Writer Simon Spurrier is bringing Hellblazer to DC’s ‘Sandman Universe’ line this fall. The return of John Constantine’s solo title begins with “The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer” one-shot on October 30, written by Spurrier with art by Marcio Takara, followed by an ongoing series in November by Spurrier and artist Aaron Campbell titled “John Constantine, Hellblazer.”
According to DC, “The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer” #1 picks up story elements from the original “Book of Magic” limited series co-written by Neil Gaiman. It finds John Constantine on the brink of death during an epic magical war that threatens to consume the entire world. “As he lies there, the vision of a young Tim Hunter stands above him, the naive youth seeing firsthand what his destiny holds. Horrified, Hunter flees back into the past, and Constantine is left behind to die.”
“Hellblazer’s the one title I’ve always aspired to write. Ever since John Constantine slunk from Alan Moore’s brain into ‘Swamp Thing,’ dropping secrets like grenades, bewildering vegetables, and spinning mysteries, I’ve been drawn to his misadventures with eerie gravity,” said Spurrier. “John Constantine is the cynic’s magician: a man of selfish drives and cataclysmic self-knowledge, who tries to do the right thing in spite of himself, in spite of the cost, in spite of the vile and violent world he occupies. He may not be the hero we need, but he’s definitely the bastard we deserve.”
“In this new era, everything is different. Everyone and everything he loved and knew is dead or despises him. Alone, angry, older, and wiser, he beholds a world that is clearly going insane,” he continued. “The shadows are deeper than ever. So he does what he does. He breathes smoke. He grins to himself. And he goes to work.”
Both titles preempt DC Kids’s previously announced John Constantine graphic novel, “The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher: A Johnny Constantine Graphic Novel,” scheduled for a 2020/2021 release, from writer Ryan North and artist Derek Charm.
