Jeff Lemire steps into the Lion’s Den by answering Hellblazer fan and Constantine skeptic Sonia Harris’ questions about the upcoming mainstream DCU title:
SH: Once I let go of the name “John Constantine”, I was able to enjoy your version as an entirely new character. Did you need to find a way to approach Constantine as a new character?
Jeff Lemire: No. To me our take is true to who he was to a large degree. Ray and I are working really hard to maintain the integrity of the character, to keep him consistent with what we loved about the Vertigo version, but to also reintroduce him to a new audience and make him a part of the larger DCU again like he was when he was originally introduced in Swamp Thing in the 80′s.
There are certain words we can’t use, but otherwise we aren’t pulling any punches. The two key differences are that he younger than he was in Hellblazer, and he is operating in New York now. Though we will see JC in London again.
While I understand the desire to re-settle Constantine in the U.S. for the new series – It brings him closer to the rest of the action for the mainstream DC characters, and particularly Justice League Dark – it feels to me that that move is one of the bigger changes in this new series; Hellblazer was very English, to me; that was one of its most charming qualities, and biggest selling points. Even if the character remained exactly as he was in the Vertigo run, moving him to NYC would nonetheless make his series a different beast, and not necessarily one that I found myself wanting to read…
January 31st, 2013 at 10:55 am
Well considering Hellblazer’s sales figures (well below cancellation for a DCU book), sticking to that series’ selling points wouldn’t necessarily be a smart move either.
January 31st, 2013 at 3:52 pm
Thank you, Aaron, for saying what I was thinking. Hellblazer was a creator favorite series, but far from a successful series. I agree that it does lose something with Constantine in NY, but it will be interesting to see how he responds to it, and, when they’ve exhausted that, he can always go back home. I’m more upset about what this says about Vertigo going forward than any treatment of John Constantine as a character. Besides, its Jeff Lemire writing it (or co-writing, whatever), so how can you be THAT upset?
February 1st, 2013 at 12:53 pm
Also, Graeme, you say that it’s Englishness was its greatest selling point, but i seem to remember you saying on wait what that you weren’t even buying the title, and hadn’t in years. So why should we listen to you when you complain about how it will ruin the character or the title if you weren’t invested in it to begin with?
February 1st, 2013 at 6:04 pm
It seems to me that there would have been a more elegant solution in re-introducing JC, in the 80s Swamp Thing run he was constantly moving between cities and countries with a network of operatives all over the place – why not simply use the old status quo for John?
February 2nd, 2013 at 6:41 am
” So why should we listen to you when you complain about how it will ruin the character or the title if you weren’t invested in it to begin with?”
Very good catch indeed . It would be one thing if he was just voicing the concerns of readers , but it’s nothing like that .