This volume was a massive improvement in my eyes from the previous volume. Saying that, it's difficult to review due to the numerous writers and one-two issue plots that were collected here.

The Family Man by Jamee Delano was the largest story and was, for the most part, a 4-star read. The introduction issue was delightfully weird and off the wall, and the art and story meshed well together. It was let down by the interruption of other issues/stories (I assume there was an editorial reason back in the day), and the ending was a disappointment that didn't live up to the rest of the story in my mind. The stuff with Constantine's dad in particular didn't seem to have the emotional punch it should have, especially knowing what I know about their relationship just from cultural osmosis.

Grant Morrison's two-issue story was alright. It was creepy and atmospheric, I liked the art, but the story itself was a letdown for me.

I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's issue. It was very sad, and very film noir in art style which set it apart from the other issues. It wasn't anything earth shattering but I enjoyed it for what it was.

Dick Foreman's issue was another entertaining stand alone. Who doesn't like a story about a demonic dog? As is becoming something of a pattern with Hellblazer, no matter who's writing it, the ending was a bit anti-climatic.

The "Sunday" story by Jamie Delano was as bizarre and as misanthropic as you'd expect from Delano, and it didn't seem to be anything more than confusing filler, but who knows with this series, it might mean something down the line.

There was also a prose story at the end also written by Delano, "The Gangster, the Whore and the Magician". I actually really enjoyed this, it was sad and lonely and hopeful. It left me thinking that Delano would be better suited to writing traditional books over comics. ( )

Misanthrope, mage and meddler; arch manipulator and much more... This trade paperback compiles one of Constantine's earlier adventures from the end of the 1980s and is an ideal introduction to the character and his strange, semi-supernatural existence.

This is where the enigmatic protagonist truly finds his voice. Writer Jamie Delano really nails the central concepts of Constantine’s character, and drags them – stumbling, wearing a grubby dressing-gown, with a Silk Cut hanging from a lip and eyes like sinkholes in the sand – into the indifferent half-light of an urban afternoon.

This story isn't wall-to-wall demons and beasts of the underworld. Sure, there are supernatural overtones to the story but the heart of the tale is about JC as a gumshoe investigator, on the trail of an all too human evil. This killer shreds the heart from happy families, and JC feels a personal sense of obligation to stop him. The closer JC gets to finding the psychopath, the more he reveals about himself… putting (as usual) his own family and few friends at bitter risk.

The storyline gets put on hold for a few chapters while guest writers take a turn at the helm in some stand-alone episodes. Odd, but that’s what happens in the world of monthly comic books. The Gaiman / McKean chapter is instantly recognisable through the artwork, lettering and use of language – and it’s a solidly spooky little story. So is Grant Morrison’s effort in which a dying industrial town turns to the dark side. The V For Vendetta overtones are obvious in the art, here.

This edition ends with some of Delano’s own short stories and, after the gruelling tension of the Family Man tale they are very welcome, if hardly light relief. In particular, his disconcerting story of a surreal Sunday is chillingly weird. It purports to offer JC the opportunity to side-step into the gleaming new 1990s and join the yuppie mainstream, or to continue to risk his soul and sanity in confronting life’s stark realities. Bitter-bleak at its core, re-affirming in its honesty.

The best bit (maybe) was saved to last. Published much later in ‘Rare Cuts’, ‘The Gangster, The Whore and The Magician’ is an illustrated, prose short story. And it is beyond elegant in its construction and content, showcasing Constantine at his absinthe-drenched best. JC eschews the uncanny and extracts himself from a sticky predicament using only his street-smarts, sleight of hand, disarming candour and his essential vulnerability. His form of justice exerts the ultimate sanction on the bad guys but is more than merciful to their victims. The story’s resolution suggests the possibility of redemption, even for someone whose soul is as sullied as his own.

If anyone ever tells you that comic-book stories are superficial froth, point them at this collection. If ever there was a moment when a character comes of age it is Constantine in ‘The Family Man’.
9/10 ( )