Hellblazer: Rare Cuts

Hellblazer: Rare Cuts (2005) various

Rare Cuts is a collection of John Constantine stories spanning 1988 to 1994. It is my understanding that Rare Cuts was published after the movie Constantine came out, as an introduction to the comic, and written by Jamie Delano, Grant Morrison, and Garth Ennis.

These stories cover a lot of ground, from John Constantine’s childhood (the story “Dead-Boys Heart”) stories later in his life, including what happened at the Casanova Club at Newcastle (“Newcastle: A Taste of Things to Come”).

So, if this is an overview of Hellblazer, then I guess I’m just not that interested in John Constantine. The stories were interesting, but not enough that I I’m going to go out of my way to keep reading. I get that Constantine is a rake, and a bit of a jerk. But what I don’t get is the claim that Constantine is one of the “world’s greatest sorcerers.” I’m just not that impressed.

I’m not sure that I can put my finger on precisely what I didn’t care for. Maybe some of the stories were a bit confusing, and several of the stories were very gruesome–more so than I care for. I guess it’s not that the stories weren’t good, it’s just that they weren’t my thing.
Rating: 5/10

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