Hellblazer is over. With issue #300, out in February 2013, the suits at Warner Bros. will have successfully done something no one, including the devil himself, has ever done to date: take down the chain-smoking, hard-drinking, fast-talking, con-artist street magician John Constantine.
The latest victim of the “out with the old, in with the new 52” movement at DC Comics, Vertigo is pulling the plug on the long-running series in order to incorporate a younger character – after all, what reader, what fan, of DC’s financially-successful albeit-critically questionable universe-wide reboot can relate to a sarcastic Brit in his late forties, and married even!, in today’s future-is-now, forget-the-past market – into a Constantine title that, perhaps, might be more in line with the 2005 film of the same name, at least as far as recognition goes for the ever-important trade edition market.
Or, perhaps, this is the final kick in the gut to the legacy of the once-upon-a-time-long-ago great Alan Moore, who created the character, as he did the characters of the Watchmen series, which DC has also brought back into a controversial series of minis, each featuring one of the characters.
True fans of Hellblazer should view this move as one that the founding member of Mucus Membrane would never take part in.Hellblazer is punk rock compared to what will assuredly-be the new Constantine’s corporate alt-rock sound, the type that can usually be heard in Kia commercials. A younger John Constantine. Probably prone to the occasional pop-culture reference. Will no doubt eventually be forced away from being the face of Silk Cut cigarettes much in the same manner that Nick Fury, who once white by the way, was banished from his ever-lovin’ cheroots.
The 52-title reboot of 2011, although not handled as well as it could have been, has seemingly brought in new ideas and new concepts. After all, now the Green Arrow book can be easily retooled to match up with his CW counterpart as millions of Arrow fans will tell you… Ollie doesn’t sport a goatee.
The Constantine reboot will written by an American, the second ever to do so with the on-going title. The first, Brian Azzarello, scripted the series for over two years back at the turn of the century and brought the hard Brit to hard times in the Colonies in a run that is widely-regarded as one of the strongest, as well as being a turning point for the title bringing a much-needed direction to a character that was, essentially, listless since the departure of John’s other definitive author, Irishman Garth Ennis, four plus years prior.
Renewal, rebirth and easier-marketing seems to be the main theme for the DC Comics reboot, especially as they find themselves desperately contending against Marvel for brand awareness. For decades not only did DC have the upper hand in the monthly funny book market, but their iconic characters were truly pop-culture gods. The trinity of Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman stood well above Marvel’s, arguably, sole top prospect: Spider-Man. Until Marvel began their outright domination of the box office.
Over the past 15 years, Marvel Studios has released four X-Men (combined $753M) and one spin-off (Wolverine brought in $180M), four Spider-Man (combined $1.3B), three Blade (combined $204M) and soon-to-be three Iron Man (1 & 2 total $630M) films topping it all off with the fanboy explosion known as the Avengers ($623M).
DC Comics, through Warner Bros., have had critical and box office success with exactly one property - Batman (The Dark Knight Trilogy combined $1.1B) – middle success with what should be their flagship product as well as with a property that, in comicbooks anyway, should be akin with Iron Man (Superman Returns $200M, Green Lantern $117M) and two lower releases (Watchmen$106M, Constantine $76M). Excluded from this list were the huge stinkers The Losers, Catwoman and Jonah Hex, films whose value, both artistic and monetary, cannot even be compared to some of Marvel’s less noteworthy releases including the Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, Punisher and the Daredevil/Elektra films.
What Warner Bros. lacks on the big screen, however, might be fanboy gold for the small screen. Smallville lasted an age-defying ten seasons. The aformentioned Arrow, after good reviews, has been awarded a full-season pick up. What seems to make these shows good for television is the smaller scope – the simplicity of the legend and having that interact with common, everyday themes. Smallville was successful in showing a Superman who was less super. Using this formula, it could be argued that a Green Lantern series focusing on young artist Kyle Rayner who uses a magic ring to get him out of trouble on weekly basis ala the Knight Rider formula could go a lot further than a big screen spectacle.
Or, to get really crazy, how about a series featuring paranormal investigator who hangs out in London? Or LA wearing a black trenchcoat?
Hellblazer, much like Great Britain herself, is inexcusably rich and mysterious with history, legend and tradition, so much so that even the most ardent of Yank fans can be found questioning certain locales, deciphering slang, and trying to remember who the striker is for the Arsenal. An American reboot, written by an American, strictly for the American collected-edition market can bring in new fans, a new audience with the deceptive potential to seek out the older, and perhaps better, stories of old. Perhaps DC sees such events as these generationally. Superman fans of yesteryear clearly remember a Man of Steel that could move the Earth and change time. Batman has been re-invented seemingly every decade, not only in the comics but in film and TV.
And Constantine is, after all, a more accessible series name.
Much like how smoking in pubs is a thing of the past, so too will Hellblazer soonbe nothing more than a vapor in the air, a faint smell twitching in your nostrils, a fading stain on your fingers. Lift a Guinness in honor of that rascal John Constantine, knowing that he will truly never be dead.
As always,
theJOE
theJOE
