Constantine Writer Jeff Lemire On How He Got Here

Following the surprising revelation made earlier today that Robert Venditti and DC Comics had parted ways on Constantine before an issue ever made it to the stands, incoming writer Jeff Lemire took to the DC blog today to give a sense for what fans should expect from his version of the title, which will replace the previously-solicited Venditti run in March.Here’s what he had to say:

“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 Justice League Dark 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 son of a bitch 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.”