130 replies to this topic

[JohnMcMahon]

That was an ugly read - surprised Jonathan struggled so badly with the voice of Constantine given his stint as Hellblazer editor, when it comes to English colloquialisms maybe less is more Mister Vankin!  He seemed particularly enamoured with the word 'bloke', felt like he was using it in lieu of fullstops by the end of the comic.

James has done a good job deconstructing the frankly awful storytelling, so I won't linger on that.

Chas appears to be a more literal sidekick this time out, the couple of references to his IT skills stuck an odd chord but that's probably down more to my familiarity with his Vertigo counterpart than anything else.  

If you'll forgive me for nerding out a little, I always though John should be a sort of Batman to Wayne's Gordon, appearing and disappearing at will - dispatching wisdom and vanishing back into the night.  Vankin tried a little of that but it felt very flat, not sure why John did anything to Alfred, didn't help his case at all - seemed like a dumb move to be honest.

So a disappointing return to the DCU proper for John Constantine as far as I'm concerned.

[Mark]

JohnMcMahon, on 23 June 2011 - 07:42 AM, said:

If you'll forgive me for nerding out a little

No chance, nerd.

[Red]

While the comic sounds absolutely dire, your reviews are top-notch. Great work all around, guys!

[James]

Imagine how much more satisfying it would've been if the Batman bit had been set in the Batcave; Batman's analysing something at his computer, while Alfred goes off to get something (another tree sample, say) and steps into the shadows. There's a pause, then John constantine steps right out of them, carrying Alfred's tray with the tree sample on it. Batman hears that John's footsteps are different from Alfred's, whips around and does the whole confrontational thing.

John looks way more badass and crafty, there's a more plausible reason for him to knock out Alfred (he doesn't want anyone but him and Batman to find out about Swampy) and John looks less like a punching-bag. It also gets rid of the pointless taxi bit. Not explaining how Constantine found and accessed the Batcave is a bigger and more impressive take on him appearing in the Batmobile, and would be a bit more atmospheric to boot.

And scratch what I said before about Vanking only having two options (mysterious vs. character-based) when dealing with John's reintroduction. There's some mileage, I think, in showing the disparity between what Constantine does 'behind the scenes' and how he appears to others when he's putting on a show. If that's what Vankin was trying to do in this issue, the business in the taxi really took away from that. You need a clean break to ramp up the mystery. Constantine wants to meet Batman, then suddenly he's in the Batcave. How did he do that? He's not telling. Especially to the reader.

[JasonT]

JohnMcMahon, on 23 June 2011 - 07:42 AM, said:

... surprised Jonathan struggled so badly with the voice of Constantine given his stint as Hellblazer editor, when it comes to English colloquialisms maybe less is more Mister Vankin! ...

That.

[James]

Wait, I just realised I misunderstood the ending - Alec Holland's body and soul separated from Swamp Thing, leaving it rudderless and kill-crazy.

Still not sure how Holland's body got from Star City, California, in Brightest Day 23 to the Louisiana bayou in this issue of Swamp Thing though. Or what it was doing underwater all this time without drowning.

Also not clear on how Batman's day works out. He starts off outside of town, looking at the dead Mafia guy, right? Then he jumps off a building in the centre of Gotham and gets into the Batmobile? So did he drive into the middle of Gotham, park, catch the bus out of town to inspect Jim Gordon's crime scene, come back into Gotham city, swing over some buildings with the foliage sample, then land next to the Batmobile?

Also also: how does John find Batman by following the light? That would just take him to the GCPD building, since the lamp is stationery - it doesn't get dragged to every crime scene.

The only explanation is that Batman parked outside the GCPD building, let Jim Gordon drive him out to the crime scene, then did his disappearing act, jogged all the way back to Gotham and then got back in his car. What a tool.

[James]

By the way - on which page does John refer to himself as 'Conjob'?

[Rogan]

It's on the splash double pager, with the plant explosion(?!) at Kew Gardens.

[Rogan]

Well, the first review is, predictably, harsh.

[slinker]

Talking bollocks – John Constantine part 1

[James]

Rogan, on 23 June 2011 - 05:04 PM, said:

It's on the splash double pager, with the plant explosion(?!) at Kew Gardens.

Thanks!

[Rogan]

Don't mention it, really.

[Red]

James, on 23 June 2011 - 03:26 PM, said:

The only explanation is that Batman parked outside the GCPD building, let Jim Gordon drive him out to the crime scene, then did his disappearing act, jogged all the way back to Gotham and then got back in his car. What a tool.

