Given how much they've milked Sandman, Vertigo have shown comparative restraint when it comes to Hellblazer.  Officially Lady Constantine is a relatively rare example of a Hellblazer spin-off miniseries, but then again, she did start off as a Sandman character.

This is not one of Vertigo's artier efforts - it's a cross of ideas drawn from Hellblazer and Sandman.  Aside from a sex scene near the end, it would fit happily enough within the mainstream DC line.  Taken on its own terms, though, it's a fun romp through the old classics.

It's 1785, and Johanna Constantine is living with her little sister in poverty in London, trying to crack alchemy before the winter sets in.  Fortunately, the secret service need her to help recover one of those helpful mystical items which provide the macguffin for so many Vertigo stories.  Admittedly, this is quite a good one - while the "what's in the box" angle isn't all that original, recovering it from a submerged wreck should be an interesting plotting challenge.  (Well, as long as the plot doesn't resort to her waving her hands and casting a spell, anyhow.)

Johanna does the obligatory Constantine scam routine, villains cast appropriately sinister spells, and there's a throwaway reference to the Parliaments concept from Swamp Thing.  All very comforting, Vertigo-classic stuff, and nothing new.  But nothing wrong with that from time to time, and within its boundaries, it does the job nicely.

Rating: B+

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