Hellblazer # 192 Review

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Reviewer: Mathan Erhardt
Story Title: Staring at the Wall

Written by: Mike Carey
Art by: Marcelo Frusin
Colored by: Lee Loughridge
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Edited by: Will Dennis
Published by: Vertigo/DC Comics

Man oh man, humanity is going to hell in a hand basket. The world is crazy as people are giving into their desires and passions, and a lot of murder. But Constantine’s niece Gemma and his compatriot Chas are on the case. Wait; that’s supposed to fill you with confidence.

So Gemma and Chas take Johnny’s body (he’s not actually on this plane of reality at the moment) and collect some things to help combat this dastardly force that’s destroying humanity. They end up in a storage facility where Johnny keeps his random artifacts. And the Swamp Thing stops by to help keep Johnny alive while Gemma attempts to contact him.

Lucifer stops by to witness the madness. Tim Hunter tries to do something about it but is nullified. Gemma does actually contact John, but not before the Beast realizes that something is afoot. John does manage to explain his actions first, but their family get together is cut short. The Beast makes short work of Gemma, Chas, and eventually Swamp Thing. And in the end it slits John’s throat.

Carey is really good at building suspense. We don’t actually see what John’s up to until the final third of the book. Carey’s seamless weaving of various Vertigo icons into this story is perfect. And he has created a situation where John cannot possibly escape. Talk about a cliffhanger.

Frusin creates some of the most moody artwork. He completely captures the vibe that Carey is going for. The world created by Frusin is a creepy one that looks disturbingly real. I hope when Swampy does return to the monthly race that Frusin is the man on the boards, because his Swamp Thing is a glorious beast. Let me spell it out; the art is frighteningly beautiful.