Empathy is the enemy, but for whom?

books:

	• John Constantine, Hellblazer: Empathy is the Enemy Denise Mina Vertigo, 2006 - 168 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Empathy is the enemy, but for whom?

Empathy is a wonderful and humane emotion. It is what unites an indifferent society into a caring and compassionate community capable of selfless concern for others. On the other hand, it can literally wear down and devastate an individual, haunting and lingering while one experiences the pain and suffering of others. Would the world be a better place, physically and spiritually, with universal empathy, a world without most, if not all, of the recognizable deadly sins? John Constantine has encountered a sect of fanatical disciples who faithfully and fervently advocate this as the means to spiritual salvation. Unfortunately for him, their ominous stratagem necessitates his secular passing from these earthly environs in order for their ploy to be implemented. All this originated from the discovery of a third realm, besides heaven or hell, that is reigned over by a demon worse than any hell spawn, whose evil intent is to recruit more lost souls to his kingdom of the damned. What is discovered is that empathy may be his enemy, or is it? Sometimes things are not quite as they appear to be, and some days you just can't trust a demon from wherever, which of course is nothing new to Constantine. Denise Mina's debut on Hellblazer insightfully explores the callous vagaries of emotion while admirably following in the gifted footsteps of Mike Carey and others, thus successfully maintaining the lofty standards that this title has displayed since its inception.

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Unfairly Dismissed

This may be a minority review, so caveat emptor: I'm very picky when it comes to graphic novels. Too many have managed to set things up intriguingly only to show the writer's shortcomings at crucial moments. That's why having an established author write for a pre-existing series can be so successful. They actually know how to structure a story.

Ms. Mina's brief run on "Hellblazer" is fine proof of this. She sets up a remarkably intense story and allows it to build in suspense and moving revelation in a way that obviously confused the Fan-Boys who whined until she was taken off the title. Shame, DC. You had a chance here to make "Hellblazer" as special as it was under Mr. Delano. But you blew it.

These require concentration and patience, like all good things, so if you are only after quick thrills with no substance, look elsewhere. For the grown-ups, however, this and its sequel are superb graphic novels that deserve to be read as a single (stunning) piece of work.

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This was a mess

I want to start off with the disclosure that I am a huge Hellblazer fan. And one of the best things about Hellblazer is the freedom that individual writers are given to put their own spin on John Constantine (herein referred to as JC). This series came right on the heels of Mike Carey's incredible run , one that featured the best Hellblazer writing since Garth Ennis. Coming at the heels of a long acclaimed run by a star writer (Carey being a star at Vertigo at least) is difficult, with the main reactions being trying to follow in their footsteps too much or trying to take a path that is too radically different and undermining what they did (the post-Morrison X-Men books come to mind in this regard, where every possible opportunity was taken to undermine all of his brilliant work, to the point where I see Morrison's stuff as a unique project). How does Mina do?

She could have done a lot better.

The story is really all over the place and quite confusing. Based on her background, I would have loved to see Mina present us with a story along the lines of Azzarello's more crime focused stuff but she gives us a patchwork story about mysticism and monks and a ghost and, uh...something else. This is a story that might be worth reading in the grand stack of Hellblazer books, but get to Ennis, Ellis, Carey and Azzarello's Hard Time first.

Leonardo Manco's art (which went from manga influenced goth to more Sean Phillips in style over the series) is the real star here, but what else is to be expected?

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Caledonian Gothic

Like all writers on the Hellblazer franchise, Denise Mina brings her own, unique vision of John Constantine to the series. Gone is the classic, sharp-dressed mystic of Jamie Delano's run and in his place a more world-weary, sardonic character who could easily have been drawn from Mina's crime world of "Garnethill". Long term fans may not like this interpretation of the character, but it's one that fits the story, enabling it to explore new territory for the comic.

Transplanting Constantine to Mina's native Glasgow provides both writer and artist fertile ground to create a vibrant, recognisable setting for the story arc. Mina spent hours videotaping street scenes of Glasgow's West End to send to Manco, which were reproduced in all their sandstone and gothic-revival glory. Like all good crime narratives, the city itself becomes as much a character as any of the people inhabiting it.

For Scottish readers there are many cultural touchstones that resonate eerily through the tale: the legacy of St Mungo, urban disrule, the class divide amidst growing poverty and metropolitan isolation. Each of these repressed facets returns in monstrous fashion, in the style of the best Gothic narratives. Perhaps this is why Mina's run was met with some ill-favour, that she writes for her own audience as opposed to the established Hellblazer fan base. Literate Glaswegians will delight in this and the follow up volume, (particularly the inspired climax atop the Hunterian Museum, fending off demonic neds with sweeties and porn) while others may be left in the cold, with much of the humour and sources of horror lost on an American audience.

This is not quite up to the stellar standards of Delano or Ennis's runs on the title, but certainly an entertaining take on Constantine and a bold foray into graphic narratives for Denise Mina.

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So-so debut for new writer Mina

With Mike Carey's reign on Hellblazer over and done with, British crime novelist Denise Mina has been given the charge of writing Vertigo's top title. Empathy is the Enemy finds chain smoking magician John Constantine pursued by cults, demons, and the like. Yep, it's just business as usual for Constantine, as an empathetic man is required for a demonic cult in pursuit of a third afterlife. This sounds like it could be a good start for Mina, but the plot winds up being so convoluted and non-sensical that it's easy to wind up scratching your head. Not to mention that I'm not really all that fond of Mina's characterization of Constantine. Can good 'ol John be easily so duped? That's up for debate for long time Hellblazer readers, but veteran Hellblazer artist Leonardo Manco saves the book from being forgettable with his great art and creepy visuals. All in all, Empathy is the Enemy isn't the worst read in the Hellblazer library, but you can do far better, which hopefully Mina will as well as her run continues.

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