  

[Rogan]

Yeah, quite a lot of things don't make sense with Batman's appearance, as James pointed out. What was the purpose of John (long-distance) knocking out Alfred in the Batcave?


Oh, and how long before Constantine calls Batman "Bruce"? I give it a year.

[Dave]

Is that even Bruce? I read it as Dick, but i guess in Sept. we'll be back to one Batman...

Quote

Constantine wants to meet Batman, then suddenly he's in the Batcave. How did he do that? He's not telling. Especially to the reader.

I can totally see this in my mindseye:
Batman: How did you get in here.
Constantine (directly to camera, slightly breaking the 4th wall): I'm not telling.

Honestly, that wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it was going to be, so i gave it the overly generous 7. Sure John's voice was completely wrong (which is odd considering who wrote it), but there was some plot there and the bit with Batman and Zatanna was fun. I didn't want to wad the magazine up and throw it in the corner when i was done with it, so it has that going for it, which is nice.

[Qusoor]

Dave, on 24 June 2011 - 02:52 PM, said:

Is that even Bruce? I read it as Dick, but i guess in Sept. we'll be back to one Batman...

Quote

Constantine wants to meet Batman, then suddenly he's in the Batcave. How did he do that? He's not telling. Especially to the reader.

I can totally see this in my mindseye:
Batman: How did you get in here.
Constantine (directly to camera, slightly breaking the 4th wall): I'm not telling.

I saw it as:

"How did you get in here?"
"I have my ways."

But yeah. Instant John is smart, and swe can leave the ruthless as a sklow burn over the next couple of issues.

But no.

[Qusoor]

Rogan, on 24 June 2011 - 11:41 AM, said:

Oh, and how long before Constantine calls Batman "Bruce"? I give it a year.

And I would love it if he called Batman "squire" again.

[Rogan]

Well, here are some reviews :


IGN: 5.5/10
Jonathan Vankin might have offset the lack of plot progression with a winning interpretation of Constantine. Sadly, the character falls well below the standard set in his own long-running series. Constantine's dialogue alternates between being bizarre and downright grating. Vankin seems to continually struggle at capturing the anti-hero's British dialect and various slang phrases. All semblance of subtlety is thrown out the window as Constantine can't seem to go five words without a "bloody" or a "bollocks" or some other tidbit reminding us he hails from across the pond. There's a reason only two Hellblazer writers over the years have been American. Crafting authentic and believable British dialogue is difficult, and failing at it can completely derail the story.


Aforementioned CBR:0/5
To add insult to injury, Constantine goes from on his back in one panel with plants descending upon him as he appears to be trapped in a greenhouse of death, to yards away from the greenhouse in a dead sprint in the next panel. There’s suspension of disbelief and then there’s suspension of coherence, the latter of which applies more than aptly to this book. Marco Castiello never really has a chance to find his groove in this book as the pages are burdened with blathering monologue boxes that attempt to advance a story that shouldn’t be any more difficult than Constantine apparating himself into the Batmobile. Yes, Constantine mystically appears in the passenger seat next to Batman and quickly gets a lesson in manners from the Dark Knight, providing the only semblance of a cool moment in this feeble attempt to bolster interest in a dusty license months before it receives proper treatment.


Multiversity Comics : 5.5/10
The story itself is take it or leave it. It's hardly bad, but I can't say that I'm terribly excited to see where it goes. I will admit, though, that I'm a bit confused. I think I get the implications of Alec Holland and Swamp Thing no longer being the same, but I really don't get what that last page is supposed to signify. The art is in the same boat: it isn't bad, but it isn't particularly good either; honestly, it's so middle-of-the-road that I really can't think of anything to say about it. I mean, it's a fun little read (that "anti-smoking message" is pretty damn funny), but unless you're really interested in seeing how the loose plot lines from Brightest Day are tied up and/or how the Vertigo characters are going to be reintegrated into the DCU (and can't wait for the relaunch), it's not necessarily worth $2.99.


GeekDraw: 2.5/5
It's a very introductory comic-book, the main purpose is to familiarize the reader with Swamp Thing and John Constantine. Who they are, what they do, and how they're connected -- it's a primer for DC readers who have not been reading Hellblazer, or read the Swamp Thing series back in the day. It accomplishes this goal quite well.


