Warning: contains preview pages for Justice League Incarnate #2!
DC Comics is finally making John Constantine an actual superhero, complete with cape, tights and a mask! In a preview for Justice League Incarnate #2, the multiversal Justice League travel to Earth-13, a world of demons and dark magic, there meeting a decidedly different version of John Constantine, one who calls himself “the Hellblazer” and looks just like a conventional superhero. The issue is on sale December 21.
When John Constantine first debuted in the mid-1980s, he was instantly in the thick of the DC Universe, leading Swamp Thing on a cross-country odyssey, helping the plant Elemental learn more about his powers. Along the way, they dealt with a number of supernatural threats, including the Great Darkness, which seems set to return next year in Infinite Frontier. When Constantine spun off into his own title, Hellblazer, in 1988, he was distanced from the rest of the DC Universe, which held until 2011, when the character was reintegrated back into mainstream comics. Despite the changes in approach, the character’s haggard look and cheeky demeanor have remained unchanged, as has Constantine’s disdain for the “costumed crowd.” In 1992’s Doom Patrol #53, Grant Morrison introduced the “Hellblazer,” a heroic version of Constantine, from another reality and later debuted a new version in 2015’s Multiversity Guidebook, with a few sparse background appearances since. After year of teases, the character finally gets the spotlight in Justice League Incarnate #2.
In a preview shared by AIPT, readers see members of the Justice League Incarnate, including President Superman, Doctor Multiverse, the Flashpoint Batman and Captain Carrot, arrive on Earth-13, a world in DC’s multiverse. On this world, magic and monsters reign and the Justice League Incarnate has arrived there pursuing Darkseid. The team travels to the Tavern of Mystery, the headquarters of that Earth’s heroes. The team also meets the Hellblazer - wearing a red and blue ensemble with a red, flowing cape and a mask. President Superman shakes his hand, thanking him for the help; Hellblazer waves it off, saying President Superman is his favorite incarnation of the Man of Steel from across the multiverse. While the Hellblazer has been played as something of a joke in past appearances, here he's in his element as a true superhero of Earth-13. The issue is written by Joshua Williamson and Dennis Culver, with art by Kyle Hotz, Andrei Bresson, Paul Pelletier and Norm Rapmund, colors by Hi-Fi and letters by Tom Napolitano.
The preview ends there, and the readers must wait until December 21 to see the Hellblazer in action. Yet, for fans who know nothing but the trench-coat wearing, chain-smoking smart aleck, this version is quite jarring - and may even feel like a betrayal of the concept to some. Yet, the Hellblazer is John Constantine through and through; he tells President Superman not to tell anyone that the President is his favorite incarnation, so perhaps his disdain for do-gooders is not totally gone. While his appearance may impart more of a Doctor Strange vibe, this John Constantine still has an edge.
John Constantine may be the last character fans would expect to see wearing a cape and a mask, but in a preview for Justice League Incarnate #2, he joins the costumed crowd, helping in the multiversal team's quest to end Darkseid's latest scheme.
Source: AIPT