Having started his Hellblazer run with a couple of storylines that showed an assured grasp of Constantine’s character and voice, Andy Diggle turns his hand to the sort of single-issue, self-contained story that have long been the title’s hallmark, and proves adept, if not exactly spectacular (we’re not talking Hold Me, here) at doing so.

In fact, despite being a distinct story itself, with a beginning, middle and “The End” caption, the issue actually feels more like it’s setting things up for a wider storyline, which could well prove to be the case. The core idea it sets up – urban legends being made “real” by belief – is hardly original, but is at least something you can see working well in the framework of Constantine’s world. But it feels over and done with far too quickly, particularly given that so much space is devoted to setting up the concept, and the hapless protagonists, that Constantine himself isn’t given much time to come and sort things out.

Nevertheless, there are some neat touches, particularly Constantine’s rain-sodden lament about the smoking ban, and his calling the bluff of “Spring-Heeled Jack” in classically in-character fashion. There’s a fairly brutal sting in the tail, and it’s interesting that in the early stages of a run where Diggle has sought to return Constantine to his role as arch-manipulator, he’s had him be well and truly played here.

Regular artist Leonardo Manco – rapidly establishing himself as the best Hellblazer artist since Steve Dillon – takes a backseat here, with guest work instead from Daniel Zezelj. The thick linework and muted colours mean it’s hardly a departure from the norm, but while Zezelj’s storytelling his good, his character design is inconsistent – though there’s a certain vagueness about that also feels like a deliberate stylistic choice – and he feels more like a fill-in than a bona fide guest.

It’s been a while, sadly, since Hellblazer was anything like essential reading. For fans of the character, it’s always worth a look, particularly considering Diggle does at least get said character. But all the neat little London-based supernatural mysteries and lovely Lee Bermejo covers can’t mask the fact that it’s still coasting on – appropriately enough, given the subject matter of this story – Constantine’s own reputation, and the glory years of Ennis, Delano and Ellis. Isn’t it about time for some kind of cataclysmic battle with Hell, or something?

ayaya moses mp3 download I haven’t done any non-review updates before, but after a few weeks of solid comics reviews, I think it’s time to directly address the loyal and confused public with my thoughts and plans on the site so far. It’s been a fairly good few weeks, with a cold launch quickly ramping into a pleasing amount of daily traffic (though would it hurt you to comment sometimes!?) – coming up: more of the same! Though I do have a few tricks still in the bag that I’ll be pulling out now that things are running smoothly. There are a few points of order, however:

Firstly, as of today, Comics Daily is a 2-man operation! I’ve invited my once and future Noise to Signal colleague, Seb Patrick, to reach the parts that other reviewers (like me) can’t - for instance, DCU titles. Expect his first review to go up later today. I’ll probably still handle the bulk of the site, but this way I get the odd day off and you get a chance to read about Batman and Superman occasionally, instead of yet another Moon Knight issue.

Secondly, regular readers (ahem) will be pleased to hear that the design is now finalised, so you shouldn’t have the horrible shock of discovering yet another new template in use, though I’ll probably rotate the banner image or something just to keep it fresh every now and again.

Lastly, in addition to the RSS feed there is also now LJ syndication available to all citizens in the Union of Soviet Socialist Livejournal. Feel free to enjoy it, though all the vodka in Russia won’t help you if you leave comments there instead of here.

Thanks for listening!