Editing Hellblazer (section)

==Reception==
[[File:John Constantine Cosplay.jpg|thumb|A [[John Constantine]] cosplay. The character itself has become a [[Culture of the United Kingdom|British icon]] in popular culture.<ref name="Social"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://prezi.com/orljkobcuxkv/constantine-vs-hellblazer/|title=Constantine vs Hellblazer: American Commercialization of a British Icon|publisher=Prezi|author=Coffroth, Alexander|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727145519/http://prezi.com/orljkobcuxkv/constantine-vs-hellblazer/|archive-date=2014-07-27}} July 3, 2014</ref>]]
Over the two decades that it had been published, ''Hellblazer'' had normally been quite well received. While not attaining the sales of 'mainstream' comics, it had sustained healthy figures, consistently being one of the top selling Vertigo titles, and was sustained by healthy sales of [[trade paperbacks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insanerantings.com/hell/faq/orderfigures.html|title=Straight To Hell : A Hellblazer Site- Sales figures|author=John McMahon|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716022722/http://www.insanerantings.com/hell/faq/orderfigures.html|archive-date=2011-07-16}}</ref> Hillary Goldstein of [[IGN]] described it as, "Sometimes surreal, often provocative and almost always entertaining, the adventures of the Hellblazer are among the best Vertigo has to offer."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/01/horrifying-reading|title=Horrifying Reads|website=[[IGN]]|author=Hillary Goldstein|date=November 2005 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001194604/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/01/horrifying-reading|archive-date=2016-10-01}}</ref> Well-known comic book writer [[Warren Ellis]] also praised the series as his favorite, calling it as "among the very best horror works of the 1990s."<ref name="Ellis"/> Andre Borges from ''DNA India'' listed it in the "15 Must Read Graphic Novels", describing it as "one of the first of its kind", and that its "writing and art work have been praised throughout its run."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-15-must-read-graphic-novels-the-sandman-batman-year-one-the-walking-dead-sin-city-and-more-1899467|title=15 Must Read Graphic Novels|newspaper=[[DNA India]]|author=Andre Borges|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074729/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-15-must-read-graphic-novels-the-sandman-batman-year-one-the-walking-dead-sin-city-and-more-1899467|archive-date=2014-10-06}} October 23, 2013</ref> Robert Tutton of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' listed the series at #4 in its "13 Terrifying Modern Horror Comics", stating that "Constantine’s most frightening encounters have hewn close enough to that kernel of truth to remind readers that real life can be as terrifying as any succubus or demon spawn."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/10/13-terrifying-modern-horror-comics.html|title=13 Terrifying Modern Horror Comics|magazine=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|author=Robert Tutton|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523050846/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/10/13-terrifying-modern-horror-comics.html|archive-date=2015-05-23}} October 27, 2014</ref>

Jamie Delano's original run on the title is looked on fondly, with journalist Helen Braithwaite stating, "His take on the character of John Constantine has never been equalled. Delano's ''Original Sins'' graphic novel should be in every comic book fan's collection." She added that, "His writing evokes an incredible sense of dread and terror in a reader."<ref>{{cite news |first=Helen |last=Braithwaite |title=Tales That Witness Madness: A Brief Talk With Jamie Delano |work=Sequential Tart |date=December 1999 |access-date=October 7, 2011 |url=http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/dec99/delano.shtml}}</ref> [[IGN]] listed the title as one of the 25 Best Vertigo Books, calling John Constantine as "one of Vertigo's best characters."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/20/the-25-best-vertigo-books?page=3|title=The 25 Best Vertigo Books|website=[[IGN]]|author=Goldstein, Hilary|date=20 December 2005 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725182843/http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/12/20/the-25-best-vertigo-books?page=3|archive-date=2016-07-25}} December 19, 2005</ref>

Garth Ennis' run is also much loved, particularly ''[[Dangerous Habits]]'', which was voted the best Garth Ennis story on Comic Book Resources, ahead of his work on ''[[Preacher (comic)|Preacher]]'', ''[[The Boys (comic)|The Boys]]'' and ''[[The Punisher]]''. In the same article Brian Cronin describes John's one time love, Kit Ryan, as one of the series' most memorable characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2011/11/30/the-greatest-garth-ennis-stories-ever-told/|title=The Greatest Garth Ennis Stories Ever Told!|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|author=Cronin, Brian|date=December 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803034306/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2011/11/30/the-greatest-garth-ennis-stories-ever-told/|archive-date=2016-08-03}} November 30, 2012</ref> The popularity of Ennis and Dillon's run on ''Hellblazer'' is also credited for Vertigo agreeing to publish their seminal series ''Preacher''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21713|title=WWPhilly: Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|author=Adler, Matt|date=22 June 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203023252/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21713|archive-date=2012-12-03}} June 22, 2009</ref> [[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] called ''Dangerous Habits'' storyline as "rightly one of the most celebrated in comic book history."<ref name="Empire">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.empireonline.com/50greatestcomiccharacters/default.asp?c=3|title=The 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters|magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924115218/http://www.empireonline.com/50greatestcomiccharacters/default.asp?c=3|archive-date=2014-09-24}} September 17, 2014</ref> [[Glenn Fabry]] who was the cover artist during Ennis' run, won an [[Eisner Award]] for "Best Cover Artist" in 1995.<ref>[http://www.glennfabry.co.uk/about.htm Glenn Fabry: Official Website (About)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314075408/http://www.glennfabry.co.uk/about.htm |date=March 14, 2016 }}</ref>

