This volume contains one of my all-time favourite JC stories (Finest Hour), one tale which I absolutely can't abide (Heartland) and a couple of other stand-out stand-alone episodes (Confessional and Rough Trade) which boil the essence of Hellblazer down to its absolute best. Humanity balanced against outright evil, with Constantine as the unwilling pivot point.

Unlike some other compilations, this anthology doesn't have a particularly compelling unifying thread. It finds JC in the gutter, explores the depth of his misery, and provides the impetus for him to claw his way back into his own skin once more. It's not a great place to join the narrative if you're new to the character. And the self-indulgent episode which takes ex-girlfriend Kit back to her Irish roots is stifling in its deliberate banality.

A mixed bag, then; almost three stars. But there's still a couple of glorious moments of redemption, and of chilling supernatural influence, with quietly powerful asides that raise these stories beyond the normal boundaries of graphic novels.
So... 7/10 ( )

After losing his girlfriend, Kit, in the previous collection, John Constantine has hit a new low and is living on the street. This collection is longer on character development and shorter on action than some of the other collections, but I still loved it. Plus Constantine's drunken confrontation with the King of the Vampires is brilliant! You definitely need to at least read Dangerous Habits and Fear & Loathing before you read this one, though. ( )