DC Comics Announces John Constantine to Join Sandman Universe
DC Comics revealed that John Constantine will be joining their Sandman Universe comic book imprint with his very own special issue.
Simon Spurrier and Marcio Takara will team up for The Sandman Universe Presents Hellblazer #1. Spurrier will then team with Aaron Campbel for a new series John Constantine, Hellblazer.
Neil Gaiman, who curates the Sandman Universe imprint commented on introducing John Constantine:
“Year One was just the start. Now you get to inhabit the worlds, books, and houses we built for you. I was thrilled when I was told that John Constantine—the original, demon-haunted one who first showed up in SWAMP THING’s “American Gothic” story—is coming back to his murky and dangerous roots. More magic and more darkness and not a few gods and dreams are here for you to explore.”
John Constantine’s introduction begins during a scene from Gaiman’s The Books of Magic miniseries. Constantine finds himself in the middle of a magical war, a war that will consume the world. A war that he appears to have taken his life, as he lies beaten and bloody. While nearly dead, Constantine sees a vision of a young Tim Hunter, who witnesses what his destiny holds. Hunter is horrified by the carnage and destruction and flees back into the past and leaves Constantine to die.
It’s unclear if Constantine dies, but a number of years have passed and he has reemerged into the world. He has all of his memories and years have passed, but he has not physically aged. Constantine sets out to discover how he returned in a world being torn apart by the same old political and social woes. During his investigation, Constantine hears rumors of a young a mage named Tim Hunter that could either be the greatest sorcerer of all or the greatest threat to the world. Constantine questions if history is repeating itself and if he is destined to die, or if he is supposed to stop the cycle and Tim Hunter.
Spurrier detailed what draws him to Constantine and why he’s excited to write the iconic comic book character.
“HELLBLAZER’s the one title I’ve always aspired to write. Ever since John Constantine slunk from Alan Moore’s brain into SWAMP THING, dropping secrets like grenades, bewildering vegetables, and spinning mysteries, I’ve been drawn to his misadventures with eerie gravity. John Constantine is the cynic’s magician: a man of selfish drives and cataclysmic self-knowledge, who tries to do the right thing in spite of himself, in spite of the cost, in spite of the vile and violent world he occupies. He may not be the hero we need, but he’s definitely the bastard we deserve.”
He then elaborated a little bit on the upcoming series and special:
“In this new era, everything is different. Everyone and everything he loved and knew is dead or despises him. Alone, angry, older, and wiser, he beholds a world that is clearly going insane. The shadows are deeper than ever. So he does what he does. He breathes smoke. He grins to himself. And he goes to work.”
Not only will Constantine will show up in his own special and series, but his arrival to the Sandman Universe will be felt in the other books published under the imprint including The Dreaming< House of Whispers, Lucifer, and Books of Magic.
Here’s the official descriptions from DC Comics regarding Constantine’s presence in these upcoming series:
The Dreaming
In THE DREAMING from Spurrier and Bilquis Evely, the sentient algorithm known as Wan has taken full control of the kingdom of Dream—but who created him? And did they put him on Dream’s throne for a purpose? Abel thinks he may be on the verge of uncovering that secret and hopes to tell Matthew the Raven what he knows, but Wan has a dangerous side…and while the mysterious Dora might be able to help them fight back, she’s quite busy in the waking world learning the truth about her own past—a truth that might unmake her entirely.
House of Whispers
In HOUSE OF WHISPERS from Nalo Hopkinson, Dan Watters and Dominike “Domo” Stanton, Erzulie is grieving the loss of one of her husbands, while her remaining spouses ask themselves if they can remain by her side. But in the darkness, a rival has arrived to vie for Erzulie’s place as the newest master of a House in the Dreaming; the Corinthian has his eyes on a forgotten piece of real estate in the Dreaming, and he’s not above moving into a fixer-upper, if taking control of it can give him power like Erzulie’s. To fend off this threat, Erzulie will need allies – including the mysterious Papa Midnite, and the dangerous Shakpana, the contagious god whose last outbreak nearly destroyed the world. And with friends like those…
Lucifer
In LUCIFER from Watters, Max Fiumara, and Sebastian Fiumara, Lucifer is reeling from his standoff against God and the forces of Heaven, and he finds himself wandering the English countryside neglecting his cosmic responsibilities and attempting to build a new life—and home—for himself. Of course, any house built by Lucifer is bound to be a little piece of Hell on Earth…as his first dinner guests, John Constantine included, will learn. But elsewhere, ancient and powerful forces are conspiring against Lucifer. There is a wailing and gnashing of teeth upon the Earth. There is rage and violence in the hearts of men and beasts alike. For every thousand years the Wild Hunt must ride, and tear out the heart of a god…and this time, the black bone horn blows for Lucifer.
Books of Magic
And in BOOKS OF MAGIC from Kat Howard and Tom Fowler, Tim Hunter has just made the most fateful (and possibly catastrophic) decision of his young life, but as a result, he’s feeling quite confident about the kind of magician he’s going to become…until John Constantine comes knocking on his door, determined to kill the young man who’s clearly starting down a road that leads to the planet’s destruction. There’s no guarantee Tim’s worst self will ever take over…but can Constantine afford to take that chance? And now that Tim’s secret is starting to get out at school, can he ever expect to return to a normal life again?
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