Hellblazer TP Highwater

Azzarello's hard-boiled dialogue, twisty plots, and compelling if unsavory characters have made him one of mainstream comics' most popular writers. In Highwater, Azzarello takes on, not for the first time, a character created by others: cynical sorcerer John Constantine, who, despite being out for himself, has saved the world from occult threats more than once. Constantine is based in London, and most other scripters of his exploits have been British. The two stories here have him working his way across the States, exposing the country's seamy underbelly while seeking the person who framed him for murder. In the first, Constantine contacts the widow of the man he supposedly killed only to find her involved with white supremacists. The second opens in an S and M club, with L.A. police investigating what they believe is Constantine's charred corpse. Azzarello's depiction of this sleazy demimonde is particularly shocking because it ascribes perversely sordid appetites to Constantine, whom previous writers portrayed as rather a bastard but not the deviant Azzarello suggests. Further, by slighting Constantine's raffish charm, Azzarello sacrifices much of the series' appeal. Certainly a provocative perspective on this popular character.