The confidence of Constantine. Creative Staff:
Story: Ming Doyle, James Tynion IV
Art: Riley Rossmo
What They Say:
Somebody is killing the only friends John has: the ghosts that haunt him! How can you kill what’s already dead? John is going to find out and make this adversary pay!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Returning to the world of Constantine in comic form was certainly welcome with the first issue of the series. There’s a familiarity to the character here but with some nice little nudges to it that makes it accessible but still with the weight of the past on it. The team put together a beautiful book, both in print and art, and that made it very easy to want to come back for more. I’ve always enjoyed the supernatural side of the DC Comics world and this book digs deep into it. And it also doesn’t hurt that it’s a book that you’re really reading as well, which makes it a dense piece compared to a lot of other books. And it’s one that you go back and really dig into the just as detailed and engaging artwork as well.
With a lot of things introduced in the previous installment, Constantine’s now back in the mode of dealing with things less they become too much again. That has him putting together a plan to go after the Ghostkiller, since he’s breaking certain supernatural laws by providing second deaths to these spirits. There’s a smart moment within the book where Constantine does talk about the fact that the supernatural isn’t easy to understand and it goes its own way a lot of the time, but what he’s come up against here feels different. Since he needs bait to draw out the Ghostkiller, he’s pretty pleased by the fact that he has a slew of ghosts that are already haunting him. Unfortunately for him, they’re not stupid and know to hightail it out of there rather than trust that his plan works. Considering the number of them that likely died because of his plans, it really makes sense. That just leaves him with Gary once again. Time for plan B.
Similar to the first issue, we get a lot of journeying going on here. It may be a familiar aspect after doing it the last time around, but I really enjoyed reading Constantine’s narration and interactions with Gary as he goes from places of power to other places of power. It introduces us to a lot of the mysticism that exists in New York City as he collects what he needs and sets his trap. It’s the good kind of exposition that really adds a certain warmth and depth that enriches it rather than just whipping through it. And it’s helped immensely by Rossmo’s art as it has so much detail and quirkiness about it. That the trap ultimately fails isn’t a surprise, as Gary basically provide the answer to how it would go from the start, but it puts Constantine in greater motion here and with a stronger sense of purpose that should be interesting to watch.
In Summary:
Constantine is admittedly working a familiar plot here but it executes it so well and with such smoothness that I’m totally on board with it. It’s the kind of book that you do want to settle in to read late at night with minimal lighting and engage completely with it and nothing else. Working through his world without involving others for a bit helps to make it his book as does keeping the supporting cast very slim to say the least. I’m thoroughly engaged with this book unlike a lot of others because it demands that kind of attention on all fronts and it pays off well in the short term and hopefully in the long term as well when it becomes collected. This is definitely one of the better books I’ve gotten involved in recently.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: June 8th, 2015
MSRP: $2.99
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