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thewilyfilipino's review
1.0
A fairly weak entry in the Hellblazer series (along with the first part, [b:Hellblazer: Empathy is the Enemy|133019|Hellblazer Empathy is the Enemy|Denise Mina|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172015795s/133019.jpg|128141]) -- hey, I'm all in favor for multiverses where superheroes get to save their particular universe every few weeks, but Hellblazer has always been rooted in a very specific time (the grimy present, mostly) and place (a grimy London), and doesn't quite lend itself to the usual sorts of global apocalyptic meltdowns. There's a reason Garth Ennis' [b:Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits|133018|Hellblazer Dangerous Habits|Garth Ennis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172015795s/133018.jpg|128140] is still one of the best story arcs in the series: Constantine as grubby mortal, not as man of steel.
This time around, it's Glasgow that's infected by an epidemic of over-empathy; the poor Glaswegians end up overdosing on the terrible memories of the people around them. Chas and Gemma are dutifully trotted out, as always, but they have nothing better to do than to guilt-trip our Johnny into saving the universe (again). Mina's Empathy Engine sounds an awful lot like Jamie Delano's [b:Hellblazer: The Fear Machine|2382804|Hellblazer The Fear Machine|Jamie Delano|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jpkNF9THL._SL75_.jpg|2389816], an arc that never worked in the first place, and the ending fizzles out, predictably, in an anticlimactic fashion.
This time around, it's Glasgow that's infected by an epidemic of over-empathy; the poor Glaswegians end up overdosing on the terrible memories of the people around them. Chas and Gemma are dutifully trotted out, as always, but they have nothing better to do than to guilt-trip our Johnny into saving the universe (again). Mina's Empathy Engine sounds an awful lot like Jamie Delano's [b:Hellblazer: The Fear Machine|2382804|Hellblazer The Fear Machine|Jamie Delano|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jpkNF9THL._SL75_.jpg|2389816], an arc that never worked in the first place, and the ending fizzles out, predictably, in an anticlimactic fashion.
vanessakm's review
3.0
This TPB is the second half of the story arc written by Scottish mystery novelist Denise Mina for Hellblazer. The first part of the story is collected in [b:Hellblazer: Empathy is the Enemy|133019|Hellblazer Empathy is the Enemy|Denise Mina|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309206921s/133019.jpg|128141].
When we last left John Constantine, he was in Glasgow where a well-meaning but deluded cultist had loosed an empathy virus intending to bring on the Aquarian Age, or something. Instead, the unwanted and incessant mainlining of friend's and stranger's darkest secrets was causing panic and mass suicides. Constantine, not surprisingly, could care fuck all. But he ends up helping because the government has cut off all roads into Glasgow and he'll be running out of cigarettes soon. Then some familiar faces from John's past show up to help because this. could be. the end. of the world.
Like a lot of Hellblazer stories, I can't really swear this all made sense but the story was fun and I love Denise Mina for stepping outside of her genre (she excels in her day job as a mystery writer, the best of which is her Garnethill trilogy.) Typical murky Hellblazer art from Argentinian artist Leonardo Manco and colorist Lee Loughridge.
There is a stand-alone story that opens this volume, "The Season of the Zealot." It would be better placed at the end so as not to confuse readers picking up from the last volume who like me might start reading only to wonder, "Whither the Praexis demons?"
When we last left John Constantine, he was in Glasgow where a well-meaning but deluded cultist had loosed an empathy virus intending to bring on the Aquarian Age, or something. Instead, the unwanted and incessant mainlining of friend's and stranger's darkest secrets was causing panic and mass suicides. Constantine, not surprisingly, could care fuck all. But he ends up helping because the government has cut off all roads into Glasgow and he'll be running out of cigarettes soon. Then some familiar faces from John's past show up to help because this. could be. the end. of the world.
Like a lot of Hellblazer stories, I can't really swear this all made sense but the story was fun and I love Denise Mina for stepping outside of her genre (she excels in her day job as a mystery writer, the best of which is her Garnethill trilogy.) Typical murky Hellblazer art from Argentinian artist Leonardo Manco and colorist Lee Loughridge.
There is a stand-alone story that opens this volume, "The Season of the Zealot." It would be better placed at the end so as not to confuse readers picking up from the last volume who like me might start reading only to wonder, "Whither the Praexis demons?"
shinychick's review
2.0
I couldn't easily remember this one by the title (others I have been able to). It's a sequel (apparently) to one I haven't read, and obviously didn't make an impression. Possibly because I don't remember the writer from anything before; usually, if a Hellblazer GN is good, I've heard of and read the writer's work before.
crowyhead's review
4.0
This conclusion to Mina's Empathy is the Enemy has a pretty good pay-off. It's occasionally a bit goofy, but I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I'm a bit disappointed that Mina only had the one run on the series.
rcsreads's review
3.0
Not the best Constantine story, I didn't like how it ended with Cole. I enjoyed the art and the effort put in with the area around Finnieston. I was also amused that trains not running through Exhibition Centre was a sign of the apocalypse because they constantly go off for things like weather occurring!
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