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The State of Hellblazer


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Poll: The State of Hellblazer (24 member(s) have cast votes)

Compared with the history of Hellblazer, it is currently ...

  1. Good (2 votes [8.33%])

    Percentage of vote: 8.33%

  2. Okay (8 votes [33.33%])

    Percentage of vote: 33.33%

  3. Bad (14 votes [58.33%])

    Percentage of vote: 58.33%

Compared with most other current comics, Hellblazer right now is ...

  1. More interesting (10 votes [41.67%])

    Percentage of vote: 41.67%

  2. No different (7 votes [29.17%])

    Percentage of vote: 29.17%

  3. Less interesting (7 votes [29.17%])

    Percentage of vote: 29.17%

I carry on reading Hellblazer because ...

  1. of habit, I am not enjoying it (12 votes [50.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 50.00%

  2. I am enjoying it (7 votes [29.17%])

    Percentage of vote: 29.17%

  3. (I am not reading it any more) (5 votes [20.83%])

    Percentage of vote: 20.83%

Cake or Death ?

  1. Death (6 votes [25.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 25.00%

  2. Cake (18 votes [75.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 75.00%

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#1 A. Heathen

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Posted 16 February 2012 - 09:01 PM

In which hopes are dashed upon the rocks below.
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"But that's the whole point, it's supernatural, these things happen.
It's not supposed to be realistic in that sense."

#2 Christian

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Posted 16 February 2012 - 09:12 PM

I voted:
"Bad"-Characters acting without any actual motivation, just because Milligan wants them do go here or there. Cardboard reactions. Character's dialogue which is totally inauthentic, they're basically just saying things in reaction to John's prompts. In fact, I'm pretty sure a sentient computer could write a more realistic and humane story about human interactions than Milligan has accomplish.

"Poor in comparison to other comics"-Of course based solely on what I'm reading. I'm sure there are many worse comics on the stand, but I just don't want to see them.

"Reading out of habit"-I just feel the need to have a complete HB collection at this point. I certainly don't enjoy the stories. The last three I picked up new made me groan.
I'm just positive that if I drop the book, in a few years, I'll go, "I wish I had those missing issues in my collection, even if the writing was bad." and end up spending back-issue prices.

Finally, "Death". Of course.
Come away, O human child
From the waters and the wild;
Take a fairy by the hand,
For the world's more full of weeping
than you can understand...." -W.B. Yeats

#3 JasonT

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 07:58 AM

I voted "more interesting" in 2 because I voted "bad" in 1.

#4 A. Heathen

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 08:21 AM

View PostJasonT, on 17 February 2012 - 07:58 AM, said:

I voted "more interesting" in 2 because I voted "bad" in 1.

:hattip:
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"But that's the whole point, it's supernatural, these things happen.
It's not supposed to be realistic in that sense."

#5 JohnMcMahon

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 10:34 AM

It's alright, really, I guess - I mean that annual only came out a few months ago and shows there's still some juice left in Milligan.
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I'm down with the sickness

#6 chamber

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 11:36 AM

I was too into Milligans run to but it seems like he is fianlly hitting his stride now. Some writers take time to settle into a character and their world I think.

#7 Qusoor

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 12:33 PM

I donno.  I'm fine with it.  It's better than the horrifying stuff that's being churned out in mainstream comics.  It's not Moore, Delano, or Jenkins but I do look forward to reading it every month.   Constantine at his best?  I don't think so.  At his worst?  Definitely not.  Until he fucks a dog on camera again.
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#8 slinker

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 12:48 PM

Here's my thing: I haven't found a comic series going that is significantly better. Compared to the DC reboot, Hellblazer is fucking Vonnegut. Walking Dead has picked up like Hellblazer has this month, and I see those two titles having the same pattern of floundering for a bit and then picking up from time to time. So, as down as I get on Milligan's run, overall, I haven't seen many better comics coming out.
“If you can't say 'Fuck,' you can't say, 'Fuck the government.' - Lenny Bruce

When you are a step ahead of everybody else, they call you a genius. When you are two steps ahead, they say you're crazy.

#9 Lou K

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Posted 17 February 2012 - 02:01 PM

I think that historically this is the worst HB has been in a while, but honestly I didn't read a lot of Mina or Diggle's run (gotta correct that). I'm sure it's more interesting than most of the comics out there but far less interesting than any of the comics in my pull list. I read it solely out of habit and maybe a weak glimmer of hope that it wll get better. May I have a piece of cake please?
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#10 JasonT

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Posted 19 February 2012 - 11:02 AM

What happened with that guy who was doing something with someone who looked like Gary Lester? Did that go anywhere?

#11 slinker

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Posted 19 February 2012 - 11:14 PM

Demon John made short work of him. slit slit.
“If you can't say 'Fuck,' you can't say, 'Fuck the government.' - Lenny Bruce

When you are a step ahead of everybody else, they call you a genius. When you are two steps ahead, they say you're crazy.

#12 JasonT

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Posted 20 February 2012 - 09:46 AM

Did I read that?

