John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 18: The Gift by Mike Carey (Author), Denise Mina (Author), Leonardo Manco (Illustrator, Artist), Giuseppe Camuncoli (Artist), Lorenzo Ruggiero (Artist), Frazer Irving (Artist) is a road trip to hell (rather than from hell, heh). The story ended Carey’s run as writer on the series.
John Constantine’s mistake (in previous issues) leads to his sister’s death, which he hopes will be temporary if he can retrieve her soul from hell. For the dangerous journey, he needs the assistance of an old enemy, the demon Nergal. Readers new to the series will be able to follow, but it’s a richer experience if you’re familiar with at least the main character and some of his previous plotlines.
Hellblazer is a horror comic, so as I expected, things don’t go as planned. There are many heartbreaking choices to be made. The dead have their own motivations and choices. It’s a story about about failing, getting up, and trying again. It’s about family. It’s a complex story with deep characters, and also a bit more depressing than I was in the mood for. But Carey’s work on this series is excellent.
“What’s the moral?”
“You tell me.”
“Sorry. I can’t be arsed.”
