Hellblazer: All His Engines

Mike Carey

I'll admit, I was one of those who thought that the departure of Garth Ennis from the Hellblazer fold was going to be synonymous with the gradual falling off in quality that would ultimately result in the title's death. Well, it's been a number of years now, and John Constantine has gotten himself drawn by a whole bunch of different artists, and he always seems to come out pretty clean in the wash. The newest (as of now) title in the series, *All His Engines*, has the look and feel of a sitcom episode more than anything else-- John finds himself pulled into negotiations between a number of different demons, and with characteristic style and panache, manages to make everything come out right in the end by outfoxing the smarmy so-and-sos. There are tendrils leading to books before (and, one figures, groundwork laid for the next series or two), but *All His Engines* is very much a self-contained episode. This makes it an excellent place to start if you're not yet familiar with the series, is the writing and artwork is competent; it doesn't have the flair of some of the earlier episodes, but you won't get lost in the plot, either.