Hellblazer #242 - Vertigo

Again, I have to applaud Andy Diggle and Leonardo Manco for turning in a fantastic story-line. This Laughing Magician thing is turning out to be a real piece of work. The insights and ideas that Andy is putting in to this are worthy of Warren Ellis or Garth Ennis. There's certain people that I just love reading their stuff. Not necessarily because they write any better story than anyone else, but because when you read their stuff it gets you thinking about stuff in a different way. They have a unique way of shining a light on a certain idea or notion that makes you look at it in a way that you never did before. That's the way I feel about Warren and Garth, not to mention Grant Morrison, but now? Now I feel that same way about Andy's stories. And John Constantine is the perfect character to apply this type of writing to. He's a person that works from the background. He doesn't hide. He's always right there in your face, laughing at your jokes, making eyes at your women, but . . he always has something else going on. Something that he's working on from around the left and behind your ear. You don't see it coming because he does it from a perspective and angle that you never even thought about. And he's smart. He may not be able to control the board, or all the pieces, but . . he always know where they're at, their moves and a lot of times their goals and intentions. He's intuitive like that. Which in his business, is going to keep him alive for a long time. He may not believe he's the laughing magician . . but his actions speak louder than words. So far he's misdirected the man chasing him towards one of his enemies. He was hoping they would end up taking each other out, but they end up forming an alliance. Now he's got him going towards the chaps that just put him through that piece of shite in Hunger Hill . . . as he's leaving the country on a jet . . . probably laughing. Coincidence? I think not. I love this book. It's always full of irony, wit and sarcasm . . the bedrock of a truly great anti-hero. A fantastic job from Andy and Leonardo. Thanks!