Robert Venditti Redrafts "Hellblazer" As "Constantine"

**CBR News** · 11-30-2012, 08:02 AM

With a move from Vertigo to the DC Universe John Constantine is in for some changes, but writer Robert Venditti explains why the sardonic, smoking magician will stay the same at his core.

Full article here.

**Rakzo** · 11-30-2012, 08:21 AM

Going to give the guy a chance, it seems like he has the right direction for the character despite editorial changes.

**obii** · 11-30-2012, 08:32 AM

Good luck, though I am still at phase 2 of coping with the cancellation of the vertigo series.

I hope he is at least as decent as Hitman was when meeting Superheroes, puking on them or killing them ....

**Redlight** · 11-30-2012, 08:58 AM

Not interested. That split image at the top of the article says it all. 30 years of character development out the window to be replaced by some dude who stole his trenchcoat from "Nick Necro" and had a fling with Zatanna.

**Rakzo** · 11-30-2012, 09:03 AM

Reboots are our archenemy my friend.

**marvelprince** · 11-30-2012, 09:06 AM

I'm going to give this a try. I like what he says, the art looks good and the premise seems interesting. You've got your shot sir.

**FanboyStranger** · 11-30-2012, 09:14 AM

I'm a longtime HB fan, and I'm going into this with an open mind. Part of the charm of Hellbllazer was that writers were able to provide their own take on John and leavve their own mark, so I'm willing to give Venditti a chance. I haven't really been happy with the JC-Lite of JL: D (and that Nick Necro stuff was insipid), but we'll see if this John gets more defined when he appears in his own series rather than an ensemble book. Venditti's citing of Delano as a specific influence is a good sign to me.

**obii** · 11-30-2012, 09:25 AM

The writer is less of a problem as what editorial may ask.

Must do a batman Crossover to sell more .... and so on ....

**doordoor123** · 11-30-2012, 09:50 AM

This book could be really boring if it doesn't have the right tone. Honestly, I am a little scared.
I would be interested if this was a fan book because it would be so drastically different then Hellblazer. If they're trying to get those same readers into this book though, it could end up not going so well.
For this book to be a success, it needs to be different then Hellblazer or people will compare the two. It is like Grant Morrison's Animal Man to Jeff Lemire's Animal Man. Grant Morrison's book was more thought-provocitive while Lemire's book is strictly story-based.
This new Constantine book can't go for something too similar to Hellblazer and it also can't be similar to the stuff were seeing in the DCU Constantine. It needs to have its own feel. If not, it will be a failure.

**Mr. Holmes** · 11-30-2012, 10:10 AM

I really hope he just treats the New 52 Constantine as a modern version of how the character was in Swamp Thing and Delano's Hellblazer, instead of taking after the Ennis and beyond Hellblazer. The whole thing about "preserving the overall tone and thematic nature of 'Hellblazer'" seems to only add to my worry that this will be "Hellblazer-lite."

**Billy Batson** · 11-30-2012, 10:51 AM

Eh meh nah.

**JessieMidnight** · 11-30-2012, 11:11 AM

I'll probably try the first couple of issues, but eh, maybe I did pick the wrong time to get into the Constantine character lol. That's okay though, I'll still be able to read the original Hellblazer stories whether I like this new book or not.