Hellblazer - Tainted Love (Ennis Vol. 4)

Hellblazer - Tainted Love
By Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon

This collection is a fine example of why Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer is held in such high esteem. This does not collect an epic arc or grand story or any such thing. Rather, Ennis takes little bits of what came before and spins a handful of standalone-yet-connected stories that center on John Constantine and the people he knows.

And it's fantastic.

In a two-parter, we revisit the King of the Vampires from the Bloodlines collection in a surprisingly gruesome story. But gruesome isn't the point. The point is the broken state of Constantine's heart and mind. That the story springs from seeds planted much earlier only serves to make it better. Solid stuff.

In another story the focus is almost entirely on Constantine's lover, Kit. This is a great example of what Ennis does best -- build character. Sure, sure, he curses a lot and has scenes of graphic sex and violence, but at their core the best Ennis stories are about people, not shocking content. THAT'S why people loved Preacher so much. Not because of the sex and violence, but because we liked those characters so much. When he's on his game, few people do better "talking heads" comics.

"Finest Hour" is a decent little one-shot that has very little to do with Constantine, yet somehow manages to symbolize his struggle to overcome the despair he wallows in throughout most of this volume. It's a diversion, but one that resonates. A side story, yet one that works for the ongoing saga.

There is also a dark, disturbing one-shot from the Hellblazer Special featuring a madman priest, the devil, child abuse, and other friendly fellows. This one will make you shudder. A lot. Dire and wonderful stuff, this is.

This is, alas, Ennis' peak on Hellblazer.

Oh yeah, and did I mention it's fantastic?

An earlier version of this review was originally posted at IMWAN.com.

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