constantine | DC Comics

TRINITY WAR Tie-ins Announced!

Earlier this month we announced that the highly anticipated “Trinity War” will be a massive crossover event spanning the three Justice League titles—JUSTICE LEAGUE, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK.

Well, that’s not all. This morning we revealed with IGN that there are tie-ins! TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA, TRINITY OF SIN: PHANTOM STRANGER and CONSTANTINE will all have a part in “Trinity War”.

“It's not only the first New 52 meeting of all three Justice League teams, it's the first time we'll see how they all interrelate,” says editor Brian Cunningham who spoke with IGN about the upcoming event. Head on over to IGN for more insight from Cunningham and be sure to add “Trinity War” to your summer reading pile!

Tags:

Trinity War, Justice League, justice league of america, Justice League Dark, geoff johns, jeff lemire, Trinity of Sin: Pandora, trinity of sin: phantom stranger, constantine, ray fawkes, jm dematteis

Welcome to 'What's New in The New 52'

The most important word in The New 52 is "New." We're always striving to keep things exciting, different and surprising - sometimes up to the last possible moment.

I'll get to that in a second.

First off, welcome to "What's New in The New 52." The title pretty much says it all – this is where we get to play show and tell. New looks, new designs, new villains, new heroes…See the trend? The New 52 is about trumping expectations and keeping readers on their toes. Every week, you'll get a glimpse of that here.

Case in point – CONSTANTINE #1. Some of you eagle-eyed readers saw the preview pages we ran in the back of our books a few weeks before the first issue hit. You may even recall this panel, that featured some of the notable mystical characters that populate The New 52 universe.

Hopefully, you also went out and picked up the first issue when it hit. You probably noticed that the panel above was totally different in its final form.

Before you start asking me what the deal is, I'll explain. We saw the panel and it was great. But this was the first time we were seeing these characters in The New 52. That doesn't mean change for the sake of change, but it does mean looking at things differently, trying new things and keeping everything – concept, character,location – fresh. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that, no matter where in the process we are. We have to keep ourselves on our toes, too.

Anything can happen in The New 52.

Speaking of, I just got some new character designs in my inbox. Meet Papa Midnight. He'll be showing up in the pages of CONSTANTINE soon.

See you next time,
Bob

Tags:

constantine, What's New In the New 52

THE DARK Group Solicits

CONSTANTINE #3

Written by JEFF LEMIRE and RAY FAWKES

Art by RENATO GUEDES

Cover by JUAN JOSE RYP

1:25 B&W Variant cover by JUAN JOSE RYP

On sale MAY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

John Constantine’s quest to find the last piece of a powerful mystic artifact before his enemies do brings him to a city that could kill him the moment he sets foot in it: London!

THE PHANTOM STRANGER #8

Written by DAN DIDIO and J.M. DeMATTEIS

Art by PHILIP TAN

Cover by GENE HA

On sale MAY 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The Phantom Stranger investigates his past and is quickly reminded of the price he must pay for being part of The Trinity of Sin!

SWORD OF SORCERY #8

Written by CHRISTY MARX

Art and cover by AARON LOPRESTI

On sale MAY 15 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • FINAL ISSUE

Eclipso brings destruction to the heart of House Amethyst in an epic 30-page story! Will Amaya finally master her heritage? On this day, a princess dies!

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #20

Written by JEFF LEMIRE and RAY FAWKES

Art and cover by MIKEL JANIN

On sale MAY 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The Flash and Swamp Thing guest-star as the team struggles to recover the stolen House of Mystery from Dr. Destiny!

ANIMAL MAN #20

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by JOHN PAUL LEON and STEVE PUGH

Cover by JAE LEE

On sale MAY 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

The battle against the Rot has left Buddy’s family in ruins, and now they must withstand another force trying to subvert him: his own celebrity!

SWAMP THING #20

Written by CHARLES SOULE

Art by KANO

Cover by ANDY BRASE

On sale MAY 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

It’s Swamp Thing vs. Superman for the fate of Metropolis—and why are all of Swamp Thing’s worst nightmares coming true? Plus: Who is the mysterious Capucine?

DIAL H #12

Written by CHINA MIEVILLE

Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI and DAN GREEN

Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND

On sale MAY 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Nelson and Roxie are on the run from the Centipede and The Fixer! Their only hope of rescue lies in the hands of Open Window Man! But who is that masked avenger?

DEMON KNIGHTS #20

Written by ROBERT VENDITTI

Art by ROBSON ROCHA and OCLAIR ALBERT

Cover by BERNARD CHANG

On sale MAY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

After decades of questing, the Demon Knights have a lead on the resting place of the Holy Grail—but are they ready for what they’ll have to fight through to get it? And has time run out on one knight’s immortal life?

Click here to see a gallery of covers for the above titles.

(JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #20 cover by Mikel Janin)

Tags:

constantine, the phantom stranger, Sword of Sorcery, Justice League Dark, animal man, swamp thing, Dial H, demon knights

5.2 Reasons to Read DC Comics...Even if You Don't Like Super Heroes

We love comic books. Clearly. Just look at the piles of single issues stacked on our desks like the world’s most psychotically dangerous game of Jenga. Or take a gander at the literal butt ton (approximately 2.5 pancake pounds for your metric folks out there) of trade paperbacks lining our bookshelves. (Don’t look in the closet though. You don’t want to know what’s in there.)

We love comics—because like novels and television shows and movies they allow us to escape from the mediocrity of reality (stupid reality!) and enter a world where anything is possible (where are our teleporters, real life, where?!). Sure, many of those worlds include slipping on a costume and fighting off evildoers as one of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes, but like television, novels and movies, the breadth of the medium spans all sorts of genres.

And that brings us to the point of this week’s column. With so much attention directed at characters like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, and so many great storylines like “Throne of Atlantis” and “Death of the Family” stealing the spotlight, it’s easy to forget that there’s plenty to love at DC, even if you don’t love super heroes. We don’t just publish super hero comics in DC COMICS – THE NEW 52. In fact, we can list off at least 5.2 Reasons to Read DC Comics…Even if You Don’t Like Super Heroes!

1. Sword of Sorcery

Sword of Sorcery combines the politics, world building and intrigue of a certain incredibly popular, critically successfully HBO television series with the adventure and magic of Harry Potter and the action and whimsy of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Combine all that with the beautiful art of Justice League International’s Aaron Lopresti, and…well, don’t break your brain trying to imagine it. Just read it and you’ll see.

2. Demon Knights

Demon Knights takes a more classic approach to the fantasy genre. Heck, in the first issue, all the characters meet in an inn—the go-to opening for a D&D campaign. They then fight a pack of knife-wielding dinosaurs. That’s right. DINOSAURS. Again, just read it. It’s the sort of unbridled, imaginative awesome that only fantasy can deliver. It’s FANTASY-TIC.

3. Threshold

Okay, so maybe you’re not a fan of swords and sorcery and instead find more appeal in the vastness of space. Well, set your phaser to stun, point it at your face and fire cause this comic is going to leave you breathless. Threshold is a sci-fi anthology series that debuted last month. It features a two-fisted main story that reads like a space-based “Most Dangerous Game” style adventure starring both a former Green Lantern and an insanely badass looking Captain K’Rot dual-wielding blaster pistols. Your move, Bugs.

4. All-Star Western

Pretty much in the title on this one. All-Star Western tracks the adventures of the good, the bad and the ugly in the Old West era of the DCU. Incidentally, series protagonist Jonah Hex fits all three of those categories (ESPECIALLY ugly…but please don’t tell him we said that). However, the cast also includes sharp-shooting heroes like Nighthawk and Cinnamon, the deadly Z.C. Branke and Tallulah Black, and the legendary Amadeus Arkham (he founded some sort of institution you may have heard of in Gotham).

5. Dial H

If you’re familiar with China Miéville’s work, then you get why Dial H isn’t your typical super hero adventure. If you’re not familiar, we seriously can’t explain it. It’s like a Grant Morrison comic—you can’t explain it; you have to EXPERIENCE it. However, suffice to say that it’s a one of a kind comic unlike anything else in The New 52…or anywhere else in comic book land.

5.1 Justice League Dark

Exploring the supernatural side of the DC Universe with a host of magic-and-monster-based characters.

5.2 Constantine

Classifying the upcoming Constantine series would be almost contrary to the character himself, who simply defies classification. But if there’s one thing he definitely doesn’t see himself as, it’s a super hero.

What non-superhero comics do you enjoy? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags:

5.2 Reasons, Sword of Sorcery, demon knights, All Star Western, Threshold, constantine, Justice League Dark, Dial H

Jeff Lemire talks CONSTANTINE

Earlier today we announced that Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes will be writing the new ongoing series CONSTANTINE. We asked Jeff Lemire about writing his favorite character. Check out what he had to say about the character he's been dabbling with in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK and will now be launching in his own ongoing series with Fawkes.

"John Constantine is my favorite character. He has been since I was sixteen and I grabbed a copy of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Hellblazer 61 from my local comic shop, Olympic Records in Windsor, Ontario. I was hooked from the moment I saw that amazing Glen Fabry cover with John, leaning, exhausted and bloody, scalpel in hand, against a door frame. I quickly went back and scrounged for every back issue I could, discovering the rest of Ennis' amazing run as well as Jamie Delano's groundbreaking original issues.