The creator of the protagonist, Alan Moore, praised Jamie Delano's portrayal of the character, commenting "[Delano] demonstrates brilliantly that English horror didn't vanish with the fog and gas lit cobblestones at the end of the Victorian era."<ref>{{citation|author=Delano, Jamie|title=''Hellblazer'' #1|publisher=DC Comics|year=1988}}</ref> Moore also liked Brian Azzarello's run on the series, commenting that Azzarello and Corben captured the character "down, cold and to the life."<ref>{{citation|author=Azzarello, Brian|title=''Hellblazer #146''|publisher=DC Comics|year=2000}}</ref>

The character received positive critical reception while starring in the series. [[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] ranked Constantine third in their 50 Greatest Comic Characters of All Time,<ref name="Empire"/> while [[IGN]] ranked him #29 in their Top 100 Comic Book Heroes,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/top/comic-book-heroes/29|title=Top 100 Comic Book Heroes|website=[[IGN]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150301015219/http://www.ign.com/top/comic-book-heroes/29|archive-date=2015-03-01}} May 6, 2011</ref> and the character ranked #10 in [[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard Magazine's]] Top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time.<ref>{{citation|title=''Wizard: The Comics Magazine #200'' #1|publisher=[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]}} April 9, 2008</ref>

===Legacy===
{{Quote box|align=left|width=30em|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|quote="I think Hellblazer is quite unique. In a comic world dominated by American characters (nothing wrong with that per se) Constantine was unashamedly British. A certain kind of miserablist British."|source=– Peter Milligan in an interview with ''[[Comic Book Resources]]''<ref name="Social"/>}}
The comic book's initial cancellation, and the introduction of the character to DC led to many negative feedback and reception. ''I, Vampire'' writer [[Joshua Hale Fialkov]] expressed sadness he would never get to write "the 'real' John Constantine", noted crime author and former ''Hellblazer'' writer [[Ian Rankin]] stated that Constantine was the only comic book character he ever wanted to write for, and Alan Moore's daughter, [[Leah Moore]] expressing doubt that ''Constantine'' could replace ''Hellblazer'', among others.<ref name="Cancelled">{{cite news|url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/industry-reacts-hellblazer-cancelation.html|title=Hellblazer Cancelled at Vertigo, Industry Reacts Strongly|work=[[Newsarama]]|author=Siegel, Lucas|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110195056/http://www.newsarama.com/comics/industry-reacts-hellblazer-cancelation.html|archive-date=2012-11-10}} November 8, 2012</ref> As a result, DC co-publisher [[Dan Didio]] issued a statement defending this decision, stating that, "Hellblazer's had a long and incredibly successful run and that's a tip of the hat to all the great creators that have worked on the book over the years. The new Constantine series will return him back to his roots in the DCU and hopefully be the start of another incredible run."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.digitalspy.co.uk/comics/news/a437085/hellblazer-cancellation-defended-by-dc-comics-chief.html|title='Hellblazer' cancellation defended by DC Comics chief|publisher=Digital Spy|author=Langshaw, Marc|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423121610/http://m.digitalspy.co.uk/comics/news/a437085/hellblazer-cancellation-defended-by-dc-comics-chief.html|archive-date=2014-04-23|access-date=2012-11-22}} November 9, 2012</ref> ''Comic Alliance'' described ''Hellblazer's'' cancellation as marking "the end of an era for Vertigo" while adding it to be "one of a handful of comics from the late eighties that helped comic books and their readers grow up."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comicsalliance.com/hellblazer-300-conclusion-constantine-vertigo-dc-comics/ |title=Hellblazer #300 Marks The End of an Era for Constantine and Vertigo |publisher=Comic Alliance |author=John Parker |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709183442/http://comicsalliance.com/hellblazer-300-conclusion-constantine-vertigo-dc-comics/ |archive-date=2014-07-09 }} February 21, 2013</ref>

''Hellblazer'' boosted the popularity and image of the [[occult detective fiction]] genre and shaped it to its modern form.<ref name="Channel"/> Many modern examples of the genre such as ''[[Hellboy]]'', ''[[Supernatural (U.S. TV series)|Supernatural]]'', ''[[Grimm (TV series)|Grimm]]'', ''[[The Originals (TV series)|The Originals]]'', and ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' have been influenced by it,<ref name="Cooll"/><ref name="Channel">{{cite web|url=http://www.channelguidemagblog.com/index.php/2014/09/10/constantine-nbc-drama-brings-hellfire-premiere-episode/|title=Constantine: NBC drama brings the hellfire from its premiere episode|publisher=Channel Guide|author=Gustafson, Sarah|date=10 September 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014125855/http://www.channelguidemagblog.com/index.php/2014/09/10/constantine-nbc-drama-brings-hellfire-premiere-episode/|archive-date=2014-10-14}} September 10, 2014</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/supernatural-hellblazer-fandom-war/|title=Constantine and Castiel fans square off over 'Hellblazer's angelic fashion|work=The Daily Dot|author=Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723133243/http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/supernatural-hellblazer-fandom-war/|archive-date=2014-07-23}} March 15, 2012</ref> and many imitators of both the series and its character flourished such as ''[[Criminal Macabre]]'', ''[[Gravel (comics)|Gravel]]'', ''[[Planetary (comics)|Planetary]]'', and others.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=27857|title=When Worlds Collide|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|author=Callahan, Timothy|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020201740/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=27857|archive-date=2014-10-20}} August 16, 2010</ref> Its elements and style have been used countless of times in other works and many analogues of the cynical [[John Constantine]] have appeared.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/11/13/comic-book-easter-eggs-john-constantine-edition/|title=Comic Book Easter Eggs – John Constantine Edition|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|author=Cronin, Brian|date=14 November 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303060939/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/11/13/comic-book-easter-eggs-john-constantine-edition/|archive-date=2014-03-03}} November 13, 2012</ref>