John Constantine, Hellblazer: The Devil You Know

Several tales of surreal horror tinged with magic and social commentary are reprinted in this collection of early issues from writer Delano’s original run on the Hellblazer series. John Constantine, a magician most accustomed to the seedier sides of both the United Kingdom and the occult, must first come to terms with his past. He revisits the scene of a failed ritual that gave him a powerful demonic entity, and then must confront the same demon years later when it returns for vengeance. In another story, a visit to a beach town protesting a new power plant leads to Constantine having a vision of a nightmarish future brought on by an environmental disaster. More than 20 years after being first released, the art by Rayner, Buckingham, Talbot (Alice in Sunderland), and Lloyd (V for Vendetta) still evokes a powerful atmosphere, drawing readers into the strange and often profoundly discomforting events of Constantine’s life. Each story follows a nightmarish dream logic, blurring the line between real and fantasy and casting dark reflections on the world of reality. (Jan.)