Hellblazer - The end of an Era.

First issue of Hellblazer, 1988.

I can say without a doubt that I have read every single Hellblazer comic and every single mini-series and graphic novel that has been put out by the DC, Vertigo Comics imprint. I didn't like the new John Constantine in Justice League Dark, or in DC's New52. Somehow it didn't feel right to me. As a comic reader/fan/reseller six months away from turning 40, I expected to grow old with John Constantine, as he has aged over the past 28 years. Unlike any other character in the comic industry in the last 50 years, John has grown old, going from 35 years old when he first appeared in Saga of the Swamp Thing - created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch - to an old guy in his late 50s.

Dredd 3D movie .. Was it worth it?

Finally we get on the bandwagon and present our take on the Judge Dredd new movie...
here. I suggest checking out that review before reading the following review. >

I've been waiting to watch Dredd 3D for nearly a year, since I heard that it was being made last year. Judge Dredd is not your average 'good guy/'hero'. He is the epitome of a true anti-hero. He might even have been the first comic book character to be a anti-hero.

JUDGE DREDD: Day of Chaos (Comic Review)

2000AD #1743 - The start of Days of Chaos.

JUDGE DREDD: Day of Chaos (from 2000AD.)




When I was a kid, around 9-10yrs old, my friend who lived directly across the street from us was a huge fan of the British weekly comic series. The two of us at such an early age began a love of a genre in entertainment that I wasn't even aware that I was in love with: Science Fiction. Sure we had our favourite TV shows like Knight Rider, Star Trek and Automan, but they were to us just the normal thing to watch.

My friend Regan was in love with the ABC Warriors which was a series that ran in 2000AD. He made sure he got every single issue of the weekly and so in turn I got to read it and for free. We had our own gang of two called the 'ABC Warriors', with out own clubhouse which his father and the two of us built. That was some 30 years ago.

Feel The ENIGMA - A wicked series in review

Enigma was a nasty little 8 issue series from Vertigo wherein the writer takes on everything from crazed vigilantes to road trips, the meaning of life and yes, comic books.

(Click to enlarge)

So, what makes this different from other series' that have been lauded as "reinventing" and "reinvigorating" the comics genre?

Several things.

First, we don't know who the so called 'hero' of this drama is. Second.... even he doesn't.

(Click to enlarge)

Shade, The Changing Man, Vol 3: Scream Time

Writer: Peter Milligan

Artists: Chris Bachalo, Bryan Talbot, Mark Pennington

Collects: Shade, The Changing Man issues 14 -19

Published under VERTIGO

And now, we come to the third and final (at least till date) volume of Peter Milligan’s Shade, The Changing Man. The inevitable confrontation between Shade and The American Scream does occur here, and we learn a few secrets about Shade, Kathy, Wizor, the American Scream, the zone of madness and the Madness Vest.

Shade the Changing Man Vol 2: Edge of Vision

Writer: Peter Milligan

Artist: Chris Bachalo

Collects: Shade, the Changing Man issues 7-13

Published under Vertigo



Welcome back to another long overdue edition of Deciphering DC. Continuing with the original series on Shade, The Changing Man, (read the review of Vol 1 here) who currently appears in Flashpoint: Secret Seven and is slated to appear in one of the DcnU 52 titles, Justice League Dark.

Shade, The Changing Man Vol 1: The American Scream

Writer: Peter Milligan

Artist: Chris Bachalo

Collects: Shade, the Changing Man issues 1-6

Review by Aalok Joshi

Welcome back to another edition of Deciphering DC. Right now, we’re moving out to the fringes of the DC Universe. In the late 80s/early 90s, there were a lot of experimental titles, most of them treading new genres (remember, Vertigo as an imprint wasn’t around back then) like The Question, Suicide Squad, The Spectre, Green Arrow, Skreemer, Time Masters, Doc Savage, Sandman, Hellblazer, The Books of Magic among others.

A DCnU view - Deciphering DC

by Aalok Joshi

Hey, Welcome back to another edition of deciphering DC. Today, I try to make sense of the reboot and actually tell you why the DC reboot is good for you. Yes, you heard that right. And I also stress on the parts that might go awry, or just be bad.