Hellblazer: Reasons to Be Cheerful [Paperback]

Everyone's favorite chain smoking master of black magic once again has his hands full. In Mike Carey's previous storyarc, Stations of the Cross, John Constantine finally got his memories back by celebrating a very long birthday that also the birth of his three demonic children. With Reasons to Be Cheerful, Constantine's three begotten kids attempt to make his life a living hell (literally) as they strike at his friends and loved ones. The only thing you have to know about Reasons to Be Cheerful is that this is the kind of pure Hellblazer you'd come to expect from the series. Carey knows what he's doing, although without any previous knowledge from Carey's excellent run on the title, it's quite easy to get lost quickly. That being said, this TPB features great dialogue as well as more excellent artwork from Leonardo Manco, but the best part of this TPB is the opening issue in which a group of dope heads run afoul of Constantine. All in all, Reasons to Be Cheerful isn't the best Hellblazer story on the market, but it's plenty enjoyable and definitely worth picking up for fans.

Hellblazer is really one of the great success stories in modern comics. Introduced as a minor character (an annoying one at that) in Swamp Thing, John Constantine got his own series in 1988 and will soon be celebrating its 20th anniversary. Contrast that with so many far more well-known comic characters who've had multiple failed series in that timeframe. What has seemingly kept Hellblazer chugging along for two decades is the outstanding consistency of the writing and art, and the uncanny continuity of the storylines no matter who is writing them. This is also a series that is perfect suited to be collected in trade paperback format as the complex storylines work better when read in a single sitting.

"Reasons to be Cheerful" collects issues #201 - 206 of the regular series. The title story makes up the four-issue meat of the book while the outer pieces of bread unfortunately don't fit as well...like a ham sandwich on raisin bread...The opening tale is perfectly fine...a solid story...it just doesn't fit with the rest of the book. When a trio of thieves break into a storage unit owned by Constantine, they make off with a bracelet that holds doom for whomever touches it's black stone. A nice, cursed artifact type tale.

In the main story, Constantine's trio of offspring by his unholy union with the demoness Rosacarnis have been unleashed on the world, determined to make their father's life a true Hell on Earth. But rather than attack him directly, they instead hurt Constantine where it matters most...by killing all of the people that he cares fore, one by one, and often in the most gruesome ways. Constantine finds aid in an unknown ally...a demonic presence who has hidden himself within the body of Constantine's pal, Chas. But this presence is keeping its true identity a secret for now.

Constantine is brought about as low by these attacks as we've ever seen him. He can handle any attacks on himself but the attacks on his loved ones, including his girlfriend Angie, and niece Gemma, show off a vulnerable side to his humanity that we've rarely seen. Unfortunately, if you want to read the climax to this story you'll have to buy the next trade paperback that comes out because the end of this book segues directly into the next, without benefit of even a hint of a conclusion. I guess one can see it from DC's prospective. Putting the entire story into one book would have doubled its size and trades generally collect only four to eight issues. Still, it left me disappointed a bit, and now, having to wait impatiently until the next volume comes out.

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

I don't write reviews terribly often, but felt almost obligated to, here. The two and a half stars this title has at present would lead one to think that Mike Carey somehow slipped in his otherwise superb run of Hellblazer. He didn't. This book was as good as the rest, or close to it. And while I'm aware this is blasphemy in some circles, I find I much prefer Carey's work to Garth Ennis. The plot has been pretty well summarized in other reviews, so I'll only add that Leonardo Manco's artwork is impressive as always, and that the humanity Carey shows in these characters is a testament to his skill as a storyteller. The scene between Chas and John's 'daughter' was perhaps the most striking in the book, at least for me. In conclusion, well worth the read, and well worth your money. It does end with a cliff hanger, but in this instance, all that means is that I'll definitely be buying the next book.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews  3.2 out of 5 stars