John Constantine, Hellblazer: Red Sepulchre
Grade 11 Up–Set in the underside of Liverpool, England, this story opens with a man hanging himself in the dank basement of a crime-infested high-rise. John Constantine (our hero) turns up to visit his sister, who lives in the building, and learns of his niece Gemma's disappearance. As he walks around the building searching for her, he bumps into both petty criminals and syndicate-level thugs. He goes to lunch with their kingpin, who tries to stab him with a fork. As he learns where his niece is being held, he also teams up with an ancient woman living with her servants in a huge mansion. Clarice, as she's called, has a portal into Hell where she summons demons to wreak havoc. Having arranged a secret trick to save his niece, Constantine walks over to the kingpin's hideout, planning to rescue her. This title has crisp artwork with simple lines and a sleek, dark look. There are no manga-style exaggerations here; the characters are drawn without bulging muscles, eyes, or expressions. The dialogue between the sarcastic Constantine and everybody else is amusing, although in some episodes the street toughs are maybe a little too easily fooled. However, the language is extra graphic with explicit references to sex acts and constant profanity. Older teens will enjoy it.–John Leighton, Brooklyn Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.