Hellblazer Volume 2 Explained: John Constantine’s Tormented Saga Continues

In the shadowy underbelly of the comics world, few characters embody moral ambiguity and supernatural grit quite like John Constantine. Emerging from the pages of Swamp Thing in 1985, Alan Moore’s cynical occult detective quickly carved out his own legend in Vertigo’s Hellblazer series. Volume 1, Original Sins, introduced us to a world of demons, junkies, and doomed friendships, leaving Constantine battered and fleeing to America. But the darkness doesn’t relent. Volume 2, subtitled The Devil You Know, picks up the threads with unflinching intensity, collecting issues #10-14 alongside the Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood. Here, writer Jamie Delano deepens Constantine’s descent, blending horror, noir, and biting social commentary into a narrative that cements the series’ reputation as mature readers’ comics at their finest.

This volume marks a pivotal shift. No longer just reacting to crises, Constantine confronts the ghosts of his past—literally and figuratively—while the forces of Heaven and Hell tighten their grip. Delano, still at the helm after handing over from Moore’s initial blueprint, expands the mythos with stories that probe addiction, redemption, and the human cost of playing with infernal powers. Artists like John Ridgway and Richard Piers Rayner deliver stark, atmospheric visuals that mirror Constantine’s fractured psyche. As the story hurtles from the American Midwest to the voodoo-haunted streets of New Orleans, readers witness a man who knows he’s damned yet refuses to go quietly. It’s essential reading for understanding why Hellblazer endures as a cornerstone of modern horror comics.

What makes Volume 2 stand out? It’s the escalation. Where Volume 1 toyed with Constantine’s culpability in the deaths of innocents, this collection forces him to reckon with old mates and cosmic debts. Themes of personal hells—far more terrifying than brimstone—dominate, reflecting the AIDS crisis, urban decay, and the occult revival of the late 1980s. Delano’s scripts pulse with Liverpudlian wit and cynicism, while the art evokes a perpetual twilight. Let’s dissect the key arcs, character developments, and lasting impact.

From Fugitive to Fallen Friend: The Core Arc of ‘The Devil You Know’

Volume 2 opens with Constantine on the run in the United States, a far cry from London’s familiar fog. Issue #10, “The Devil You Know,” reunites him with Gary Lester, a former comrade from the Newcastle gang introduced in Volume 1’s tragic “Hellblazer” one-shot. Gary, once a wide-eyed dreamer, has devolved into a heroin-addled wreck, carrying a glass sphere containing a ravenous demon he accidentally summoned in Saudi Arabia. This “hunger demon” feeds on despair, amplifying Gary’s torment into a grotesque spectacle of self-destruction.

Delano masterfully weaves horror with pathos. Constantine’s arrival in Gary’s rundown flat isn’t heroic; it’s laced with guilt. Their shared history—youthful occult experiments gone awry—surfaces as Gary’s body mutates, his flesh bloating from the demon’s influence. John Ridgway’s pencils capture the visceral decay: eyes bulging, skin stretching like overripe fruit. Constantine’s solution? A mercy killing laced with ritual magic, freeing Gary’s soul but binding it to him. This act ripples outward, drawing angelic enforcers and the First of the Fallen, Hell’s suave ambassador (voiced with oily charm by Delano).

Gary Lester’s Tragedy: A Mirror to Constantine’s Soul

Gary isn’t mere cannon fodder; he’s Constantine’s id unbound. In flashbacks, we see their punk-rock youth, invoking spirits amid squat parties. Gary’s arc critiques the glamour of the occult underground, showing how power corrupts the vulnerable. His death-by-demon sphere echoes real-world epidemics—Delano subtly nods to AIDS through Gary’s emaciated frame and societal rejection. When Constantine shatters the orb, Gary’s spirit possesses a junkie prostitute, leading to a chain of hauntings that culminates in a roadside diner showdown.

Issue #11, “A Feast of Friends,” intensifies the supernatural stakes. Angels Gabriel and Raguel pursue Constantine, demanding he relinquish Gary’s soul. The First of the Fallen intervenes, proposing a devil’s bargain: Constantine’s service in exchange for respite. Richard Piers Rayner’s art shifts to jagged shadows, emphasising isolation. Constantine’s retort—”I’m not for sale”—is pure defiance, but cracks show. He’s coughing blood, a harbinger of the lung cancer plot teased later.

