Constantine: The Hellblazer #1
Ming Doyle (w), Riley Rossmo (a)
DC Comics

Liz says: If you (like me) hearken back to the good old days when Hellblazer was a Vertigo comic and was too dark and weird to fit into the mainstream DCU, take note: The DC logo may be on the upper corner, but Constantine: The Hellblazer is gleefully weird from the very first page, and it only gets moreso from there. It’s encouraging to see DC taking risks with their new titles and creative teams as they have with the pairing of Ming Doyle and Riley Rossmo.

Rossmo, whose rough-edged approach and horror-based repertoire is as unlike DC’s ‘house style’ as you can get, is this book’s secret weapon. He is totally in his element here; I can’t think of a better fit for a Hellblazer book and I hope he keeps drawing it for the rest of his natural life. As for Ming Doyle, this is the first book I’ve read of hers, and I’m very impressed. Her vision of the character is very much in line with my own, and seemingly without effort she has managed to produce an issue that serves as a hook for new readers, a fresh start for fans (and lapsed fans) and simply a great, done-in-one story. Hands-down, this is the best Hellblazer issue I’ve read in ages.