#13 slinker

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Posted 21 February 2012 - 07:51 AM

Yes, and then you took acid and lost your mind. These things happen from time to time.
“If you can't say 'Fuck,' you can't say, 'Fuck the government.' - Lenny Bruce

When you are a step ahead of everybody else, they call you a genius. When you are two steps ahead, they say you're crazy.

#14 A. Heathen

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Posted 26 February 2012 - 09:22 AM

I read reviews occasionally and can see what those people like about Milligan's Hellblazer, but these are not things I like in the comic.

The CBR ones of JLD are interesting as they seem prepared to overlook some of the negative comments I'd have and say it's "Good Comics".
http://www.comicbook..._review&id=4479

They don't seem to have reviewed Hellblazer recently.
When they did, Greg McElhatton likes it

Quote

It's been a while since I've been so utterly enchanted by a "Hellblazer" creative team as I am with Milligan, Camuncoli, and Landini. So long as they're around, so am I. Good stuff, as always.
http://www.comicbook..._review&id=3823

This review
http://www.comicbook...ell-starts-now/
gives me more reasons to read the issue than anything else I have read, UNTIL the panel re The Aquarium Of Souls.
Thankfully that reminds me of one reason why I am not.

Mind you I have flicked through the issue in the comic shop and know that these are two very good pages of art shown are the best of an otherwise average batch.
I am an increasingly reminded of when Frusin Went Bad.
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"But that's the whole point, it's supernatural, these things happen.
It's not supposed to be realistic in that sense."

#15 A. Heathen

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Posted 26 February 2012 - 09:36 AM

Oh really?

Quote

Under Milligan, Hellblazer is secretly one of the best books on the market, it's amazing, but nobody is really talking about it, but today, that all changes! We will not just talk about it, we will review it!
http://www.theouthou...287-t76542.html

(I see some of Slinker's Constanteen/Milligan lovers in there. Fair enough that Vertigo might reach out to new readers, but the existing readers seem to be departing quicker than new ones arrive.)

[worth noting that those kids usually have a few more reviews on these threads, so perhaps a couple of positives V apathy is a fair comment.]
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"But that's the whole point, it's supernatural, these things happen.
It's not supposed to be realistic in that sense."

#16 A. Heathen

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Posted 26 February 2012 - 09:53 AM

[NB some of these reviews contain spoilers for the latest issues.]

Tsk, don't people write negative reviews any more?
We have no trouble getting negative here ... !

Here is what a superhero fan thinks.
http://xmanscomicblo...abel/Hellblazer
Note how several aspects of this "jumping on point" are lost on his community-addled brain.
http://xmanscomicblo...blazer-287.html

I have been lampooning Milligan's Hellblazer as too much of a soap opera, and the latest issue review by this chap lets me know it has moved on.
I was thinking of Soap, but that was a parody of the worst excesses of the genre and also entertaining.
So how about The Constantinian Dynasty.
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"But that's the whole point, it's supernatural, these things happen.
It's not supposed to be realistic in that sense."

#17 Christian

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Posted 27 February 2012 - 02:02 AM

Comic Book Fanboy:You know, it's a comic book, and it's $2.99, and it's not self-published, so it must be good. Otherwise, it wouldn't be on the racks, right? We don't know better than the creators, so if you think you can do better, you should be writing for comics. Because, you know, the fact that you're paying money for this comic book means that it's professional and quality. THEY know best.

Comic Book Mark (not our Mark):On the other hand, not only is this a good comic, it's one of the best comics ever, because people are missing the self-referential post-modern nature of where Milligan is taking this book. He's writing a book that is unreadable simply to show the corporate comic book world what they've been churning out for years. It's about time someone took it to the estabishment in this way. I'd pay $4.99 an issue for something this deep and intellectual.

Comic Book Smark:Agreed, anyone can write a good comic book, but how many can write a comic book that reads like Milligan's Hellblazer or Justice League Dark?
Come away, O human child
From the waters and the wild;
Take a fairy by the hand,
For the world's more full of weeping
than you can understand...." -W.B. Yeats

#18 JohnMcMahon

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Posted 27 February 2012 - 03:02 PM

View PostA. Heathen, on 26 February 2012 - 09:22 AM, said:

The CBR ones
I hit the front page of that site a couple of times a week to see if they've linked off to any interesting previews (the last one being for JLD, appropriately enough) and I've yet to see any links to a negative review of something, the blurbs tend to read along the lines of "XXX gives the latest issue of YYY four stars saying "I thought it offered a solid story with some above average art!"".  

They only seem to do positive reviews, is what I'm saying here.
FUCK YOU, I don't need this shit
I'm down with the sickness

#19 dogpoet

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Posted 27 February 2012 - 06:45 PM

Who voted for death rather than cake?

#20 A. Heathen

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Posted 27 February 2012 - 08:31 PM

It's death by mau mau.
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"But that's the whole point, it's supernatural, these things happen.
It's not supposed to be realistic in that sense."




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