John Constantine: Hellblazer Vol. 2: The Best Version of You
Simon Spurrier, writer; Aaron Campbell & Matías Bergara, artists; Jordie Bellaire, colors
DC Black Label, 2021
Constantine is haunted by the (possibly) future version of himself throughout this second collection. He follows a series of strange events, which at first seem unrelated. A mermaid, and the twisted fishmonger who uses her for his own devices; a member of the royal family who births a unicorn, with no concept of the repercussions; and a giant beast that may be a secret source of the British leadership's power.
But are they all illusions? In the end John does what he always does: outsmarts the opponents who are trying to steal his soul. He does it by making his soul too soiled to be a prize. And he may not even be breathing in the end: but he's won, and the game goes on. This latest installment in the Hellblazer story has all of the hallmarks of the classic stories, with all of the supernatural atmosphere (visually and narratively) and the moral ambiguity of the protagonist. Like Lucifer, he'll be back.
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Oh, man, I loved this revival. I'm sorry it ended with issue 12.