived in the bowling alley. Made up for the movie or somebody in the books?
By the way, the pendulum used to be on DC's side. When Superman and Batman ruled the day, Marvel could barely get crappy TV movies made, like Captain America, Spider-Man with Nicholas Hammond, Dr. Strange, the first Punisher movie with Dolph Lundgren, and let's not forget Roger Corman's version of the Fantastic Four. Now the pendulum favors Marvel, keeping in mind duds like the second Punisher and Hulk (both of which I gave weak "thumbs up" to, mind you). Think of them as balancing demons, heh.
Re: Yeah, I guess it wasn't that bad a movie.
Date: 2005-03-21 12:44 am (UTC)Yeah, I know DC had their share of good movies. But the last good DC movie was in the late 80s or early 90s or something, and Marvel seems a lot better at turning their property into good movies than DC does these days. Which is, as I already said, a shame.
Agree with your suggestions of possible directors for a good HB movie.
Re: Should I ever bother *getting* an LJ account?
Date: 2005-03-21 01:04 am (UTC)Wow, that Superman comic looks seriously weird, but interesting.
Good luck on the house hunting.
Oh, and I'll definitely be in Britain this summer, the question is only for how long. My stay's kind of squeezed in between a trip to Greece and my cousin's wedding, so the grand total of available time is limited...
Fly safe!
Re: From Scapekid
Date: 2005-04-05 12:20 pm (UTC)Kinda like Dune... if you didn't read the book it could be rather entertaining, not make much sense, but entertain you. But if you read the book, then certain things make sense (well, even the book didn't quite make sense sometimes) but the entertainment value disappears. I mean, come on, the weirding became a projectile weapon you say different words to fire? In my option it totally ruined the Mua'dib name event thing (i have no idea how to spell the name, sorry)