"I'd known Constantine from Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run, but his solo book was what really hooked me. The mix of magic, politics, humor and horror as well as John's undeniable cool, really struck a chord with me. I continued to follow Constantine through all 300 issues of Hellblazer and have had the unbelievable fortune to end up writing him in Justice League Dark. And now, along with my good friend and JLDark co-writer, Ray Fawkes, I get to help shepherd Constantine on the next stage of his journey as co-plotter of his new solo monthly comic, CONSTANTINE in March.

"Ray will be doing the heavy lifting, scripting the book (I've read his first three scripts and they are fantastic!!) along with the talented Renato Guedes on art. But I am thrilled to be a part of the book in any capacity.

"As someone who has nothing but respect for the character and the incredible legacy of writers and artists who have worked on him in the past, I want to do everything I can to help create a comic that pays respect to who John was, but also reintroduces him to a whole new audience. Constantine will be different from Hellblazer. No doubt about it. For one thing JC now haunts Manhattan instead of London (the reason for the move will be explained in Issue 3!). And, he once again has one foot planted firmly in the DC Universe, much like he did in the original Swamp Thing stories. But rest assured, Ray and I are not pulling any punches in Constantine. John's still the same as he always was.

"We have a bunch of cool stories coming your way, from the ongoing threat of the mysterious CULT OF THE COLD FLAME, to a brand new Sargon the Sorcerer and a horror called THE WITCHBREAKER, Constantine will have his blood-stained hands full. I hope you come a long for the ride."

CONSTANTINE debuts in March. Look for it at your local comic shop or digitally.

Tags:

constantine, jeff lemire, ray fawkes, Justice League Dark

THE DARK Group Solicits

CONSTANTINE #2

Written by JEFF LEMIRE and RAY FAWKES

Art by RENATO GUEDES

Fold-out cover by JUAN JOSE RYP

1:25 Variant cover by RENATO GUEDES

On sale APRIL 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• Which ghostly menace haunts Constantine today?

THE PHANTOM STRANGER #7

Written by DAN DIDIO and J.M. DeMATTEIS

Art and fold-out cover by GENE HA and ZANDER CANNON

On sale APRIL 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• Do you dare ask who slayed the Stranger?

SWORD OF SORCERY #7

Written by CHRISTY MARX

Backup story written by MARC ANDREYKO

Art and fold-out cover by AARON LOPRESTI

Backup story art by ANDREI BRESSAN

On sale APRIL 17 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

• What is the great evil Constantine unleashes on Gemworld, and why is Amethyst powerless to stop him?

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #19

Written by JEFF LEMIRE and RAY FAWKES

Art and fold-out cover by MIKEL JANIN

On sale APRIL 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• The House of Mystery is under seige—can special guest star The Flash help Justice League Dark battle this unexpected threat?

ANIMAL MAN #19

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by STEVE PUGH

Fold-out cover by JAE LEE

On sale APRIL 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• As Animal Man's popularity grows, the paparazzi follow him everywhere. But is there one place he wishes they just wouldn't go?

SWAMP THING #19

Written by CHARLES SOULE

Art by KANO

Fold-out cover by ANDY BRASE

On sale APRIL 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• What could Swamp Thing possibly fear more than The Scarecrow?

DIAL H #11

Written by CHINA MIEVILLE

Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI and DAN GREEN

Fold-out cover by BRIAN BOLLAND

On sale APRIL 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• What? The? Flash?

DEMON KNIGHTS #19

Written by ROBERT VENDITTI

Art and fold-out cover by BERNARD CHANG

On sale APRIL 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• What undead menaces threaten the lives of the Demon Knights?

I, VAMPIRE #19

Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV

Art by FERNANDO BLANCO and ANDREA SORRENTINO

Fold-out cover by ANDREA SORRENTINO

On sale APRIL 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+ • FINAL ISSUE

• With this, the final issue, will Andrew Bennett survive to dawn’s light?

Click here to see a gallery of covers for the above titles.

(The cover for JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #19 by Mikel Janin)

Tags:

constantine, the phantom stranger, Sword of Sorcery, Justice League Dark, animal man, swamp thing, Dial H, demon knights, I Vampire

THE DARK Group Solicits

CONSTANTINE #1

Written by ROBERT VENDITTI

Art by RENATO GUEDES

Cover by JUAN JOSE RYP

1:25 Variant cover by RENATO GUEDES

On sale MARCH 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• The star of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK is unleashed in his all-new ongoing series!

• Liar, cheater, manipulator…John Constantine is all of these, and yet he uses these skills and more to protect the world from the darkest corners of the DC Universe.

• What Constantine learns in this first issue will shake the very foundations of the New 52…and only he knows how to deal with it!

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #18

Written by JEFF LEMIRE and RAY FAWKES

Art and cover by MIKEL JANIN

On sale MARCH 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• The conclusion to the “DEATH OF MAGIC” comes crashing down upon our heroes, as its consequences dramatically shift the status quo of the team moving forward!