Climactic Bargains and Bitter Victories

Issues #12-14 resolve the arc with “The Mystery of the Cold Cell” and “The Sufferer.” Constantine navigates a haunted prison, confronts illusory demons born from Gary’s regrets, and faces the angels in a metaphysical trial. Delano layers Christian mythology with punk anarchy: Heaven’s bureaucracy is as inept as Hell’s temptations. Constantine outsmarts them by exploiting Gary’s final wish—a simple burial—turning cosmic forces into petty squabblers.

Yet victory tastes like ash. Constantine absorbs Gary’s pain, his silk cigarettes a constant companion amid visions of the damned. This arc solidifies his anti-hero status: he saves souls but dooms himself, a theme echoing Neil Gaiman’s Sandman crossovers yet distinctly Delano’s gritty realism.

The Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood – Voodoo, Debts, and New Orleans Noir

Tucked into Volume 2 as a bonus, the Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood (1993, scripted by Delano, art by Dean Motter and Mark Buckingham) transplants Constantine to Jamaica, bridging to future arcs. Penniless and pursued, he washes up in Kingston, owing gambling debts to the zombie-raising voodoo lord Papa Midnite. This 48-page one-shot is a fever dream of Caribbean occultism, blending Live and Let Die vibes with Hellblazer‘s cynicism.

Constantine’s scheme? Rigging a cockfight with magic, only to unleash Midnite’s undead minions. Motter’s art evokes 1930s pulp posters: vibrant colours clashing with gore-soaked rituals. Themes of colonialism linger—Midnite, a former slave turned sorcerer, embodies resistance warped by power. Constantine’s escape involves a loa possession and a shipboard sacrifice, ending with him stowing away to New Orleans.

“Bad Blood” introduces enduring elements: Papa Midnite as a recurring foe, voodoo lore expanding the mythos beyond European grimoires, and Constantine’s knack for profitable chaos. It’s a palate cleanser after Gary’s gloom, injecting humour via Jamaican patois and absurd zombie brawls, yet underscoring his isolation—no allies, just enemies stacking up.

Themes, Art, and Cultural Resonance

Moral Quagmires and Personal Hells

Volume 2 dissects damnation as internal. Gary’s demon isn’t external evil; it’s amplified self-loathing. Constantine’s “friends” die because he drags them into his orbit, a motif Delano amplifies from Moore’s seeds. Socially, it skewers 1980s excess: drugs as modern sorcery, America as a spiritual wasteland. Delano’s dialogue crackles—”Luck’s just probability with a sense of humour”—while subtext critiques Thatcher-era despair bleeding into comics.

Artistic Mastery in Shadows

Ridgway’s realistic style grounds the horror; Rayner’s impressionism heightens unease. Letterer Annie Parkhouse’s balloons evoke cigarette smoke wisps. Compared to Volume 1’s cleaner lines, Volume 2’s art dirties up, mirroring Constantine’s decline. Influences abound: From Hell‘s historical grit meets Preacher‘s irreverence (Garth Ennis later inherits the baton).

Legacy and Adaptations

Volume 2 influenced Keanu Reeves’ 2005 film (Gary Lester echoes Chas), the NBC series (Papa Midnite appears), and James Gunn’s DCU Constantine. It paved for Delano’s Dangerous Habits (Vol. 3), where cancer strikes. Critically, it boosted Vertigo’s sales, proving horror comics could tackle adult themes. Today, amid reboots like Hellblazer: Rise and Fall, this volume reminds why Constantine captivates: he’s us, flawed and fighting.

Conclusion

Hellblazer Volume 2 doesn’t just continue Constantine’s story; it excavates his soul, revealing a man whose greatest enemy is the mirror. From Gary’s grotesque end to Midnite’s voodoo vendetta, Delano crafts a tapestry of terror that’s as psychologically acute as it is viscerally thrilling. These issues capture comics at their peak—provocative, unflinching, alive with the thrill of the forbidden. As Constantine lights another Silk Cut, gazing into the abyss, readers ponder: can redemption exist in a world of devils we know too well? Dive back in; the saga only darkens from here, promising more infernal delights.

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