Weekly Comic Book Review: C
And why does he involve Batman in the first place?  Essentially, he wants to use Batman’s computer.  How that will prove useful in finding an earth elemental, we’ll have to see.  You’d think Zatanna would be better help in this case, particularly since she knows enough about the nature of his infection and has the power to slow its effects (something he can’t even do for himself).  Instead, she arrives to drop some acidic remarks about Constantine’s less-than-admirable qualities as a boyfriend (I’d pay good money to see that break-up scene) and depart.


Broken Frontier:
There are no inherent or glaring mistakes throughout this first issue, nor are there any egregious missteps with the characters. The problem, however, is that Vankin’s storytelling methods are lazy and boring.  Absolutely nothing new or interesting is offered throughout the entire issue, which inevitably makes the story feel like Brightest Day #24.5 instead of the beginning of a standalone series.  Batman, for example, investigates another brutal murder of an environmental polluter, but little follow-up exposition is offered.  Constantine’s concern about Alec Holland’s newfound affinity for murder, moreover, is veil-thin and not explained.  Vankin relies on the reader to merely accept Constantine’s unease instead of going into the crucial reasons why.  It is understandable that the ideas that spun out of Brightest Day need to be introduced to new readers, but Vankin could have accomplished this while progressing his own story instead of relying on Brightest Day to carry the weight.
Marco Castiello, on the other hand, delivers a great-looking and consistent book.  Castiello’s interpretation of Swamp Thing is gorgeous and unnerving, and the living plant’s brief appearance is truly sinister.  If Vankin fails to convince through Constantine that a new menacing Swamp Thing has returned, Castiello certainly will.


Nerdy Nothings : B
I have to say, I’m not sure how organic this book is (is that a pun?). In particular, the plot device that convinces Constantine to team up with Batman is pretty flimsy. Honestly, though, I feel like that’s forgivable. Writer Jonathan Vankin (a former Vertigo editor) crafts a really fun script that pretty aptly merges two disparate worlds, even if the mechanics of it are a little wonky. There may be a few too many “me”s instead of “my”s in Constantine’s dialog, and some of his scenes with Batman may be a little jokey, but for the most part I really enjoyed reading this comic. For a longtime Vertigo fan like me, it’s nice to see how characters like Constantine would relate to a more traditional comic book world if given the chance. In early interviews Vankin stressed that this Constantine’s not quite the same one still hanging out in Hellblazer (now DC’s longest-running consecutive series!), and I think we see a glimpse of that in his interactions with the Dark Knight. Is Constantine a meta?! Time will tell.


Too Dangerous For A Girl:
I didn't hate this comic. Slightly off-moments aside, it's good to see John interacting with super-heroes again, I like his impertinent attitude to them - guess who dares light up in the Batmobile? - and their bemusement towards him. Jonathan Vankin's narration and dialogue is generally good (I'll excuse the unlikely radio call 'Batman to Alfred' as a scene-setting shortcut), especially when Zatanna shows up to help Batman with John after a trip into the Green ends badly. Zee's spell to stall John's spore infection is a classic. And Marco Castiello and Vincenzo Acunzo's illustrations are good stuff, somewhere between John's Vertigo look and the DCU house style. Their Batman is terrific, evocative of David Mazzucchelli's at times, and there's a tremendously spooky scene outside the city limits. And it's all beautifully coloured by Barb Ciardo, who excels when we enter The Green.


CraveOnline :
The Search For Swamp Thing #1 is a set up issue, but a well-written one. The story plays to both fans of Swamp Thing and those just stepping into that world. The idea for what’s driving Swamp Thing mad is also interesting, a point we haven’t seen thus far in DC. The only problem with the issue is how hard it is to invest fully into it with no idea if Swamp Thing will have a place in the new DC Universe. I’m excited to see how the separation of Alec Holland and Swamp Thing will work itself out but I also don’t want to get burned by the reboot. In a sense of pure quality I say risk it, Search For Swamp Thing #1 sets up what could be a doozy of a story.


Zombo's Closet: 4/7
The art and story make Constantine a walking chimney of twitty droll wit armed with handy pocket magic spells, and keep this glummy mystery moving along briskly to the capper splash page lead-in for issue 2.
I just hope he can solve it before he finds out how much cigarettes cost here in the States and the page count drops again.


