Spotlight: Constantine #1

(w) Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes     (a) Renato Guedes

Constantine #1 by Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes, and Renato Guedes is a solid read. All the right parts are there and technically speaking, everything lines up beautifully. Jeff Lemire  and Ray Fawkes hit all the right narrative beats, and Renato Guedes' artwork fits the series like a glove; rough around the edges to look just realistic enough. Realistically, Constantine #1 will be praised and hailed as another success for superstar Jeff Lemire. And that sentiment wouldn't be wrong. Lemire has a phenomenal grasp on fantasy storytelling -- as evidenced by his work on Animal Man and Justice League Dark -- so it would seem like a natural fit for him to helm the solo series for John Constantine.

What doesn't make sense is that Constantine #1 feels underwhelming. Perhaps it's that Lemire's been writing the character in the pages of JLD for over a year and I've become comfortable with Constantine in a team book, or maybe it's that the snarky Brit doesn't seem to have the same edge he did in Hellblazer. I don't want to discount Lemire's impressive work on this issue because it is good; good enough to make me want to continue reading the series. One of the most impressive aspects of the issue is it's self contained nature that simultaneously sets the stage for Constantine's ongoing adventures. Lemire knocks the ball out of the park in terms of being new reader-friendly, and he conveys the Constantine charm well enough to warrant more than just a passing once-through.

Part of why I'm interested in this series is that Lemire will be writing Justice League Dark, Green Arrow, Animal Man, and Constantine all at the same time, which means there's likely to be a crossovers and guest appearances between these titles in the future. While judging a title on it's potential for future payoff might seem somewhat redundant, it's safe to say that a cohesive comic book universe is part of what makes the medium so much fun. You can find Batman popping up in Metropolis or Coast City because he lives in the same world as Superman and Green Lantern. Similarly, when a creator is charged with multiple titles, it's not uncommon to see said books intermingle even more than the standard fare. And if Lemire's work in the 'New 52' thus far is any indication, we may be in store for some epic crossovers. 



** SPOILERS AHEAD **



Constantine #1 begins "The Spark and the Flame" which sees Constantine up against the Cult of the Cold Flame, an organization that has been floating around for a while now. The general plot progression throughout the issue isn't anything to write home about, but Lemire and Fawkes keep things interesting enough with the dialogue and Constantine's inner monologue between actions sequences to keep the story flowing. One of the biggest revelations is that Zatanna's father, Zatara, was a leader of the Cult of the Cold Flame alongside three other sorcerers who were once agents of good. It's only mentioned briefly in a moment of exposition, but it's an important piece of the DCnU history about a character who has had so little development/backstory in the 'New 52' it's almost painful. 

Of course, the bigger idea gleaned from learning about the Cult's leaders is that they all used to be good men who were corrupted by magic. Ethical quandaries have always been a staple of Hellblazer, and it's fortunate that this element of the character and his overall narrative tone has been kept intact in this new series.

The final pages of Constantine #1 prove that, in a very real way, Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes have a firm grasp on John Constantine. There's a lot to love, not only regarding the story and the characters, but also about the story structure and openness to future potentials. I love the ideas presented in this issue, I just struggle with the presentation itself and how the writing feels like it's vibrating at a frequency only slightly off from our own.

GRADE

8/10

GREEN LANTERN #12

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Renato Guedes and Jim Calafiore

With a workload as big as Geoff Johns', it's not surprising that some of his work would fall behind the others, even if it's just a little bit. In the initial months of the 'New 52', many agreed that Justice League took the title of the 'less good' Geoff Johns series. Green Lantern is beginning to show signs that Johns has turned his focus elsewhere, which is unfortunate as he really brought the Emerald Warriors back into the limelight with Green Lantern: Rebirth, which reintroduced Hal Jordan back into the world of the living and altered the stats quo for GL forever. Then he took his initial ideas even further, spurring a war between the Green Lanterns and Sinestro's fear-mongering yellow Corps, the revelation of the existence seven colored Corps, the great war against the Black Lanterns, and the subsequent fallout that resulted in the first White Lantern. Really, Geoff Johns has plotted Green Lantern's trajectory for the past eight years. It's this fact that makes the 'New 52' Green Lantern just so disappointing.

Because GL history wasn't rebooted - allowing the past five reals years of comic books to still matter - the three arcs of Green Lantern since last September have all been direct continuations of the events preceding the relaunch. But while Johns' pre-'New 52' arcs seemed filled with action, adventure, and mystery, these new arcs feel bogged down under their own weight. Too often in the past year, I've found myself wondering why so much time is being given to so little plot or characterization. Sure, the Indigo Tribe was a thorn in everybody's side, but their story probably shouldn't have been condensed to a four-issue arc that basically mirrored Hal's earlier encounter with Larfleeze.

And now, "The Revenge of Black Hand"; yet another dredging-up of an old story element that has me (and I'm guessing a bunch of other readers) saying "This again?" Green Lantern #12 is a typical filler issue. Hot off the end of "Indigo", William Hand escaped and killed himself, thereby producing a brand spanking new Black Lantern and ring. Last month's cliffhanger led me to believe a showdown was coming this month between Hal and Will, something that actually could have been interesting. Instead, we're treated to an issue of rhetoric, more of the Guardian's being Guardians, and generally no plot advancement at all.

GL #12 starts off with Black Hand's confusion over the Book of Black - an ancient tome containing Black Lantern prophecies - and it's newly cast claim that "Hal Jordan is NOT your enemy." Before anything is allowed to develop, Hal uses his ring to "fried every synapse in his brain", a torturous technique that's apparently acceptable when the man you're fighting isn't technically alive. Hand is out for the rest of the issue, leaving Hal and Sinestro to talk amongst themselves - a back-and-forth that is becoming increasingly less witty and special when it happens every other issue - and the Guardians to wax poetic about how much they've screwed up and how everybody else is going to pay for it.

Oh, and there are zombies. Because we don't have enough zombies in every inch of media these days.

Then, seven pages are dedicated to a short fight ended by a four-year-old battle tactic against a five-year-old enemy. Hal and Sinestro need a second colored Lantern to make their green constructs lethal to Black Lantern connections. We've known this for years. A bunch of fighting happens, and then Sinestro grabs his Yellow Lantern from a pocket dimension and they destroy it, thereby unleashing the yellow energy and severing Black Hand's connection to his zombie army. And it only succeeded in slowing down the Black Lantern, not destroying him. With a plot so full of cliches from so many sources, it's a wonder anyone is taking Green Lantern seriously right now. Black Hand is back? Boring. Zombies? Just like everywhere else. Multi-colored assault? You mean like the entirety of Blackest Night and Brightest Day??? It's all so mundane at this point that it's hard to even like Hal Jordan anymore. While he's pretty egotistical and vain in Justice League, at least he has personality, unlike the wooden plank he's become in Green Lantern.

The big reveal at the end of the issue leads up to the new Green Lantern, the Islamic one we've been seeing in promo shots and that appeared on the final page spread of The New 52 #1 this year for 'Free Comic Book Day'. A few months ago, nobody understood how this new GL fit into things, but as we get closer to October's "Rise of the Third Army", everything is starting to become clearer. Hopefully, this crossover can inject some life into this series, which has slowly been on the decline since last September.

GRADE

C+