Constantine TV Series Aims to Do The Comics Justice

Constantine is just one of several new television series based on DC Comics characters that will be premiering this fall. Fans of the Vertigo Comics series Hellblazer, on which the series is based, are anxiously waiting to see if network television can really do their gruff, gritty, working-class occultist justice. Actor Matt Ryan, who will play John Constantine in the series, tells IGN that the makers of the show are drawing heavily from the source material.

"I think as with the source material, there's so much to draw from in terms of the character and the balance of humor and wit and dark and gritty," says Ryan. "It's great, because John has this kind of real sarcastic, ironic British wit. It's funny, but at the same time it's serious and dark and gritty. It's got it all, I think."

Ryan has been doing his homework, reading through the entirety of Hellblazer's 300-issue run.

"Yeah, there's just so much source material to glean from," he says "I've read about 100 of them now, so I've got a way to go… It's great, man. As an actor, your research is reading comic books. That's not a bad job, right?"

"Yeah, and we're trying to stay as close to the source material as possible and really do the comics justice. So, hopefully, we can do that."

Constantine will premiere October 24 at 10 PM ET on NBC.