John Constantine Hellblazer series
Denise wrote the stories for two of the graphic novels in the Hellblazer series.
She explains “Sadly, I could only take this on for a year or so because I had a lot of other work commitments but what a buzz! The series was illustrated throughout by Leonard Manco, man of genius, gentleman and all round good guy.
“The series was inspired by near death experiences. I always wondered about the tunnel of warm light and the welcoming friends: what if it was a trap? No one ever comes back from the light, no one ever gets there and then comes alive again, it’s always a journey. What if something sinister lay behind the panel of white light? What if Heaven and Hell weren’t all there was?”
Empathy is the Enemy
No. 25 in Hellblazer series
Illustrated by Leonardo Manco. Introduction by Ian Rankin
John Constantine is drinking in a pub in London when a suicidal man wearing a Wreckless Eric T Shirt approaches him and asks for his help. Chris Cole is crippled with empathy. After setting off a series of events that led to the death of a young family in a house fire he’s feeling their emotions as they died. He can’t stand it any more.
Steve Evans has sent him to John but Evans is a magus too who could cure Cole with a flick of his wrist, so why send him all the way to London?
John finds he has caught the empathy virus and begins to feel the emotions of the people around him. Uncomfortable for an old warhorse but intoxicating as well, comforting.
After finding a murdered woman in Cole’s hotel room they head north to Glasgow and Steve Evans. Even though John knows, as much as he knows anything, that he is heading towards his own death.
Published in 2006 by Vertigo Comics
The Red Right Hand
No. 26 in Hellblazer series
Illustrated by Leonardo Manco.
Steve Evans' dream of universal empathy proves to be hell on Earth for Glasgow, where he finds there's far more pain to go around than he'd ever imagined.
Glaswegians are tearing each other apart, and now Evans needs John Constantine's help to stop the carnage.
Too bad he just buried Constantine alive.
Judgement Day comes to Glasgow. Nuff said.
Published in 2007 by Vertigo Comics