This latest Hellblazer graphic novel finds Constantine reeling from rejection, addicted to the cure for his … scabrous condition and generally not in a good place. (Well, Constantine’s never in a good place, but this is worse than usual). He’s really not taking the breakup with his (former) lady love Phoebe well at all. In fact, so poorly that he’s looked up an old friend, Epiphany, who’s an alchemist, intent on a love potion to bring the good doctor back to his side.
If there’s one lesson readers have learned over the years, it’s that it doesn’t pay to be close to Constantine. It’s the surest way to end up dead, or worse. And sure enough, Constantine’s desperate machinations don’t turn out as planned. The love potion goes awry, affecting the wrong person, and John’s beloved doctor ends up dead at the hands of a jealous suitor.
Driven mad with grief, Constantine adds yet another unforgivable sin to his long list of trespasses: raising the dead. More specifically, trying to raise his lady love. Things go horribly wrong, Epiphany ends up in a coma, and Constantine is left alone to deal with zombies … and worse (not to mention Epiphany’s dad, who’s a bit perturbed at his daughter’s current state).
Despite the emotional stakes and high tension action in Hooked, the story doesn’t live up to the title: it’s far from gripping. Perhaps it’s because the depth of Constantine’s feelings for Phoebe never have seemed to ring quite true, not like his past feelings for his Irish lass Kit. And, if he truly does care that much for Phoebe, he knows well enough that to keep her safe, he can’t stay with her. And yet he does any number of awful things himself to try and keep her, actions that feel very out of character for him. John’s not a nice guy, but he generally tries to do better by those around him; it’s just that he generally fails.
Milligan hopefully has a reason for tearing down the last shreds of Constantine’s sanity and decency with these various addictions. If so, this descent needs to pay off soon, because the rakish magician has lost a lot of his charm of late. He needs to redeem himself in some fashion – or recover some of his old self – else risk finding himself entirely unsympathetic to readers.
(Vertigo, 2010)
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