Hellblazer: Rise and Fall #1

Hellblazer: Rise and Fall #1

Hellblazer

It has been said that the devil prowls around, seeking someone to devour. Hear the story of that meal, our hero John Constantine, from his book of Hellblazer: Rise and Fall, chapter 1, verses 1-52!

This is the scripture according to Tom Taylor.
As envisioned by Darick Robertson.

The official plot:

“A billionaire falls out of the sky and is gruesomely skewered on a church spire. Bizarrely, Angel Wings are attached to his back. More follow until, hallelujah, it’s raining businessmen. Detective Aisha Bukhari is stumped by this, until she’s visited by her childhood friend, occult investigator John Constantine. DC’s Hellblazer discovers a link between the falling elite and a shocking moment in his and Aisha’s misspent youth. How do these killings tie to the first death on John’s hands? How does this involve heaven and hell? Even if this is kind of John’s fault, will Constantine be happy to let a few more rich bastards fall from the sky, like a vindictive Robin Hood?”

DC Black Label

Wow…what a sell job! Raining businessmen? If three constitutes rain, sure…it’s raining. I supposed dabbling in black magic does qualify as a misspent youth. Queue the flashbacks!

Hellblazer
I mean, who wouldn’t be confident if they could summon a ball of fire?

My Impressions:

  • Is it a good story? I feel like it’s been done, but there are two more issues to go. Like I said with the last Hellblazer, I’ve got the first issue so as collector, I’m committed.
  • Is it worthy of the magazine format? Not yet, but it feels like there may be potential…
  • How does it look? Could be better. I’d rather Lucifer look like his normal Vertigo/Black Label self.
Hellblazer
I think the face is for the benefit of those not already familiar with DC’s version of Lucifer.

Notable Appearances/Events:

  • John Constantine
  • Detective Aisha Bukhari
  • Billy Henderson
  • Lucifer

Bottom Line: 3 Stars!

Unless you’re a huge John Constantine fan, you can skip this one. Hellblazer aficionados may want this since it has some glimpses into John’s youth. I bought this because I wanted to see Lucifer…too bad they didn’t stick with his cannon appearance. Good thing I’m a forgiving soul.

Odiumar

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Yeah, I'm the resident curmudgeon. So what? Here's what you really need to know about me. I'll wager that I've got more years of gaming, comics, movies and pop culture than anyone here. I'm also a working stiff. I spend 50-60 hours a week at work...so just like you, my time is valuable. If something is a waste of my time, it's probably a waste of your time. What does that mean? It means I'm going to tell it like it is. If it's not worth your money, I'll be the first to say so. If it's a waste of your time...you can count on me to tell you. In short...I'm looking out for you so listen up!