Poe Poz: 3/5 batarangs
I am not going to spoil the book for you, you need to go to Poe Poz and buy a copy to read, but I will say that it should be read by those who are comics fans and want a glimpse into how the events of the re-launch are being set up. If you have not read DC and are interested for September, it is a good book, but you will need to ask a few questions of your local comic shop staff on who the characters are and maybe get them to explain where Constantine and Swamp Thing have been for 20+ years.

[A. Heathen]

Some of those reviews are clearly written by dangerous lunatics.

[JasonT]

Rogan, on 22 June 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:

Well, that was... generic, painfully Dick-Van-Dyke-ish, cringe-inducing ... Liked the alternate cover and the artwork was bland, problematic but not exactly rubbish, so I'll give this one a 3/10.

+1. (Agreeing with what you said; not +1 to the 3/10.)

It felt like newcomers to the industry had written and drawn it.

Crap like "That's the first thing you learn about Constantine. What he says and what's true have nothing to do with each other" explains a lot about why Hellblazer was unsatisfying when Jon was editing it.

Christian, on 23 June 2011 - 01:01 AM, said:

The dialogue and script were just bloody cringe inducing. Bollocks!

What you've written there was just as natural and convincing as Constantine's dialogue in the book.

James, on 23 June 2011 - 03:21 AM, said:

Awful dialogue. There should be a law against Americans writing British characters without official intervention. It seemed to get a bit better the further in I got, but that might be Stockholm Syndrome.

Well said.

James, on 23 June 2011 - 03:21 AM, said:

Disappointed to see that all the problems in the preview - the voiceover on page two making it look like a flashback, Chas (props to them for re-drawing him, even if the clothes look weird on someone who's not fat) just kind of appearing from nowhere, the two other guys reading newspapers around John etc etc - are still there though.

I didn't confuse page 2 with a flashback. The caption "THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS AT KEW" could have been better placed, but I've seen worse transitions. The other newspaper readers on page 1 aren't a problem either. "The last man... who actually buys a newspaper" is exaggeration, not literal truth.

James, on 23 June 2011 - 03:21 AM, said:

Actually, the blocking throughout the whole thing is really confusing. Look at the scene with the Gotham taxi cab; why is the robber off-panel when he's introduced? I thought that was supposed to be Constantine speaking through the window at first. And why is John apologising to the taxi driver? Is he supposed to have done a spell or something to make it stop? Likewise the Batmobile scene doesn't really work, as discussed elsewhere on this forum. At least he draws a good Batman.

Agreed about the blocking/storytelling flaws in the art. Constantine apologises to the taxi driver because he stepped out in front of him, causing him to swerve, but the art all but hides that fact. And why is Batman constantly snarling? Why does everyone have big white teeth?

I'm almost curious to read Jon Vankin's script, to see how much the art detracted from it.

James, on 23 June 2011 - 03:26 PM, said:

Also not clear on how Batman's day works out. He starts off outside of town, looking at the dead Mafia guy, right? Then he jumps off a building in the centre of Gotham and gets into the Batmobile?

No. There's at least a "LATER" in between, but there could also be a delay between the dump scene and the taxi scene long enough for John's international flight. The comic has problems, but that ain't one.

James, on 23 June 2011 - 03:26 PM, said:

Also also: how does John find Batman by following the light? That would just take him to the GCPD building, since the lamp is stationery - it doesn't get dragged to every crime scene.

Well, where do you think Batman goes when he sees the signal? Conjob went to the GCPD building and found the Batmobile from there.

Rogan, on 24 June 2011 - 11:41 AM, said:

Yeah, quite a lot of things don't make sense with Batman's appearance, as James pointed out. What was the purpose of John (long-distance) knocking out Alfred in the Batcave?

Y'know, I suspect it was simply to justify the line "I'm a nasty piece of work..." Assuming the writer feels the need to have Constantine deliver the catchphrase, then Constantine has to do something 'nasty' to arrive at that point. In this case, knocking out an innocent butler.

The unfunny smoking-in-the-Batmobile gag and the gratuitous kicking reminded me of Frank Miller's Batman calling Spawn "twit" in that puerile Spawn/Batman special.

Rogan, thanks for gathering all those reviews.

Quote

Poe Poz: 3/5 batarangs
... I will say that it should be read by those who are comics fans and want a glimpse into how the events of the re-launch are being set up. ...

That's exactly right. No other bugger should read it. It's shite.

A. Heathen, on 22 June 2011 - 07:34 PM, said:

Yeah, anyway, whatever.

+1