From Bayou to Abyss:

Examining John Constantine, Hellblazer

"There is a grown up, well-educated viewpoint on every page. [The book's] incredible level of love and knowledge... rub[s] off on you. It does not just entertain you; it makes you smarter without actually having to do the work yourself."
-- Steve Taylor-Bryant, The Dreamcage

British occultist John Constantine elevated Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, and it wasn’t long before John had his own spinoff comic titled John Constantine: Hellblazer. This anthology, edited by Rich Handley and Lou Tambone (of Sequart’s Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica), examines the mage’s history from his earliest appearances to the present – not only in Swamp Thing and Hellblazer, but on film and television as well – with a special foreword by none other than Hellblazer‘s creator himself, Jamie Delano.

Constantine has a weakness for narcotics, alcohol, and sex; an unnatural obsession with the occult; and a long list of lovers he’s betrayed, hurt, and discarded. He’s slain his twin brother in the womb, taunted Satan, outwitted demons and angels, been trapped in Hell, and even fathered an elemental. No matter what the universe throws at him, he somehow always seems to come out on top… though his loved ones have usually ended up caught in the crossfire.

At times, John can be a bastard. He has questionable hygiene and a lack of ethics, and he’ll likely hurt anyone foolish enough to let him into their lives. But John is nonetheless a hero – well, a Byronic hero, in any case. As fans, we wouldn’t have him any other way.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Rich Handley (richhandley.com) has written books about Planet of the Apes, Back to the Future, and Watchmen, as well as licensed Star Wars and Planet of the Apes fiction, and he edited 70 volumes of Eaglemoss's Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection. Rich has co-edited Titan's Scribe Award-nominated Planet of the Apes: Tales from the Forbidden Zone; nine Sequart anthologies to date discussing Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Hellblazer, Stargate, and classic monsters; and four Crazy 8 Press anthologies about Batman and the Joker. He has contributed essays to DC's Hellblazer: 30th Anniversary Celebration; IDW's five Star Trek and three Star Wars comic-strip reprint books; BOOM! Studios' four Planet of the Apes Archive hardcovers; Sequart anthologies about Star Trek and Blade Runner; ATB Publishing's Outside In line focused on Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The X-Files, Twin Peaks, Babylon 5; and a Becky Books anthology covering Dark Shadows. Rich writes a weekly Star Trek column for HeroCollector.com and is the managing editor of RFIDJournal.com.

See more, including free online content, on .

Also by Rich Handley:

Unauthorized Offworld Activation: Exploring the Stargate Franchise

co-editor, contributor

Musings on Monsters: Observations on the World of Classic Horror

co-editor, contributor

Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica

co-editor, contributor

The Cyberpunk Nexus: Exploring the Blade Runner Universe

contributor

A More Civilized Age: Exploring the Star Wars Expanded Universe

co-editor, contributor

Bright Eyes, Ape City: Examining the Planet of the Apes Mythos

co-editor, contributor

A Galaxy Far, Far Away: Exploring Star Wars Comics

co-editor, contributor

A Long Time Ago: Exploring the Star Wars Cinematic Universe

co-editor, contributor

The Sacred Scrolls: Comics on the Planet of the Apes

co-editor, contributor

New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics

contributor

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Lou Tambone is an independent musician, freelance writer, and UI/UX designer from New Jersey. A lifelong fan of pop culture, he was an early HTML adopter, creating and maintaining some of the first Star Wars fan sites under the Starwarz.com banner. As well as the occasional magazine and web piece, he’s made many contributions to essay anthologies from Sequart on the Planet of the Apes, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Wars franchises. His editing credits include The Cyberpunk Nexus: Exploring the Blade Runner Universe and Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica. When he's not reading or writing stories, he’s usually writing music or rehearsing with one of his many bands. During his "spare" time, he tries to remember to eat and breathe.

See more, including free online content, on .

Also by Lou Tambone:

Musings on Monsters: Observations on the World of Classic Horror

co-editor, contributor

Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica

co-editor, contributor

The Cyberpunk Nexus: Exploring the Blade Runner Universe

co-editor, contributor

A More Civilized Age: Exploring the Star Wars Expanded Universe

contributor

A Long Time Ago: Exploring the Star Wars Cinematic Universe

contributor

The Sacred Scrolls: Comics on the Planet of the Apes

contributor