Review by Karl Verhoven

Alan Moore may have created John Constantine, but it’s perhaps forgotten that when bequeathed to Jamie Delano’s care he moved from a smart-mouthed wisp to a fully rounded personality in a recognisable world, and very much the unreliable narrator. After several years Delano moved on, and in turn Constantine was generally well cared for by others yet Pandemonium is the Return of the Mack.

While Delano doesn’t begin with Constantine, as soon as he switches to him there’s the familiar cynical voice listing the ills of society and playing a system. It’s somehow comforting, yet the London in which the story begins isn’t the location where Constantine ends up. Scheduled for inspection under Delano’s socially attuned microscope is the mess of Iraq post-2004 invasion with no plan beyond wading in. It’s become a hellhole, in the literal meaning, and that’s where Constantine thrives. “’Death wish’ I tell the bloke at immigration when he asks the reason for my visit to Iraq”, deadpans Constantine. “He doesn’t think I’m funny”.

There may seem a trivialisation about both Constantine’s visit and Delano’s intentions, but well rounded supporting character Aseera Al-Aswari stabs a dagger into that suggestion. The knife is twisted by care taken to provide complete personalities from Brad the young American soldier who signed up after 9-11 to the secret agent confident enough to face down Constantine knowing what he is.

Dry humour has always been Delano’s strength and he has Jock illustrate Constantine in the desert’s sweltering heat still wearing his trenchcoat. Jock’s jagged art elsewhere supplies personality, and especially the arid atmosphere punctuated by military vehicles, which is inhospitable and foreboding. Iraq here looks like a hellhole, but Delano’s accompaniment of Constantine’s assessments deliver a list of those responsible. Because this is Hellblazer the supernatural is a prerequisite, and although often swathed in shadow, Jock conjures up something horrifying.

More so than almost any other subsequent writer, Delano shows how Constantine gets under the skin of friend and foe alike, and while he has him walking through the valley of demons, the only magic employed is low level, almost parlour tricks and misdirection. It’s clever, and so is the way the world is saved.

Pandomonium places classic Constantine in a well researched background, makes a point or two, delivers the thrills and is atmospherically drawn. What more do you want?