• This issue also has ties to the new ongoing CONSTANTINE series, also on sale this month.

PHANTOM STRANGER #6

Written by DAN DIDIO and J.M. DeMATTEIS

Art by GENE HA and ZANDER CANNON

Cover by GENE HA

On sale MARCH 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• Welcome guest artists Gene Ha and Zander Cannon!

• Phantom Stranger is sucked into a metaphysical poker game against the three sons of Trigon!

• The stakes of this game couldn’t be any higher thanks to the host: Lady Luck, in her New 52 debut!

SWORD OF SORCERY #6

Written by CHRISTY MARX

Backup story written by MARC ANDREYKO

Art and cover by AARON LOPRESTI

Backup story art by ANDREI BRESSAN

On sale MARCH 20 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

• Amaya becomes the Lady Regent of House Turquoise and discovers the startling truth behind its power!

• A mysterious evil originating from Nilaq is now on Earth, and John Constantine doesn’t like that one bit!

• And in the backup feature, Stalker must defeat Lucifer to save his scion!

ANIMAL MAN #18

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by STEVE PUGH

Cover by JAE LEE

On sale MARCH 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• “ROTWORLD” epilogue!

• The horrible tragedy of ROTWORLD weighs heavily on the Baker family.

• Nothing will be the same for Animal Man after this issue!

SWAMP THING #18

Written by SCOTT SNYDER

Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

On sale MARCH 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• Don’t miss the heartbreaking epilogue to “ROTWORLD.”

• Swamp Thing makes the ultimate sacriface in an attempt save the world from the Rot!

• This issue marks the end of life as Swamp Thing knows it!

DIAL H #10

Written by CHINA MIEVILLE

Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI and DAN GREEN

Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND

On sale MARCH 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• This issue marks a turning point in Roxy and Nelson’s quest for knowledge and delves into the mysteries of the H Dials.

• The information contained in the issue will expand your knowledge of the known universe!

I, VAMPIRE #18

Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV

Art by SCOTT CLARK

Cover by ANDREA SORRENTINO

On sale MARCH 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

• A major character dies in this issue as the struggle for Andrew Bennet’s soul comes to a conclusion!

• Find out what happens next after this huge change in the status quo of the series!

DEMON KNIGHTS #18

Written by ROBERT VENDITTI

Art and cover by BERNARD CHANG

On sale MARCH 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

• After thirty years, the Demon Knights are slowly pulling themselves back together—but there’s an army of vampires waiting to tear them apart!

• What punishment does Xanadu have in store for Etrigan the Demon?

Click here to see a gallery of covers for the above titles.

(The variant cover for CONSTANTINE #1 by Renato Guedes)

Tags:

constantine, Justice League Dark, phantom stranger, Sword of Sorcery, animal man, swamp thing, Dial H, I Vampire, demon knights

DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio on the conclusion of HELLBLAZER

"We're supremely proud of Vertigo's HELLBLAZER, one of the most critically-acclaimed series we've published. Issue #300 concludes this chapter of Constantine’s epic, smoke-filled story in style and with the energy, talent and creativity fans have come to expect from Peter Milligan, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini. And no one should worry that John is going to hang-up his trenchcoat - he lives on in March, in the pages of the all-new DC Comics New 52 ongoing series, CONSTANTINE, by writer Robert Venditti and artist Renato Guedes." - Dan DiDio, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher

Tags:

constantine, hellblazer

DC Comics unveils latest addition to The New 52 - CONSTANTINE

John Constantine has been a constant presence in the pages of DC Comics, having first appeared in SWAMP THING in the 1980s and up through his current adventures in the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, ANIMAL MAN and SWORD OF SORCERY.

Now, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS announced this morning that the chain-smoking British occult detective will headline his own ongoing comic book series as part of DC Comics-The New 52.

Launching in March 2013, CONSTANTINE will be written by upcoming DEMON KNIGHTS writer and New York Times bestselling author of The Homeland Directive and the sci-fi graphic novel series The Surrogates, Robert Venditti, with incredible art by Renato Guedes (SUPERMAN).

"Few characters in comics are as complex and entertaining as John Constantine, and I'm finding him to be every bit as enjoyable to write as he is to read," says Venditti. "It's my goal to have the new CONSTANTINE series be equal parts familiarity and surprise. This will be the Constantine we all know and love, but facing new and unexpected challenges from both inside and out."

HELLBLAZER, Vertigo's longest-running series which currently headlines John Constantine, will end with issue #300 in February. John Constantine has escaped, cheated, narrowly avoided and even reversed death on multiple occasions. Now, in the conclusion of “Death and Cigarettes,” longtime writer Peter Milligan and artists Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini will test whether he’s got one more second chance in him, giving him the bloody best sendoff he deserves.