Customer Rating:  
Summary: A Rare Misfire in Delano's Hellblazer Run
Comment: First off, thank goodness this trade exists. I love Jamie Delano's run on Hellblazer, which was frustratingly incomplete until Vertigo finally set out to collect his brilliant post-Original Sins storylines. I loved the stories included in The Devil You Know, which wrapped up -the events left dangling in the Original Sins trade and included the disturbing yet beautiful Horrorist mini-series. I have yet to read The Family Man, but I plan on picking it up soon. Let's hope the next trade wraps up Delano's initial run!
But, as my title indicates, this story was a disappointment. The artwork is there, as are the government conspiracies, nightmarish violence, and trippy concepts. Alas, like many arcs that stretch past 6 issues, The Fear Machine falters and ultimate becomes a chore to read. Maybe it's that imagining Constantine as a hippie just doesn't click, but the story felt like another title altogether. Plus, there are no breaks in the main story, as there were in the "Zed" storyline from Original Sins and The Devil You Know. By the final issue, you're praying the climax will be earth-shattering, and while all the elements are there (sex, rituals, saving the world yet again), I mostly felt relief that I'd actually reached the end.
That said, I still liked more of the storyline than I hated. Delano always pushes the envelope and throws more originality into every page than you're bound to see in countless "edgy" imitations. My advice is to go for the first 2 Delano trades first, otherwise you may be disappointed. Let's hope they wrap up the run in paperbacks soon!
|
