Cynical sorcerer John Constantine practices the mystic arts and stirs up trouble in London's back alleys in the comic book Hellblazer. In this collection, his usual necromantic demimonde intersects with the criminal underworld when his hapless mate, Chas, is implicated in the botched murder of crime boss Harry Cooper's brother. As often happens, Constantine's past resurfaces to haunt him: 16 years ago, Cooper forced the young magician to raise his five-year-old son, Ronnie, from the dead. Now, just as Ronnie prepares to unleash an unimaginable evil upon the world, Constantine reenters the picture. This story arc reteams writer Ennis and artist Higgins, his collaborator on the crime-noir graphic novel Pride & Joy [BKL Mr 15 04]; Higgins' slightly cartoony art accentuates the tale's broad, over-the-top aspects but undermines its horrific elements. Still, the denouement and the fate of the gangsters are genuinely chilling. A prospective film based on hellblazer starts with two strikes against it--Keanu Reeves miscast as Constantine and transplantation to L.A.; prepare for boosted interest in his print adventures, anyway.
